WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 10 Superstars Who Have A Realistic Shot Of Winning

3. Finn Bálor

finn balor
WWE.com

Speaking of unfinished business, Finn Bálor has been out with injury since forfeiting the WWE Universal Championship the night after SummerSlam 2016.

After defeating Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns clean inside of a month, it became clear that WWE was positioning The Demon King as Raw's top babyface. His shoulder injury threw those plans off-track, but anyone that doesn't think Bálor will return at the top of the card should check their expectations. When he does return, he's undoubtedly coming for that Universal Championship.

The biggest question is: when will that be?

If Finn's rehab is going well, and there have been no reports to the contrary, it's very possible we will see him return at the Royal Rumble. January was always the earliest timetable for his return, given a near six month recovery time period for his late-August injury. Shoulders are tricky though, in that they typically take longer for an athlete to get back to 100%, so it's possible WWE may not want to push it.

With that said, if Finn is able to meet expectations and enters the Royal Rumble, he's not in it to lose. To quickly regain any momentum he may have lost by forfeiting the title just one day after winning it, a Rumble victory in 2017 would surely fire him back up and pave the road for his quest for the gold.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.