Where to see former Minnesota Vikings at the WWE Royal Rumble

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Brock Lesnar in action during his fight against The Undertaker at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Brock Lesnar in action during his fight against The Undertaker at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)

The Royal Rumble is happening on Sunday, Feb. 27 and there is a chance to see some former players from the Minnesota Vikings at the WWE event.

For fans of the Minnesota Vikings, it is nice that the Pro Bowl is getting a 2 pm CT start on Sunday, Jan. 27. That means there will be plenty of time to check out the WWE Royal Rumble, which is also happening the same night.

After cheering on Adam Thielen, Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith at the Pro Bowl, switching over to the WWE Network at 6 pm CT (4 pm CT for the kickoff show) can allow viewers to enjoy one of the most exciting nights in sports entertainment.

But there is some crossover. Some individuals who formerly wore purple and gold jerseys may be participating or in attendance for the 2019 Royal Rumble and may be familiar to fans who attended training camp or preseason games in the past.

Let’s take a look at some former Minnesota Vikings to keep an eye on:

Brock Lesnar

At one time, Brock Lesnar wasn’t the mayor of Suplex City and was instead hoping to catch on with the Vikings as a defensive tackle in 2004. However, he was released before the regular season started. After his football career came to an end, he found success in both the WWE and the UFC.

His role at the 2019 Royal Rumble will be defending the Universal Championship against Finn Bálor. The size difference between these two competitors is quite large, but there is a chance the WWE will allow Balor to win the match in what should be an entertaining and important match.

Babatunde Aiyegbusi

A native of Wrocław, Poland, Babatunde Aiyegbusi attempted to find his place on the Vikings offensive line in 2015. His impressive size and athleticism didn’t land him a spot on the team’s roster but did catch the eye of the WWE, where he has made appearances in NXT as well as in the Greatest Royal Rumble.

At this time, Babatunde doesn’t have a role at the Royal Rumble. Considering the response he got at the Greatest Royal Rumble when going head to head with Braun Strowman, the WWE should consider putting him in the 30-man over the top rope match to be one of the monsters who are a real challenge to eliminate. Whether or not he actually is a part of the match will have to be seen.

Roman Reigns

Joe Anoaʻi attempted to be a defensive tackle for Minnesota during 2007, but the undrafted free agent was released shortly after he signed. After stints with the Jaguars and Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, Anoaʻi changed his focus to a business familiar to his family: professional wrestling.

As Roman Reigns, Anoaʻi has a massive WWE following and tons of success. Sadly, he will likely not be participating in the Royal Rumble in any capacity are having to step away from wrestling due to battling with leukemia for the past 11 years. It would still be nice to see him in attendance, even if it is just smiling and waving from the crowd or a prerecorded video.

Are you going to be tuning in to watch the WWE Royal Rumble after you watch the four Minnesota Vikings players in the Pro Bowl? If so, are you rooting for Brock Lesnar to retain? And do you think Babatunde Aiyegbusi will be an entrant in the Royal Rumble match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

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