WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Predicting All 30 Entrants

2. Shinsuke Nakamura

Royal Rumble 2018
WWE.com

Main roster life hasn't been kind to Shinsuke Nakamura. No longer the attention-grabbing special attraction of old, he has become part of the furniture on SmackDown, with 50/50 booking, overexposure, and lacklusture bouts draining his aura. Nonetheless, his popularity endures, and an impressive Royal Rumble showing would be one hell of a repair job.

WWE have already burned first-time bouts with John Cena and Randy Orton on free television, but one dream opponent remains: AJ Styles.

This is the 'Mania bout people want to see, and Shinsuke winning the Rumble is the easiest way to get there. It'd be a tremendous title fight, with Styles, the consensus best wrestler in the company, sure to draw a lively performance from the inconsistent Nakamura.

Their NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 clash is a stone cold classic. They'd have to contend with WWE's hefty in-ring restrictions this time, but there's little reason to believe they wouldn't deliver another Match Of The Year candidate at 2018's biggest show.

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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.