WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Predicting 12 Wrestlers Not Yet Announced
2. Kurt Angle
Almost 11 years after his last televised appearance, Kurt Angle is finally back in the WWE ecosystem. The Olympic Hero has been announced as this year's first Hall Of Fame inductee, and with the likes of Rick Rude and Diamond Dallas Page set to join him, Angle will head-up a star-studded class at the April 1st induction ceremony.
The announcement has naturally led to all kinds of speculation on Angle's future. The former WWE Champion has kept a relatively light schedule since leaving TNA in January 2016, but recent performances against Cody Rhodes and Zack Sabre Jr. prove he's still an excellent wrestler. His induction doesn't necessarily mean a return to television, but it does increase the likelihood of it finally coming to fruition.
San Antonio would explode if Kurt entered the Rumble. His appearance would immediately rank among the best returns in the show's history, regardless of how well he fares in the match, and it'd likely prompt one of the loudest pops of the year. After Goldberg's comeback last year, there's no bigger return left for WWE to pull off, and there's no good reason not to bring him back at this point.
Kurt's indie schedule extends through February and March, so he probably isn't going to be making a full-time TV return anytime soon. Still, who could possibly say "no" to hearing "Gold Medal" blare through the Alamodome sound system on January 29th?