WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Predicting 10 Biggest Spots

8. The Viper Strikes

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Bray Wyatt might be the most gullible man in wrestling at the moment. Everybody knows that Randy Orton has been plotting to shove a knife in his back from the moment he first joined the Wyatt Family, and Bray’s the only one who doesn’t realise it. Luke Harper has tried to warn him, but Wyatt just won’t listen, and it looks increasingly likely that his trust in Orton will be his downfall.

The Wyatt Family are on the verge of destruction, and Orton’s pulling the strings. He and Harper will attempt to settle their differences in the ring on this week’s SmackDown, but it’s too late. This has been The Viper’s endgame from day one, and the fans are dying to see him turn on the Family. It’s a potentially huge moment, and one that should turn Orton into a gigantic babyface again, particularly if they pull it off at the Rumble.

There’s no sense in wasting the Family’s implosion on a random episode of SmackDown, and all three of them are set to appear in this year’s match. Allies fighting one another has been a reliable Rumble cliche for years, and the Wyatts’ impending meltdown makes them ideal candidates to fill the role this year. There’ll likely come a time when all three are in the ring at the same time, and when it happens, it’s time for Orton to go rogue.

Orton isn’t among the favourites to win this year, but having him turn on Bray to eliminate him last and take the match would be the ultimate way to pull this off. Randy would find himself back in the title hunt for the first time in a long while, and it would set him and Bray up for a big showdown at Elimination Chamber in February.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.