5 Craziest things that could happen at WWE Royal Rumble 2020: Insane returns, improbable wins

The Royal Rumble is one of the best WWE pay-per-views for pulling out completely bonkers surprises that the WWE Universe would never have seen coming, mostly in the form of incredible debuts or surprise returns.

Some of the biggest WWE shocks ever have come from the Royal Rumble match, like John Cena's miraculous return from injury or AJ Styles' 'Phenomenal' debut that nobody saw coming.

Then there's the other side of crazy things that can happen at the Rumble. There's the incredible acts of athleticism that Superstars pull off to avoid being eliminated, or the superb feats of strength that a David-type wrestler uses to eliminate a a Goliath-type giant.

In fact, there are so many crazy things that could happen at the Royal Rumble PPV that it would be almost impossible to predict them, right? Great, we're in agreement! But I'm going to attempt to do it anyway.

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So, what the 5 craziest things that could happen at this year's Royal Rumble event? Let's take a look.

#5 Daniel Bryan defeats The Fiend

This would definitely be one of the more shocking and surprising things that WWE could do at this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view, and there's certainly some speculation that they might even by heading that way.

The Fiend is undefeated in WWE and has been a dominant force since arriving on the scene triumphing over Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan already and The Miz in convincing fashion.

For The Fiend, being an unstoppable force in WWE has become imperative to his character. Seeing him lose would definitely be a shock, even if it is against someone as capable in the ring as Daniel Bryan. Seth Rollins dropped The Fiend from a great height and electrocuted him -- and it didn't get the job done.

However, there's one wild card in this match that could work in Daniel Bryan's favour - the stipulation. The two are going to clash in a Strap match meaning they'll literally be tied to each other. There are rumblings that due to the stipulation, Bryan could take the victory by tying The Fiend up some way. He would win the match only after putting him in a vulnerable position, which wouldn't hurt Bray's mystique much, if at all, and could even turn out making him even more vicious due to the circumstances.

#4 The 24/7 Title changes hands within the Royal Rumble match

The 24/7 Title presents a unique opportunity for something really cool to happen this year. Excluding 1992 and 2016, in which the match itself was for the title, we have never seen a title change hands during the actual Royal Rumble match. WWE had the opportunity to do so when the Hardcore Championship was running under the 24/7 rule, but never did it, so this would be a first-time affair.

Sure, current champion Mojo Rawley isn't actually part of the match yet, but he could be one of the surprise entrants, and I really hope that he is. I know, I know, most people want CM Punk or John Cena or Edge to be one of the surprise entrants but I really want it to be Mojo Rawley.

Just imagine the scene: there's a bunch of guys in the ring. Mojo Rawley enters and then they all start trying to pin each other, with multiple successful attempts causing title changes. Plus, it could involve Superstars who aren't even part of the match, making it even more chaotic. Are you imagining it? That would be insanely entertaining?

It would be a fitting comedy spot for the match and a nice way to incorporate one of the more fun things WWE has introduced in quite some time, even if it has fallen out of the spotlight it had when it first erupted onto our screens.

#3 Brock Lesnar wins as WWE Champion

A lot has been speculated about Brock Lesnar entering the Royal Rumble as the current WWE Champion, and the reason he's entering the match in the #1 position. It's the first time a current world champion has entered the Rumble match, and it's typical of Brock Lesnar, who has hubris in excess, to do something like this.

However, because he's a world champion already, there aren't many people expecting him to win. What would even happen if he does? He says that a win secures his spot as champion and takes WrestleMania off? Would he chooses to wrestle The Fiend in a Champion vs. Champion match?

That's exactly why Brock Lesnar winning the Rumble after entering at in the first position is one of the craziest things they could do. It would certainly throw the booking for WrestleMania up in the air. In fact, as I write this I almost want it to happen.

Imagine it now, current champion Brock Lesnar winning the Royal Rumble and spending weeks gloating about how he's the best and nobody deserves to challenge him because he won a match that included all of the possible contenders. It would be gold. It would be the Brock Party all over again.

#2 CM Punk returns

Yes, it's been made very clear that 'The Best In The World' isn't a WWE employee. Punk works for FOX, so he obviously isn't going to wrestle again, right? He's on a WWE show, on FOX, which is host to one of WWE's flagship shows, talking about WWE happenings and directly interacting with WWE employees -- but he isn't going to wrestle again. Ever. At least that's what we're led to believe.

But what if he did? CM Punk has warmed up towards the idea of wrestling for WWE again and has vocalised that he'd be up for doing so if he was made the right offer and the time was right.

There are a few huge events coming up, specifically the big money Saudi Arabia show (although he has seemingly made it very clear he wouldn't be interested in one of those) and WrestleMania. It would arguably be one of the biggest things to happen in professional wrestling history if he returned, on the 6th anniversary of his last match (the 2014 Royal Rumble match) as a surprise entrant in the 2020 Royal Rumble. It's unlikely, but if it were to happen it would undoubtedly be one of the craziest things WWE could possibly do.

There are other returns rumoured such as Edge, John Cena, Sting, and even The Boogeyman, but I honestly think that CM Punk and the iconic 'Cult of Personality' soundtrack would cause the biggest reaction.

#1 Ronda Rousey returns

'The Baddest Woman on the Planet' has been away from WWE for quite some time. She hasn't appeared since losing the RAW Women's Championship in the first-ever women's WrestleMania main event, but now it seems like she may be on the verge of a return.

Rumors surfaced over the last couple of days that Ronda Rousey and her partner Travis Browne have been spotted in Houston, the location for this year's Royal Rumble. This has obviously led people to believe that the mystery-frought Women's Royal Rumble Match will see her return.

WWE.com also added an old Ronda Rousey shirt design to the WWE Shop this weekend, which is suspicious timing. Natalya posted a picture of herself and Rousey together on Instagram as well. Is it simply coincidence? Maybe. Is trying to make us think she's showing up in order to get more eyes on the show?

What if these aren't devices to throw us off the scent nor sheer coincidences? What if she is going to be in the match? Well... it would mean that Ronda Rousey is back, and that's a great thing. It would certainly help reinvigorate the Women's division, especially on the RAW side, as Becky really hasn't had a legitimate challenger since Ronda left (excepting Asuka, who has a shot tonight). Ronda's return to WWE would be a big surprise, and a great way to add some life to Monday Night RAW.

Edited by Nicholas A. Marsico