The Royal Rumble always has a few surprise entrants during the match. With the addition of the women’s Royal Rumble, we should see even more Superstars return or debut in WWE. Superstars like Lita, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, Beth Phoenix, Bobby Lashley and many more have been rumored to appear at the Royal Rumble and could also be on this list. Who do you want to see return or debut this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.

Here are six Superstars it would be great to see come down the entrance ramp this Sunday at the Royal Rumble:

Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus

Stratus made a brief appearance Monday night on RAW when WWE honored some of the greatest female Superstars of the past. Stratus stood out during the Attitude Era and remains very popular amongst WWE fans.

The first ever women’s Royal Rumble match will feature 30 Superstars. I’d expect to see a bunch of wrestlers from the past and from NXT show up for the match. Trish Stratus seems like a pretty safe bet to make an appearance at the Royal Rumble. She is actually one of the favorites in terms of betting odds to win the women’s Royal Rumble this Sunday.

Batista

Batista

Batista returned to WWE four years ago at Royal Rumble 2014. He wound up winning the whole thing and the crowd absolutely hated it. The majority of the audience wanted to see Daniel Bryan win the Royal Rumble. As it turned out, Bryan wasn’t even in the rumble and also lost his match against Bray Wyatt earlier in the night.

Bryan went on to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 after forcing Batista to tap out via the Yes Lock. Batista was gone shortly after that and his return to WWE was ultimately a letdown. Things would go a lot better for Batista if he returned this Sunday and the crowd would be more excited to see him.

Kharma

WWE posted a list on YouTube back in December of Superstars that fans would like to see return one day. Kharma was on that list and it would be awesome to see her return for the women’s Royal Rumble.

Kharma would be a tough Superstar to eliminate and could have an epic showdown with Nia Jax. Kharma caused chaos in the 2012 men’s Royal Rumble where she was a surprise entrant. It would be cool to see what she could do in the first women’s Royal Rumble match on Sunday night.

Daniel Bryan

There is a 99.99% chance that this won’t happen. However, if it did it would be an unbelievable moment. Daniel Bryan is currently the GM of SmackDown and is in the middle of several disagreements with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon.

On the 25th anniversary of RAW this past Monday night, Daniel Bryan and The Miz had a staredown on the entrance ramp. Bryan and The Miz have had several shouting matches on Talking Smack. The Miz captured the Intercontinental Championship from Roman Reigns on Monday night.

It would be amazing to see Bryan eliminate The Miz and then go after the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. Bryan returning to the ring on Sunday is very unlikely, but it would steal the show if he was one of the entrants in the Royal Rumble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBcAnDC4wuM

Ronda Rousey

It just make sense for Ronda Rousey to show up this Sunday at the Royal Rumble. However, TMZ recently caught up with Rousey and she shot down rumors that she will be in the women’s Royal Rumble Sunday. The reporter asked her if she would be there and here was Ronda’s response:

“I appreciate everyone’s confidence, but I’m actually leaving to Colombia right now to finish shooting “Mile 22″ and won’t be back until mid February. I appreciate you saying that and it’s a real honor to hear it.”

While Rousey is saying that she wont be there Sunday, I don’t think too many would be shocked if Rousey was one of the entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Asuka and Rousey are currently the two favorites to win the women’s rumble on Sunday night.

Ethan Carter III

WWE already dropped the ball with EC3 when they decided to make him a comedy act and a midcarder as “Derrick Bateman” on NXT. He was then released from WWE on May 17th, 2013.

Carter made his debut in TNA as Dixie Carter’s obnoxious and spoiled nephew. It was a gimmick that seemed destined to fail, but Carter made it work and eventually made a name for himself. He won titles and was one of the bigger stars in the company. Carter recently lost a “Feast or Fired” match during Impact tapings and is a free agent.

He also was scheduled at an indy event this weekend, but backed out of it. It would be great to see a once overlooked talent get another shot in WWE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZY8cWZaGZI

WWE has announced several matches for the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show.

Newly crowned United States Champion Bobby Roode is slated to hold an Open Challenge for his title. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival and Kalisto, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher & Drew Gulak have been announced as well.

Also, alongside Samoa Joe, Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze and two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair will be appearing on the panel as analysts.

The Royal Rumble pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, January 28, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

– 30-Man Royal Rumble Match: John Cena, Finn Balor, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Elias, Baron Corbin, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, Aiden English, Rusev, Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods, Tye Dillinger, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, TBA

– WWE Universal Title Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Kane vs. Braun Strowman

– WWE Title Handicap Match: AJ Styles © vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

– Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Asuka, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Bayley, Naomi, Natalya, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Mickie James, Tamina Snuka, Lana, Carmella, Becky Lynch, Dana Brooke, Alicia Fox, TBA

– Raw Tag Team Title Match: Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan © vs. Sheamus & Cesaro

– SmackDown Tag Team Title Two Out of Three Falls Match: The Usos © vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin

– Kickoff Show: United States Champion Bobby Roode will hold an Open Challenge for his title.

– Kickoff Show: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival

– Kickoff Show: Kalisto, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher & Drew Gulak

We all have a fair idea of who is likely to win the 2018 Royal Rumble.  Names like Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns and John Cena seem to dominate the top 3 spots on most lists, while Randy Orton, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens float underneath.

However let’s take a moment to explore the unlikely winners, the superstars who could have genuine claims to the grand prize at WrestleMania 34, but probably (definitely) won’t win.

Rusev

Why?

If anyone is deserving of winning the Royal Rumble based on recent form and popularity among fans, this man is surely one of the main contenders.  His “Rusev Day” T-shirt sales have topped the merchandise lists, and he appears to have made something out of nothing since joining SmackDown Live.

He is a strong fan favourite, but there’s concern over another feud with Roman Reigns in the future, which might become old very quickly if we remember their battle over the US Title.

Why not?

Rusev VS WWE Champion (currently AJ Styles) – it just doesn’t scream WrestleMania…

He’s not on WWE’s radar as a singles division champion either.  However, he is doing good work with Aiden English on the tag-team scene which will hopefully result in a number 1 contender position and, eventually, the titles.

Probability Score: 2/10

Kurt Angle

Why?

Kurt Angle can do no wrong.  OK, well sometimes he does mess up… like talking over The Shield entrance music… But the Hall of Fame GM of RAW is celebrated by WWE and represents stability and authority on a weekly basis.  He steps up when he needs to and seems to give everything 100%.

Why not?

Kurt Angle VS Universal Champion (currently Brock Lesnar) – Angle and Lesnar has already been done, and no one needs a rematch.  As for Strowman or Kane, it just doesn’t seem right.  However, I wouldn’t say no to Kurt Angle vs AJ Styles if that were to be arranged.

The main point though, and I hate to say it, is that he’s past his prime, and WWE need to focus on young talent.  While Kurt Angle has already been used to boost Jason Jordan, he should continue take a supportive role, not one of the main spots at WrestleMania.  WWE’s age problem has already been highlighted, and as much as I enjoy the Olympic gold medalist – it would feel like a backwards step to have Kurt Angle anywhere near a title opportunity.

Probability Score: 3/10

Broken Matt Hardy

Why?

Broken Matt Hardy represents a supernatural force, and has the simplest of all reasons to win the Royal Rumble: DELETE.

While it’s very simple, the story-line is effective and works well with Hardy’s fresh gimmick that no one has ever done in the same way he has in WWE.  The Obsolete Champion becomes the Woken Champion, seriously, this stuff writes itself.  Now that Matt Hardy owns the intellectual rights to everything “Broken” WWE should let him run wild and free with it.

Why not?

Matt Hardy VS Universal Champion (currently Brock Lesnar) – Matt Hardy just lost to Bray Wyatt at RAW 25… I don’t see him defeating Brock Lesnar or Braun Strowman (sorry Kane).

But before considering a match up a champion, Hardy is still tied up in a feud with Bray Wyatt, and unless they are going to bring The Eater of Worlds into a title feud as well (look how that turned out last time, thank you Randy Orton), this will be a no go.

Probability Score: 1/10

Jeff Hardy

Why?

Jeff Hardy VS Universal Champion (currently Brock Lesnar) – I feel as though Jeff Hardy could make a big match like this work.  I’m not immediately excited by it, but I think the idea and prospect of the match would build into something more exciting than Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar.

Although Jeff Hardy is out injured at the moment, WWE may want to utilize his abilities in the singles division sooner rather than later.  Starting a story-line early before fully returning to official in-ring action may be the best way to do this. With the hard work out of the way, Jeff Hardy can sit back and relax until WrestleMania, shooting promos and getting underneath the skin of the Champion.

What also works about this is Jeff’s ability to move quickly, think on his feet, and cause a surprise without anyone seeing it coming in the rumble match.

Why not?

The question for WWE is, will Jeff Hardy return as he is, or will he come back as Brother Nero?  Jeff will add significant value as Brother Nero with Matt Hardy, but they can’t stay in the tag team division forever.  So who takes the lead roll?  There are a lot of questions that require answers before secure development can take place.

Probability Score: 1.5/10 

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan (Photo Credit: WWE.com)

Why?

Daniel Bryan VS WWE Champion (currently AJ Styles) – Yes. Please.

The rumours are flying, left, right, centre, off centre, diagonal, EVERYWHERE.

Who would say no to Daniel Bryan having one more Royal Rumble appearance, with one more WrestleMania moment?… apart from WWE medical staff…

But on a serious note, it almost feels as though Daniel Bryan has unfinished business in the ring.  So much potential waiting to be unleashed.  I know he doesn’t help the “WWE Age Problem” that was mentioned with Kurt Angle previously, but I’m willing ignore that if we get AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan in WWE.

Why not?

As stated above, WWE medical staff may have something to say about this one.  The main theory that is being concocted on forums is the idea that Bryan’s health concerns are all part of kayfabe.  The concept is pretty outrageous and I think it’s more likely that Daniel Bryan’s in-ring career will start back up outside WWE when his contract is over.

Probability Score: 0.1/10 

Stephanie McMahon has just announced that she will be joining the commentary booth for the Women’s Royal Rumble match this Sunday.

The WWE’s Chief Brand Officer officially revealed the 30 Women over the top match on RAW weeks ago and now she will be on hand to call the action in this historic match.

Several legends from WWE’s past have been linked with appearances in the match, including Trish Stratus, Lita and Michelle McCool. Former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey has also been rumored for a Rumble appearance.

Announcing the first-ever women's #RoyalRumble match was one of my all-time favorite moments in @WWE… And now I'm proud to share that I'll be joining the Announce team for this historic match this Sunday! #RumbleForAll #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/ehovcuGCXG

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) January 24, 2018

With just days until the 2018 Royal Rumble, we’ve got confirmation on the location of next year’s Rumble.

Chase Field in Phoenix, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team, will host next year’s Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 27th. The retractable-roof Stadium holds approximately 48,500 for baseball games.

John Saboor, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Special Events, told AZ Central, “We have an incredibly rich history and heritage of presenting WWE events in the Valley of the Sun. In many respects, this serves as an exciting opportunity to work with longstanding and new partners in Phoenix to create four nights of memories.”

The other WWE events during Royal Rumble 2019 weekend, such as NXT Takeover, RAW and SmackDown Live, will take place from the nearby Talking Stick Resort Arena:

• Saturday, Jan. 26: NXT TakeOver at Talking Stick Resort Arena
• Sunday, Jan. 27: Royal Rumble at Chase Field
• Monday, Jan. 28: Monday Night Raw at Talking Stick Resort Arena
• Tuesday, Jan. 29: SmackDown Live at Talking Stick Resort Arena

WWE held last year’s Rumble from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The show had an (announced) attendance of 52,020.

There are still a lot of unfilled slots for both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches on Sunday. Let’s take a look at the confirmed participants for each match.

Women’s Royal Rumble Confirmed Participants

1. Asuka
2. Bayley
3. Becky Lynch
4. Carmella
5. Lana
6. Liv Morgan
7. Mandy Rose
8. Mickie James
9. Naomi
10. Natalya
11. Nia Jax
12. Ruby Riott
13. Sarah Logan
14. Sasha Banks
15. Sonya Deville
16. Tamina Snuka
17. Dana Brooke

This leaves 13 open slots for the match.

Men’s Royal Rumble Confirmed Participants

1. John Cena
2. Finn Bálor
3. Randy Orton
4. Shinsuke Nakamura
5. The Miz
6. Elias
7. Baron Corbin
8. Matt Hardy
9. Bray Wyatt
10. Aiden English
11. Rusev
12. Titus O’Neil
13. Apollo Crews
14. Tye Dillinger
15. Big E
16. Kofi Kingston
17. Xavier Woods

13 spots are still unaccounted for.

One of the most exciting aspects of the annual Royal Rumble match is the surprise entrants. Whether it’s a superstar making their WWE debut or a legend returning to the spotlight, the Rumble has produced a lot of memorable surprises over the years.

• Looking Back at 3 Memorable Royal Rumble Debuts

This year’s Royal Ruble takes place in less than two weeks on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA. While this is speculative, it’s worth noting that free agent and former Impact Wrestling World Champion Ethan Carter III has been pulled from an independent show the day of the Rumble.

EC3 finished up with Impact Wrestling this week after nearly 5 years with the company. He had been advertised to appear for Renegade Wrestling Revolution on 1/28, but they posted a message on Facebook stating that EC3 will no longer be appearing at their “Over The Top” event from Houston, TX due to “reasons out of their control.”

Obviously this is far from a confirmation that “EC3 will be in the Rumble!” but it’s worth taking notice of. EC3 would be a tremendous addition to either RAW or SmackDown and has developed into a world class performer since his first WWE run as Derek Bateman.

Discussion: If EC3 does return to WWE, do you think he’d be a better fit on RAW, SmackDown or in NXT?

On tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live the semi-finals for the United States Title Tournament will take place with two matches. First, Xavier Woods will go one-on-one with former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Second, Mojo Rawley will meet former NXT Champion Bobby Roode. The winners of those respective matches were originally slated to meet for the vacant United States Title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) in two weeks.

WWE.com has announced that is no longer the case, as instead the finals will be taking place on the go-home episode of SmackDown Live on January 23rd from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC before the Rumble instead. There is some speculation going around that the winner of the tournament will face Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble to crown the true United States Champion, as Ziggler seemingly vacated the strap after walking out on WWE in a storyline several weeks ago.

The Royal Rumble will go down live on PPV from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 28th.

It’s easy to get caught in the hype before a 30 man Royal Rumble event; with the potential for anyone on the roster to enter the ring, it’s an event which holds almost infinite possibilities.

However, we all know that sometimes, things just don’t click, and the much anticipated Royal Rumble can be overshadowed by a previous match on the same night.  Perhaps 2 superstars put together something special, or maybe the main event collapses into a predictable or botched affair.

Either way, here is a reminder of 3 matches that completely eclipsed their main event counterparts at the Royal Rumble PPV.

2015 – Brock Lesnar (c) vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins

• Royal Rumble Winner: Roman Reigns

In the midst of WWE’s push for Roman Reigns to be the number 1 face of the company, of course he was going to win the next Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for Roman, not everyone in the WWE Universe enjoyed his push; the crowd at the 2015 Royal Rumble hardly ‘popped’ when Reigns was declared the winner.

Compare the sound of Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble to the sound of Rollins putting Lesnar through a table… no contest.

But that’s not all, the overall story lines and feuds are much more appealing from Rollins’ perspective.

Although the rumble match was entertaining, the bitter aftertaste of Roman’s win soured the event, leaving the destruction and mayhem of Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins as the ultimate star that night.

2013 – The Rock vs CM Punk (c)

• Royal Rumble Winner: John Cena

Whether a Rumble is predictable or not, if the winner doesn’t excite the crowd, it’s not going to be remembered as a great match.  Sadly, having already experienced this match as the main event of Wrestlemania a year before, John Cena vs The Rock was not what the WWE Universe wanted at the end of The Royal Rumble in 2013.

Especially since The Rock VS CM Punk had been teased in July a year earlier!

Challenge Presented, Challenge Accepted:

Two Promo Kings Go To War:

The Rock’s Sharpshooter:

As well as the quality of wrestling on show from these two superstars, this match featured a tactical sabotage from The Shield, an appearance from Vince McMahon, AND a restart.  Essentially, this was a rollercoaster with an outrageous number of twists and turns that no rumble could compete with.

2003 – Kurt Angle (c) vs Chris Benoit

• Royal Rumble Winner: Brock Lesnar

This is just a great match, and while the Royal Rumble saw a young Brock Lesnar making his way in WWE, nothing compares to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in 2003.

Understandably, a dark cloud hovers over anything that concerns Chris Benoit.  Looking past the tragic events and focusing purely on professional wrestling, there is no doubt about this match featuring.

The two masters of submissions had great chemistry and put together a fast paced battle full of counters, and counters to those counters, with both superstars looking to use their signature holds that they became famous for.

It’s almost worth advising against watching the highlight reel beneath as it doesn’t do justice to this spectacle.

2000-2003 were golden years for Royal Rumble PPVs.  There were so many superstars working in, or building to their prime during this era.  And while I’d love to single out Cactus Jack vs Triple H, or almost every match involving The Rock or Chris Jericho during this time, it’s Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in 2003 that get the nod.

Other Honorable Mentions:

John Cena vs AJ Styles (2017)

A contender for match of the year in 2017, this entry was extremely close to making the main list.  But even though I was personally disappointed with a Randy Orton victory, the competitors involved were all valuable in some way, even James Ellsworth.  Correction: especially James Ellsworth.

Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho (2001)

If Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit features, it’d hard to leave out this ladder match from 2001.  This chaos filled spectacle, which is hard to watch when thinking about Benoit and potential head injuries, just falls short due to highly rated rumble match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t43VEeTwwAk

Triple H vs Cactus Jack (2000)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’d love to have this match featured in the list.  But you can’t escape the controversy behind The Big Show’s attempted elimination of The Rock.  Anyway, skip to 2:10 of this promo and enjoy the shock and horror on Triple H’s face as Mankind becomes Cactus Jack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw8GlbtRGsg

The Rock vs Chris Jericho (2002)

This match went in and out of the main feature so many times I became dizzy.  It has twists, turns, and Jericho providing the perfect masterclass in how to be a heel.  The only reason it’s not in the list is because the 2002 Royal Rumble match is also extremely good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lEfSSd6NgQ

WWE has announced that Enzo Amore will defend the Cruiserweight Title against Cedric Alexander at the Royal Rumble PPV.

The Royal Rumble pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, January 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

– 30-Man Royal Rumble Match: John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Baron Corbin, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, TBA

– WWE Universal Title Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Kane vs. Braun Strowman

– WWE Title Handicap Match: AJ Styles © vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

– Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Asuka, Naomi, Ruby Riott, Natalya, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Paige, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Lana, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, TBA

– WWE United States Title Tournament Finals

– Raw Tag Team Title Match: Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan © vs. Sheamus & Cesaro

– SmackDown Tag Team Title Two Out of Three Falls Match: The Usos © vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin

– WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Enzo Amore © vs. Cedric Alexander

Last week after Stephanie McMahon announced the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match, online betting sites began setting odds and taking bets on who will win the historic match.

From the beginning, Ronda Rousey was listed as the favorite, despite not being announced for the Rumble and never wrestling a match for WWE. It’s worth noting that there have been significant shifts in the odds over the past few days, with RAW Superstar Asuka now listed as the front-runner.

Courtesy of PaddyPower and Bet Wrestling, the following women have the best betting odds to win the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble match.

• Asuka 13/8 (+162)
• Ronda Rousey 7/4 (+175)
• Paige 6/1 (+600)
• Becky Lynch 7/1 (+700)
• Nia Jax 10/1 (+1000)
• Charlotte Flair 14/1 (+1400)
• Sasha Banks 14/1 (+1400)
• Bayley 16/1 (+1600)
• Naomi 18/1 (+1800)

We will post an update as we get closer to the Rumble, which takes place on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA.

On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in one-on-one competition. After the match Michael Cole mentioned on commentary that Asuka could have potentially earned herself a shot at the RAW Women’s Title before WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer stated on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE is building up to putting the RAW Women’s Title on Asuka.

Meltzer noted that it’s possible this title change occurs before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) later this month. If Asuka wins the RAW Women’s Title before the Royal Rumble, then she would not be involved in the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match. It’s also possible that “Little Miss Bliss” would invoke her rematch clause at the Royal Rumble event as well.

Discussion: How would you feel about Asuka potentially winning the RAW Women’s Title before the Royal Rumble? Who would match-up with Asuka for the title at WrestleMania as a result? Is the woman destined to beat Asuka’s streak on the WWE’s roster right now?

– Monday’s RAW saw Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson teaming together for the first time in WWE. The trio picked up a victory over Miztourage and Elias. After the match, they spoke with Mike Rome backstage.

Balor fired off a few cliches, saying “the more things change the more they stay the same” and “the boys are back in town.” While we didn’t get a concrete answer about the future of this “too sweet” alliance, the caption of the RAW Fallout video implies that we haven’t seen the last of Balor, Gallows and Anderson together.

After successfully teaming together for the first time in WWE, Finn Bálor, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson look to dominate Team Red in 2018.

– It was confirmed on Monday’s RAW that the Women’s Royal Rumble match will feature 30 competitors and will have the same rues as the men’s Rumble match:

• 30 Superstars will enter, one at a time, at consistent intervals
• An elimination occurs when a Superstar is sent over the top rope with both feet touching the floor
• The last woman standing will receive a Championship Match at WrestleMania.

As of this writing, the following women are confirmed for the Rumble match:

• Sasha Banks
• Bayley
• Paige
• Mandy Rose
• Sonya Deville
• Naomi
• Asuka
• Natalya
• Ruby Riott

WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair recently spoke with Planeta Wrestling about the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble. As the SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte will not be eligible to compete in the historic match.

When asked how she feels about not being part of the Women’s Rumble, Charlotte says she’s torn. On one hand, her competitive nature gives her the urge to be part of the the match. She will get to face the winner at WrestleMania 34, so she’s excited about that.

As of this writing, WWE has not yet confirmed how many women will be part of the match. WWE currently has around 20 active female Superstars on the roster. As for which NXT Superstars Charlotte would like to see in the Women’s Rumble, she said, “I definitely am a huge fan of the Australians Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, I think they would be a great edition to the Royal Rumble match. I think Bianca Belair is an amazing, incredible athlete. I think her presence alone, when shed enter the royal rumble, would be amazing.”

She continued, “Kairi Sane is another. And I know everyone’s rumors saying Shayna Baszler is a possibility. I know she’s one. I think all of those women would be great contestants. But again, anyone in NXT would do an incredible job and id like to see anyone step up and be part of the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match.”

The 2018 Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA.

Members of the Raw women’s division were not informed ahead of time that Stephanie McMahon was going to announce a women’s Royal Rumble match in the closing segment of Raw. This was done in an effort to ensure their reactions were genuine.

According to a report from the Pro Wrestling Sheet, only a handful of people were aware the match was going to be announced. This was reportedly done to keep the news from leaking.

Women’s Royal Rumble

So far, Naomi is the only female competitor officially announced for the Rumble match. While it has not been announced yet, the belief is the match will have 30 participants.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier has seen himself appear across pro wrestling’s media recently after he made some disparaging comments against The Young Bucks.

Cormier, who is a huge fan of professional wrestling has revealed that he would love to enter the 2018 Royal Rumble if given then chance. The UFC star recently spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso and stated that “I wish I could be in the Royal Rumble this year,  don’t think they will invite me, but fighting against Oezdemir in Boston works for me, timewise. My fight is in January, which opens up WrestleMania for me this New Orleans–not to compete, but to go.” Cormier will be defending his UFC title in Boston at UFC 220 against Volkan Oezdemir.

The Light Heavyweight Champion also had some interesting comments to make with regards to one of WWE’s top stars, Roman Reigns; “Roman is the number-one star in the company right now, and I enjoy his work, A lot of people boo him because they think he’s pushed too hard, but WWE is smart. Now they’ve spun it–they’ve stuck Roman back with The Shield, and now people cheer him again. They’ll find a way to make him the good guy, and I believe that he will get the championship back in New Orleans, but not from Brock Lesnar. I think Braun Strowman will be carrying the belt by then.”

The WWE’s Women’s Revolution continues to thrive in the world of professional wrestling. After having seen a ton of firsts for the female competitors in WWE, Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon announced earlier this week that the next step in the revolution is to hold the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match.

The Rumble participants will be comprised of women from both RAW and SmackDown. It’s expected that competitors from NXT will also be called upon to fill some spots in the match.

There’s also the possibility of surprise appearances from various WWE legends. We noted yesterday that WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus took notice of the Women’s Rumble announcement and mentioned that she might need to find her wrestling boots to be part of the historic event. Other possible names to keep an eye on regarding possible surprise appearances would be Kelly Kelly and Michelle McCool, both of whom have teased that we probably haven’t seen the last of them in a WWE ring.

Of course, the elephant in the room is former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who is training for her WWE debut and is rumored to be competing at WrestleMania 34.

The 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view takes place next month on January 28th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon announced on Monday night that the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match will take place at next month’s Rumble pay-per-view event.

No word yet on who the participants will be, but expect to see qualifying matches on RAW and SmackDown in the weeks ahead. The match will likely feature female Superstars from RAW and SmackDown. The Women’s Royal Rumble match also explains why WWE recently called up 5 women from NXT to the RAW and SmackDown rosters.

Below is the updated Rumble card coming out of Monday’s RAW:

30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Participants TBA

All-Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Participants TBA

Triple Threat for the WWE Universal Title
Kane vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE’s 2018 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view takes place on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA.

Such an honor to announce the first-ever women's #RoyalRumble match on #Raw tonight. @WWE's female Superstars raise the bar every chance they get & I can't wait to see them make history once again at the #RoyalRumble next month. #WomensEvolution pic.twitter.com/Cerus16pWC

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) December 19, 2017

– During last night’s SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Lumberjack match between Charlotte Flair and Natalya, Ms. Money In The Bank Carmella teased cashing-in her briefcase. Carmella was attacked by the other lumberjacks, however, and was unable to cash-in. Carmella took to Twitter to comment on the tease after the show:

Psyche!! Y’all stay watching my every move. I wasn’t REALLY trying to cash in… I’m not ready to part with Frankie, just yet! ??? #WWEClash

— Mella Is Money ? (@CarmellaWWE) December 18, 2017

– The WWE has released the following promo for next month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) event on January 28th from Philadelphia:

A number of WWE superstars from past and present have spoken about a possible Women’s Royal Rumble in recent times and many believe it’s the next logical step to take into the Women’s Revolution.

Since it has been a hot topic of discussion recently, a lot of people saw the recent NXT call-ups as a part of the long-term plans leading to a Women’s Rumble next year.

However, if reports from Wrestling Observer Radio are to be believed, currently there are no talks within WWE about doing a Rumble featuring only female competitors.

Though it’s worth noting here that in the last few months the company’s decisions have been very shaky and Officials have changed a lot of their plans in last minute.

So while this is a disappointing news for fans, given the fact that there are still 2 months left for Royal Rumble, it won’t be a big surprise if the plans change and the match actually end up taking place at the event.

The long-rumored Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor feud won’t be happening. For months, there have been reports that Balor was lined up to be Brock Lesnar’s next big challenger. The match was tentatively planned for January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, but Dave Meltzer reports that Vince McMahon made the call on Monday morning to go in a different direction.

In the main event of Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Balor was the first member of Team RAW to be eliminated. Meltzer stated on Wrestling Observer Radio,

“Vince McMahon felt that Finn Balor wasn’t over enough. I think obviously he decided even before, with how that match was laid out. Finn Balor wasn’t put in that match to shine.”

The following night on RAW, Balor lost clean to Samoa Joe, getting choked out by Joe’s Coquina Clutch. If it wasn’t clear after Survivor Series that Balor wasn’t being protected for a Universal title feud, it was pretty clear after RAW.

Balor is still one of the top stars on RAW and one of the best workers in the company. He was WWE’s first Universal Champion and has a built-in storyline to be a contender for that title. Balor was injured by Seth Rollins in the very match he won to become champion at SummerSlam 2016 and was forced to surrender the gold the following night on RAW. Unfortunately, the decision has been made that Balor is not a credible opponent for Lesnar at this time.

WWE has yet to decide who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Rumble, which takes place on January 28th from Philadelphia.

The way WWE has pushed Braun Strowman in past several months, a one on one match between him and The Beast Brock Lesnar has become a dream clash for many WWE fans.

While this match was allegedly planned for Great Balls Of Fire, it couldn’t take place due to the Monster Among Men suffering an elbow injury during his match against Roman Reigns at Payback PPV earlier this year.

Though, it appears that WWE has not given up on a one on one encounter between these two monstrous athletes just yet and we may get to see a match between these two sooner rather than later.

During the latest instalment of Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer talked about this bout and said that he expects Strowman to face Lesnar in a singles match by the end of this year or at the Royal Rumble PPV next year.

Regarding the upcoming Fatal Four Way match for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam, Meltzer speculated that Lesnar could end up retaining his title opposed to the earlier speculations of him dropping the title.

If it does happen, Lesnar is likely to pin Samoa Joe for the win as a mean to protect both Strowman and Reigns. It has been reported previously that Brock is under WWE contract till WrestleMania 34.

Riding the subway in New York City is not always the most enjoyable experience. Comedian Tim Hann Rivera decided it was time to change that and took it upon himself to stage the first-ever Subway Royal Rumble.

Participants include parody version of Hulk Hogan, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Big Show, Shawn Michaels and Kane.

Who walks away as the first ever Subway Royal Rumble winner? How did the other M Train passengers react? Find out here:

Follow Tim Hann Rivera on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. 

Follow the cast : @thealmontefilms @kazuotv @wht_out @spickandspan_ @_papi.champu @vino__p @dead_kid_ @blackcurbstomp @stevenington ? @roemelproductions @the_jalapeno4

Kenny Omega has taken the time today to respond to a few WWE fans who criticized him. Here is Kenny Omega’s original tweet that drew some backlash from fans on social media.

You can't compare apples and oranges. And at the end of the day, I could easily have Cena and AJ's best match in WWE. There is no argument.

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 30, 2017

A Twitter user responded and criticized Omega for commenting on the WWE match.

I think it's absolutely embarrassing that ur coming out saying such arrogant things like this. Respect people better…AJ>KO

— E (@BEM05_13) January 30, 2017

Omega responded and basically called emoji-face-guy a fan boy.

of course the non WWE talent is the bad guy… lol

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 30, 2017

Emoji-face-guy wasn’t too fond of Omega’s retort and let him know about it.

you dont see AJ coming out saying he could have a better match than you did when you faced Okada. Ur Always the victim I see

— E (@BEM05_13) January 30, 2017

Emoji-face-guy then argued with more people but kept Kenny Omega’s Twitter handle in all of the tweets. Eventually, Kenny Omega responded again.

well, looks like you clearly know the way the world works. move along and support the good guys then.

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 30, 2017

Finally, Kenny Omega retweeted the following post.

you're a fucking biblical beast for making these WWE sheeps dance like fucking puppets.

— AdrianBadAZZ (@KarmenateWINS) January 30, 2017

Wrestling LAD posted a compilation of people reacting to Roman Reigns coming out at number 30 during the Royal Rumble.

WWE fans to reaction to Roman Reigns number 30 spot ???????? pic.twitter.com/LcP5dUvp1u

— Wrestling LAD (@WrestlingLAD) January 30, 2017

Many people considered the match between AJ Styles and John Cena the best match of the night during the Royal Rumble. It was the only match Smackdown had on the main card. Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan took to twitter to brag about stealing the show and congratulated John Cena and AJ Styles on their match.

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/825891631878533120

Tye Dillinger was interviewed last night after his surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble. Tye called it one of the greatest night’s of his life and that he has no idea how is going to be able to top it in the future. Check out the full interview below.

Erick Rowan has been out with an injury for some time but he continues to post cryptic things on social media. Last month it was this video and now Rowan has posted a new photo this morning. Rowan may be returning soon and that would only add more intrigue to the Wyatt Family storyline we have seen on Smackdown.

pic.twitter.com/c8V82g7kpe

— Joseph Ruud (@ErickRedBeard) January 30, 2017