Surprise Returns We Expect to See in the 2021 Royal Rumble

Royal Rumble season is here, and fans are super excited for what is one of the most anticipated matches of the year in WWE. We know the Royal Rumble for surprise appearances, shocking returns, and even debuts! So here’s looking at 5 surprise returns we could see at the 2021 Royal Rumble.

Edge (The Royal Rumble will erupt again!)

The ‘Rated R-Superstar’ returned to the squared circle after nine long years at the Royal Rumble last year. He suffered a torn tricep during the ‘Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’ against Randy Orton at Backlash. Edge underwent surgery, and he would be out for six months.

The Royal Rumble is the perfect time for Edge to make his return. As per Edge’s injury timeline, he will be 100% for the Rumble. Therefore, one can expect ‘You Think You Know Me’ to hit, and for Edge to come out. A spear to AJ Styles again, like last year? That would certainly be a great way to sow the seeds for a WrestleMania match.

Samoa Joe

The ‘Samoan Submission Machine’ is out of action since he suffered a concussion while filming a commercial in February 2020. He is currently working as a Color Commentator on Raw, but how long will it last?

Joe stated back in October that he wasn’t done with wrestling. When Ryan Satin announced news of his concussion, he noted Joe would be out ‘for a considerable amount of time.’ It’s almost a year now, and Joe hasn’t returned. Royal Rumble seems like the perfect place to return and it’s highly likely that we’ll see him there.

Jinder Mahal (The Maharaja’s Royal Rumble)

The ‘Modern Day Maharaja’ returned to WWE programming briefly last year before suffering another injury. As per Jinder’s injury timeline, he should be back in shape for the Royal Rumble.

WWE is taping ‘Superstar Spectacle’ for its Indian audience with Indian wrestlers and it is rumored Jinder is ready to compete. Plus, with the rumored launch of NXT India, they definitely want their top Indian guy to appear in the Royal Rumble match.

‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt

The Fiend is nowhere to be seen after Randy Orton set him on fire at WWE TLC during their Firefly Inferno Match. There is no word where The Fiend is or when he will return. But as per reports, he will return with an even more scary mask and attire.

The Royal Rumble would be perfect for The Fiend to debut his new persona. He could also end up winning the entire thing, or just go after Randy Orton and cost him the Rumble which would lead to a match between the two at WrestleMania.

Aleister Black

After a meaningless rivalry with Kevin Owens, Aleister Black moved to SmackDown as part of the 2020 WWE Draft but hasn’t appeared once on the show. There were reports in the previous months that Black had requested a move to NXT but was turned down.

Aleister Black is a class competitor, and we’ve seen that in his time in NXT. A strong place in the Royal Rumble match, maybe a final four finish, would definitely boost Black’s morale and also establish him as a legit contender among other top names.

Damian Priest

There are rumors that Damian Priest was supposed to make his SmackDown debut a couple weeks ago, but Roman Reigns reportedly called it off. Priest recently lost to Karrion Kross at NXT New Year’s Evil in what looked like his final match on NXT.

The Royal Rumble match would be an excellent way for Damian Priest to make his main roster debut. He definitely won’t win the thing, but it’ll be a nice refreshing face inside the match. Remember Keith Lee and Matt Riddle in last year’s Rumble? Same!

So these are the six WWE Superstars we think will make their return in the Royal Rumble match. Do you have any other names? Let us know in the comments below!