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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.
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
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.
#4. Kenny Dykstra could come out of retirement to return at WWE 2022 Royal Rumble
Many WWE fans will remember Kenny Dykstra from his time performing in the Spirit Squad and feuding with D-Generation-X.
When the group disbanded, Dykstra tried to make it on his own on SmackDown, but his singles career didn't take off. He was eventually released in 2008. He later made a mini comeback in 2016, when he got involved in The Miz's feud with former Spirit Squad member Dolph Ziggler.
In October 2021, Dykstra reportedly returned to the company as a coach and producer. Though he retired from the ring in April 2021, his new role has certainly opened the door for a possible return to the ring. The Royal Rumble would be the perfect place to do so for the former World Tag Team Champion.
#3. Layla El could reunite Laycool at WWE Royal Rumble
On January 7, Vince McMahon's company announced that Michelle McCool would be entering the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match.
Could her return open the door for a possible LayCool reunion with Layla El? The duo dominated the women's division between 2009 and 2011, and they are widely viewed as two of the best performers of that generation.
Though Layla retired from the ring when she left the company in 2015, the Royal Rumble always paves the way for unexpected moments. A LayCool reunion would certainly be surprising, and it could be one of the most memorable highlights of the year.
#2. Corey Graves could return to the ring at the 2022 Royal Rumble
Earlier this month, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported that WWE announcer Corey Graves had been cleared to compete.
Graves was forced to retire in 2014, following a series of concussions. WWE eventually shifted Graves into an announcing role on NXT. He eventually became a commentator on the main roster, and he remains one of the voices of RAW.
Now that Graves has been cleared to return, imagine what would happen if he entered the Royal Rumble match. Hearing his music hit and seeing him leap up from the broadcast table would spark a frenzy within the wrestling world. Prior to his retirement, Graves was considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, and many fans would like to see him compete again.
#1. The Rock could step back into the ring and return at WWE Royal Rumble
In August 2019, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson seemingly retired from professional wrestling. He made a cameo appearance a few months later at the SmackDown 20th Anniversary show in a segment with Becky Lynch and Baron Corbin. As of this writing, he hasn't appeared for the company ever since.
The Rock hasn't competed in a match was at WrestleMania 32, where he defeated Erick Rowan in just six seconds to break a WrestleMania record.
It has been speculated that The Great One will eventually lace up his boots to face Roman Reigns in a major dream match. Could this rivalry start at the Royal Rumble? The beloved star could potentially shock the WWE Universe, win the Rumble, and go on to challenge Reigns for his Universal Championship.
It's also possible that Johnson will appear at the show to interfere in Reigns' match with Seth Rollins and cost The Tribal Chief the gold. Either way, we could see The Rock compete in the ring one more time sooner rather than later.
