One of the most exciting parts of the Royal Rumble, if not the most exciting part, is always the unexpected Royal Rumble surprise entrants.. It could be anywhere from a nostalgic WWE legend, a superstar returning from injury, or even someone who was part of a different company who now jumped over to the WWE.
Thanks to the fantastic addition of the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble, we get double the chance for some fun opportunities! With the event returning to Philadelphia, who is always known to be a hot crowd, there is no shortage of choices to make a cameo at the WWE’s 2nd largest Pay Per View.
Last year’s Rumble didn’t see too many unexpected surprises other than the “Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger fittingly at 10, and cruiserweight Jack Gallagher. However, this was because the rumble was built and marketed around the once in a lifetime scenario of guys like the Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns all being able to square up together. With exception of possibly Reigns, none of these superstars will be participating in this year’s match.
Alright, that’s enough talking for now. Here are 10 (5 men, 5 women) logical and possible surprise entrants in this year’s Royal Rumble taking place in Philadelphia. As always, ladies first.
Women:
Trish Stratus
The Women’s Revolution isn’t what it is today without Trish Stratus. She was the OG of great actual wrestlers and was the face of female superstars. Stratus even tweeted about how happy she was about the announcement, so you can’t have this monumental moment without her. Trish paved the way for everyone who is on the roster right now, the Rumble needs some Stratisfaction.
Lita
This one seems like a no-brainer. Along with Stratus, Lita’s athleticism and acrobatics brought a whole new audience to women’s wrestling. Since she’s still in the company, including calling the Mae Young Classic with Jim Ross, this seems easy enough to get her to compete. Who wouldn’t love a stare down between Lita and her formal rival Trish Stratus? Turnbuckle moves like the Moonsault are what made Lita, the crowd would go wild to see another.
Ember Moon
She is the biggest name on the NXT roster right now and gave the closest call to Asuka’s undefeated streak. It’s only a matter of time before Moon ends up on the main roster. In the meantime 30 female participants is a large quota to fill, so who better than the best women’s wrestler on NXT?
Ronda Rousey
It is well known by now that Rousey will be making her way to the squared circle. We’re all very much aware of the box office draw she will bring to eyes that don’t normally watch the WWE. While the Rumble is always a well-used spot to introduce someone new, I don’t think this should be the time to show off Rousey. If she’s never wrestled before, she’s going to need a great partner to help guide her along, not 29 other superstars. Also, if Rousey enters, she probably has to win, and that would hurt the track they’ve put Asuka on.
Beth Phoenix
The 2017 hall of fame inductee would be a very nice addition to the match. Since 30 superstars were announced, they need to rely heavily on former wrestler’s coming back. Phoenix has a good relationship with the company, her husband Edge had his own show on the network, and Phoenix is best friends with Natalya. I bet she could do some convincing to her.
Honorable Mention: Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Michelle McCool, Stacy Keibler
Men:
Tommy Dreamer
Because the Rumble is in Philly, those means we’re in ECW territory. The hardcore hungry crowd went ballistic when Bubba Ray Dudley came out during the last Rumble in Philly, so why not go back to the well with the “innovator of violence”? Dreamer is the heart of ECW and still wrestles in the independent circle’s today. I’m sure he would be fine with a one-off.
Big Cass
I don’t know the extent of how his rehab has been going, but if he’s healthy, this would get a huge pop from the crowd. The rumble historically is the calling spot to bring back a superstar from a long sustained injury. Big Cass was a heel before getting hurt, but he’s always been lovable. And with the heel turn of Enzo Amore, whose mouth gets under the skin of people, opens the door for a Cass comeback.
Aleister Black
No wrestler on the NXT squad is more main roster ready than Aleister Black. Some say he should already be up there. Black is being groomed by Triple H, has a great theme, and great wrestling skills as well. It would be a fantastic way to bring him up to the main roster by having him show up in early in the Rumble and cause some havoc.
Batista
Another long spreading rumor is that Batista would not only like to return to the WWE, but he would like to return to a full-time schedule. Other than The Rock and John Cena, Batista has been one of the most successful wrestlers to transition over to acting in Hollywood. So for him to want to come back means he’s fully committed, because he doesn’t need to. Batista’s last run saw him come back and win the Royal Rumble.
The only problem was that the entire night the crowd was clamoring for Daniel Bryan. The fans didn’t get what they wanted and Batista became the fall guy. This time should see a better reaction, but he doesn’t need to win it again, just have an impressive showing.
Rob Van Dam
Much like Tommy Dreamer, RVD is one of the biggest names in ECW. This goes back to the Philadelphia location formula. However, unlike Dreamer, Van Dam had a very lengthy and successful career in the WWE, giving him crossover appeal to all fans. No longtime ECW wrestler had a better run once hitting the WWE stage like RVD did.
He is still performing again today, so once again it would make sense to bring him back to hit a couple of frog splashes. Fans will want him to return full time but if they can at least get him for one night, who doesn’t say no?
Honorable Mention: Kurt Angle, Daniel Cormier, Velveteen Dream, X-Pac
That’s it on our list of potential surprises. The beauty of this event is you never know what will happen. Sit back, relax, make some educated guesses on who will be coming in next after that 10 count and prepare to be entertained.