WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Predicting 12 Wrestlers Not Yet Announced
1. Finn Balor
The rise and fall of Finn Balor was one of wrestling's most bittersweet stories in 2016. The year saw him not only become the longest reigning NXT Champion of all-time, but capture the Universal Championship less than a month after debuting on raw.
Balor's glory was snatched away from him as quickly as it had come around, however: the Irishman endured a serious shoulder injury while wrestling Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, and he's been sidelined ever since.
His return date remains a mystery. The initial verdict was that he'd miss up to six months of action, which would coincide with a pre-WrestleMania return, and the man himself has recently ruled himself out of the Royal Rumble. It might be worth taking this with a pinch of salt, however. Balor isn't exactly going to admit his participation in the Rumble ahead of time, and if he's healthy, a Rumble spot is almost certainly on the cards.
The Demon King should receive a monster push whenever he comes back. If he's in the Royal Rumble, he should be an immediate favourite. He never truly lost the Universal Title in the first place, and there's a strong chance he'll re-enter that hunt as soon as he's ready. What better way to re-establish his position at the top of the pile than by winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania?