Kacy Catanzaro, Candice LeRae, Full List of Women's Royal Rumble Surprise Entries

The Royal Rumble is guaranteed to deliver a few surprises, and that was certainly the case Sunday night during the women's Royal Rumble match.

A number of NXT stars made their WWE pay-per-view debuts, including Candice LeRae, former UK women's champion Rhea Ripley and Mae Young Classic runner-up Io Shirai.

2019 Women's Royal Rumble Surprise Entries

• Xia Li
• Candice LeRae
• Kacy Catanzaro
• Io Shirai
• Rhea Ripley

Mae Young Classic competitor Kacy Catanzaro arrived for the first of what's likely to be many Royal Rumble appearances. WWE backstage interviewer Cathy Kelley thought the former American Ninja Warrior star is a name to watch in the women's division:

Ripley eliminated Catanzaro, but not before Catanzaro did her best Kofi Kingston impression:

In one of the more fun moments, Candice LeRae got the Royal Rumble call and resumed hostilities with Zelina Vega. LeRae and Vega were at odds to start 2018 as Johnny Gargano challenged Andrade for the NXT Championship.

Xia Li, who's the first Chinese woman to wrestle for WWE, made her debut as the 11th entrant in the Rumble.

Li advanced to the second round of the Mae Young Classic last summer, where she lost to Deonna Purrazzo. She made a strong showing for herself at the Royal Rumble before Charlotte Flair sent her over the top rope.

Ripley had a good showing, eliminating Catanzaro, Vega and Dana Brooke before Bayley deposited her over the top rope.

Ultimately, the focus of the second-ever women's Royal Rumble match fell on three WWE stalwarts: Nia Jax, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. But the match undoubtedly laid the groundwork for the future of the WWE women's division.