The Royal Rumble is one of the biggest and most entertaining pay-per-views of the year, second only to WrestleMania if we’re being honest, and one of the reasons is that fans never quite know what to expect from it. Current superstars flood the ring one by one until 30 competitors have made it to the ring, though as we know several of those slots are given to unexpected and unannounced stars, which usually turns out to be a mix of WWE legends, surprise guest appearances, and stars from NXT. Some of the NXT appearances have been the most enjoyable, and we have several NXT stars we hope to see before the event concludes, and you check it out starting on the next slide.
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In recent pay-per-views, there has been a starker line between Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, as last year’s Survivor Series removed NXT from the equation and was a much lesser event because of it. Hopefully, that trend does not continue into Royal Rumble, and we’ve got a list of those who we think would either benefit from the appearance or those who would just make for entertaining TV if they happened to pop up.
Here’s the full rundown of the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches.
The Women’s Royal Rumble will include Nia Jax, Bayley, Peyton Royce, Shayna Baszler, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Tamina, and 18 unannounced stars.
The Men’s Royal Rumble match will include Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Edge, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Mustafa Ali, Otis, Sheamus, Jey Uso, The Miz, Bobby Lashley, John Morrison, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Big E, Braun Strowman and 12 unannounced stars.
We will obviously see some legends in the mix as well, though the pool is a little less full than in previous years, as several legends have gone on to work with AEW. Jake The Snake, DDP, Arn Anderson, and Sting are a few names who have popped up over there, so don’t expect to see them make an appearance this year as they might have done previously.
With that in mind, hit the next slide to check out the NXT stars we hope make the cut, and as always you can talk all things WWE and NXT with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
Rhea Ripley
This one is a no-brainer, or at least it should be. Rhea Ripley has reached a natural stopping point to her run in NXT, and while you can certainly move her into another feud there, if you are going to move her to Raw or SmackDown, having her make an entrance at the Royal Rumble is the perfect way to kick off that run and get her some momentum from the get-go.
The best thing is you don’t have to have her win. She just needs to make a big impression and take out some folks before her time in the ring is up, and that should more than do the trick. You can then have her debut on Raw the next night and kick off a feud with Charlotte, who would be the perfect vehicle to have her get that win back she should’ve never lost in the first place and work her way to a title shot.
Adam Cole
This one is also pretty much a no-brainer, especially since Daniel Bryan is also in the Royal Rumble. Cole faced Bryan in an amazing match during that NXT invasion of SmackDown, and it would be great to see them go back at it for a bit when face to face at the Rumble. That’s not to mention how cool it would be seeing Cole take on stars like Mustafa Ali, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, John Morrison, and more.
That Styles and Morrison matchup could be epic now that we think about their styles blending, so here’s hoping it happens.
Shotzi Blackheart
Few have endeared themselves to the fans as much as Shotzi Blackheart has over the past year, and her superb hosting of Halloween Havoc and the matches that followed have only cemented that status. That’s why making an appearance in the Royal Rumble would be a perfect way to kick off 2021 for the NXT star, especially if she can notch a few eliminations before her time is up.
Her look instantly sets her apart from so many other stars, and who doesn’t want to see her tank roll down the entrance ramp. It would also be delightful to see her match up against stars like Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair, which likely won’t happen again for a while, as it feels like an NXT Championship run is very much in her future.
Bronson Reed
Bronson Reed has proved he is an unstoppable force in the ring after making his return late last year, and it would be wonderful to showcase that on the Royal Rumble stage, even if it is only for a short while. Reed is an athletic and agile powerhouse, and there are several other stars in the Men’s Royal Rumble match that he would match up well against.
Stars like Sheamus, Otis, and Bobby Lashley have all been announced for the Rumble, and odds are Keith Lee will also be in the mix. These men all have unique blends of power and speed, and getting to see Reed hold his own against them would only raise his stock and would put those skills on a big platform to help build his momentum moving forward throughout the year.
Raquel Gonzalez
Speaking of powerhouses, few are as dangerous as Raquel Gonzalez, and the star is on an absolute tear at the moment. She defeated Rhea Ripley in a brutal match at New Year’s Evil to kick off the year, and nabbing a spot in the Royal Rumble would only serve to continue that momentum and potentially get us one more meeting between the two if both are in the Rumble.
If Ripley’s not there though, there is no shortage of compelling opponents to face off against. We’d love to see Gonzalez face off against Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, Tamina, Charlotte Flair, and Shayna Baszler, especially since 3 out of 4 of those have ties to NXT. Another dream scenario is a Beth Phoenix Gonzalez showdown, but we’ll just have to wait and see if Phoenix or Gonzalez end up making an apperance.
Cameron Grimes
Every Royal Rumble has a few comedic spots, and while these are normally left to legends, you could get a great moment if Cameron Grimes were to make the cut. Grimes can go in the ring without a doubt, and his mix of power and speed meshes well with several other stars already confirmed for the Rumble.
That said, it’s the entertainment value of Grimes that has drawn the most attention as of late, as his over the top nature makes pretty much every sequence involving him comedic gold. His catchphrases and chaotic personality would make the perfect foil for stars like Cesaro, Sami Zayn, The Miz, Big E, and more, and we can imagine his particular segment potentially stealing the show.
I’M CAMERON GRIMES!!!!
Indi Hartwell
The Royal Rumble is a perfect chance to showcase a talent or two that haven’t had the chance to get as much shine, and while Indi Hartwell has been a focal point of NXT lately as part of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae’s faction The Way, she could use an even bigger platform to showcase her talents and what she can do in the ring, and if she can eliminate a star or two, it would only give her more to work with in her week to week promos in NXT.
Hartwell would be a great contrast to superstars like Bianca Belair, Mandy Rose, Peyton Royce, Ruby Riott, and Alexa Bliss, and those battles would give her a chance to show off her mix of athleticism and power outside of a tag team scenario. She can then run with it on NXT, adding how much damage she did in the Rumble to her resume, and if fan reaction is big, it could help set her up nicely for 2021.
