2022 WWE Royal Rumble: A look back at five of the best surprises of all time participants

Nothing sounds like a Royal Rumble. Every year, fans and members of the media enthusiastically tune in to see what surprises the WWE’s core event will bring to participants as they return or debut.

The 2022 Royal Rumble has already had headlines Mickie James ’Impact Knockouts world champion Mickie James will make an appearance in the women’s Royal Rumble match with the news. It’s a very rare event where the world champion from another promotion will appear on Rumble. It will surely be a memorable moment in a famous series of Rumble highlights.

Ahead of Saturday’s paid event, CBS Sports has put together five of the most memorable surprises of the Royal Rumble of all time, plus an additional entry.

5. Christian – 2021 Royal Rumble

The parallels between the career of Edge and Christian Cage are profound. They were seven-time team champions, both of whom achieved significant success in their fights in a single fighter. Edge won his first WWE Championship in 2006 and Christian won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship a year later on TNA. Both were crowned world champions in the WWE, and both races were cut short due to end-of-career injuries. That’s so special when Christian surprised fans when he attended the Royal Rumble in 2021, a year after Edge made his return impossible winner. Edge and Christian embraced the ring, a moving reminder of shared experiences. This was Christian’s first legitimate match in seven years. Christian then jumped into All Elite Wrestling and got something really special. The veteran was entitled to pay for WWE (Royal Rumble), AEW (All Out) and Impact Wrestling (Emergence, Victory Road, Bound for Glory) in a single calendar year.

4. Chris Jericho – 2013 Royal Rumble

Jericho knows one or three things about the exciting and unexpected return of the WWE. No one expected Jericho to appear in the 2013 Royal Rumble. “Y2J” was suspended from his WWE contract in 2012 after losing a game with his opponent Dolph Ziggler. In fact, Jericho was touring with his band Fozzy and had to be removed from WWE programming. He returned to the rumble much earlier than expected from fans, one of the few secrets kept in the modern era of fighting. Jericho entered No. 2 in the competition, opposite Dolph Ziggler. Jericho lasted nearly 48 minutes, the second longest of the fight.

3. John Cena – 2008 Royal Rumble

Many consider the return of Cena to be an unexpected surprise at the 2008 Royal Rumble. Fair enough. The return was not lawful and the stern of the crowd was deafening. No one had any clue that he was the last to take part in the 30-person competition. Cena’s return was due to a six-month layoff due to injury, but no one expected the invisible man to heal so soon. The creativity of the moment was perfect. Cena lay on the stage and soaked everything. The fans in his arms were terrified. Triple H’s face … the chef’s kiss. For the purpose of this list, all that is needed is a touch of real-world participation, which is just below the next two entries.

2. Edge – 2020 Royal Rumble

Edge’s beloved appearance in the 2010 Royal Rumble is a welcome surprise, but the effort he repeated a decade later is utterly moving. Edge abruptly retired the day after WrestleMania 27 in 2011 due to a life-changing condition due to cervical spine stenosis. Doctors feared a bad blow could paralyze him. His retirement speech was hard to swallow and was one of the most moving moments in WWE history. Nine years later, the words “you think you know me” resonated in the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The response from the crowd was pure joy and the emotions on Edge’s face were real. The 2020 Royal Rumble felt good.

1. AJ Styles – 2016 Royal Rumble

Styles ’stunning debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble was a major milestone in the pro-fight situation. Styles, a family man, refused a development agreement with WWE in 2002 that would force him to relocate his family. He made this decision because it hindered his wife’s teaching intentions. Styles spent the next decade and a half proving to be one of the best fighters on the planet. He won the TNA, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling World Championships in 2016 on his way to his WWE debut. A leap from NJPW to WWE to Rumble Styles was reported, but skepticism persisted. The WWE style was a fantastic match for textbooks, and it’s just a fantastic match. The 15,000 fans in attendance welcomed “The Phenomenal One” with a round of applause. Styles was brought in to be a midfielder, but he quickly removed that tag. He won his first WWE title that year and won seven different titles in five years.

Honorable Mention: The Three Faces of Mick Foley

Talk about unexpected tickets. Mickey Foley took on several people in the WWE during his tenure. A year before Ms. Foley’s children won the WWF Championship, the hardcore legend won three places at the 1998 Royal Rumble. Foley treated fans with a range of personalities: Cactus Jack (No. 1), Mankind (No. 16) and Dude Love (No. 28). He made a total of four playoffs and lasted a combined 19:21.