Most years, WWE fans get to witness some surprise and totally unexpected entries at the annual Royal Rumble event. AJ Styles had a debut for the ages when he showed up at the 2016 Royal Rumble, which marked his run as a top main event star in WWE. And of course, who can forget John Cena's early return from injury at the 2008 Royal Rumble?
As the 2020 event draws closer, fans are going to speculate as to which WWE legends could make surprise entries. Here are five that we hope to see at the Royal Rumble, and five that WWE shouldn't bother to bring in.
10 Want To See: Hulk Hogan
Hogan may be 66 years of age, but he still hopes to get back into the ring for another match. More specifically, Hogan would like to face Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 36 - which takes place in The Hulkster's hometown of Tampa Bay.
Now, we're not here to suggest that Hogan should win the Royal Rumble, but it would be absolutely electrifying if he entered the match at one point. Who wouldn't want to see him fire up the crowd by eliminating a superstar or two?
Don't lie to us. You definitely want to see it.
9 Don't Want To See: Shane McMahon
After a seven-year hiatus, Shane McMahon returned to the WWE in 2016, and he held down the role of SmackDown Live commissioner for three years. For the most part, his return was quite the success, and Shane O'Mac proved that he still has a lot of good years left in him.
But McMahon was "fired" after losing to Kevin Owens on the Oct. 4 episode of SmackDown Live. Quite frankly, WWE shouldn't rush Shane back into the ring, especially at the Royal Rumble. We already saw him on a regular basis for several years, and his possible spot in the rumble should go to a different legend.
8 Want To See: John Cena
Though Cena has made a handful of WWE appearances in 2019, he actually hasn't wrestled since the Jan. 14 episode of Raw - taking part in a fatal four-way match that was won by Finn Balor. Cena is a 16-time World Champion, and even if he's devoting more time to the Hollywood industry, he has to break Ric Flair's record and win his 17th title at some point.
The 2020 Royal Rumble marks the perfect time for that. Why not have Cena win the Rumble and eventually win the record 17th championship? It doesn't have to take place at WrestleMania 36, either. Or if anything else, at least have Cena return and eliminate a few guys in the rumble. We've waited 11 months (and counting) for him to get back in the ring, after all.
7 Don't Want To See: Kane
The Big Red Machine holds the record for the most ever Royal Rumble eliminations with 44, spread across 19 different events. Among full-time superstars, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns are the next closest with 30 apiece.
Kane now serves as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, though he's still managed to make the odd WWE appearance here and there. But really, there's nothing left Kane has to offer in the Royal Rumble, and you figure he'd be eliminated in short time. There's no good reason to bring him back for this, unless WWE is determined for him to extend his record of eliminations.
6 Want To See: The Undertaker
He hasn't been a full-time performer in almost a decade, but nobody fires up the crowd more than The Undertaker, who is still going strong at the age of 55. Now, Undertaker will most certainly never win another championship, and it's unlikely that he'll headline any more pay-per-vies in the near future. But who wouldn't want to see the WWE icon get into the Royal Rumble, even if it's only for a few minutes?
His legendary status hasn't diminished a bit. Truth be told, we can never get enough of The Deadman. Simply having him come out to eliminate a few superstars would be more than enough to make the show that much more special.
5 Don't Want To See: Goldberg
Goldberg has only wrestled a handful of matches since his return to WWE in 2016, though they've all been very short bouts. The 2018 Hall of Fame inductee still manages to garner electrifying reactions from the crowd, but that doesn't mean that he should take part in the 2020 Royal Rumble.
There isn't a whole lot more for Goldberg to really offer in the ring. Vince McMahon is only bringing him back for major singles bouts these days, and the 30-man rumble isn't the time nor place for that. WWE would be better off to book Goldberg in another singles match at the Royal Rumble, rather than throw him into the ring with 29 other men.
4 Want To See: Edge
It was reported two months ago that WWE was discussing a return to the ring for the Rated-R Superstar, though Edge quickly denied this. Even if Edge isn't interested in doing another match, he can at least take part in the Royal Rumble.
Edge won the entire event in 2010, and it'd be epic to see Edge appear in it 10 years later - even if it's only for a short period. He wouldn't have to take any serious bumps at all. Just having Edge come in to eliminate a few superstars would be a sight to behold - especially for the nostalgic fans.
3 Don't Want To See: Triple H
It was only four years ago when Triple H appeared out of nowhere to win the 2016 Royal Rumble, thus crowning himself as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The Game went on to lose the title to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 32. Triple H still takes part in the odd match, mainly going up against other big names (Recently Randy Orton, John Cena, Undertaker, Batista and so on), but the 2020 Royal Rumble isn't the stage to bring him back.
Compared to other part-timers that we want to see, Triple H has appeared more frequently than the likes of Cena and Undertaker. The Game has had enough of a spotlight here, and WWE should look at bringing in other part-timers (who we don't see as often) instead.
2 Want To See: CM Punk
Wouldn't this be something?
January marks six years since CM Punk walked out of WWE, and fans continue to hold out hope that he'll one day return. Having CM Punk join WWE Backstage on Fox is a nice starting point, but whether or not he's actually going to wrestle again remains to be seen. But whether or not CM Punk and WWE are keen on having him return to wrestling, it still wouldn't hurt to bring him back for a brief appearance in the Royal Rumble.
CM Punk would absolutely light the roof off the building, and he would totally steal the show - whether he'd be in the rumble for a matter of seconds or minutes. And if WWE and Punk are working towards a return? Well, there's no better stage to do it than right here at Royal Rumble!
1 Don't Want To See: Brock Lesnar
Let's be honest: Vince McMahon values and appreciates Brock Lesnar far more than the WWE Universe ever will. The fact that Lesnar continually receives all the perks even as a part-timer continues to bother much of the wrestling world.
Now, Lesnar is likely to keep his WWE Championship up until at least WrestleMania 36, so it's unlikely that he'll compete in the Royal Rumble anyway. Still, Lesnar has received more than enough from Vince here, including the 2019 Money in the Bank to the Universal and WWE Championships. There is zero reason for Lesnar to appear in the Royal Rumble. There is absolutely no way he should take a spot over 29 other more deserving superstars!