5 WWE Superstars who should have returned at the Royal Rumble

The 2024 Royal Rumble is already in the record books, and the entire WWE Universe has witnessed how superstars Bayley and Cody Rhodes won their respective Rumble matches. In line with this, fans witnessed several surprise returns and an entrant from another promotion.

However, plenty of other superstars were rumored to enter the Rumble Match but ultimately didn't. Their absence resulted in an anti-climactic ending for some groups of fans.

Let’s check out five WWE Superstars who should have made a comeback in the Royal Rumble Match:

---

#5. Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy

Bray Wyatt’s real-life brother, Bo Dallas, piqued the interest of wrestling fans when he portrayed the role of the mysterious Uncle Howdy. But just when their storyline was starting to gather steam, it came to a screeching halt due to Bray's untimely death.

Before taking on the creepy persona, Dallas delved into numerous gimmicks. One case in point was the Bolieve gimmick when he made his main roster debut in WWE.

Dallas was one of the leading superstars in NXT and held the brand's marquee title during 2013-14.

The WWE Universe has been clamoring for Uncle Howdy to return to carry Bray Wyatt's legacy forward. But much to everyone's disappointment, it did not happen.

---

#4. AJ Lee

Another former WWE Superstar speculated to make a comeback at this year’s Royal Rumble was AJ Lee.

After CM Punk returned to the Stamford-based promotion last November, murmurs about AJ's potential comeback started making the rounds. A three-time WWE Divas Champion, Lee took on various roles during her run in the company, which included her stint as RAW General Manager in 2012.

Another notable storyline/persona that she took on was an unstable individual, which was the result of a breakup with her then-onscreen beau – Daniel Bryan.

Lee retired from WWE in 2015 due to health issues. In 2021, the former champion joined the Women of Wrestling promotion as an executive producer. It would have certainly been an electrifying moment for the WWE Universe had she returned to the Royal Rumble. But sadly, it was not to be.

---

#3. Sheamus

WWE Superstar Sheamus has not been seen on WWE TV for quite some time now, and fans have been keeping their fingers crossed about him participating during this year’s Royal Rumble. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.

For those unaware, The Superstar suffered a shoulder injury back in August of last year and hasn’t wrestled since then. Provided that he did appear during the aforementioned PLE, his participation could likely set him up for a new storyline alongside another Superstar.

A few days back, he took to X and reposted WWE’s birthday greeting. This is alongside a callout to reigning Intercontinental Champion Gunther. With that in mind, it may well seem that The Celtic Warrior’s return is imminent.

---

#2. WWE Superstar Big E

Former WWE Champion and The New Day’s Big E has been sidelined due to a neck injury from a scary bump that he suffered during a match on SmackDown back in 2022. He is one of the most beloved Superstars both in and outside the WWE ring, and this is one of the reasons why he is sorely missed by fans.

He was also rumored to return at this year’s Royal Rumble, but like the rest of the in-ring performers, no Big E during the PLE.

---

#1. Brock Lesnar was supposed to be part of this year's Royal Rumble

The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar is one of sports entertainment’s top names due to the performance he’s putting up inside the squared circle. Recent reports suggest that he was supposed to make a comeback at this year’s Royal Rumble, but all that got scrapped.

The recent bombshell regarding Vince McMahon has resulted in Lesnar’s name getting dragged into the mud. Despite his name not being mentioned in the lawsuit filed against his former boss, the description of the unnamed Superstar is spot on.

Additionally, recent reports state that fans won’t be seeing Lesnar in WWE for a while due to this, while some suggest that he’s already done with the company. As of writing, the 10-time WWE Champion has yet to address the situation.