5 WWE Legends who were at the 2022 Royal Rumble but not used
The 35th annual WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event took place on January 29, 2022.
In front of 44,390 fans at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, WWE kickstarted the road to WrestleMania 38. The event saw Ronda Rousey return to the company for the first time in nearly three years to win the Women's Rumble match.
Brock Lesnar, who lost his WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley earlier in the night, entered the Men's Rumble match as entrant #30. The Beast Incarnate took just over two minutes to punch his ticket to WrestleMania, ultimately eliminating Drew McIntyre.
Of course, the Rumble matches always open the door for possible returns and surprises. This year, it was no different, with several legends and even celebrities returning to the squared circle.
Leading into the event, WWE had already announced that WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins and Lita would enter the Women's Rumble match. They also announced that Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, and IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James would appear.
On the night itself, more surprises were revealed. Melina, Ivory, Cameron, Sarah Logan, and Alicia Fox entered the Women's Rumble match. Bad Bunny and Shane McMahon entered the Men's Battle Royale to the delight of the WWE Universe.
However, according to the Wrestling Observer, WWE already had some other legends placed at the venue for the event. Several notable names were indeed there, whether they were scheduled to appear, were on standby in case of a dreaded Covid positive test, or just to hang out.
That being said, here are five WWE Legends who were at the 2022 Royal Rumble but not used.
#5 Kaitlyn was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble
Kaitlyn was such an underrated performer in WWE. https://t.co/tlKuWsS5KJ
Former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn was reportedly backstage at the 2022 Rumble event.
Her last match with the company came during the Mae Young Classic in 2018. During the all-women's tournament, Kaitlyn was eliminated after losing to Mia Yim in the second round.
Before this, Kaitlyn had not been seen in WWE since 2014. Her last match was with AJ Lee on an episode of Main Event in January of that year. She left WWE following the match to pursue a return to the fitness industry.
Whether the former NXT Season 3 winner was scheduled to enter the Women's Rumble match has not been determined. However, it could signal that we may see her in a WWE ring again someday in the future.