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Royal Rumble: 3 ‘Forbidden Door’ entrants for the Men’s rumble

By Raphael Garcia

KOBE, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 27: Kazuchika Okada enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'G1 Climax 30' at the World Hall on September 27, 2020 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
KOBE, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 27: Kazuchika Okada enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'G1 Climax 30' at the World Hall on September 27, 2020 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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If Mickie James kicked the “Forbidden Door” open, then these men should follow in path she’s creating.

When the buzzer goes off at The Royal Rumble, fans hold their breath for a big surprise or debut. AJ Styles’s introduction or Edge’s return from injury are just two moments that pulled fans out of their seats. The 2022 edition of the rumble brings the same energy, but Mickie James’s inclusion over on the women’s side brings ideas about the “Forbidden Door” cracking open. With that in mind, here are three ideas for surprise entrants for the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble.

Alex Hammerstone

Back when AEW started working with Impact and New Japan, fans wondered how or if the WWE was going to respond with their own partnership. There were rumors that something was brewing with MLW, but even if there were discussions, nothing ever materialized on the screen. However, if there was to be a MLW star to walk through the door, that man would have to be MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Alex Hammerstone.

Standing 6’2 at 251 pounds, Hammerstone looks like the prototypical superhero, star athlete, and any other type of praise that could be lumped together. Both he and Jacob Fatu were booked to near perfection as they held their respective titles for 800+ days each, heading into their bout at Fightland back in October. Hammerstone came out with the title and is now the face of the promotion. He’s everything that the WWE tends to push as a top name and his presence in the WWE for the Royal Rumble would draw attention to both the WWE and MLW.

Chris Bey

Mickie James is taking part in the Women’s Rumble, so what if one of the men from Impact’s roster did the same? If that door opens, WWE needs to look at Chris Bey being the person selected to represent Impact in the Men’s Rumble.

Chris Bey is 25-years old and many see him as one of the top names to watch as the future of professional wrestling. The former X-Division Champion has all the makings of someone that a promotion could build around long term. Not only is he performing well in Impact, but he and his Bullet Club colleagues are having a good time in New Japan as well. He would fit right into the hectic nature of The Royal Rumble match and would be a great representation of the Impact men’s division.

Kazuchika Okada

The sound of coins dropping would silence the entire crowd at The Dome in America’s Center. Wrestling Twitter would go up in flames. If the WWE found a way to work with New Japan and Kazuchika Okada entered The Royal Rumble the wrestling world as we know it would collapse.

Ok, exaggeration aside, Okada would be a huge name for any North American promotion. Just like with MLW, WWE tried to find a way to work with NJPW and has done so in the past. If the company wanted to grab wrestling headlines for weeks after The Rumble, having Okada walk through the curtain with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is the perfect way to do so. “The Rainmaker” is all about big-time moments and there are very few that would be bigger than this.

Now its time to wake up from the dream, but even if these ideas are just that – it’s still fun to hope. WWE may be inspecting The Forbidden Door but if it opens for The Royal Rumble, these names would steal the show.

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