WWE Royal Rumble 2020 will likely feature a slew of NXT superstars, so here are 10 wrestlers from the Black and Gold brand that we’d love to see competing in both Rumble matches.
Kairi Sane, Andrade, and other NXT stars of the past put on great Royal Rumble performances, and now that NXT is entrenched as a main roster brand on the level of Raw and SmackDown, fans will be excited to see more scintillating performances from the Black and Gold brand at WWE Royal Rumble 2020.
Here are 10 NXT wrestlers we’d love to see in this year’s Rumble on Jan. 26 at Minute Maid Park.
Rhea Ripley
The new NXT Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley is one of the most bad-ass wrestlers on this planet. Her title victory over Shayna Baszler on Dec. 18 blew the roof off the building and was a defining moment in NXT’s history, marking the end of Shayna’s lengthy second reign as champion. Ripley was the right person to win the title, and the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion is ready for another huge 2020.
Her 2020 should begin with a statement-making performance in the Royal Rumble that serves as a follow-up to her brilliant Survivor Series display, which entrenched her as one of 2019’s biggest breakout stars.
Note that Ripley was the only NXT UK woman to appear in the 2019 Rumble, so it’s no surprise she closed the year on top.
Keith Lee
Like Rhea Ripley, Keith Lee had an excellent finish to 2019 and was a star in a Survivor Series Elimination match. He was NXT’s last man standing and faced off against Shield legends Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in the match’s final three.
Lee has “future superstar” written all over him, and it’s clear that everyone in the company who matters is high on him. He is the total package as a performer, and he could have a truly special Rumble performance in 2020.
We’re also due for a face to face showdown between Lee and Braun Strowman, who set Twitter alight when they closed the go-home show of Survivor Series on SmackDown with a staredown. Also, a little Lee vs. Reigns repeat wouldn’t hurt either.
Io Shirai
Io Shirai’s heel turn was one of the best of 2019, as she has shown why she’s one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. Hopefully, 2020 will be an even bigger year for Shirai, who can help change the game as an NXT Women’s Champion.
Like Ripley, Shirai appeared in the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble, but she did not make any eliminations despite lasting more than 13 minutes. Expect Shirai to have a few eliminations if she’s in the match, since WWE should want to plant the seed for her becoming a star by the end of the year. Ripley, for example, eliminated three women in her Rumble appearance before being dumped out of the ring by Bayley.
Johnny Gargano
No stranger to Royal Rumble matches, Johnny Gargano made his Rumble debut in 2018 and lasted nearly 14 minutes before being tossed out by Dean Ambrose. His elimination? Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, so that was quite the feather in the cap for Gargano, who had just wrestled a barnburner against Ricochet the night before.
Gargano is one of the biggest stars in wrestling and just might be the best wrestler in the company when looking at match quality. He’s had all-timers with Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa, Andrade, and more during his career in NXT.
It’s time Gargano had a truly defining individual performance on the main roster, so a great run in WWE Royal Rumble 2020 would be huge for both him and the brand. And at this point, he is the face of NXT.
Dakota Kai
Poised to make a huge splash in 2020 after her shocking heel turn at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Dakota Kai might be the most underrated wrestler in WWE. That distinction could go to a number of wrestlers, but fans who have watched NXT closely since 2018 understand how good Kai is.
Phenomenal at acting, Kai could get an entire audience behind her as a babyface in an instance with her selling and facial expressions, especially in a memorable program with Shayna Baszler. Kai seems headed for two even bigger rivalries with Tegan Nox and NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley next year.
A strong Rumble appearance that progresses a storyline with either woman would be ideal. The Women’s Rumble could benefit from a little bit of a “Kick”.
Bianca Belair
The EST of NXT, Bianca Belair represents the best of the best on WWE’s Third Brand, and it’s mind-boggling that she hasn’t won the NXT Women’s Championship yet despite some big-time performances in 2019.
Belair didn’t appear in the 2019 Royal Rumble either, so she’s due for an appearance at the Rumble on Jan. 26 next year. A brilliant hair-whip spot and some ridiculous shows of strength should be in order for Belair, who could have dream face-to-face interactions with Sasha Banks and a returning Nia Jax.
The possibilities are endless. A wrestler as magnetic, creative, and physically strong as Belair can really take over a Rumble match, and if I trusted WWE’s judgment more, I would predict her as a sleeper to go deep into the Rumble.
Shayna Baszler
Sasha Banks is still my ideal choice to win the Women’s Rumble next year, but there’s definitely a case to be made for Shayna Baszler winning. After she dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley, speculation has been rampant.
Baszler looks like one of the favorites to enter the Rumble and win the match, setting up a WrestleMania 36 dream match between her and Becky Lynch for the prestigious Raw Women’s Championship. Yes, Baszler vs. Bayley vs. Lynch at Survivor Series left something to be desired, but Shayna and Becky ALWAYS show up in the big singles matches. Don’t doubt their ability to kill it at the Show of Shows if given the chance.
Any criticisms of Baszler’s in-ring work is nonsensical, as her match with Ripley on Dec. 18 showed how brilliant the psychology of her matches is. She’s a slam-dunk to be in the Rumble on Jan. 26, and few will be shocked if she pulls off the win.
Matt Riddle
One day, Matt Riddle will end Brock Lesnar’s career at WrestleMania. For now, The King of Bros will eye WWE Royal Rumble 2020 as the platform for him to launch his career into the stratosphere. This is the kind of stage Riddle was made to shine on, since he’s taken and run with so many opportunities throughout his career in wrestling.
Riddle is one of the most talented, unique, quick-thinking, and slick performers in the world, and his body of work over the last three years is nothing short of remarkable. He’s already established himself as one of the best wrestlers on a loaded NXT roster, and he could gain some major support at the Royal Rumble in Houston.
The Velveteen Dream
Although The Velveteen Dream hasn’t wrestled since September due to an injury, he’s expected to return in January. Updates are scarce and not much is known about the injury, but if the Dream is expected to return in January, then the Royal Rumble is the perfect date to bring him back
The Rumble needs a healthy dose of the Dream, who is by far the most magnetic performer in WWE. He didn’t appear at last year’s Rumble, so he absolutely should be at the Pay Per View next year if he is healthy.
Heck, if WWE wanted to put him on Raw or SmackDown and use the Rumble as the opportunity to move Baszler and him from NXT, I wouldn’t be mad. Ideally, he’d stay in NXT for as long as possible to stay away from Vince McMahon, so a one-off appearance at the Rumble where he absolutely destroys the place would be incredible enough. The Dream could easily be the star of the show.
Mia Yim
Mia Yim is the definition of a fan favorite. She stands for what’s right, she outsmarts heels, and she outwrestles just about everyone she comes across. WWE Royal Rumble 2020 needs a strong babyface run from Yim, who is one of the easiest people in wrestling to root for.
A future NXT Women’s Champion in 2020, Yim was a standout at the first two Mae Young Classics and has since emerged as a true star in NXT. She didn’t make an appearance at last year’s Rumble, which should, in theory, mean she’ll be more likely to appear at the PPV in 2020.