Many fans were expecting Finn Balor to be one of the surprise entrants in the 2017 Royal Rumble Match. However, he was not cleared from his injury but the latest WWE rumors have revealed the timetable for his return.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer mentioned in his report that Balor was never considered as a participant in the Royal Rumble Match despite all the WWE rumors. He was evaluated by WWE doctors a week before the Rumble event but he was not cleared to return to the ring, per Wrestle Zone.

Regarding his return, the expectation has always been late February or early March. He also told multiple interviews that he is working on a return at WrestleMania 33. The perfect date for his return is at the Fastlane pay-per-view on March 5 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Meltzer also reported that the WWE still has no concrete plans for "The Demon" at WrestleMania 33. Balor could end up wrestling a match or if he's not cleared by doctors, he'll appear in some capacity during the big event.

The former NXT champion suffered a shoulder injury at SummerSlam during his match with Seth Rollins. He popped his shoulder back into place and finish the match to become the first-ever WWE Universal Champion.

However, Balor subsequently dropped his title because he needed surgery to repair his injured shoulder. He was expected to miss four to six months of action and he is just slightly ahead of schedule. The WWE will be very careful regarding Balor's injury because he's one of their most marketable stars on the roster.

According to Wrestling Inc, "The Demon" did not only suffer a separated shoulder or a labrum tear. He also tore his bicep and pectoral tendon, damaged his cartilage and fractured the glenoid neck socket. It was one hell of an injury for Balor but he quickly went back to work for rehabilitation.

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