6 wrestlers who can win Royal Rumble 2017

Too many legends in race for the title

KARACHI: Royal Rumble is the most exciting match of the year – 30 superstars battling it out for a spot in the main event of the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’, Wrestlemania. While we often reminiscence about the Rumbles that saw greats such as Stone Cold, The Rock, Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio defeat the odds, this year’s Rumble is the most star-studded in recent years.

With the show slated for January 29, so far Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, The Undertaker,Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and many more have thrown their names into the hat, increasing the unpredictability factor even more. With multiple storylines entangling and many rivalries reaching a peak factor, here are six wrestlers who are likely to win Royal Rumble 2017.

The Undertaker

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

One might say he is past his prime and it would not make sense for The Deadman to win the Rumble but look at it like this: the first time he won the Rumble was in 2007, 17 years after he debuted in 1990. Now that he is approaching retirement, the legend of The Undertaker is so huge that he definitely deserves one epic farewell – a Rumble win, eventually leading to a last world title win at Wrestlemania.

Earlier reports by the wrestling dirt sheets indicated Taker to win the Rumble and face John Cena, who would possibly defeat AJ Styles to win his 16^th world championship on the same show. While the reports should only be taken with a pinch of salt, one can’t deny that this would surely be a mega match, perhaps even bigger than Cena vs The Rock at Wrestlemania 28.

Goldberg

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

No matter how ridiculously depressing 2016 might be, we saw Goldberg make a shocking return to WWE after a 12-year hiatus.  WWE is always unexpected and this was no exception. And just when we thought he would be gone after defeating Lesnar in 85 seconds, we learned that he was gunning for one last world title run.

Similar to Taker, Goldberg had an undefeated streak in WCW back in the 1990s. Therefore, eliminating 29 other superstars shouldn’t be a big problem for the bald-headed, body-spearing heavyweight.

Brock Lesnar

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The Beast Incarnate suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of Goldberg in the Survivor Series last year. Since then, he has been looking for retribution. And what other retribution can be so fulfilling than winning the Rumble?

After Goldberg pitched his name for the match, Lesnar wasn’t one to be left behind. Judging from the storyline that has slowly been playing out the last few months, one can easily see either Goldberg or Lesnar winning the Rumble. Either that or we witness both wrestlers eliminate each other and have one final blow-off match at Wrestlemania – with Lesnar finally avenging his two losses.

Braun Strowman

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The ‘Monster Among Men’ has been demolishing everything that has crossed his path in the last few months. From trying to break Sami Zayn’s spirit to threatening Mick Foley and even facing Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, Strowman has been unleashed and he is looking for some major competition. Then, of course, it wouldn’t hurt if the competition is for the WWE Universal Championship.

Since the brand split in July last year, Strowman has been presented as a potential main event talent and the WWE has been building him up for the spot slowly. As the Royal Rumble is all about creating new stars, it would be a great time to pull the trigger and launch this giant of a man to new heights. The best part about him is that he comes off as a legitimately dangerous wrestler who is looking to not just defeat, but hurt his rivals. A Rumble win would establish him as a top star and put him among the mix of Rollins, Reigns and Kevin Owens.

Finn Balor

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Now this one is all up in the air. The Demon King defeated Rollins to become the inaugural WWE Universal Champion at Summerslam last year. But in that match, he injured his elbow, which has kept him out of the action until now. If Balor recovers in time, he won’t miss the opportunity to show up at the Rumble as a surprise entrant.

As Balor was a huge star in Japan before joining WWE, he easily established himself as a top talent in NXT. So when he debuted on Raw and was put right in the main event spot, he did not seem out of place.

The fans were also familiar with him and his entrance (possibly the best entrance in WWE today) assisted his persona so well, he became a fan favorite at once. Imagine the lights go out and the heart beats slowly rising to reveal Balor at the entrance; the moment would blow the roof off the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

He would win the Rumble and go on to face Kevin Owens – an opponent he has a long history and whom he defeated in Japan at NXT’s ‘The Beast in The East’. The spectacle of wrestling could not get any bigger.

Samoa Joe

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Joe is a world-class athlete and one of the biggest names in the pro wrestling world. While he has been competing in NXT for the last two years, winning the NXT title on two occasions, even main roster (Raw and Smackdown) fans must be familiar with his notoriety. The Rumble would be the best time to introduce the mean-looking championship-obsessed star to the world. And judging by the reports, he is set to be portrayed as a mega star upon his debut, much like Balor.

If Joe debuts and wins the match, it would set off a totally unexpected and equally entertaining trajectory on the Road to Wrestlemania. Who would he face? Well, it remains to be seen. Joe debuted in NXT in May 2015, interrupting Owens – the current WWE Universal Champion, so it would make perfect sense to have them face each other. The face-off would be two years in the making and with Wrestlemania being the ultimate setting of bad blood and competition, Joe and Owens would possibly give us a larger-than-life showdown.

Have something to add in the story? Share it in the comments below.