In WWE, the 2024 Royal Rumble is all about one thing and one thing alone: surprises.

Sure, titles are often defended, stars are frequently made, and a pair of WrestleMania main events are crowned when the other 29 members of the match are eliminated, but all of that is secondary to the surprises, as seeing which legacy performers make their returns, which indie guys make their debuts, and which NXT stars are elevated is the real fun of the event, as it's the closest thing the WWE Universe has to the NBA trade deadline or NFL Draft… outside of the actual WWE Draft, of course.

Fortunately, fans didn't have to wait long to see what WWE had up their sleeve in the 2024 version of the Royal Rumble, as Paul “Triple H” Levesque not only brought back the most recent Knockouts Champion Trinity, who goes by Naomi in WWE, at number two but also the current belt holder, Jordynne Grace, at spot number five, with both performers being announced alongside their TNA accolades.

Shocking? You bet, as, despite being spoiled online a few hours before the show, the idea of an active TNA performer, including one in Grace who has never worked for WWE in any capacity, serves as a legitimate forbidden door moment the likes of which Vince McMahon would have never done in a WWE ring.

Working through the match for the majority of the contest, Grace and Naomi were both featured from time to time throughout the match and were put over in a big way by commentary, with Corey Graves and Pat McAfee loudly singing the former's praises as she performed feats of strength spots with Ivy Nile and brawled with the likes of Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green, and Tegan Nox.

For Grace, her run in the Rumble came right around the 20-minute mark, when, after brawling with WWE powerhouse Bianca Belair in what many would consider a dream spot, she took a KOD on the apron before crumbling to the floor with a whimper, not a roar. While Naomi didn't win the match either, she lasted much longer, sticking around until the 62-minute mark before being eliminated by Jade Cargill.

So what does this mean? Well, for Naomi, it means “The Glow” is officially back in WWE, but the story surrounding Grace is much more interesting as she is the current Knockouts Champion and likely won't be making any appearances on RAW or SmackDown unless Scott D'Amore gives her permission to do so. Still, this talent share is interesting all the same, as WWE's respectful usage of the TNA Champion could spell even more cooperation with outside promotions moving forward.

Mickie James explains how her Royal Rumble spot came out in 2023.

Speaking of TNA stars appearing in the Royal Rumble, Mickie James actually paved the way for Jordynne Grace in 2023, when she came down to the ring with the Knockouts Championship and worked the match.

While her in-ring efforts weren't as impressive as those of Grace, and her WWE past was played up more than her TNA present, James' appearance still served as an inflection point in WWE all the same. Discussing her efforts in an interview with Denise Salcedo, James explained why she signed on to the Royal Rumble and how it all came together.

“It was instantly, ‘Yes, I want to do this.’ I think it was the perfect way to step away from the negativity. I just felt that it was unfortunate because I felt that I had a wonderful career in WWE and I got to work with some amazing women and this one thing kinda overshadowed all of it. It was the one thing people wanted to talk about and it was almost like the one thing people remembered. There were so many magical moments that I felt people should have remembered over that moment,” Mickie James said via WrestleTalk.

“Although it created a significant change, I don’t regret putting the picture up, and talking about it and being open about it and being honest about it. However I do think that kinda overshadowed all this work that I had done, and it was unfair. It was unfair to me, and it was unfair to the girls that I have worked with because I loved all of those matches for so many different reasons. But also to be the one to come back in modern wrestling and to break down that ceiling of a champion showing up on another, like the first time another championship has shown up that wasn’t theirs or didn’t belong to them, that was monumental.

“To do that for women’s wrestling, which is always my first love because that is what I am, it was awesome, it was so great. It was such a great moment, I tried not to celebrate or get too emotional about it, I was full of anxiety, of emotions, of excitement and I just wanted to deliver. I wanted to deliver for myself, for my fans, I wanted it to go as perfectly as it could go, and it did, I really believe that.”

What would have happened if James, and/or Scott D'Amore said no to James appearing in the Royal Rumble? Would Grace have been afforded a chance to appear at the 2024 edition of the show if it wasn't James paving the way? It's impossible to know, but in the annals of WWE history, James now holds a special place in history not just for her run with the promotion but for her efforts as a brand ambassador long after her run was done.