5 of the most underrated Royal Rumble returns of all time 

#2. Mr. Perfect: Royal Rumble 2002

Unlike the other entries in this list, Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig's return to WWE at the 2002 Royal Rumble match was announced beforehand. At that point, it had been six years since Hennig last appeared on a WWE program and speculation was rife as to how he would be presented going forward.

The 2002 Royal Rumble was loaded with its fair share of returns, all of which were announced prior to the event itself. While it was clear that the likes of Goldust, The Godfather and Val Venis would return to their mid-card roles and fellow returnee Triple H was the odds-on favorite to win the match, fans were intrigued to see how well Curt Hennig would fare against a newer generation of WWE talent.

Entering the match at number 25, Hennig soon found himself surrounded by the who's who of WWE's. Sharing the ring with the likes of Triple H, Steve Austin, Kane and Kurt Angle, the veteran seemed well in his element.

From the time his music hit to his elimination after making it to the final three, fans were glad to see how strongly he was presented upon his long-awaited return.

While Hennig's return to the 2002 Rumble appeared to be the start of another upper mid-card run, he was soon and rather disappointingly relegated further and further down the card. Just a few months later, Hennig was released by WWE following the infamous Plane Ride From Hell and in May 2003, Curt Hennig passed away.

While Hennig's return was definitely an impactful moment, the failure to capitalize on his performance has caused his 2002 return to fall by the wayside. It is unfortunate what came after but in that very moment, Hennig's Rumble appearance was nothing short of perfect.

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#1. MVP: Royal Rumble 2020

Today, Montel Vontavious Porter is one of the main fixtures of Monday Night RAW. Arguably the best manager in WWE today aside from Paul Heyman, MVP was the mastermind of the Hurt Business and is currently the mouthpiece for the Almighty Bobby Lashley. MVP's transition back to WWE was so seamless that fans often overlook how it almost never happened.

Entering the ring at number 12 and lasting just 24 seconds after being decimated by Brock Lesnar, MVP's return took place in the 2020 Royal Rumble. That also happened to be the match where Brock Lesnar's dominated, Drew McIntyre got a starmaking victory, and Edge returned triumphantly.

With all these moments packed together in one match, it's understandable how MVP's brief appearance would soon slip past the memories of most fans.

On top of that, it seemed that MVP's Rumble return and his match the following night on RAW were heartwarmingly arranged to allow him the opportunity to perform for his young son. Even to MVP himself, it appeared that his Royal Rumble appearance would be the close of his chapter in wrestling.

However, he could not have been more wrong. WWE soon offered him a backstage role as a producer and also gave him the chance to appear on-screen from time to time. In a matter of months, it soon became abundantly clear that MVP still had a lot more to give as a full-time on-screen talent.

Thus, the decision was made to position him as the manager and spokesman for Bobby Lashley and the Hurt Business. Under his guidance, The Hurt Business quickly rose to main event status and championship success.

Even after their premature disbandment, MVP has stayed by the side of Bobby Lashley, managing him through his dominant title reign and helping him stay in the main event picture even after losing the title.

None of this would have been possible had it not been for MVP's return to WWE in the 2020 Royal Rumble match. It is ironic how the moment that was meant to mark the end of MVP's career ended up revitalizing it.

It's almost poetic to see how, two years after his return, MVP will lead Bobby Lashley into a WWE Championship match against Brock Lesnar, the man who eliminated him in the 2020 Royal Rumble.

MVP's 2020 return is the most underrated Royal Rumble return of all time for the fact that it brought so much success and revitalized not only his own career but the careers of others all while it was meant to be nothing more than a special one-time appearance for a man to give his son one last look at his craft.