Credit: WWE.com
The Royal Rumble is always an event full of surprises. What superstars may make their triumphant returns to WWE at one of the biggest shows of the year?
From jedi to kings, returns always feel like sure-fire hits. WWE, and especially The Royal Rumble, are no stranger to blockbuster success relating to big time returns.
Whether it be the surprise entry of Chris Jericho in the 2013 Royal Rumble match or the annual reappearance of The Undertaker on the Road to WrestleMania, it always seems like there’s some exciting returns around this time of year in WWE.
2019, for what its worth, appears like it could continue that trend.
With multiple big name stars seemingly ready to return off the mend any time now, not to mention the ever-expanding litany of shocking cameos no one can ever expect in these kind of matches, this year’s Royal Rumble matches could be filled with headline-grabbing returns.
Could we see the return of The Hurricane to save the day again this year? How about some special guests from Dudleyville, or any number of legendary ECW icons who could be ready to mix it up in the year’s biggest multi-man brawl?
Actually though, this match seems better positioned for someone with an unending desire to win the big one. Someone with a bit of a reputation for only wanting to fight for accolades and title belts. Maybe someone like a prizefighter, a real superstar out to capture glory no matter the cost?
Credit: WWE.com
3. Kevin Owens
Perhaps no one has a gimmick more inherently designed for entry in the Royal Rumble than Kevin Owens. ‘The Prizefighter’ always tries to make a point to emphasize his desire to capture the grandest accolades in WWE.
Unfortunately, Owens has been out for several months now after requiring double knee surgery. On Raw, this was explained as being due to a vicious attack by Bobby Lashley in a rare double-turn that saw Lashley embrace his new villainous persona by mauling Owens.
While needing double knee surgery certainly seems like the kind of injury that could do a competitor in for quite a long time, WWE has already begun to air vignettes for Owens eventual return to TV.
With reports somewhat all over the place pertaining to a potential return date for Owens, it should be taken as an encouraging sign that WWE is willing to air segments teasing KO’s comeback. In fact, it may even be a sign Owens inevitable return is imminent.
With that in mind, a high-profile return in the Men’s Royal Rumble match would be an exciting and intriguing way to reintroduce Owens into the fold.
Owens is one of the few people in the company who can claim to be a former Universal Champion. That kind of accomplishment is something that would make him an instant threat to actually win the Royal Rumble match itself.
A potential WrestleMania main event featuring Owens taking on Brock Lesnar for the first time ever on WWE TV, or even an epic rematch between Owens and Finn Balor calling back to their wars for the NXT World Championship would certainly make for exciting headliner matches.
Kevin Owens isn’t the only superstar’s return WWE has been hyping however. In fact, Owens own partner could be even closer to returning to in-ring action himself!
Credit: WWE.com
2. Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens’ tag team partner Sami Zayn could be nearing his in-ring return sooner rather than later.
According to Mike Johnson at PW Insider, Sami Zayn is back at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando working towards his WWE in-ring return. This can only be seen as extremely positive news for Zayn, considering he’s been held out of action for months due to surgery on both of his rotator cuffs.
That recent news, combined with his vignette that aired alongside Owens’ teasing an upcoming return, could mean we get a surprise appearance entry from Zayn in the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Zayn is always one of the most athletic, high-energy superstars in WWE. His offense is always explosive and exciting, making him an ideal competitor to run roughshod over the Royal Rumble match.
Sami Zayn, much like Kevin Owens, could also easily be returning to WWE as a face, considering that Bobby Lashley is also responsible for putting Zayn on the mend in the storylines. That means we could see the return of the same Sami Zayn who carried NXT on his back as one of the best genuine babyfaces the brand has ever seen.
Although Zayn is a former NXT World Champion, he has never had a true shot, one-on-one, for one of WWE’s premier titles. A win, or at the least a strong showing, at The Royal Rumble would be the perfect way to jumpstart Zayn’s career, and see if he can translate the same connection as a face he had with fans in NXT to the main roster.
While both Zayn and Owens would make for great surprise Royal Rumble entrants, they are still recovering from injury. Its unfortunately only fair to contemplate whether or not they would be in the kind of shape to have a long run in the Royal Rumble match.
However, there is another superstar who is not returning from injury, but nevertheless would capture the attention of fans everywhere if he were to make a surprise appearance at The Royal Rumble. That’s without even mentioning the fact that he could instantly be a contender to win the whole match itself as well!
Credit: WWE.com
1. Bray Wyatt
‘The Eater of Worlds’ has been curiously absent from WWE ever since he was unable to recapture the Raw Tag Team Championships with Matt Hardy. We’ve seen that he’s still healthy, he had a No Disqualification match with Baron Corbin at Starrcade after all, yet he’s still been away from TV.
It seems fairly clear Bray Wyatt can return to WWE any time now, so why not have him return on a massive stage at The Royal Rumble?
Recently, Wyatt has been active on Twitter again, posting his usual cryptic messages that may or may not have something to do with a change in gimmick upon his eventual WWE return. The Royal Rumble match, with its frequent pauses for showboating and the creation of big-time moments, could be the perfect stage for Wyatt to debut a new twist in his gimmick.
The potential for a new gimmick for a very popular WWE superstar, combined with the fact that Wyatt is also a former WWE champion in his own right, makes him a perfect candidate for returning at The Royal Rumble.
He has the credentials to appear like a true threat to win the match, an enormous amount of intrigue surrounding his character, and a need to set up a new rivalry upon his return. In other words, Bray Wyatt can, and should return at The Royal Rumble.
When it’s all said and done though, any of these 3 competitors would make for amazing and exciting surprise returns in the 2019 Royal Rumble!