Assessing The Futures Of 10 WWE Stars Who Didn't Make The Royal Rumble 2021 Cut

The days of WWE desperately scrambling around for warm bodies to fill the 30 spots in the Royal Rumble are over. That isn't true when it comes to the women's match, but WWE's bloated male roster means competition for spots in the match has never been more intense. You can maybe understand some wrestlers not getting much to do on weekly television (although with five hours of RAW and SmackDown to fill, not really), but no spot in a 30-man battle royal? Cause for concern, to say the least.

The problems aren't just creative. This is a fantastically lucrative time of year for WWE stars, as the Road to WrestleMania kicks off and pieces are put into position for the Show of Shows. WrestleMania itself has become more bloated with time and places on the card aren't quite as hard to get as they were a decade ago, but that doesn't change the financial benefits of it all. If you aren't in the Rumble, chances are you aren't going to find yourself in a big moneymaking 'Mania match.

A good performance in the Royal Rumble can set up superstars for a year of success, redemption, creative excitement or joy. Not even getting a spot in the Rumble is often a harbinger for worse times to come. WWE's obsession with stockpiling talent means releases are unlikely, but these guys might want to get used to the sidelines.

It might sound weird, but 2020 was actually a pretty good year for Apollo Crews. After years spent treading water in midcard purgatory, the former Uhaa Nation finally broke through the glass ceiling and won his first championship, defeating Andrade for the WWE United States Championship and holding the belt for three months before coming up short against Lashley. There ain't no shame in losing to Lashley.

Crews hasn't exactly dipped since then. He moved to SmackDown as part of the October draft and has spent much of his time on the blue brand trying to wrestle the Intercontinental Championship from the grasp of Big E., a quest that has so far been unsuccessful. There have been hints at a heel turn, with Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns seen giving Crews advice on a number of occasions.

Many expected Crews to cement that heel turn at the Rumble, but that didn't happen. He wasn't seen in the 30-man battle royal either. Unlike many names on this list, Apollo's absence shouldn't be a harbinger of difficult times ahead, and was more than likely simply a case of Crews just not making the cut this time. I'd expect him to be featured as normal come Friday's SmackDown.