Some call him the most important Superstar in WWE history, while some say he's the most feared wrestler of all-time. There are also some who will go as far as to say he's the greatest of all-time. Regardless of what you think he is, he's certainly the Phenom and we are a privileged fan base to be able to witness his work.
The Undertaker has graced the wrestling world with his remarkable presence for over three decades now. Now with The Royal Rumble looming, we could be preparing ourselves for what could be the beginning of the end for the Deadman.
Over the past several years, The Undertaker has decreased his WWE appearance schedule to a very minimum, which he is absolutely entitled to do so. This is a luxury ‘Taker has earned.
Now that we are about to enter Wrestlemania Season, many questions are popping up, most surrounding what's next for The Undertaker. We already know he has entered his name into the Royal Rumble match, but just how far will he go in the bout?
Another big question on the minds of many fans is who will be the one anointed with the task of eliminating one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business? One thing is for sure, it would be a significant rub for whomever that person may be; especially with this being the catalyst to Wrestlemania.
So, when you look at the current list of participants, along with those who will likely enter the Rumble match, who sticks out as someone who could eliminate The Undertaker?
Well, that's a task that should not and will not go to just anyone. It must be either a top-tier, major star or someone in need of the immediate boost that comes with throwing The Undertaker over the top rope, onto the Alamodome floor.
Let's take a look at five names that could potentially eliminate The Undertaker in the Royal Rumble match.
#5 Shawn Michaels
This would probably be the most unlikely of the five possibilities. However, this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view is being held at the Alamodome, in the great city of San Antonio, which just so happens to be the hometown of The Heartbreak Kid.
No one really knows if Michaels will even be an entrant in the Rumble. But, there is always at least one surprise entrant. So, considering the location, as well as the nature of the event, it would not be a huge surprise if we suddenly hear Shawn Michaels' "Sexy Boy" theme music dropped at the conclusion of one of the countdowns throughout the bout.
Having HBK eliminate someone on the level of The Undertaker would be a huge moment in Michaels’ storied career, as well as an unforgettable mark-out moment for the loyal hometown fans of Shawn Michaels.
#4 Brock Lesnar
Well, here we have your obvious choice of the list. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have sung their triumphant song of victory, ever since that shocking, streak-ending win over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30.
That victory was substantial enough to carry Brock for the last three years. There is a very high degree of possibility that we could see The Undertaker, Goldberg, as well as Brock Lesnar all in the same ring, at the very same time, during the Rumble match. That mental image alone should give fans goose bumps.
I'm sure that most of Lesnar’s focus will be on Goldberg, during this match. However, don't think for a moment that The Beast Incarnate will pass up the opportunity to put one more over on Taker. If in fact, Brock does eliminate The Undertaker, it would give him a tonne of momentum as he moves forward, towards Wrestlemania 33.
#3 Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt was blessed with an enormous opportunity at Wrestlemania 31 when he faced The Undertaker...or so we thought. Instead, Bray was handled by ‘Taker relatively easy. It seemed as if Wyatt wasn't much more than an enhancement opponent for The Undertaker, which really was a shame.
WWE missed out on a great opportunity to pass the torch to someone who could have been a great spin-off, so to speak, of ‘Taker.
Now that the Rumble is upon us, there are a number of new opportunities on the table. One being to have Bray Wyatt win the Royal Rumble match, then go on to main event Wrestlemania. Unfortunately for us Wyatt fans, this is probably not a likely scenario.
However, another great opportunity at hand would be to have The Eater of Worlds not only go deep into the match but have him be the one to eliminate The Undertaker, thus serving up his own dose of poetic justice.
#2 Braun Strowman
No one on the Raw roster is as red hot as Braun Strowman right now. This guy is riding a wave of momentum that could very well carry him all the way to Orlando, at ‘Mania.
Strowman has destroyed seemingly everything in his path since being drafted to Raw. In fact, it appears he is doing better than his former leader, Bray Wyatt. It's pretty safe to say, no one saw this push coming. Nevertheless, the monster Strowman has taken full advantage of this opportunity and has improved his all-around skill level by leaps and bounds.
If Vince believes in Strowman the way he's rumoured to, we could not only see Braun tossing ‘Taker over the top rope, but we could very well see him with his huge fists raised high in the air, as the winner of the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble match.
#1 John Cena
For the past several years, John Cena has stepped to the side, somewhat allowing some of the newer talent to enjoy the benefits of success in the WWE. Meanwhile, he's been filming movies, television shows, appearing on various programs and so on.
Cena has been busy, despite his limited WWE workload. Don't get me wrong, John has still remained relevant on WWE programming, he just hasn't saturated the scene as much as we have been accustomed to. Well, many believe that's all about to change.
Let us not forget that elusive sixteenth title reign which Cena is destined to catch, in order to tie the record set by Ric Flair. This is something that we will see set into motion sooner than later. The Royal Rumble could very well be the launching pad for Cena, as he goes after the record-tying championship reign.
Even in the event that Cena does not win the Rumble match, there's still the idea that a lot of fans have, which is to have Cena take on The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. This would certainly be an epic encounter. If this is to ever materialise, there needs to first be a seed planted.
Could we see that very seed planted in the Alamodome? All it would take is for John Cena to step up and be the one who eliminates ‘Taker in the Rumble match.
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