3 AEW stars that never entered the Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble is regarded as one of the greatest match types in pro wrestling. The contest features a lineup of thirty superstars who tussle against each other in an intense, over-the-top-rope Battle Royal, with the winner getting a world title opportunity at WrestleMania.

Each superstar enters the ring every ninety seconds, with the last man and women standing, punching his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania. Aside from The Showcase of The Immortals, if any other event attracts potential wrestlers from around the world, it is the WWE Royal Rumble.

The last two editions of the Men's Royal Rumble match were won by Cody Rhodes, who rejoined WWE in 2022 after a three-year-long stint with AEW. Aside from The American Nightmare, dozens of other All Elite stars have featured in the high-profile battle royal in the past.

Jon Moxley, Paul Wight, and Chris Jericho are a few stars from the Jacksonville-based promotion who came close to winning the Royal Rumble at one point. Meanwhile, Adam Copeland is the only wrestler currently employed by All Elite Wrestling who has been victorious in the Rumble before.

Interestingly, numerous AEW stars never participated in the intense Battle Royal despite being a part of WWE for a considerable time. In this article, let's look at three current All Elite stars who never competed in the Royal Rumble during their stint with the Stamford-based company.

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#3. Buddy Matthews never featured in the 30-Man Battle Royal

Buddy Matthews was a member of WWE for eight years. The Best Kept Secret joined the company in March 2013 and was eventually called up to the main roster in 2018.

The former NXT Tag Team Champion made his name on 205 Live before eventually capturing the Cruiserweight Championship in Australia in October 2018. The current House of Black member was then drafted to WWE Smackdown, where he worked with top stars like Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan.

The Best Kept Secret soon became Seth Rollins' disciple in the fall of 2019. Unfortunately, Matthews never got to feature in the Royal Rumble despite being involved with several main event talents.

The former RAW Tag Team Champion was one of the most well-established mid-card talents from 2019-2020. The 36-year-old star could have possibly made an appearance in Royal Rumble 2020, but the creative team decided against putting Matthews in the intense contest.

Interestingly, Buddy Matthews accompanied The Monday Night Messiah to the ring for the 2020 edition of the Rumble match but was not allowed to enter the bout for himself. Having recently signed a new deal with AEW, it does not seem like the Aussie star would appear in the Royal Rumble anytime soon.

#2. Swerve Strickland never competed in the Royal Rumble

Swerve Strickland (FKA Isaiah "Swerve" Scott") had a two-year-long stint in WWE from 2019 to 2021. The Realest One was quite successful in NXT, where he also became the NXT North American Champion.

The New Flavor was briefly called up to WWE Smackdown as part of the annual Draft before being released a few weeks later. Despite being a well-recognized figure in NXT, Strickland never got to feature in a Royal Rumble match.

Prominent NXT names like Keith Lee, Matt Riddle, and Damian Priest competed in the high-stakes annual event at the same time when Swerve was signed to the former black-and-gold brand. After becoming one of the top faces of All Elite Wrestling, the possibility of Swerve Strickland returning as a surprise entrant for the Royal Rumble in the future remains unlikely.

#1. Sting could never become a part of the high-stakes contest

Sting is one of the most decorated pro wrestlers of all time, who has found remarkable success in his illustrious career. The Vigilante has bagged numerous impressive accolades in top promotions, including WCW, TNA, and AEW.

The Stinger also had a brief run in World Wrestling Entertainment, which ended up being one of the biggest disappointments of his career. The Icon left the wrestling world stunned at Survivor Series 2014, where he made his WWE debut to take out Triple H.

At Night of Champions 2015, Sting featured in his final match for the Stamford-based promotion against Seth Rollins. The Vigilante suffered a neck injury during his match against The Architect, which immediately forced him to retire from in-ring competition.

Having only been an active WWE performer for a few months, The Stinger never got to feature in a Rumble match. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion spent the prime years of his career in TNA and WCW, which prevented him from being an entrant in the high-profile Battle Royal.

Although he finally joined WWE in 2014, Sting's unfortunate neck injury prevented him from appearing in the Rumble. The veteran retired from in-ring competition earlier this year at AEW Revolution. However, fans have seen many legends make a one-off appearance at the Royal Rumble in the past, so there is a slight possibility that Hall of Famer may return to the global juggernaut next year.