WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 10 Potential Dark Horses
6. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin
Love him or hate him, Baron Corbin is making moves on Tuesday nights. In Kalisto, he’s found the perfect dance partner for his bully persona, and Corbin looks better than ever while working with the tiny luchadore. He’s got his obnoxious heel character down to a tee, as illustrated by his surprisingly excellent Talking Smack promos, and if he keeps working with the right guys, he’ll become the beast WWE dearly want him to be.
Corbin still has his deficiencies, but he’s working to overcome them. He often looks like a plodding, generic big man in the ring, but he’s got an excellent set of eye-catching signature moves, and if he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll be a star. If he hadn’t been cursed by that terrible Dolph Ziggler feud shortly after his debut, perhaps he’d have reached those heights already.
Rumour has it that WWE have huge plans for Corbin, and they’ll find a way to thrust him into the title hunt sooner rather than later. Would they do this as soon as the Royal Rumble? It’s doubtful, but it shouldn’t be considered an impossibility. Vince McMahon will always have a thing for giants, and Corbin is one of 2016’s most improved wrestlers. He’ll have a big year, regardless of how he fares in his first Rumble.