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The 35th annual WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event took place on January 29, 2022.
In front of 44,390 fans at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, WWE kickstarted the road to WrestleMania 38. The event saw Ronda Rousey return to the company for the first time in nearly three years to win the Women's Rumble match.
Brock Lesnar, who lost his WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley earlier in the night, entered the Men's Rumble match as entrant #30. The Beast Incarnate took just over two minutes to punch his ticket to WrestleMania, ultimately eliminating Drew McIntyre.
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Of course, the Rumble matches always open the door for possible returns and surprises. This year, it was no different, with several legends and even celebrities returning to the squared circle.
Leading into the event, WWE had already announced that WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins and Lita would enter the Women's Rumble match. They also announced that Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, and IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James would appear.
On the night itself, more surprises were revealed. Melina, Ivory, Cameron, Sarah Logan, and Alicia Fox entered the Women's Rumble match. Bad Bunny and Shane McMahon entered the Men's Battle Royale to the delight of the WWE Universe.
However, according to the Wrestling Observer, WWE already had some other legends placed at the venue for the event. Several notable names were indeed there, whether they were scheduled to appear, were on standby in case of a dreaded Covid positive test, or just to hang out.
That being said, here are five WWE Legends who were at the 2022 Royal Rumble but not used.
#5 Kaitlyn was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble
Former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn was reportedly backstage at the 2022 Rumble event.
Her last match with the company came during the Mae Young Classic in 2018. During the all-women's tournament, Kaitlyn was eliminated after losing to Mia Yim in the second round.
Before this, Kaitlyn had not been seen in WWE since 2014. Her last match was with AJ Lee on an episode of Main Event in January of that year. She left WWE following the match to pursue a return to the fitness industry.
Whether the former NXT Season 3 winner was scheduled to enter the Women's Rumble match has not been determined. However, it could signal that we may see her in a WWE ring again someday in the future.
#4 Aksana was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble
According to PWInsider, Aksana was booked and scheduled to appear in the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble match.
Although the appearance did not come to fruition, she was, in fact, backstage at the event. Of course, as always with WWE, plans can change very quickly, and it appears Aksana may have been the victim of some last-minute changes.
Aksana's last in-ring WWE match came in June 2014 when she lost to Alicia Fox on SmackDown.
#3 Jillian Hall was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble event
Another report from PWInsider revealed that JBL's former on-screen publicist, Jillian Hall, was also scheduled to appear in the Women's Rumble match. The singing superstar apparently featured in the rehearsals for the big match.
Jillian returned to WWE last year to enter the 2021 Women's Rumble match, which was her first WWE appearance since 2010.
However, it appears Jillian may have also been the victim of some late changes by WWE.
#2 Kurt Angle was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble
Kurt Angle was reportedly backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble event, but the reason remains unknown. There was no indication that he would come out of retirement to enter the Men's Rumble match.
Pictures of Angle arriving in St. Louis for the Rumble were posted leading into the big event and backstage with former Team Angle teammate Shelton Benjamin. However, it has now been reported that WWE plans on using the Hall of Famer as an on-screen character moving forward.
Kurt is a former general manager of RAW, but it remains to be seen what role he will play this time around. He retired from the ring following his defeat to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35.
#1 The Undertaker was backstage at the 2022 Royal Rumble event
Moments before the Rumble event went on-air, WWE posted a picture of singing sensation Bad Bunny and The Undertaker talking backstage.
It fuelled speculation that both men were set to appear on the show. Of course, Bad Bunny did eventually enter the Men's Rumble match, but The Undertaker did not appear in any capacity.
It is likely The Deadman may have been backstage visiting and even lending a hand to the show's production. He could also have been in town to discuss the possibility of him being inducted into this year's WWE Hall of Fame in his home state of Texas.
