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A long shot outlasting the field at Royal Rumble 2017 would send a jolt of electricity through WWE.  It's been years since the annual 30-man Battle Royal produced a winner the audience couldn't see coming. And the Royal Rumble match hasn't been used as a launchpad for rising stars nearly enough of late. Rather than script an Undertaker or Brock Lesnar win at the Jan. 29 pay-per-view, WWE could elect to crown a surprise name. The company would march emphatically into the New Era with a bold, thrilling choice to win the Rumble.  WWE's top considerations when debating which dark horse to choose as the ...

The Royal Rumble is one of the most tried-and-tested cornerstones of WWE, having survived all the chaos from 1988 until today. It is perhaps the most revered event after WrestleMania, as many argue that it is the true No. 2 pay-per-view rather than SummerSlam, mostly because of the Royal Rumble match itself. Some might argue that if it isn't broke, there's no need to fix it. That being said, ahead of the 2017 edition on Jan. 29, if one is to play devil's advocate and look for a way to tweak things, there's a change that might be worth thinking about: expanding it ...

Right now, the differences between WWE Raw and SmackDown are obvious.  One show is thriving for several reasons, while the other is limping along to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania seasons with plenty of problems, and one of the biggest issues Raw has is its overreliance on authority figures. Most weeks, SmackDown has stayed true to its initial philosophy of being primarily a wrestling show. Its storylines are engaging, and the wrestlers are able to take the spotlight they rightly deserve. Raw, however, is a different story. Plenty of Raw's opening segments since the brand split have been dominated by both Mick Foley ...

Most wrestling fans know Jim Ross as one of the most iconic voices of WWE, but the legend has taken his talents to New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he calls the action on AXS TV on Friday nights. Beginning on Friday, Ross will be calling the action for New Japan's biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 11. The event took place on Jan. 4, but AXS TV is airing a four-part replay with Ross and MMA veteran Josh Barnett on commentary. In a recent interview promoting AXS TV's Wrestle Kingdom 11 replays, Ross spoke to Ring Rust Radio about how he ...

The NXT Tag Team Championship match on Wednesday night between DIY and The Revival was a reminder of the magic of finding the perfect rivals. Sparks fly every time Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano collide with Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. The two teams put on another strong performance against each other, building on their momentum from 2016. In a slow week for WWE action, DIY's title defense outpaced the competition by a mile. Raw, SmackDown and 205 Live all offered some entertaining bouts, but many of them were incomplete or suffered from narrative issues. Noam Dar, American Alpha and Roman Reigns all ...

The New Era in WWE has been defined largely by the influx of the best talent from all over the world with much less focus on homegrown talent. This has made the true homegrown success stories this year stand out with Baron Corbin the most prominent success as he has grown into a main event role on SmackDown Live. Corbin has steadily improved as a monster heel, becoming a vicious brawler with an overconfident edge. His matches against Kalisto and Dolph Ziggler have been surprisingly strong clashes, though he has mostly made his mark on the mic to this point with ...

It isn't WrestleMania season without a scandal or two to end the second week of the new year, and WWE has plenty of them. From Ryback calling out John Cena to Cena seemingly calling upon Kenny Omega, several stories generated thousands of comments on social media and, more importantly, created buzz around WWE. As the Royal Rumble approaches on Jan. 29, a possible second victory for The Undertaker could set up a very interesting WrestleMania main event, but with Mick Foley's hip surgery seemingly on the horizon, will the hardcore legend even be part of the festivities? Begin Slideshow

Shawn Michaels last competed at WrestleMania XXVI in 2010, and the Heartbreak Kid revealed Thursday he has no plans to resume his wrestling career.  As seen in the following video, HBK rejected the idea of having another match in an interview with TMZ Sports: When asked about performing in a WWE ring again, Michaels responded: "No, not if I can help it." The 51-year-old WWE Hall of Famer is constantly bombarded with questions about coming out of retirement, and that has been especially true lately since the Royal Rumble will be held in his hometown of San Antonio on Jan. 29. Michaels appeared on ...

The hard-hitters took the stage on Wednesday's WWE NXT. During the developmental brand's return to Full Sail University, Elias Samson took a jobber to task. Oney Lorcan knocked around Andrade "Cien" Almas. And Dash Wilder issued his usual doses of bruises and reddened flesh. These bruisers most impressed, thanks in large part to physicality. Samson, Lorcan and Wilder aren't among NXT's top prospects, but they have all looked good of late. Each elevated his stock on Wednesday night, one clubbing blow at a time. Who has the best all-around package of skills? Who is most ready to thrive on the main roster? The following is a ...

Chris Jericho won the United States Championship Monday night, adding to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume. Dolph Ziggler continued to showcase his new aggressive, nasty attitude. Braun Strowman wreaked havoc as usual while remaining the most intriguing character on Raw. But none of those three Superstars earned the top spot in this week's power rankings. Instead, that spot went to one of the two world champions who are starring for Vince McMahon's company. Was it Kevin Owens, who assisted Jericho in his championship conquest, or was it Styles, whose claim to fame this week was sitting in on commentary? The answer may seem obvious, ...