Who else could show up? The Rumble is a bright stage for surprise entrants and shocking returns. Joe Hendry, local hero (shoutout ICW) seems like a safe bet given his rising popularity and his place atop TNA Wrestling, who just entered into a promotional agreement with WWE.

The Royal Rumble officially begins "The Road to WrestleMania." One of the most iconic pay-per-view events in the WWE, the Royal Rumble pits 30 participants against one another to determine who will be the last one standing in the ring. Here's a list of Royal Rumble winners since the event's debut in 1988.

Nikki Bella made her return to the ring at WWE Royal Rumble, entering the women's Royal Rumble at number 30. It was Bella's first match since the 2022 Royal Rumble. Speaking on the Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki commented on her future in the ring.

After a brief appearance in 2022, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella made her triumphant return as the 30th and final entrant into Saturday night’s WWE Royal Rumble 2025 in Indianapolis. The wrestler retired from the profession in 2019, but Saturday night was the first time WWE fans saw her in the ring since that 2022 surprise match.

And just to set the table for 2026, #1 and #28 each have produced four winners, so there is a possibility of a three-way tie down the line. For now though, WWE can once again start plugging 27 as a desirable number to draw in the Rumble.

Nikki Bella and Alexa Bliss are back. Bliss made her surprising return to WWE programming during Saturday's women's Royal Rumble match in Indianapolis

Nikki Bella confirms that she’s doing more with WWE following WWE Royal Rumble. Bella made a surprise appearance in the Women’s Royal Rumble. This marked her first time in a WWE ring since WWE Royal Rumble 2022.

Below are the three worst Royal Rumble matches in WWE history. WWE held the 2015 Royal Rumble event back on January 25 of that year. The big show took place live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over 17,000 fans were in attendance for the event.