The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most prestigious and anticipated Pay-Per-Views of the year. There is always a sense of excitement throughout the arena as the fans anticipate the arrival of the next entrant. Over the years the names of surprise entrants and special appearances is endless. Obviously some years better than others, but all in all an exhilarating experience to say the least.
I thought about this for a while and wondered if you were allowed to pick 5 Wrestlers from another organization, retired, or inactive, who they might be. I am configuring this list by leaving out the likes of wrestlers such as The Undertaker, Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan and The Rock; all of whom (among others) have participated in plenty of Rumbles in the past. After pondering this question for a moment, these are the wrestlers I came up with:
- Nikita Koloff – Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as
“The Russian Nightmare” and was a force to be reckoned with inside the ring. Nikita was brought into the National Wrestling Alliance by his “Uncle” Ivan to prove Soviet superiority. Their ultimate goal was to dethrone NWA World champion Ric Flair. His bruising in-ring presence could be a nice match for the likes of Roman Reigns and John Cena.
- A.J. Styles – The former TNA and NWA World Champion could prove to be an
accomplished adversary for the WWE. He has always been a favorite of mine and I think his athletic ability inside the Rumble could be a nice addition to Kofi Kingston’s usual thrills.
- Ricky Steamboat – Steamboat was always more of a player with the NWA where he had
several main event matches with the likes of Ric Flair that still stand up today. He was a one-time World Heavyweight Champion with the NWA and was remembered as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time.
- Bruno Sammartino – Former WWF Champion The dominant
wrestler of the Sixties. Call him Mr. Madison Square Garden, where he headlined forever and set a record for sellouts. Great ring psychologist who was better than a lot of people thought, especially before his back injury limited him.
- Verne Gagne – Founded the AWA, where he reigned for many
years as its champion. He was a top-notch amateur who turned pro and could work any style, in any era. He was a fantastic draw and it would be nice for him, along with the organization to get their due.
After reading this list, please understand that I left off all the deceased wrestlers in respect to their trademarks. My main focus was on the stars of yesterday and ones with allegiances to other federations. I personally think it would be interesting to see how these stars would be perceived by the crowd and the wrestlers alike. One of the most interesting things about these kinds of lists is how different they can range from one person to the next. I am curious to see what you guys think about this list and hope to compile as many comments as possible when stating your own.
Reported By:
Tony Cutillo (@TCutillo23)
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