WWEis officially on the road toWrestleMania, with theRoyal Rumbleserving as the bump in the road that would-be Mania headliners need to bypass on the path to glory. In storyline, WWE Superstars don’t just have to contend with familiar faces in the roster, but unexpected new and old faces.
TheRoyal Rumblebrings legends out of the shadows in hopes of adding to their legacy, while new Superstars hope to create their legacies in real time with aRumbleentrance. For new Superstars, oftentimes, theRoyal Rumblehas been used to debut incoming NXT talent. Meanwhile, old faces don’t necessarily need to be legends who haven’t been seen in years, as it could be regular Superstars who are returning from injuries and hiatuses. No matter how they enter the Royal Rumble, expect both the Men’s and Women’s 30-person matches to feature a bevy of surprises worth predicting.
10Trick Williams
WWE’s Next NXT Call-Up?
Trick Williams emerged from 2024 as, arguably, the year’s biggest breakout star. He was originally debuted in NXT 2021 as Carmelo Hayes' bodyguard, but his popularity and charisma slowly started to eclipse that of Hayes himself. After Hayes moved toSmackDown, Trick proceeded to become a two-time NXT Champion and leading face of the brand in its big move to The CW. His first title win was one of the loudest, thunderous crowd reactions of 2024 on either NXT or the main roster.
2025 began with Trick losing the title to Oba Femi atNew Year’s Evil.This could open the door for Williams to finally be called up. With his character and charm, he’s already main roster ready. In addition to debuting to an electric crowd chanting “Whoop that Trick!” in unison, aRumblestaredown with former partner Hayes would have to be inevitable.
9Charlotte Flair
A Flair For The Gold In 2025
Onthe latest episode ofSmackDown, WWE aired a vignette hyping the return of Charlotte Flair. This would mark the 14-time World Champion’s return to WWE television for the first time since 2023’sTribute to the Troopsshow in December of that year. Just over a year later, Flair leaps onto the road toWrestleMania, just in time for the Royal Rumble.
Presumably, following these vignettes, Flair is bound to either announce her declaration for this year’sRoyal Rumbleor continue to tease her inevitable appearance. Truth be told, Charlotte can be pegged as a favorite to win the match, as many fans on social media continue to predict a Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton match forWrestleMania. It could mark a changing of the guard from the Four Horsewomen generation, putting over a new generation.
8AJ Styles
One Last Rumble?
Following his feud with Cody Rhodes last Spring, AJ Styles was absent from WWE television until the October 4 episode of SmackDown, returning to wrestle Carmelo Hayes. Sadly, as timing would happen, Styles would suffer a legitimate Lisfranc injury in his foot before the match even ended. The 47-year-old veteran does not have a timetable for his return, and if he is coming back for theRoyal Rumble, it’s likely to be his last.
As much as he still showcases miraculous talent in the ring at his age, The Phenomenal One isn’t getting any younger. There were rumors suggesting that had he not gotten injured, his match with Hayes would have kickstarted a retirement angle for Styles. If there’s any truth to this, thengetting eliminated in a potentialRumbleappearance could mark the beginning of Styles' final run with the company. Another loss for his character could be instrumental to beginning that retirement angle.
7Becky Lynch
The Man is Back in Town
Becky Lynch has not been seen inside a WWE ring since losing theWWE Women’s World Titleto Liv Morgan atKing and Queen of the Ring, then losing the Steel Cage rematch two nights later onMonday Night Raw. It’s easy to assume that aRoyal Rumbleappearance could springboard The Man back into storylines in time forManiaseason, but she doesn’t have to win it all to leave an impression.
Although Lynch hasn’t been on WWE television in almost eight months,there are plenty of stories to be told that could be set up for her at theRoyal Rumble. She could always rekindle her feud with Morgan, or even Rhea Ripley, who defeated her at last year’sWrestleMania. Meanwhile, she could challenge her pupil Lyra Valkyria, the new Women’s Intercontinental Champion, who previously beat Lynch for the NXT title.
6Malakai/Aleister Black
AEW’s Loss Can Be WWE’s Gain
There was a point in time when, as Aleister Black, this man could have become one of WWE’s top stars. Following a successful run in NXT, Black was slowly rising up the ranks on the main roster. He’d wind up beginning a feud with Big E on the July 26, 2025 episode ofSmackDown, but the feud ended abruptly when, even before having a match with E, Black was released unceremoniously due to budget cuts. The rechristened Malakai Black signed with AEW a month later.
Now,Black is rumored to be done with AEW.Such rumors have circulated before, and usually, Black shuts them down pretty quickly, but because he has yet to dismiss these rumors, some assume them to be true this time. If so, theRumbleis the perfect way to acclimate the House of Black leader back into the fold.
5Victoria
A Legend Returns
This one may seem out of left field for some readers, but not for those who saw Victoria in the crowd of the latest episode ofFriday Night SmackDown. She appeared in the front row, marking the first time that Lisa Marie Varon appeared on WWE television since the 2021Royal Rumblematch. The two-time WWE Women’s Champion and NCA athlete is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract.
In theory, at 57-years-old, WWE could be preparing to celebrate her career with a Hall of Fame induction for 2025. Alternatively (or in addition to),her appearing in the crowd could prove to be teasing a return to the ring for the 2025Royal Rumble. Especially now thatWWE has a working relationship with TNA, the 2025Royal Rumblecould make for the perfect opportunity to bring back a former 5-time TNA Knockouts Champion for one night only.
4Joe Hendry
TNA’s First Male Champion In Rumble History?
JoeHendry has become the wrestling community’s latest viral sensation, to the point that his theme song, “I Believe in Joe Hendry,” reached number 6 on the UK Singles Sales Chart.What’s most impressive is that Hendry is among one of wrestling’s most popular stars without signing with WWE. He’s signed to Total Nonstop Action, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Nic Nemeth (f.k.a. Dolph Ziggler) at theirGenesispay-per-view.
As a result of WWE’s partnership with TNA, Hendry has made appearances for NXT where he previously competed for the brand’s NXT Championship and helped grow his popularity even further. The next step for him would be to bring that catchy entrance tune to theRoyal Rumblefor the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd to sing along to.
3Shawn Michaels
Has A Comeback Been Teased?
Shawn Michaels has been preoccupied with being WWE’s lead booker for the NXT brand for the past couple of years. That role has mostly kept him working behind the scenes, but he’s been making more onscreen appearances in the past few months. In the last couple of months, he’s been in a handful of physical altercations on NXT with Eddy Thorpe.
Most recently, he was announced to appear on WWE’s January edition ofSaturday Night’s Main Event, where he will be overseeing a contract signing between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens for their Ladder Match.
10 WWE Superstars With The Most Royal Rumble Eliminations In A Single Match
Both the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches features WWE Superstars who standout in single Rumble matches by dumping out the most competitors.
Shawn Michaels can only get shoved on-camera so many times before he’s expected to retaliate. Assuming that he’s likely to be provoked again during Saturday’s contract signing, it could lead to him pulling out his boots for one last match, if only for aRumbleappearance.
2Big E
A Much-Anticipated Return
It was in 2022 right beforeWrestleMania 38that Big E suffered a horrific neck injury on an episode of SmackDown. His in-ring future remains uncertain. While he’s settled into an onscreen analyst role in the time since, the lack of updates or improvements on his health has led audiences to assume Big E may never wrestle again.
However, as watching him get kicked out of the New Day proved to be one of the most shockingWWE moments of 2024, it does give audiences a modicum of hope thatthis angle could be setting up for Big E’s return to the ring.
After all, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods bullied E about his neck injury. Seeing him return from that injury to get his revenge on both men, especially if it’s during theRumblematch, would be wholly satisfying for anyone that’s been watching E’s journey.
1The Rock
The Final Boss Returns?
This is a return that seems to be on everyone’s bingo cards for theRumble, or at the very least their wish list. The natural idea is that a surprise Royal Rumble appearance makes for a naturalset-up for aWrestleManiadream matchforThe Rock vs. Roman Reigns, who has already declared for the match. Alternatively, the night afterWrestleMania XL, The Rock did promise that whether Cody Rhodes remained WWE Champion going into Mania 41 or not, The People’s Champion would be targeting Rhodes whenever he was back.
The only wrench in the works here is that for the Netflix premiere onRaw, The Rock seemed to all butdiscard his Final Boss characterin favor of being a babyface. Whether this new face run inWWEis permanent or not remains to be seen, but if The Final Boss were to return in all its glory, theRoyal Rumblewould be the perfect place to make a statement.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a global entertainment company primarily known for professional wrestling. Founded in 1953, it produces live events, television programs, and streaming content. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, WWE operates multiple brands, including Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.
