WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 10 Big Mistakes They Can't Afford To Make
3. No Big Surprises
There are still 12 spots to fill in this weekend’s Royal Rumble, and while most of WWE’s big stars have already been announced for the match, there are numerous candidates to fill the match. There are currently 74 active wrestlers on WWE’s male roster. Subtract the 18 names already confirmed for the Rumble and the four who’ll fight for world titles, and that leaves 52 wrestlers vying for 12 spots. That’s a lot, and it leaves little in the way of room for surprise entrants.
The roster bloat has led to speculation that WWE aren’t looking to spring any surprises at this year’s Rumble, and that they’ll draw from their pre-existing talent pool to fill the match. Doing so wouldn’t just be incredibly disappointing, but a huge mistake from WWE’s point of view, even if it might keep some of their fringe employees happy.
Surprises are the Royal Rumble’s ace in the hole, and a huge part of the event’s appeal in the first place. Not knowing who’s going to show up has created some of the Rumble’s biggest moments since its inception, and while WWE have rarely presented a Rumble without at least one surprise entrant, the suggestion that this year might not feature any should set the alarm bells ringing. The last thing we need is for all 30 names to be confirmed by the end of the week, because as unpredictable as this year’s match is, it’ll be nothing without the mystery x-factor.