12 HUGE WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Predictions You Need To Know

8. Showing Off

Dolph Ziggler Smackdown
WWE.com

WWE have exhibited rare patience with the ongoing absence of Dolph Ziggler from every aspect of their multi-platformed product.

Not only has the 'Show Off' remained M.I.A from SmackDown Live! since abandoning his newly-won United States Championship and exiting in a huff, he also failed to bother with Raw 25 and WWE Network commitments that plague most of the rank-and-file on the roster.

Typical of a career as daft as Dolph's, his disappearance has rendered him the most over he's been since cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase in 2013. Should he return now, first to take out paper US Champion Bobby Roode and then the remainder of the field en route to his strongest Rumble finish yet, Ziggler may move a step closer to his real WrestleMania dream - even if a fictional one is out of the question. He's made no secret of his desperation for one singles match, and whilst a top title scrap looks out of reach, the Royal Rumble would be the perfect place to initiate something of significance for the battle-worn star.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett