5 Biggest Surprise Entrants For The 2019 Royal Rumble Match
The Royal Rumble match is based on a few concepts that allow working smoothly, and one of those key concepts is the element of surprise, as returning star, a debuting star or an NXT call up are some of the usual surprises one could expect in the Royal Rumble. And this year it feels like WWE is pulling out all the stops to make the Royal Rumble match extra special, as the declining nature of the WWE product has forced WWE to wake up and start to rebuild their product.
And it is no surprise that the Royal Rumble would be the ideal place for them to start, as the marquee pay-per-view is one of the highlights of WWE year, so by making changes on this night to their product they could ensure a successful year, and that starts with getting the Royal Rumble right. And what better way to book a successful Royal Rumble than to have unexpected stars show up for the match.
#1 Batista
Batista's last Royal Rumble win was the total opposite of his 2005 triumph, as fans decided to turn on the once white-hot babyface due to him getting a push over the then popular Daniel Bryan. But it seems like the WWE Universe has put the events of the past behind them, as the Animal's return to WWE at SmackDown 1000 was clearly a hit with the fans, and that couldn't be any better for WWE, as they intend on using Batista going forward.
It's no secret that Batista wants to end his wrestling career soon, as he wants to focus on his career in Hollywood, and the former WWE Champion has also stated that he wants his last opponent to be none other than Triple H. WWE implied at SmackDown 1000 that these two men could, in fact, face off in the future, but the question is when? With Triple H facing an injury and Batista busy in Hollywood, could this dream match be called off?
Well, when it comes to wrestling nothing is for sure, and if WWE wants this match to be on the cards for WrestleMania, then the Royal Rumble is the perfect starting point to build this feud. As getting Batista back in action would be the best bet to actually booking this match for WrestleMania.
#2 The Undertaker
The Undertaker's supposed retirement at WrestleMania 33 was a tearful experience for wrestling fans, as they had to come to terms that one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time has to retire. It was a bittersweet moment seeing Undertaker lay down his ring gear, walk down the ramp and disappear into the darkness.
That could have been the perfect scenes for The Undertaker's retirement, but WWE had to mess with that perfect moment up when they called back the Undertaker from retirement for another match with John Cena and then with Triple H.
Some may like that Undertaker is still doing his stuff in the ring, but we all know that this WrestleMania might be his last as an active wrestler, and the question is, who will be the man to put the legend down?
Could it be his longtime rival Shwan Micheals or could it be a newcomer like Braun Strowman, whoever it is, WWE needs to start building a narrative to send "the phenom" off with a bang, and the Royal Rumble match is a perfect way to start these programmes.