3 WWE NXT superstars to watch out for in the 2024 Royal Rumble match
This Saturday, WWE will present the 37th edition of the Royal Rumble, with the Premium Live Event set to take place at Tropicana Field in Florida.
While the rumble match is put in place for the current stars of the main roster to show their skills and advance to the main event of WrestleMania, in recent years, it has also showcased many of the young and up-and-coming stars from the company's third brand, NXT.
With plenty of talented performers on the NXT roster, we are going to take a look at three stars from the brand who may appear in either the men's or women's Royal Rumble match.
#3 - The NXT Women's Champ makes her presence known on one of WWE's biggest stages
One of the standout performers in 2023 on any brand was undoubtedly Lyra Valkyria. The Irish star finally burst onto the scene by putting on multiple great matches.
Her biggest moment came when she took on her fellow countrywoman, Becky Lynch, for the NXT Women's Championship. While their confrontation was extremely physical, the pair managed to maintain a level of respect for each other after the contest.
Speaking on My Love Letter to Wrestling, Becky Lynch praised Lyra as well as the rise of Irish wrestlers in WWE.
"This all started 21 years ago, and to have at least five major stars in WWE that all came from that little Irish scene. We've got Sheamus, we've got Finn, we've got Jordan (JD McDonagh), and now we've got Lyra Valkyria, who is just phenomenal and is going to be a huge star in the future. So, coming from the grassroots from where it started, knowing what it looked like on day one, I don't know if anybody would have predicted it."
With her star power rising even more, WWE would be wise to have Valkyria make an appearance in the Rumble match this Saturday, for her to get an even bigger following than she already has.
#2 - NXT's most athletic star shows off her skills
Alongside Lyra Valkyria, another top NXT star who had a stellar 2023 was Tiffany Stratton. At just 24 years of age and with no pro wrestling experience before signing with WWE in 2021, Tiffany has proven that she can hang with even the most experienced in-ring performers.
In May of last year, Stratton's hard work paid off as she went on to become the NXT Women's Champion, a title she held for 107 days.
One person who has been very impressed with Stratton's skills is Paul Heyman, who said in an interview with Fox News Digital that she did not seem at all intimidated when working with a top star like Becky Lynch.
"Tiffany Stratton not only held her own in the ring with Becky Lynch, I thought in the promos that she did with Becky Lynch she more than held her own as well,” said Heyman. “That’s no easy task for someone that hasn’t been on the main roster for a long time, let alone for any time. Tiffany held her own in a very tense situation with Becky Lynch and looked great doing it. And it wasn’t because Becky Lynch knew how to carry her through the segment. It was because Tiffany knew how to present herself, and she did it quite well – very impressive."
The Royal Rumble is a great chance for fans who don't regularly watch NXT to see some of the stars of the future, and given that she is not shy of the big stage, Tiffany Stratton would be a welcome addition to the match this Saturday.
#1 - NXT's biggest star makes an impact
Over the past couple of years, Bron Breakker has established himself as one of the greatest and most dominant performers in NXT history.
The son of the WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner has gone on to win the NXT Championship on multiple occasions and has also shown that he can thrive as both a top babyface and a heel.
During an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda's WrestleBinge, Breakker's Hall of Fame uncle Scott Steiner was asked if his nephew is ready for the main roster or not.
"They’re just gonna wait to bring up when the time’s right. It’s better to go up there with a plan in than not…. It’s best for him to keep on learning. They’ll know when he’s ready. I think he’s ready now."
Having already made brief cameos on RAW in the past, the Royal Rumble may be the perfect time for Bron Breakker to finally become an official member of WWE's main roster.