Ranking the 5 best surprise Royal Rumble entrants in recent years
One of the greatest attractions of the Royal Rumble is the element of surprise. The feeling of anticipation that grips the viewer when the 10-second countdown appears on the titantron is surpassed by a few others.
You never know what lies on the other side of that buzzer. It could be a nostalgic reunion, new feud, phenomenal debut, or mind-blowing return.
There have been so many surprise entrants in Rumble history, such as John Cena and Batista returning in 2008 and 2014, respectively, Nia Jax entering the Men's match in 2019, and so on.
This list looks at five of the best surprises that Vince McMahon pulled out of his sleeve that excited fans in recent years.
#5: Christian returns from 7-year retirement at the 2021 Royal Rumble to share a wholesome moment with his best friend
CHRISTIAAAAAAAAN! #WWEBackstage’s own @Christian4Peeps has returned at the #RoyalRumble!
(via @WWE) https://t.co/DTJCM6Zg57
The 2021 Royal Rumble was the first (and only so far) iteration of the event held in the ThunderDome. The lack of a live crowd made it hard to feel the emotion in the building.
However, one moment was so heartwarming that it brought fans worldwide down with nostalgic fever.
Entering at #24, 4-time WWE World Champion Christian, who had retired in 2014 due to concussion-related injuries, made his return. Captain Charisma lasted 18 minutes in the battle royal before being eliminated by Seth Rollins.
The highlight of his appearance was the hug he shared with his childhood best friend and long-time tag partner Edge. The Rated R Superstar had returned from a 9-year retirement himself at the previous year's edition.
This Edge and Christian hug hit different 😢 https://t.co/DI7e7RQYRV
It was a moment the WWE Universe and the two performers never thought they would see again. The pure emotion on both men's faces made the entire scenario extremely surreal.