Five big surprises for the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble

The 2024 edition of the Royal Rumble is bearing down. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the event. Fans are interested in Triple H’s continued improvement with WWE Creative, and this event is always the kickoff to WrestleMania season. Plus, there’s always the big surprises that hit the ring for both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble. Looking forward to Saturday, January 27, these are five performers that can be involved in the big matches.

Brock Lesnar

It has been a few months since Brock Lesnar’s last match. He dropped a bout to Cody Rhodes and hasn’t been seen since. Lesnar is a key piece of the WWE part-time roster. Vince McMahon used him to crush fan favorites, while on his constant quest to put over Roman Reigns. Times have changed and it will be interesting to see if Lesnar plays a role this year. How will he be involved with WrestleMania 40? Perhaps the best way to kick that off would be to get him into the Rumble and set up a big feud for the future.

The Rock

The Rock made a surprising return to WWE after the completed merger between the UFC and WWE. While the entertainment industry was hampered by striking writers and actors, The Rock made a quick stop in professional wrestling. Could he make a brief comeback, leading to a big match at WrestleMania? Both parties continue to hint at the idea, and fan appeal seems to always be invested. Where does The Rock fit in today’s crowded WWE main event scene? That would be a compelling question to answer in 2024.

Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks

The WWE women’s division continues to go through a revamping phase. As more women get time on television and the promotion slowly dedicates time to the group, there’s always a space for bigger names to make huge impacts. That is where Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks comes into play. It’s been nearly two years since she and Trinity Fatu walked out of the company and found success in NJPW and IMPACT, respectively. There’s a lot of rumors around where Mone will go next and if she is cleared and prepared to return to WWE, the Royal Rumble would be the right time.

Matt Cardona

Matt Cardona is an individual who set the tone for wrestlers looking to leave WWE and carve a space for themselves on the independent scene. If he were to make a surprise return to WWE, it would have to be under the Cardona gimmick, as he’s long outgrown Zack Ryder. Cardona could fit in the WWE midcard scene across any of the two main roster brands and could even be a main event persona in WWE NXT.

Jade Cargill

Without a match on her ledger, Jade Cargill is already a controversial name in WWE. For one reason or another, fans continue to develop strong opinions about Cargill. WWE has backed off on promoting her heavily as they did once she was signed – a smart move for all parties involved. However, getting her into the Royal Rumble would be an effective way to gauge fan interest in her, and Cargill’s initial performance. It would be a good way for her to get some action, not be forced to come out as the victor, and set some things up for her in the future.