When it comes to the Royal Rumble , one of the best things about it are the surprise entrants that no one saw coming. Sometimes, the surprises are expected and fans hope for them, but their appearance still isn’t known until they come out from behind the curtain. Then, there are legends, comedic fillers, and the totally unexpected that may enter as the timer reaches zero. Here are the top 10 rumored surprise entrants for Sunday’s big match.
So far, there are only 13 names officially announced for the match per WWE.com , and that leaves plenty of slots open for surprises.
- WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, No. 1 entrant
- Brock Lesnar
- Sheamus
- Chris Jericho
- Stardust
- Bray Wyatt
- Erick Rowan
- Luke Harper
- Braun Strowman
- Dolph Ziggler
- Ryback
- Big Show
- Curtis Axel
AJ Styles – Might as well talk about the elephant in the room as this is one that just about anyone and everyone believes is going to show up on Sunday. There have been rumors saying yes, some saying no, some saying not at all, and now they are saying he will be backstage, but his debut may or may not happen at the Royal Rumble .
No matter if AJ Styles first shows up in the rumble match, the next night on Monday Night Raw , or the following night at the SmackDown taping, his WWE debut will be huge. It will be met with a gigantic reaction and it is long overdue.
Batista – Ol’ Dave has said for a long time that his career in WWE isn’t yet over even though his last run was less than thrilling. Jim Ross even stated one time that Batista was the perfect WrestleMania 32 opponent for Brock Lesnar. The Animal is currently busy with a number of projects, but anything is possible.
Kurt Angle – He said he is taking a year off from wrestling and when he comes back, it could be with TNA or WWE or any promotion. Blasting News reports that Angle’s contract is ending this month with TNA and even though he said he’s taking time away from the ring, a surprise appearance in the rumble wouldn’t be out of the question.
The Undertaker – The “Deadman” hasn’t been seen in almost two months, and this could be a great way to introduce him back into WWE storylines. It would also be the perfect opportunity to start a feud for WrestleMania 32 as Forbes suggests.
Triple H – The leader of The Authority hasn’t been seen in months and wants to get payback on Roman Reigns for “beating him up.” With Reigns having to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Title in the match and entering number one, this would be a great place for Triple H to exact his revenge.
Rumor even has it that Triple H could win the entire thing and take the WWE Title around his waist once more. This would lead to a WrestleMania 32 main event match against Roman Reigns for the belt.
Daniel Bryan – It’s hard to know if anyone at all knows when or if Daniel Bryan will ever even wrestle for WWE again. He was rumored to be released, and then not, and then visiting with WWE doctors, and then not. Now, no one has a clue what is going on, but if he’s going to make his return in time for WrestleMania 32 , this is the best time to do it.
Finn Balor – He’s still the NXT Champion so this wouldn’t necessarily be his full promotion to the WWE main roster, but maybe just a one-off appearance for now. Then again, he could move up and then pull double-duty in NXT until he loses the belt.
Either way, fans would love to finally see the entrance and talent of “The Demon” on the big stage.
Bill Goldberg – “Stone Cold” Steve Austin doesn’t just want to see Goldberg inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, he wants to see him back in a WWE ring . Talk about a huge surprise and a great name to bring in while so many are out injured.
The Godfather – What Culture is reporting that the full list of 2016 WWE Hall of Fame inductees has leaked out and Charles Wright is on it. Wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to have one more in-ring appearance as The Godfather or even Papa Shango.
Samoa Joe – Who wouldn’t love to see this one happen? Joe makes his WWE main roster debut and destroys people to the tune of “Joe’s gonna kill you!”
All of these superstars could be surprise entrants in the Royal Rumble , or not a single one of them could show up in the match. It is known that WWE is going to have every single talent in WWE and NXT backstage and available in case of injuries, last-minute changes, and just to keep the world guessing.
[Image via TNA]