"Edge returning last year at the Royal Rumble made me think a little bit" - Christian reveals how he was able to return to WWE

Christian returned to WWE last Sunday as a surprise entrant in the WWE Royal Rumble. Although he didn't win the match, "Captain Charisma" made his mark in the bout. In a recent interview, Christian revealed how his return was somewhat inspired by Edge's comeback last year.

Together, Edge and Christian were one of the best tag teams of all time. Individually, they've had remarkable careers, and Edge is a WWE Hall of Famer. Both men were forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injuries. But they defied the odds by returning to the ring.

On the recent episode of WWE's The Bump, Christian explained his mindset leading into his return to WWE. According to Christian, it started with Edge's shocking appearance at the Royal Rumble last year.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that Edge returning last year at the Royal Rumble made me think a little bit. When I heard him step through that curtain and you know- as a performer, you're a control freak. When you're out there and it's you in the ring, you can control what happens, and I felt out of control in that situation for him. I wanted to do so well for him . . . We had different injuries, but I started thinking that maybe this is a possibility."

CHRISTIAAAAAAAAN! #WWEBackstage’s own @Christian4Peeps has returned at the #RoyalRumble! (via @WWE) pic.twitter.com/DTJCM6Zg57

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 1, 2021

Seeing his best friend return to WWE made Christian wonder whether he could do the same thing. "Captain Charisma" was also motivated by his last unofficial match in WWE.

Christian did not want his last match in WWE to be the Unsanctioned Match against Randy Orton

Christian and Randy Orton

In his last match for WWE before the Royal Rumble match, Christian faced Randy Orton in an Unsanctioned Match on WWE RAW. "Captain Charisma" noted that he wanted his career to end on his own terms, so he was unhappy with this conclusion. During the interview, he explained how he got into in-ring shape in order to make his return possible.

"And I started thinking, do I want that to be the lasting memory that people have of me, getting punted in a 10-second match? I need to get back in there. I need to finish it on my terms, end it my way . . . I had a nutrition company. They really helped me out like dialling in my diet. I put a minimalist gym in my garage. I was finding little pieces here and there, and I made a tiny little gym in my garage. And I just put the work in there every single day. I thought to myself, if I get up and I go, and I do these tests and I pass, it opens up a bunch of doors for me. And if not, then I'm in no different position than when I woke up this morning. And they told me I wasn't crazy, and it just kinda snowballed from there."

The #Unsanctioned Match between @RandyOrton & @Christian4Peeps was SHOCKING to say the least...#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/0V1KgPCJNa

— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2020

With his return in the Royal Rumble, Christian has now added another match to his career. As a result, he won't have to worry about fans remembering him for Orton's punt kick.