This Saturday night, the road to WrestleMania truly begins as WWE presents the annual Royal Rumble event from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Thirty men will enter the over-the-top-rope battle royal to try and earn their shot at a championship match on WWE's grandest stage in April.
Yet, the Rumble isn't always about the winner, it's seeing just who enters the match when the countdown ends.
So, here are some possible surprise entrants we could see in the men's 2025 Royal Rumble.
The return from injury...
This is easily the most likely 'surprise' of the evening, with the expected return of Randy Orton. Orton hasn't been seen on WWE TV since Kevin Owens took The Viper out in November, and with WrestleMania around the corner, it's likely we will see Orton back in the mix - potentially with a view of having a match with either Owens or Cody Rhodes.
There also could be an emotional return for Big E, given the story around The New Day right now. It was Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods' shunning of their former partner that kicked off their current run, and the story could come full circle with E returning to the ring for the first since his serious neck injury in 2022.
The TNA star...
The gates are wide open for TNA thanks to their new official partnership with WWE, and although it's been dressed up as a deal with NXT, the Rumble is too good of an opportunity not to cross company borders.
New TNA champion Joe Hendry is a strong favourite to make an appearance, and he would receive a big ovation in Indianapolis, plus, there's also the opportunity for Nic Nemeth to return to WWE or even the likes of Josh Alexander to be given some exposure.
However, the sight and sound of Jeff Hardy would go down very well, especially if they weave in a harkback showdown with a certain CM Punk.
TNA Wrestling
The NXT Superstar...
There are bound to be some names from NXT thrown into the mix, and there are plenty of options for WWE. Perhaps the most likely is two-time NXT champion Trick Williams. It feels like it could only be a matter of time before we see Trick move over to the main roster, and the Rumble could be the perfect jumping-off point.
However, there's also sense in giving new champion Oba Femi that main roster rub, or even Ethan Page, who's getting a lot of love on the brand.
The blast from the past...
It wouldn't be a Royal Rumble without seeing a name for yesteryear, and given this is the first proper PLE of the 'Netflix era', there's bound to be some legends appearing in the match. We recently saw Bubba-Ray Dudley appear on NXT TV, which makes him a possible candidate, while JBL has been throwing clotheslines everywhere and makes him a possibility, too.
With a thirst for the Attitude Era as strong as ever, X-Pac is another name that could be an option or what if we saw Mick Foley roll out the 'bang, bang' one more time?
Your random entrant...
If we're thinking leftfield, then look no further than the guys wearing the suits in WWE right now. That means a possible appearance from the commentary desk for Corey Graves - who's been cleared to wrestle for some time - Wade Barrett, or most likely hometown hero Pat McAfee.
Or will this be the moment to pull the trigger on General Managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis and their in-ring returns?
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