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WWE's 37th annual Royal Rumble event already has two huge names scheduled to compete. RAW Superstars Cody Rhodes and CM Punk announced that they'll compete in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match. But who's next to throw their name in the hat?
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, is set to host the 2024 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. On Saturday, January 27, 30 men and 30 women will be competing for the chance to challenge for a world title at WrestleMania XL.
It has become a tradition for WWE to include surprise entrants in the Royal Rumble match. Wrestlers such as Edge, John Cena, The Hurricane, Carlito, MVP, and many more have given fans a pleasant surprise with an unannounced return at the Rumble.
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Who will surprise the WWE Universe this year? Could it be someone from the Attitude Era?
This list looks at five potential stars from the Attitude Era who could make a surprise appearance at the 2024 Roya Rumble.
#5. Six-time WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin
Wrestling fans across the globe were delighted to see Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestle for the first time in 19 years at WrestleMania 38. He headlined Night One of the event against Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match, which resulted in a victory for the tough Texan. The Bionic Redneck has left the door open for another match in the Stamford-based promotion, and there are people within WWE who are reportedly pushing for a dream match between Austin and CM Punk at WrestleMania 40.
The 2024 Royal Rumble might be the perfect place to kick off a storyline between The Texas Rattlesnake and the Straight Edge Savior. Punk wants to main-event WrestleMania, and he could do so against one of the most iconic performers in all of professional wrestling.
Austin doesn't have to win the Rumble to make an impact. His entrance alone may earn him the pop of the night, and fans would be thrilled to see him stand across the ring from modern-day stars like CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. Expect plenty of "holy sh*t" chants to ring out if Stone Cold were to enter the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match.
Steve Austin is a three-time Royal Rumble winner, winning the marquee match in 1997, 1998, and 2001. Punk and Austin previously interacted on a June 2011 episode of RAW and during a promotional segment for the video game WWE '13 in 2012. The Second City Saint cut his infamous 'pipebomb' promo while wearing a Stone Cold t-shirt. What would happen if the two shared a ring in Tropicana Field this coming January?
#4. Bubba Ray Dudley (IMPACT Wrestling's Bully Ray)
Bubba Ray Dudley is signed to a WWE Legends deal while simultaneously wrestling as Bully Ray in the promotion that's soon to be rebranded back to TNA. IMPACT Wrestling has also recently partnered up with Endeavor, WWE's parent company, as part of a multi-year streaming deal between TNA+ and Endeavor Streaming.
Considering the ties that Bubba Ray and IMPACT Wrestling have with WWE, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to see the two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match. It's also possible that he could appear for the first time as "Bully Ray" in a WWE ring.
The WWE/TNA Hall of Famer became incredibly popular during the Attitude Era as part of the now legendary tag team known as The Dudley Boyz, alongside his kayfabe half-brother D-Von Dudley. The duo won tag team gold in almost every promotion they stepped foot in. They earned 10 tag title reigns while in WWE, three tag title reigns with IMPACT, eight with ECW, and three with NJPW.
Bubba Ray Dudley made a surprise return in the 2015 Royal Rumble, entering the match as entrant number three. Will the fans in Tropicana Field see this Dudley brother make yet another surprise appearance in the Rumble? Whether he's performing as Bubba Ray or Bully Ray, the crowd would predictably be hyped to see him back in WWE.
#3. Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock
"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock recently inked a Legends deal with the Stamford-based promotion, leading to the release of Shamrock t-shirts on WWE's Shop website. Considering that the Stamford-based promotion and the 1998 King of the Ring winner are already in a business relationship, it's possible that Shamrock's role with the company can lead to an in-ring appearance at the 2024 Royal Rumble premium live event.
Ken Shamrock last wrestled in August 2022, defeating Harry Smith at an event for the indie promotion Battleground Championship Wrestling. Shamrock is most famously known as a pioneering figure in UFC and as a midcard star of the Attitude Era in WWE.
After leaving what was then known as 'WWF' in 1999, Shamrock would later find success in TNA, where he became a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and the promotion's inaugural world champion in 2002. He'd have another run with IMPACT from 2019 to 2021.
During his most recent stint in IMPACT Wrestling, Shamrock proved that he could still go in the ring as a competitor in his 50s. In the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match, The World's Most Dangerous Man could square off with fellow MMA combatants like Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar. 'Gunther vs. Lesnar' is rumored for WrestleMania XL, but what about the potential of Shamrock vs. Lashley?
There's also the potential of Shamrock being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. He's already a UFC Hall of Famer as part of the Class of 2003, which made him one of the inaugural inductees as part of the Pioneer Wing.
#2. 2000 Royal Rumble winner The Rock
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns is a dream match that has been in discussion for years, with many fans and wrestling media personalities speculating that it will one day go down at The Showcase of the Immortals. The 40th installment of WrestleMania is set for April 2024, and the company will do its best to make the event as epic as possible. When it comes to a headlining bout for 'Mania, there may be no bigger blockbuster match than one between The Tribal Chief and The Great One.
The Rock was declared the official winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble. The Big Show later disputed this victory because Rocky's feet touched the floor first, but that ultimately didn't change the result in the history books. 24 years later, will The Brahma Bull come back and win the match one more time? It's certainly possible, but with the actor's strike coming to a close in November 2023, it raises doubts about whether he'll be available to appear at Tropicana Field on January 27 or at WrestleMania in April.
Dwayne Johnson is a megastar in Hollywood, but at one time, he was The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment. The Rock would predictably receive a huge pop from the crowd in St. Petersburg if he were to make his entrance at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Considering that The Rock is billed from Miami, Florida, he'll have the home-state advantage in Tropicana Field.
#1. Former WWE World Tag Team Champions The Headbangers
Much like The Dudley Boyz, Mosh and Thrasher of The Headbangers signed to a WWE Legends deal in 2023. In May of this year, both members of the thrash-metal-inspired tag team announced on social media that they had signed a WWE 2023 General Nostalgia Agreement. As a result of the agreement, WWE's Shop website has released a Headbangers t-shirt. More merchandise is likely to come from this deal, which could potentially include more t-shirts, action figures, Funko Pops, and appearances in video games like the upcoming WWE 2K24.
Mosh and Thrasher are currently active as pro wrestlers on the independent circuit. The Headbangers are the reigning ALW Tag Team Champions in their second reign. The duo also found championship success as active members of the WWE roster in the late '90s, winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship and the now-defunct WWF Tag Team Titles. There was an 'NWA invasion' angle during the early months of the Attitude Era, which is why The Headbangers won gold sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance.
Considering that they've been keeping busy competing on the indie scene, there's reason to believe The Headbangers won't appear rusty in the ring if Mosh and/or Thrasher were to make a surprise appearance in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match. They could also use this Rumble spot to promote their merch, specifically regarding their new t-shirt.
The Headbangers last wrestled in a WWE ring on the 900th edition of SmackDown! That episode aired in November 2016 and featured the headbanging duo competing on the losing end of a 16-man tag team match. Could the 2024 Royal Rumble be the next WWE event that features The Headbangers?
