Analyzing Possibility of Edge and Other Rumored Returns at WWE Royal Rumble 2020

WWE is readying itself for one of the biggest shows of the year, and with Royal Rumble 2020 set to take place Sunday, there is plenty of buzz and speculation in the air.

It's become a tradition for fans to speculate over which legends of the squared circle could make surprise returns in the Rumble matches. There's a whole host of names who could be set to return in shocking fashion, including Superstars who haven't competed for almost a decade.

With that in mind, let's have a look at the possibility of some of those names that have been heavily rumored to appear in recent weeks.

Shane McMahon

Having had a lengthy absence from WWE TV in recent months, is Shane McMahon set to make a dramatic return in the men's Royal Rumble match?

Shane-O-Mac's name hasn't been mentioned too much in the run-up to the event, but that all changed when PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported Saturday that McMahon is in Houston for the event. Of course, given his father runs the company, that could simply mean nothing more than Shane fulfiling some backstage duties with WWE.

But the fact that he's there heightens the possibility of him making a cameo appearance. Shane's last run on WWE TV ended in uninspiring fashion in October, but he remains a popular figure with fans. If he appears and pulls off an incredible move or spot during the Rumble, his return would go down well.

The fact that he's in Houston means it can't be ruled out.

Beth Phoenix

The women's Royal Rumble is desperately short on confirmed names at the time of writing.

That means there could be a heck of a lot of surprises in the match, and it seems as though one of those will be Beth Phoenix.

The Glamazon wrestled as recently as WrestleMania last year, and according to PWInsider's Mike Johnson (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), she's locked in to compete.

That means it could be a huge night for the Copeland family, with rumors swirling about the possibility of Beth's husband, Edge, also fighting in the men's Rumble.

While that is far from confirmed, it looks a certainty that The Glamazon is going to be making more history in the Rumble on Sunday.

John Cena

John Cena's name always comes up at this time of year when fans are speculating which stars could return for the Royal Rumble match.

Could he compete in the event? It's possible.

Crucially, there's a few potential storylines for Cena to get involved with during the match itself, which heightens the possibility of the Cenation leader showing up.

The biggest of those? Brock Lesnar.

Cena and Brock have plenty of history, not least because Cena was Lesnar's first foe when he returned to WWE in 2012. With Cena still in pursuit of the world title victory that would take him past Ric Flair and on to 17 reigns, what better way to set up a feud to achieve that than by throwing Brock over the top rope and denying The Beast the chance to win the Rumble?

It makes sense, and with spots still open in the match, Cena's return feels more likely than ever before.

Edge

The biggest buzz going into this year's Royal Rumble surrounds Edge.

Ten years on from his epic return at the 2010 Rumble, could history be about to repeat itself? It feels inevitable that WWE fans are going to see the Rated-R Superstar lace up his boots one more time.

Well, maybe not.

The latest update going into the show, from Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue, suggests that while Edge will definitely be in attendance at the Rumble, it may not be to wrestle:

"We hear more and more about Edge, but I have reported previously that Beth Phoenix is one of those who has been suggested to me as potentially in the Rumble. To my knowledge, Edge will be there in support of Beth Phoenix, if Beth Phoenix is not in the Rumble, she maybe commentating, but I'm sure she may be involved in some way."

If that is true, then it Edge could just be in Houston to support his wife.

But this is the Rumble, and rumors that grow this strong generally have some substance.

Edge wrestling again on Sunday is something that's impossible to rule out.