5 most iconic comeback moments of the WWE Royal Rumble: John Cena's improbable return; history is made
The Road to WrestleMania kicks off in a big way with WWE Royal Rumble live on January 28th. This year's show will take place in a familiar location, the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The promotion recently held the Royal Rumble at the Alamodome in 2017 and over 52,000 fans attended the premium live event.
One of the things wrestling fans look forward to the most is the surprise entrants every year at the Royal Rumble. Iconic superstars such as John Cena, Edge, and Lita have returned to incredible ovations at the Royal Rumble. Legends of the past have gotten the opportunity to walk down the aisle once again and hear the love from wrestling fans one more time.
Listed below are five iconic comeback moments at the WWE Royal Rumble.
#5. John Cena's epic return at WWE Royal Rumble 2008
John Cena has created countless moments for fans throughout his career, but his shocking return at the 2008 Royal Rumble stands the test of time. In October 2007, he suffered a complete tear of his right pectoral muscle and was expected to be out of action for a substantial amount of time.
The Leader of the Cenation overcame the odds and returned as entrant #30. John Cena sent Triple H flying over the top rope and to the floor to win the Royal Rumble match. The 45-year-old returned once again on the final episode of SmackDown in 2020. He teamed up with Kevin Owens to defeat The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Only time will tell if Cena is a surprise entrant once again on January 28th.
#4. Rhea Ripley impresses in the 2021 Royal Rumble
The future of the company was on display in the final moments of the 2021 Royal Rumble. Rhea Ripley had already proven she belonged and made it to the final two of the match. However, she ran into Bianca Belair and The EST simply would not be denied. Bianca eliminated Rhea to punch her ticket to WrestleMania and is currently on an impressive run with the RAW Women's Championship.
Rhea Ripley recently showed off her strength by defeating Akira Tozawa in an intergender match on RAW. She has become one of the most prominent members of Judgment Day and is seemingly controlling Dominik Mysterio's every move. If Ripley were to win the Royal Rumble this year, it could set up a dream match between her and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles.
#3. Rey Mysterio returns at Royal Rumble 2018
Rey Mysterio has had some magical moments at the Royal Rumble throughout his illustrious career. The former WWE Champion entered the Royal Rumble at #1 and went on to win it after spending more than an hour in the match in 2006.
Mysterio departed WWE in 2015 after a 13-year run with the company. He returned in 2018 to a massive reaction at the Royal Rumble and hasn't looked back since. It will be fascinating to see if the 48-year-old has another incredible moment planned for the WWE Universe at this year's Royal Rumble.
#2. Lita returns at the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match in 2018
WWE made history in 2018 by holding its first Women's Royal Rumble match. The special match brought back several legends of the past, including Lita as entrant #5. Lita only managed to last a little over five minutes in the match and was eliminated by Becky Lynch.
Lita and The Man met once again in another historic match in 2022. Becky Lynch successfully defended her RAW Women's Championship against the WWE legend at Elimination Chamber 2022 in the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. Only time will tell if any legends return at this year's Royal Rumble for a potential rivalry with a current WWE Superstar.
#1. Edge's incredible return at WWE Royal Rumble 2020
Almost a decade after Edge was forced to retire due to neck injuries, he made his shocking return at Royal Rumble 2020. The crowd lost their collective minds once The Rated-R Superstar's theme hit. He had an impressive showing in the match but Drew McIntyre eventually emerged victorious.
Edge has been off of TV since losing an I Quit match to Finn Balor at Extreme Rules in October 2022. He was forced to quit after Rhea Ripley threatened to hit his wife, Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, with a steel chair. After Edge quit, Rhea bashed Beth over the head with a chair anyway and left the ring with an evil smile on her face.
The Judgment Day recently earned a title shot against The Usos by winning a Tag Team Turmoil match on RAW. It will be interesting to see if The Rated-R Superstar and The Glamazon return on the Road to WrestleMania and seek revenge against Judgment Day.
WWE’s Royal Rumble will broadcast live from the Alamodome, San Antonio at 1 AM BST on Sunday, January 29th 2023. Tune in on the WWE Network or on BT Sport.