The annual Royal Rumble match can be a good showcase for superstars to put on an impressive performance, aiding in their quest to be top stars someday
When it comes to the WWE Royal Rumble match every January, all of the focus is on who the victor will ultimately be, as that person will go on to headline WrestleMania for a top title. It makes all the sense in the world for this to be the case, but the 30-man battle royal is also a showcase of sort for stars to cement themselves as top players for a long time to come.
Whether it’s eliminating everyone in their path for an extended amount of time or sticking around in the match for about 45 minutes, the Rumble contest each January has been a nice showcase for superstars we should maybe get used to seeing in or around the main event scene in the foreseeable future.
This Sunday, the 30th edition of the Royal Rumble match, should be no different for a select few WWE superstars.
5. Big E
Look, we all need to face some facts here. While they’ve been one of the more entertaining groups that WWE has had in quite some time, the New Day’s time as a unit is running thin and chances are they won’t be together by the time 2017 comes to a close. What we also need to face is the fact that when they do split from one another, it will more than likely be Big E who takes the leap into the main event scene.
That transition can get off to a nice start with a solid performance from Big E in the Royal Rumble match on Sunday. All three members of the group are in the match, but Big E has the most riding on wowing everyone in attendance inside the Alamodome and those watching around the world on the WWE Network.
Few people doubt the fact that Big E can thrive in the main event scene, and making people remember his performance in the 2017 Rumble match will further solidify that theory.
Credit: WWE.com
4. Baron Corbin
You may love or hate the WWE brand split that took place last July, but you can’t deny the fact that some superstars certainly did benefit from splitting up the rosters. As we’ve seen recently, one of the young stars that seems to be thriving because of the split is “The Lone Wolf” Baron Corbin.
On Smackdown Live, they’re really going all in with Corbin, thrusting him right into the main event scene. While he didn’t come out victorious, he recently participated in the main event of an episode against none other than John Cena. Yeah, that’s sort of a big deal and a sign that you’re going down the right path towards being a top guy.
Corbin made an instant impact last year when he debuted and won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas. Now, this Sunday, it’s time for Corbin to make his presence felt in the biggest battle royal of the year, the Royal Rumble.
Does Corbin have a chance at winning it all? Eh, that’s highly unlikely, in the words of the legendary Gorilla Monsoon. But he could go out there and rack himself up some impressive eliminations, solidifying himself as the ignorant monster that they want him to be on Tuesday nights.
Credit: WWE.com
3. Braun Strowman
Well while we’re on the subject of monsters, there might not be a member of the entire WWE roster who’s being pushed as hard with that narrative than Braun Strowman.
Strowman is really coming into his own on a weekly basis on the RAW brand, becoming sort of a staple in the main event scene on Monday nights much like Corbin has become on Tuesdays. He’s sort of everything that Vince McMahon sees in a WWE superstar, so it’s really no surprise he’s been pushed so hard over the course of the past few months.
Sunday night at the Royal Rumble will truly be telling as to just how far they want Strowman to go. As it stands right now, he will probably be the man who sends opposing superstars over the top rope like they’re coming out of a Pez dispenser, someone we see from the match basically every year.
The former Wyatt Family member has the ultimate chance at this year’s Royal Rumble to put on a show in front of one of the largest crowd’s in the event’s history, and show everyone that he belongs in the main event scene going forward in his career.
Who knows, maybe they think highly enough of Braun to give him the win and the main event spot at WrestleMania. Stranger things have happened.
Credit: WWE.com
2. Bray Wyatt
Will 2017 finally be the year that Bray Wyatt gets to the main event scene, stays there for a while and captures a top title in the company? A lot of us sure do hope so and that journey can start off Sunday evening in San Antonio.
Now the previously mentioned superstars don’t necessarily need to win the event to benefit themselves, but the case is different here with Wyatt. If he’s going to benefit from this match in the way he needs it the most, then he needs to be the one standing tall when all is said and done in the Royal Rumble match.
We’ve already seen Wyatt put on solid Royal Rumble performances, but now it’s a necessity for him to earn the right to head on to WrestleMania for a title shot, cementing himself in the main event scene for a good while, something quite frankly that he has deserved for a while now but frustratingly hasn’t been given the chance to do.
This Royal Rumble is stacked with some top names and Wyatt is definitely one of them, adding to the intrigue that this match has built up over the course of the past few weeks. But just being a name in the match isn’t enough anymore, to benefit the most, Wyatt needs to add “2017 Royal Rumble winner” to his moniker.
Image via WWE.com
1. Samoa Joe
In light of recent reports, while he will be considered a “surprise” on Sunday night, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that Samoa Joe will finally grace the main roster with his presence on Sunday night. He will do this in the form of entering himself in the Royal Rumble.
Some of those reports have pegged Samoa Joe as being a big deal heading into WrestleMania season, which has followers of his amazing career to this point all sorts of giddy, yours truly included. If these reports are true and Vince McMahon is envisioning Samoa Joe as being one of his top guys moving forward throughout 2017 and beyond, then Sunday night is a huge deal for the Samoan badass.
There is a big opportunity here to make Joe feel like not only does he belong on the main roster, but he’s here to wreck shop and take what he wants, when he wants. And while some may disagree with me, I believe what Joe should be taking on Sunday is a Royal Rumble win and an immediate main event spot in Orlando, something none of us ever really saw coming for Joe in the past.
Should we finally see the debut of the former two-time NXT Champion on Sunday night inside the Alamodome, then no one can really benefit more from having people associate this year’s edition of the match with his name and his name alone.
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