Despite WrestleMania being the main selling point in the WWE calendar, there is arguably more excitement and anticipation in the Royal Rumble.
Perhaps it's due to Royal Rumble being the start of WrestleMania season, or maybe it's that Royal Rumble is a one of its kind event whereby it's a last wrestler standing storyline. Either way you look at it, nobody can deny that the Royal Rumble is pretty epic.
In the past, Royal Rumbles have cooked up some pretty memorable moments. There was Edge's much-anticipated return, Roxanne Perez breaking Bayley's record, and Kofi Kingston exposing all of the loopholes in the most entertaining way possible.
This year's Royal Rumble event, though, could look much different to what fans are used to.
This year's Royal Rumble leaves WWE with more options
When you think of the Royal Rumble, you think of legends returning. The element of surprise when waiting for entrants gives WWE the ability to do exactly that: catch fans by surprise.
Look, there's no better feeling than hearing one of your former favorite wrestler's entrance song hit as they prepare to enter the Rumble. This year, though, WWE has a conundrum on its hands.
That conundrum is this: What's the need for legends in 2026? The roster is packed as it is, and there are even more youngsters than ever waiting for their big breakthrough moments. It seems like the Royal Rumble is the perfect opportunity to shine a new light on WWE's future.
It's wild to think that, for example, Roxanne Perez is 24, Je'Von Evans is 21, and Sol Ruca is 26. These superstars seem like dead certs for the Men's and Women's Royal Rumbles this year.
There are many others, too. The uncomfortable truth that WWE must face is that for each legend they choose to include, they will be taking one opportunity away from the up-and-coming superstars.
Even looking at the Main Eventers, WWE has so many these days that there really is no need for legends to return for the Royal Rumble. If they do return, then WWE must think ahead to what is next in store for the individuals, rather than just bring them back for one night and let them waste away again.
It's a nice problem for WWE to have. It also doesn't mean that legends should be banished from the Royal Rumble entirely, either. It would be great to see Chris Jericho back in the Men's Rumble, and Trish Stratus back in the Women's Rumble, for example.
That said, any WWE fan anticipating a chain reaction of legend after legend in this year's Rumbles might be sorely mistaken. If that is the case (and let's not put anything past WWE at this stage), the decisions would be under scrutiny more than they have been in previous years.