Bubba Ray Dudley Returns to WWE Programming During 2015 Royal Rumble

After nearly a decade away from the company, Bubba Ray Dudley returned to WWE during Sunday night's Royal Rumble.

The nine-time WWE tag team champion was the No. 3 entrant in the Royal Rumble match:

It was fitting that Dudley made his comeback in Philadelphia, a city long synonymous with ECW, where Dudley's career took off. He had the Wells Fargo Center crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Dudley quickly posted a message on Twitter:

"

A HUGE THANK YOU to @WWE, the @WWEUniverse and the fans of Philly for the INCREDIBLE reception. It was great to be back!!

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) January 26, 2015"

Damon Martin of Fox Sports and UFC.com thought the surprise of seeing one-half of The Dudley Boyz was worth the price of admission by itself:

After eliminating The Miz and R-Truth, Dudley was unceremoniously dispatched from the ring by Bray Wyatt.

It's doubtful that this return signals Dudley taking any sort of larger role in the company. Every year, the Royal Rumble features a small handful of past superstars who come back to a big pop for one night. Dudley's unlikely to be any different.