Analyzing the Possibility of Rumored Returns at WWE Royal Rumble 2019

One of the greatest traditions in WWE history when it comes to the annual Royal Rumble match is not concerning the stars who are definitely appearing, but the ones who are more likely to surprise everyone with a return.

With space for so many stars to fill out both the men's and the women's Rumble matches, this weekend's pay-per-view is arguably the one show where there is more chance of a surprise return than any other.

But of the returns mentioned in the run-up to the event, just how realistic are they of actually occurring?

From guys who are returning from injury to former greats who could be set to begin another short-term run with the company, here's the lowdown on the possibility of all the main rumored returns this weekend.

The Bludgeon Brothers

The former SmackDown tag champions haven't been seen for a while on the blue brand.

With Rowan suffering an injury last year, it's put the duo on the shelf for a number of months, but on a recent edition of PW Insider Elite Audio (h/t Cageside Seats), their names were both mentioned among a list of stars currently inactive who could enter the Royal Rumble match.

With speculation their former Wyatt Family leader, Bray Wyatt, could be also destined for a return this weekend, it could make for an interesting turn of events should the trio unite once again.

Will Harper and Rowan return? This one seems highly likely, given how they're both seemingly ready to go once again.

Kevin Owens

WWE revealed last month in the above vignette that Kevin Owens is on the road to recovery and set to return to action soon, but could the Royal Rumble match come just too soon for KO?

Owens would have been a fantastic surprise entrant in this weekend's Rumble, but over the last week or so, reports have begun to emerge suggesting Owens' return may have to wait a few weeks.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton at WrestlingInc), KO could still be out for "a few more months", making it far more likely that WrestleMania is a serious realistic date instead of the Rumble.

So fans of Owens hoping to see him emerge through the curtain this weekend may well have to wait a while longer.

Bray Wyatt

It's been months since Bray Wyatt was last seen on WWE television, but the odds should be fairly short on that absence coming to an end this weekend.

As previously mentioned earlier in this article, a discussion relating to surprise Royal Rumble entrants on PW Insider Elite Audio (h/t Cageside Seats) suggested numerous names, with Bray Wyatt's listed among them.

It's safe to assume that Wyatt will return, not least because the Rumble is the perfect way to bring a star back to TV from a lengthy absence.

From there, WWE can establish Bray's WrestleMania plans any way it sees fit. But bank on Bray showing up this Sunday.

The Rock

Could the biggest Royal Rumble return in years really be about to take place this weekend?

The odds suggest it can't be ruled out.

The latest betting odds from OddsShark make The Rock a 20/1 bet to win the Rumble match, let alone return to compete in it.

Usually, the bookmakers can't be ignored, but it does feel like a stretch this year to imagine The Rock competing in the Rumble.

After all, WWE is stacked out with talent that can fill up the 30 spots in the men's Rumble match, while without a clear path back to WrestleMania, it's difficult to imagine The Rock agreeing to return.

As usual, nothing can be ruled out in the unpredictable world of pro wrestling, but The Rock entering the Rumble? Not this year.