WWE Royal Rumble - key questions: Who will be a surprise entrant?
Will Charlotte lose a PPV title match for the first time?
By David Ruse
Last Updated: 29/01/17 10:32pm
The obvious question heading into Sunday night is who will win the Royal Rumble - but much more than that will be answered in San Antonio.
With a stacked undercard - including Kevin Owens versus Roman Reigns for the Universal Title - supporting the annual 30-man match, a royal night of WWE entertainment is guaranteed.
Here are the key questions ahead of the Sky Sports Box Office event...
Which surprise names will appear?
It's probably a given that we see some shock Rumble entrants, especially with eight spots in the 30-man field still open. AJ Styles was a stunning inclusion in 2016, making his long-awaited WWE debut from the No 3 spot, while, a year earlier, The Boogeyman, Bubba Ray Dudley and Diamond Dallas Page showed up. Page could be a good bet to figure this year - he may be 60 but his much-heralded DDP Yoga keeps him trim!
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive with regards to possible surprise competitors, with soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, NXT stars Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura, and Finn Balor, who is currently nursing a shoulder injury, gaining more than a mention. Sky Bet are even giving odds of 250/1 on WWE Chairman and 1999 winner Vince McMahon!
Will Jericho escape the shark cage?
Chris Jericho will compete in the Royal Rumble match on Sunday - but he will be locked inside a shark cage above the ring earlier in the night while his best buddy Owens defends his title against Reigns. Raw general manager Mick Foley made that stipulation to prevent Y2J from helping Owens retain his championship, something Jericho did when his pal faced Reigns at Roadblock in December and Seth Rollins multiple times in 2016.
Jericho is likely to try and break free of the metal structure at the earliest chance, but if he is unable to do that, he should still bring some amusement to the match with his fear of heights. Expect plenty of wailing from the reigning United States champion and self-proclaimed 'sexy pinata'.
Will Charlotte's O go?
Raw Women's champion Charlotte has wrestled 13 title matches on Sunday-night WWE pay-per-views - and won the lot. Her lucky 13th came at Roadblock in December when she edged long-time rival Sasha Banks 3-2 in an Iron Man match that stretched into overtime with the competitors locked at 2-2 after the regulations 30 minutes.
The Queen - who began her stellar PPV run by beating Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship at Night of Champions in 2015 - will defend her belt against Bayley at Royal Rumble after the fan favourite beat Nia Jax to earn an opportunity. Charlotte will be focused on Bayley but she may also have eyes on John Cena's WWE title match against AJ Styles, as if Cena wins, he will match her father, Ric Flair's, record of 16 world championships.
Will there be a British champion?
There has been plenty of Irish success in WWE lately, with Balor winning the Universal title at SummerSlam in August, Becky Lynch scooping the Smackdown Women's title at Backlash in September and Sheamus currently a Raw Tag Team Champion alongside Swiss Superstar Cesaro, but an Englishman could be holding a title come Sunday night.
Newcastle sparkplug Neville - a former NXT Champion, of course - will battle Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight title having recently returned to action with a mean, no-nonsense approach. If Neville is successful in his pursuit of the purple belt, he will become the second British title holder in a matter of weeks, with teenager Tyler Bate becoming the inaugural United Kingdom champion in Blackpool on January 15. Bate is in San Antonio by the way...
Who will win the Rumble?
We've looked at a few potential surprise Rumble entrants - but who is going to win the thing and move on to headline WrestleMania 33? The new Sky Bet favourite is 2009 victor Randy Orton, with The Viper edging past 2007 winner The Undertaker in the odds. Balor, Goldberg and Braun Strowman follow at single-figure prices, with Jericho and Brock Lesnar also well placed.
The Miz's odds have shortened - The A-Lister now at 25/1 - although things don't look so rosy for Luke Harper (66/1), Rusev (80/1) or Kofi Kingston (100/1)! Kingston should, however, treat us to another stunning act of escapology to avoid elimination. Having used barricades, chairs, Tensai's back, Big E and handstands in previous years, how will he wow this time?
WWE Royal Rumble booking details
WWE Royal Rumble will be shown live on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) and Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) from midnight Monday, January 30.
The pay-per-view will cost £19.95 for viewers in the United Kingdom and €24.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.
WWE Royal Rumble will repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) between 10am on Monday, January 30 and 8pm on Thursday, February 2 - 8pm is the start of the final playout.
A live blog of WWE Royal Rumble will run on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app during the event, featuring text commentary, social media and short highlight clips.
You can order the show by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/?DCMP=WWERoyalRumble
You can also book the event over the phone: UK viewers should call 03442 410 888, while customers in the Republic of Ireland should call 0818 220 225. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).
You will also be able to order the show via your Sky remote nearer the event:
Sky+: Press the box office button on your remote, then click the sports tab followed by WWE Royal Rumble.
Sky Q: Press Home on your Sky Q remote, select TV guide, then Box Office and then WWE Royal Rumble. Enter your TV Pin if prompted. (Only bookings via Sky TV remote are recordable using Sky Plus).
Sky TV residential customers only. Commercial customers contact Sky for price and to order. Sky Box Office terms apply. Cable customers should contact their local cable operator.
