WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Rating Each Entrant's Chances Of Winning

18. Rusev

Royal Rumble
WWE.com

Handsome Rusev hasn't had a great deal of luck in recent Royal Rumbles. 2015 saw him almost save the fans from the prospect of a Roman Reigns victory, but he was thrown out with relative ease after spending much of the match hiding behind the ring. He fell afoul of Reigns again in 2016, when he lasted little over a minute and a half after drawing #2, continuing his dismal record against "The Guy."

Will Reigns' omission from this year's match improve Rusev's chances of victory? Maybe, but he probably won't come close to winning. Rusev remains one of the most consistently entertaining wrestlers on Raw, but he's stuck in a loathsome feud with Enzo Amore and Big Cass at the moment, and his immediate future appears to be in the midcard. Perhaps Rusev will eventually work his way into the main event scene, but it won't happen anytime soon.

Chances: Very slim.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.