{"id":150273,"date":"2026-01-08T14:24:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=150273"},"modified":"2026-01-08T14:24:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:24:18","slug":"5-of-the-greatest-surprise-entrants-in-the-mens-royal-rumble-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/08\/5-of-the-greatest-surprise-entrants-in-the-mens-royal-rumble-match\/","title":{"rendered":"5 of the Greatest Surprise Entrants in the Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble Match"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Royal Rumble match is one of the most intriguing concepts in WWE history. 30 men enter, but only one remains in the ring at the end. Immortality is the prize as the winner gets to main event WrestleMania and compete for a World Title of their choosing. Although there is much at stake, the Rumble has also gained popularity due to the element of surprise embedded within its concept.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, the WWE Universe has witnessed some incredible surprise returns. Last year, in the Women&#8217;s Rumble, Alexa Bliss returned following a two-year hiatus, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The Men&#8217;s Rumble has been around for nearly 4 decades, and surprise entrants are a staple of the 30-man melee.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the sheer number of incredible surprise entrants over the years, some honorable mentions are worth mentioning:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rob Van Dam returns during the 2009 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble<\/li>\n<li>Rey Mysterio reemerges during the 2018 Men&#8217;s Rumble<\/li>\n<li>Booker T shocks the world in the 40-man 2011 Men&#8217;s Rumble<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On that note, let&#8217;s look at five of the greatest surprise entrants in the Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble match.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_150303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-150303\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-150303\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/156_RR_01282018ej_05523-0404b774c475a82c5ff7f6b013d104ac.jpg\" alt=\"Rey Mysterio was a surprise entrant at Royal Rumble 2018\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/156_RR_01282018ej_05523-0404b774c475a82c5ff7f6b013d104ac.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/156_RR_01282018ej_05523-0404b774c475a82c5ff7f6b013d104ac-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/156_RR_01282018ej_05523-0404b774c475a82c5ff7f6b013d104ac-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/156_RR_01282018ej_05523-0404b774c475a82c5ff7f6b013d104ac-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-150303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#5. Christian Returns for One Night in the 2021 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The 2021 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble took place during the ThunderDome era, with no actual fans in attendance. The absence of a live crowd took away from the match, but it was a thoroughly entertaining bout filled with surprises.<\/p>\n<p>However, the biggest surprise came with the 24th entrant. Christian, who had not wrestled in a WWE ring since 2014, stepped into the squared circle and reunited with his best friend, Edge. Captain Charisma looked better than ever, nailing competitors with the &#8220;Killswitch&#8221; left, right, and center.<\/p>\n<p>Christian looked great and made it to the final four. Although he was unceremoniously eliminated, Captain Charisma still got to see his best friend Edge win the Rumble for the second time in his career. The only thing that would&#8217;ve made his one-night return better was the presence of a live crowd. Nonetheless, it was still great to see the Canadian legend back in the ring.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Christian teases future plans: Royal Rumble Exclusive, Jan. 31, 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B2B_nljsXXQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#4. Chris Jericho Surprises Dolph Ziggler As The Second Entrant In The 2013 Men&#8217;s Rumble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Chris Jericho may never have won the Royal Rumble, but Y2J has a storied history in the match. Jericho has been the ultimate &#8220;Iron Man,&#8221; lasting a cumulative five hours in the Rumble over his many appearances.<\/p>\n<p>Among many of his great performances is Y2J&#8217;s outing in the 2013 Men&#8217;s Rumble, where Jericho entered as the second entrant and surprised the WWE Universe. The live crowd went into a frenzy, and the sight of the inaugural Undisputed World Champion took aback Dolph Ziggler.<\/p>\n<p>The shock value came from the fact that Jericho&#8217;s contract terminated on-screen five months before, in September 2012. It was a way to write off Y2J for his Fozzy tour. No one was expecting the Canadian to return so soon, which is why the comeback took everyone by surprise.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - 2013 Royal Rumble Match: Royal Rumble 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ANlEkY1sl88?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>#3. Edge Returns to the Ring in the 2020 Men&#8217;s Rumble<\/h2>\n<p>When one thinks of the 2020 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble, two memories immediately come to mind: Brock Lesnar&#8217;s early onslaught in the first half and the tale of Edge&#8217;s epic in-ring return. The Rated-R Superstar had been forced to retire in April 2011 because of a career-threatening neck injury.<\/p>\n<p>We never thought we&#8217;d see Edge compete again. Thus, when the timer counted down to zero, and Metalingus&#8217; song hit, the crowd exploded with joy as the Ultimate Opportunist stepped into the ring to wrestle after nine long years. The Hall of Famer looked ripped and was in the best physical shape of his life.<\/p>\n<p>Edge eliminated three competitors from the Rumble, reunited with Randy Orton, and made it to the final three before Roman Reigns eliminated him. The Rated-R Superstar would win the Rumble for the second time the year after.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Edge returns at Royal Rumble and delivers vicious Spears: Royal Rumble 2020 (WWE Network Exclusive)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zrLt2KGRMPs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#2. AJ Styles Makes a Phenomenal Debut in the 2016 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>From iconic returns to bone-chilling debuts, the Royal Rumble plays host to many surprises. Perhaps the greatest debut occurred during the 2016 Men&#8217;s Rumble, when AJ Styles arrived in a WWE arena for the first time in his illustrious career.<\/p>\n<p>Roman Reigns started the match as the first entrant and quickly eliminated Rusev. However, the Big Dog was in for a surprise as the third entrant was the Phenomenal One. The rumor mill had been running hot for weeks, but it still felt surreal to see Styles, one of the biggest names outside of WWE, enter the Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>The Phenomenal AJ Styles had an impressive outing in the 2016 Men&#8217;s Rumble as he lasted nearly half an hour before Kevin Owens eliminated Styles. This was the beginning of an amazing year for the TNA legend, who ended 2016 as the WWE Champion.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE Network: AJ Styles makes his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble Match: Royal Rumble 2016\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ubZR-cfkSDQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. John Cena Stuns Madison Square Garden As The Final Entrant In The 2008 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Many WWE fans, and for good reason, consider John Cena a real-life superhero. Besides embodying hustle, loyalty, and respect, Cena is also known for his quick recoveries. Such was the Champ&#8217;s commitment to his art and the WWE Universe.<\/p>\n<p>In late 2007, Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which should have kept him out of action for an extended period of time. However, the Face That Runs the Place made a miraculous recovery and returned way ahead of his initial recovery timeframe. Cena entered as the final entrant in the 2008 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>The Champ cleared the ring and last eliminated Triple H to win the whole thing. Through this win, Cena booked his ticket for WrestleMania and gave the WWE Universe the greatest surprise return in Royal Rumble history.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena\u2019s surprise return to win the 2008 Royal Rumble Match\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zkQVKO2GHzk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>More from LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo\u2014WWE\u2014Stay tuned to the <\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0for more on WWE Royal Rumble and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw<\/i><\/em><em><i>, as well as archives and premium live event streaming<\/i><\/em><em><i>),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> (WWE Superstar Sunday\u2014Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> (WWE Main Event). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Royal Rumble match is one of the most intriguing concepts in WWE history. 30 men enter, but only one remains in the ring at the end. Immortality is the prize as the winner gets to main event WrestleMania and compete for a World Title of their choosing. Although there is much at stake, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":150304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[145,107,7500,328,165,7214],"class_list":["post-150273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-chris-jericho","tag-christian-cage","tag-edge","tag-john-cena","tag-wwe-royal-rumble"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150273"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150301,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150273\/revisions\/150301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}