WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 5 Last-Minute Potential Winners
By Bryan Heaton
Credit: WWE.com
5. Samoa Joe
Let’s get the unconfirmed entrant out of the way early, shall we?
Samoa Joe hasn’t even debuted on the main roster yet, so his entrance alone would be a big surprise. And what better way to make an impact on a debut than to punch a ticket to WrestleMania?
Since losing his final encounter against Shinsuke Nakamura, Joe hasn’t appeared on NXT. His stories there are all wrapped up nicely, so it’s time for him to move on to something different. The only thing that’s really left for him is to debut on the main roster.
After spending the better part of a year as the most monster heel in NXT, it’s not exactly a stretch to envision Samoa Joe entering the Rumble and causing havoc. He can easily get a “Diesel run,” where he eliminates a bunch of superstars to clear the ring, then tosses everyone entering out immediately.
As far as where Joe would end up after a potential Rumble victory, SmackDown seems the most likely bet. He has a past history with AJ Styles from their time in TNA. Provided AJ holds onto the WWE World Championship until WrestleMania, Styles vs. Joe could be a tremendous matchup.
Alternatively, Joe taking on John Cena might be a possibility as well. There isn’t much precedent for those two to throw down, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a crazy match.