WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Surprise Entrants Who Would Get the Biggest Pop

The Royal Rumble might kick off The Road to WrestleMania, but for many members of the WWE Universe, the annual January pay-per-view is their favorite show.

The titular Rumble matches are the biggest attraction. While they may not be as technical as the average singles or tag team bout, the over-the-top-rope contest provides ample opportunities for WWE Superstars to create exciting moments.

Another big draw is the potential of not only seeing someone unexpectedly get the win but also finding out if the company has any surprises in store. Legends, talents returning from injury, NXT call-ups and even people from other promotions are all possible entrants.

We already know Cody Rhodes is making his return from injury at the event, but there are a lot of potential surprises who would make the crowd go wild.

Let's look at the surprise entrants who could generate the biggest pops in the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches.

The Bella Twins

When The Bella Twins were active performers, there was a big divide between their supporters and detractors, but time has allowed many people to appreciate how hard they worked during their in-ring careers.

Even those who don't care for their style of wrestling have come around to the fact that both Nikki and Brie poured their hearts and souls into what they did.

Having either of them show up as a surprise entrant on January 28 would generate a big response, but having both come out one after another would be even better.

Seeing them get a chance to hit some double-team moves on other participants before they eventually get eliminated would make the Bella Army very happy.

Naomi

Mercedes Varnado has moved past her Sasha Banks era and officially debuted with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which means she is unlikely to make an appearance this year.

However, her former tag team partner has been much quieter about what the future holds, which has led to a lot of speculation about what she will do next.

WWE has not released Naomi, so there is a good chance both sides have been able to smooth things over after she and Banks walked out in May. If that is the case, an appearance at the Rumble would be a great way to bring her back into the fold.

Remember the pop she got when she came out during the 2020 women's Rumble match? This one would be even bigger.

Mickie James

WWE has had limited relationships with other promotions in recent years, giving the possibility of someone coming over from another company a real chance.

Last year, Mickie James not only worked the women's Rumble while being part of Impact Wrestling, but she was even allowed to use her "Hardcore Country" theme song and bring the Impact Knockouts World Championship belt with her to the ring.

We also just saw Shinsuke Nakamura appear for Pro Wrestling Noah to battle The Great Muta during his farewell tour, so it seems WWE is open to one-off appearances in both directions.

James, 43, has continued to prove why she is one of the best of all time in recent years by having great matches and helping the next generation of women's wrestlers find their footing in the business.

If anyone has earned a permanent hall pass to show up in WWE, it's her.

Trish Stratus

Much like James, Trish Stratus has earned the right to come and go as she pleases after putting in several years of great work with WWE and maintaining her popularity in the years since she retired from full-time competition.

The 47-year-old has shown up a handful of times in recent years and always looks like she keeps herself in great shape and ready to compete at the drop of a hat. She likely owes a lot of that longevity to practicing yoga for many years.

Stratus is one of those people who has almost universal love from the WWE Universe because she checks nearly every box on the list of traits you would want in the perfect Superstar.

She works hard, has talent in the ring, can deliver a solid promo, is marketable and has the drive to be the best. It's hard to even think of a downside to including her in the match.

WWE doesn't even have 30 women on the main roster, so Stratus' inclusion wouldn't be taking a spot from someone else in the locker room.

John Cena

John Cena appeared at the final SmackDown of 2022 to compete in a tag team match alongside Kevin Owens to continue his 20-year streak of having at least one televised bout every single year of his career.

While the 16-time world champion still has commitments outside of wrestling, like appearing in Season 2 of Peacemaker and other film projects, he is clearly keen on keeping his relationship with the WWE Universe intact.

If Cena shows up during the men's Rumble, not only will he get one of the biggest pops of the night, but he will also get his 2023 bout out of the way to bring his streak up to 21 years.

Long gone are the days when "Cena sucks" would be chanted during his matches and promos. The Cenation is alive and well, and seeing the 45-year-old show up for a few minutes in the Rumble would be fun and provide a young star with a chance to make a name for himself by eliminating one of the greatest of all time.

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin shocked the world when he worked a match at last year's WrestleMania 38 against Kevin Owens.

We all thought he would show up, hit a few Stunners, toast the crowd and call it a day, but the 58-year-old ended up having a fun No DQ match against The Prizefighter that showed he still has some life in him.

Austin is also the only person in WWE history who can claim to have won the men's Rumble three times, with his last victory coming in 2001.

Since then, an entire generation of fans has grown up knowing The Texas Rattlesnake more for his podcast than his grappling.

As soon as the sound of glass breaking was to play in the arena, every single person would be out of their seat and cheering. If Austin is available, WWE would be dumb not to include him in the men's match at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The Rock

If you search The Rock and Roman Reigns' names on Google, you'll find countless articles speculating about a potential match at WrestleMania 39.

As of now, nothing has been announced and all talk is unsubstantiated, so we don't actually know if the rumors will bear fruit. But if that is the plan, having Rocky win the men's Rumble would be an easy way to book him to face The Tribal Chief.

However, even if he doesn't win, having The Rock in the contest would still allow for that story to be told in a different way.

Reigns could become enraged that his cousin tried to earn a fight against him, and that fiction would lead to a match anyway, so it's an easy story to write.

The Rock's entrance music would have the same effect as Austin's. There wouldn't be a butt left in its seat once the phrase "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" begins to play.

Edge

Ever since he was able to come out of retirement, it has felt like Edge's career has been a series of returns.

Every single time he comes back after a few months away, the WWE Universe loses its collective mind. There's just something about The Rated-R Superstar that makes him easy to like.

As a two-time Rumble winner, Edge is one of the most successful participants in the history of the match. Trying to add a third victory to his resume would be the only motivation he needs to justify competing at the PPV.

The 49-year-old may not want to wrestle much longer since he already defied the odds once by returning after what was thought to be a career-ending injury, so WWE should try to get as many big moments out of him as possible.

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Everyone mentioned here has a real possibility of appearing in the men's or women's Royal Rumble match, but there are plenty of other names the WWE Universe would love to see. Who do you hope shows up at the Alamodome on January 28?