With the Royal Rumble less than a week away, the WWE has officially announced 15 entrants in the men's Royal Rumble match and only seven in the women's match. Unless the WWE goes crazy with Rumble announcements on Friday Night Smackdown, it seems like the WWE is saving some room for a few returns and surprise entrants.
The biggest name announced for the match is Cody Rhodes. I voiced my frustrations about how the WWE shouldn't have spoiled his return, but at the end of the day, we all knew he was returning anyways. If the WWE was willing to spoil that return, they must have some good ones for this Saturday.
Asked a source the reasoning behind Cody’s Rumble return being announced as opposed to a surprise…
Source said it’s twofold, one being that nearly everyone expected it to happen already & two, source states they are “more than pleased” w/ the other surprises that are lined up.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) January 19, 2023
If the WWE is THAT pleased with the surprises they have planned for this Saturday, who can those surprise entrants be? With 15 open spots left in the men's match, I'll take a stab at who I think will make an appearance this Saturday at the Royal Rumble.
Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been out of action since last year. Orton's back injury is severe enough to have fans wondering if he'll ever return to the ring. There was no clear timetable for when and if Orton will return, but there's no better place to return than the Royal Rumble. The pop Orton would get would be insane. Fans will be ecstatic to see Orton back in the ring and, more importantly, see him healthy. It can be a long shot considering we don't know where he's at with his recovery process, but I'm not giving up hope that the Viper will be in the Rumble this Saturday.
Brock Lesnar
This one may not be a huge surprise anymore since Brock Lesnar returned on Raw's 30th Anniversary show last night. Before Monday Night Raw, fans hadn't seen Lesnar since Crown Jewel in October. He has unfinished business with Bobby Lashley, which we will probably see carried over until Wrestlemania. Until then, if Lesnar returned on Raw, it's safe to assume he'll be in the Royal Rumble match on Saturday. If the WWE wants to make this one of the biggest Royal Rumble matches in history, Brock Lesnar needs to be there.
Edge
Where the hell has Edge been? The Judgement Day wrote him off the television a few months ago after attacking his wife, Beth Phoenix, during an “I Quit” match. Edge and Finn Balor/Judgement Day have unfinished business. I believe we'll see Edge return after a few months and continue his feud with Balor in the Rumble. We all know how much we love seeing Edge return at the Royal Rumble, so fans would be more than happy if this happened.
Gable Steveson
There is no rhyme or reason behind this prediction. Steveson signed a contract with the WWE over a year ago, and fans rarely see him on television. Nobody knows what the long-term plan for Steveson is, but that could change on Saturday. The WWE could debut Steveson in their biggest match of the year and have him put on a masterclass. Make him look like a mini Brock Lesnar, and hell, even have him go face-to-face with him at some point during the match. This might not be the night's biggest surprise, but it would be a step in the right direction to get the crowd more familiar with him.
Logan Paul
If you know me, you know I'm a huge Logan Paul in the WWE fan. In three matches, he's shown he has the potential to be a legitimate star if he commits to wrestling full-time. People have criticized Paul and the WWE for giving him chances he may not deserve, but he's proven the doubters wrong every single time. He'd put on an absolute show in the Royal Rumble match. I also think this would be the perfect opportunity to set up his Wrestlemania match.
John Cena
Remember when I said earlier that Brock Lesnar needs to be there if the WWE wants to make this one of the biggest Royal Rumble matches in history? The same can be said about John Cena. After his recent Smackdown appearance and WWE 2k23 announcement, it wouldn't shock me if we got a Royal Rumble appearance from the leader of the Cenation. Everybody loves John Cena, so you already know you'll get one of the best pops of the night from him. I also think this would be the perfect opportunity to set up his Wrestlemania match against… Logan Paul.
The Rock
You thought I would forget about Dwayne? I believe the WWE announced Cody Rhodes' Royal Rumble return because they have a surprise even bigger than Rhodes planned. There is zero confirmation that the Rock will be at the Royal Rumble, never mind competing in it. Nobody knows what the WWE will do with Roman Reigns and his Undisputed Universal Championship at Wrestlemania. We will have answers to those questions on Saturday whether the Rock returns or not. But with all the hype surrounding his return, I have to believe he'll be there and win the match.
Those are my predictions for who I believe can and will be surprise entrants in the men's Royal Rumble match. With this being Triple H's first Royal Rumble as Head of Creative, I have high expectations. Let's hope Hunter delivers on Saturday.
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