Sometimes, one of the biggest surprises is what doesn’t happen. In this case, many fans expected the return of Becky Lynch. Of course, there are only so may spots in the Rumble and only so many returns worth doing in a single match. Unfortunately, The Man’s expected return will have to wait until a later date. But she’ll be back in time to work a Wrestlemania program for sure.
The “Thank You Trish” era certainly feels like it was more recent than 2023. We hadn’t seen Trish wrestle since she lost to Becky Lynch at Payback in September 2023. It’s unclear if Trish is back to work through Wrestlemania or if this is just a one-off (the latter being more likely), but either way, wrestling fans are never upset at getting a little Stratusfaction in their lives.
Obviously, this was an accident. But you can’t help think this was the start of the inevitable break between the inaugural United States Women’s Champion and her Secret Service agent. Piper Niven was there to protect Chelsea Green. Instead, she inadvertently eliminated Green in one of the surprises of the Rumble.
In yet another case of misdirected moves, Jey Uso accidentally superkicked his friend and former tag partner, Sami Zayn, out of the Royal Rumble. For the past couple weeks, it’s been Zayn who has accidentally landed Helluva Kicks on friends. This time, Zayn was the mistaken target of a kick, ending his Wrestlemania main event dream.
Outside of a cameo in the 2022 Royal Rumble, Nikki Bella had essentially been retired since the end of 2018. Rumors had surfaced that she wanted to return as at least a part time member of the roster. Hearing her iconic “You can look, but you can’t touch” hit felt more like the start of something new than just a one-time appearance.
Do you believe? Another surprise that wasn’t exactly a secret, but was still awesome. After a brief stint at NXT, TNA Champion Joe Hendry made his first appearance on WWE’s main roster, entering the Royal Rumble at No. 15. He had a solid spotlight before being eliminated by Roman Reigns.
After being out for a few months, A.J. Styles’ return wasn’t entirely unexpected. Still, it was great to see the Phenomenal One back on our screens. It was even better to see the return of his original theme song, which gave out strong 2016 WWE debut vibes.
Roxanne Perez calls herself The Prodigy. Clearly, WWE believes in that moniker. With Perez’s time at NXT at its end, she made her second Royal Rumble appearance, but this one was more than just a cameo. Perez entered at No. 3 and lasted until the final two, setting the record for longest time spent in the women’s Rumble. What an incredible true main roster debut. She will be a champion by the end of 2026.
WWE absolutely pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes with Alexa Bliss’ return. There probably is some truth to the reported contract dispute, but it was likely resolved well before the reports came out. As of Saturday morning, not only were WWE and Bliss “far apart,” they weren’t even negotiating anymore. Bliss even posted a picture on Twitter of her holding her daughter with the caption “If you need me. I’ll be here. For a while.” Her return at No. 21 drew the loudest reaction from the crowd all night, at least until...
Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Jey Uso celebrates after winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
For the past two years, the Men’s Royal Rumble winner was a foregone conclusion. This year’s event was more widely open with arguably the most stacked field of all time. But most fans expected John Cena or CM Punk to emerge victorious. Instead, WWE went with a well timed swerve, making Main Event Jey Uso a reality.
