5 retired WWE Superstars who could return to the ring at the 2022 Royal Rumble
Every year, the Royal Rumble event always provides plenty of surprises, and leading into the show, the WWE Universe buzzes about who might appear.
Take the 2020 event, for example, where Edge returned after he was forced to retire from the ring in 2011 due to injury. When the Hall of Famer entered the 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal, he utterly shocked fans all around the world.
His return delighted the WWE Universe, and it showcases one of the reasons why the Royal Rumble event is so popular: It frequently provides memorable moments that fans remember for years to come.
But this year, the company has deviated from its typical approach. Vince McMahon's promotion has already revealed a handful of surprise entrants for the Women's Rumble match. Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, The Bella Twins, WWE Hall of Famer Lita and IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James have all been announced.
Impact Knockouts World Champion @MickieJames will be in the #RoyalRumble Match!
#SmackDown https://t.co/TXH0jm6QgE
This approach disappointed some fans who love the element of surprise the Rumble is known for. Of course, from a promotional standpoint, the company is within its rights to announce these names in order to drum up more interest ahead of the show. But the unveiling of the aforementioned entrants doesn't mean that there won't be more surprises this year.
That being said, let's take a look at five retired WWE Superstars who could return at the 2022 Royal Rumble.
#5. Paige could return to the ring at WWE Royal Rumble
i love surprises @WWE hoping to see my girl at the royal rumble @RealPaigeWWE https://t.co/68ROEJSSbG
There has been much speculation that former Divas champion Paige could return to the ring at some point soon.
Paige retired from the ring in 2018, due to a serious neck injury she sustained at a live event. The fan-favorite star initially remained on television as the SmackDown General Manager, but she has not been seen on-screen since March 2020.
The British-born superstar has been teasing on social media that she has something big planned. She even trended on Twitter earlier this month as speculation started to mount again. Paige responded by tweeting: "Wait I was trending again? I mean, it is January."
To further fuel these rumors, fans have pointed out that Paige recently stated that she "wasn't done yet." She also posted a picture of her wrestling boots with the Divas Championship.
Of course, posting such things on social media is bound to trigger a huge reaction. If she does return at the Royal Rumble, it would likely go down as an all-time moment, as fans have been hoping to see her wrestle again for several years. For now, we'll just have to wait until January 29 to see if the speculation will become a reality.