4 WWE NXT Superstars who should show up for the 2019 Royal Rumble

In January, WrestleMania season kicks off with the annual Royal Rumble event, taking place in Phoenix on January 27. The Royal Rumble is the time of year where stars are made, and headliners are forged, as thirty men all compete for the chance to be immortalised in the main event of WWE WrestleMania.

While this is all fine and good, I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that the most exciting part about the Royal Rumble event are the shock entrants.

Whether it be superstars returning from injury, wrestlers of the past coming back for one last go-round, or (my personal favorite) debuting wrestlers either from outside the company or from NXT.

That mixed feeling of uncertainty and excitement is a rush the likes of which few other pay-per-views can compare. Earlier this year, we got to see the likes of Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Adam Cole make their way to the ring to great surprise and excitement. Who should be the ones to shock the masses this time around?

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#4 Lars Sullivan

We've all seen the trailers on WWE television over the last week or so - The Freak is coming. Lars Sullivan has been an absolute monster down in NXT, decimating nearly everyone in his path.

Whether it be jobbers he just so happened to be teaming with, or established stars like Roderick Strong or Ricochet, he has left utter annihilation and ruin in his wake. He earned himself an NXT title shot at TakeOver: Chicago II, and although he lost, he showed some promise as a main attraction.

Now with warnings of his impending arrival, there are few bigger stages to make your name known amongst the WWE Universe aside crashing the Royal Rumble and leaving your mark for everyone to see.

#3 Shayna Baszler

Last year, Andrade 'Cien' Almas made his unofficial debut on the main roster when he took part in the Royal Rumble less than 24 hours after becoming the NXT Champion. This showed that anything and everything can happen, so why not throw the current NXT Women's Champion into the mix?

Shayna Baszler made history at Evolution by becoming the first-ever two time NXT Women's Champion. Bringing that level of star-power to the Women's Royal Rumble would surely get the fans talking for a while.

Not only that, but we could very well see a Four Horsewomen reunion of sorts if (unlikely as it may seem) Ronda Rousey takes part in this year's Rumble as well. Their face-off could be one of the highlights of the night for certain, but just the idea of having someone as dangerous as Baszler in the Rumble match could make for exciting action.

#2 EC3

NXT's Top One Percent has not made much use of his time on the yellow brand since debuting in April at TakeOver: New Orleans. Save for a television victory here and there, EC3 hasn't made much of an impact.

With his last match of note being a loss to The Velveteen Dream at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4, perhaps a change of scenery is in order. Granted, the man does not need much more polishing. He’s already a former world champion who can more than hold his own with some of the best in the business.

A main roster call-up is not out of the realm of possibility, especially since it was rumoured to happen for him already, had it not been for an untimely injury. This January could mark the beginning of a new era in WWE, or should I say WW3?

(Still work-shopping the name...)

#1 Aleister Black

Never truly good, never truly evil...

The Dutch Destroyer made his name known throughout the NXT Universe last year during WrestleMania weekend. Since then, he has been a destructive force down in Full Sail. He is a former NXT Champion, sported a lengthy undefeated streak before it was snapped by Johnny Gargano, and has gone undefeated in every TakeOver event he has partaken in.

That's seven matches, and he has won every single one. Aleister Black has shown a level of dominance seen by very few in NXT, and a man of his talents would be very much welcomed in the Royal Rumble event.

Whether he does so as NXT Champion remains to be seen, as he is surely due for a one-on-one rematch with the current champion, Tommaso Ciampa. Regardless of that though, his entrance in the Royal Rumble would be a memorable one. Just don't be surprised if he walks into that ring and makes everyone in it fade to black.