ECW Royal Rumble Participants

It might not be as big of a brand as Raw and Smackdown, but ECW still manages to send a few participants into the Royal Rumble every year.

ECW Royal Rumble Participants

ECW is known as the developmental brand for WWE. It is a notch higher than Florida Championship Wrestling, but it's also a couple of notches below Raw and Smackdown. That makes it hard to believe that anyone from this particular roster is going to making a big impact at the Royal Rumble.

The following wrestlers have been officially announced as participants in the Royal Rumble. We've also listed the chances of them winning the match.

• William Regal - William Regal isn't in ECW because management doesn't think that he's not a great overall performer. The guy can talk, and he can work matches better than the majority of the roster. He was once on his way to a major heel push on Raw, but that was stopped because of a suspension. There's still a chance that he could get pushed again. Very slight chance, though. Actually, I wouldn't recommend betting anything more than $1 on William Regal winning the Royal Rumble.
  Chances: Slim
  
  
• Yoshi Tatsu - Yoshi Tatsu has lasted a lot longer in WWE than many people expected him to. He doesn't have a huge connection with the audience, but he has some support from them. However, if anyone thinks that he has a chance at winning the Royal Rumble, that needs to stop. He might end up being a solid midcard wrestler for WWE for years, but it's hard to envision him getting past that glass ceiling.
  Chances: None
  
  
• Zack Ryder - Zack Ryder had a slight push a few months ago, but that's down the drain now. He looks to be lost in the shuffle on the third brand. Management seems to have given up on him despite the fact that he's got one of the better personalities in the company. Don't believe me? Check his Twitter account. He shows as much personality as Chris Jericho and the Miz do.
  Chances: None
  
  
• Hurricane Helms - There were rumors not too long ago that Hurricane Helms was looking to get out of his contract and head on over to TNA. Even if he was just a member of the X division over there, it would be a huge upgrade over what he's doing now. Very few people actually believe that WWE is going to give him a decent push. He's a talented overall performer. Underrated actually. However, management is concerned with his ability to stay healthy.
  Chances: None
  
  
• Shelton Benjamin - Shelton Benjamin will never get a main event push in WWE. However, since he is a veteran, he's earned the right to be thrown into the Royal Rumble each year. It also doesn't hurt that he's going to be utilized for a high spot in the match either. It's similar to the situation where Shelton Benjamin is constantly thrown into the Money in the Bank match each year at Wrestlemania.
  Chances: None

Closing Thoughts

It's almost like a charity case when an ECW wrestler gets thrown into the Royal Rumble. It's hard to imagine a day when an ECW would have an actual chance to win the Royal Rumble and go on to headline Wrestlemania.