Credit: WWE.com
In 2017, the bout featured a star-studded cast that included Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, all of which were announced in advance for the match. Despite a loaded card that featured those three part-timers in the Rumble and Cena in a WWE title match, the WWE Network subscriber count only jumped up by 42,000 subscribers by the end of January 2017, which has to be considered a monumental disappointment given how much money was likely spent on those established veterans.
But there continues to be mounting evidence that most stars, even top level ones, aren't individual draws, with the Network subscriber count simply ebbing and flowing based on the time of the year rather than the presence of a particular star. Alas, that hasn't stopped WWE from loading up many of its PPVs with tremendous amounts of star power in hopes of attracting more fans, and we certainly can't blame WWE for trying, especially after the Raw 25 show that was loaded with legends galore did WWE's best viewership since 2014.
Another way WWE will try to increase everything from fan interest to TV ratings is by pulling off a few Royal Rumble surprises, like we saw in 2016 when AJ Styles made his debut during the 30-man Royal Rumble. And much like previous years, there are more than just a few names who just may treat fans to a triumphant return at this year's Royal Rumble inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Here are five stars who could make a surprise return in the 2018 Royal Rumble match.
Batista
Credit: WWE.com
Batista is reportedly looking for a full-fledged WWE return, recently telling Jim Ross on The Ross Report podcast (h/t Cageside Seats) that he has talked to Vince McMahon about a potential return and would even be willing to work house shows:
I would love to go back, but the reason I have not gone back is because I don't want to do a one off. I want to go and I want to wrestle. I want to do some house shows, I want to be a part of the program and I love it. The one off thing, the cheap pop thing, it doesn't do anything for me.
It's safe to say that Batista doesn't need WWE because he's had a very successful acting career since he last wrestled for WWE in 2014, thanks in large part to his role in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Depending upon how you look at it, you might consider his last run in WWE a colossal failure because fans completely rejected his return when he was positioned as a babyface. However, his short heel run was very good, and he ultimately did the honors by putting over Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania 30 main event, so it's hard to consider his short stint an epic fail in that sense.
WWE, of course, has no issues with focusing on part-time stars, and if the logistics can work to set the stage for a Batista return, then WWE shouldn't even hesitate to bring him back. The Royal Rumble is the perfect stage for that because WWE's audience tends to be slightly bigger at that time than it is at most times during the year, and given how well Batista's acting career has gone over the last few years, it's safe to assume that fans would react to it much more favorably than they did in 2014.
While Batista isn't on the level of The Rock, his return could potentially result in more mainstream media coverage for WWE, which bodes well for everyone in the company, not just Batista.
Kurt Angle
Credit: WWE.com
It's unclear exactly what Kurt Angle's wrestling future holds, but after he was cleared to compete as a last minute replacement at TLC, Pro Wrestling Sheet (h/t Sportskeeda) reported that Angle could perform at a "Big Four" pay-per-view in the future.
Angle did just that when he was on Team Raw at Survivor Series, and it would be a shock if the overwhelmingly positive fan reaction to seeing Angle in the ring again didn't result in another match down the road. Angle was at one point rumored for a Royal Rumble match against Triple H, but even with that obviously out the window, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities for WrestleMania 34, which tends to focus heavily on part-timers even though fan engagement peaks at that time no matter what.
Perhaps another option for Angle is a WrestleMania 34 match with his storyline son Jason Jordan, which would certainly make sense given all that's transpired between those two. However, it's worth noting that WWE.com recently ran a poll asking fans which star (Angle, Triple H, The Undertaker or Goldberg) was most likely to win a world title this year, and Angle was the clear frontrunner, which is perhaps WWE's way of testing the waters to see if there's interest in him wrestling more often.
Angle has proven to be a big viewership hit when positioned in major storylines, so whether he's slated to wrestle Triple H or Jordan at WrestleMania 34, there is certainly a chance he'll be in the Royal Rumble to ignite his WrestleMania feud and possibly set the stage for a storyline in which he is replaced as Raw's General Manager.
">WWE Royal Rumble 2018 is already set to feature big names like John Cena and Roman Reigns, but fans can expect the 30-man battle royal to be loaded with even more marquee stars.
Credit: WWE.com
In 2017, the bout featured a star-studded cast that included Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, all of which were announced in advance for the match. Despite a loaded card that featured those three part-timers in the Rumble and Cena in a WWE title match, the WWE Network subscriber count only jumped up by 42,000 subscribers by the end of January 2017, which has to be considered a monumental disappointment given how much money was likely spent on those established veterans.
But there continues to be mounting evidence that most stars, even top level ones, aren't individual draws, with the Network subscriber count simply ebbing and flowing based on the time of the year rather than the presence of a particular star. Alas, that hasn't stopped WWE from loading up many of its PPVs with tremendous amounts of star power in hopes of attracting more fans, and we certainly can't blame WWE for trying, especially after the Raw 25 show that was loaded with legends galore did WWE's best viewership since 2014.
Another way WWE will try to increase everything from fan interest to TV ratings is by pulling off a few Royal Rumble surprises, like we saw in 2016 when AJ Styles made his debut during the 30-man Royal Rumble. And much like previous years, there are more than just a few names who just may treat fans to a triumphant return at this year's Royal Rumble inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Here are five stars who could make a surprise return in the 2018 Royal Rumble match.
Batista
Credit: WWE.com
Batista is reportedly looking for a full-fledged WWE return, recently telling Jim Ross on The Ross Report podcast (h/t Cageside Seats) that he has talked to Vince McMahon about a potential return and would even be willing to work house shows:
I would love to go back, but the reason I have not gone back is because I don't want to do a one off. I want to go and I want to wrestle. I want to do some house shows, I want to be a part of the program and I love it. The one off thing, the cheap pop thing, it doesn't do anything for me.
It's safe to say that Batista doesn't need WWE because he's had a very successful acting career since he last wrestled for WWE in 2014, thanks in large part to his role in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Depending upon how you look at it, you might consider his last run in WWE a colossal failure because fans completely rejected his return when he was positioned as a babyface. However, his short heel run was very good, and he ultimately did the honors by putting over Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania 30 main event, so it's hard to consider his short stint an epic fail in that sense.
WWE, of course, has no issues with focusing on part-time stars, and if the logistics can work to set the stage for a Batista return, then WWE shouldn't even hesitate to bring him back. The Royal Rumble is the perfect stage for that because WWE's audience tends to be slightly bigger at that time than it is at most times during the year, and given how well Batista's acting career has gone over the last few years, it's safe to assume that fans would react to it much more favorably than they did in 2014.
While Batista isn't on the level of The Rock, his return could potentially result in more mainstream media coverage for WWE, which bodes well for everyone in the company, not just Batista.
Kurt Angle
Credit: WWE.com
It's unclear exactly what Kurt Angle's wrestling future holds, but after he was cleared to compete as a last minute replacement at TLC, Pro Wrestling Sheet (h/t Sportskeeda) reported that Angle could perform at a "Big Four" pay-per-view in the future.
Angle did just that when he was on Team Raw at Survivor Series, and it would be a shock if the overwhelmingly positive fan reaction to seeing Angle in the ring again didn't result in another match down the road. Angle was at one point rumored for a Royal Rumble match against Triple H, but even with that obviously out the window, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities for WrestleMania 34, which tends to focus heavily on part-timers even though fan engagement peaks at that time no matter what.
Perhaps another option for Angle is a WrestleMania 34 match with his storyline son Jason Jordan, which would certainly make sense given all that's transpired between those two. However, it's worth noting that WWE.com recently ran a poll asking fans which star (Angle, Triple H, The Undertaker or Goldberg) was most likely to win a world title this year, and Angle was the clear frontrunner, which is perhaps WWE's way of testing the waters to see if there's interest in him wrestling more often.
Angle has proven to be a big viewership hit when positioned in major storylines, so whether he's slated to wrestle Triple H or Jordan at WrestleMania 34, there is certainly a chance he'll be in the Royal Rumble to ignite his WrestleMania feud and possibly set the stage for a storyline in which he is replaced as Raw's General Manager.
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