WWE Royal Rumble 2018: 3 Improbable Long Shot Surprise Entrants For The Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Bobby Lashley

When talking about recent Impact departures, much of the focus has been on Ethan Carter III. EC3 was recently spotted at the Performance Center in Orlando, leading to speculation that a Rumble appearance was in the works. Cancelling an indie booking the same day as the Royal Rumble just added fuel to the fire.

But another former WWE superstar also left Impact at the same time as Carter. Bobby Lashley finished up with the company after the television tapings on January 14, being granted an early release from his contract in a cost-cutting move. The timing makes a return at the Royal Rumble seem like a distinct possibility.

However, there’s a potential complication that could derail this fantasy. Lashley is still under contract with Bellator MMA. While Impact may have been okay with Lashley pulling double duty, it’s doubtful WWE would be in the same boat. Even Brock Lesnar only had a single UFC fight while under WWE contract. (Surely the failed drug test after the fight had nothing to do with it.) If a guy like Brock had such little exposure to mixed martial arts with WWE’s blessing, why would Lashley get a pass?

It would be nice to see a former ECW Champion make his triumphant return to WWE at the Royal Rumble. But the contract situation with Bellator seems to make him a long shot at best.