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WWE Hall of Famer Edge made his return to WWE TV last night as part of a pre-recorded promo. The Rated-R Superstar revealed that he was now cleared to make his return and would be part of the 2021 Royal Rumble match.
Last year, Edge was the surprise addition to the match after being on the sidelines for almost a decade and went in to make quite an impact in the match, before stepping into a feud with former tag team partner Randy Orton.
It was whilst wrestling The Viper at last year's Backlash that The Rated R Superstar suffered a torn bicep and was then forced to sit back on the sidelines, once again. For the past seven months, the former 11-time World Champion has been pushing for a WWE return. Now, he could be in for an interesting ride in the 2021 Royal Rumble match.
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Edge is one of the greatest heels of all time, which means that several WWE stars could be looking to make a statement against him in the upcoming Men's Royal Rumble match.
#6. WWE's Drifter Elias
Elias has teamed up with Jaxson Ryker in recent months and it appears that the duo could be set for some big things on WWE TV together. That being said, Elias felt the need to cling on to a feud with Jeff Hardy for almost a year, which means that The Drifter definitely remembers the time that Edge turned up and speared him at SummerSlam.
Elias did deserve the spear after talking down to The Rated-R Superstar's hometown, and this was the moment when the WWE Universe realized that Edge could be making a return.
Elias hasn't decided to approach the subject with Edge since his return to the ring, but this Sunday at The Royal Rumble, the former WWE Champion could finally have a showdown with The Drifter.
#5. RETRIBUTION leader Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali has become quite the heel as the leader of RETRIBUTION in recent months, but Ali could be in some hot water backstage following the comments he made about WWE legends after RAW Legends Nights a few weeks ago.
Edge is a WWE Hall of Famer and a current legend despite being an active part of the product once again. This means that Edge would have taken some offense to The Drifter's comments and could give his reaction at the Royal Rumble.
Mustafa Ali is also the kind of wrestler who could target Edge to make a statement and boost RETRIBUTION. It's likely that these two men will have an interesting altercation if Ali decides to set his sights on The Rated-R Superstar.
#4. WWE RAW Superstar Ricochet
Ricochet wasn't part of this week's episode of WWE RAW following his loss to AJ Styles last week, but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for The One and Only.
It was believed that when Edge made his return to WWE TV, he would pick up his feud with Randy Orton and the two men would then push forward into WrestleMania. The current storyline with Alexa Bliss and The Fiend means that Orton is otherwise occupied, so The Rated-R Superstar could be handed some dream matches in the coming weeks instead.
Whilst out of action, Edge was part of an interview with The Cheap Heat podcast where he revealed that Ricochet was the man that he really wanted to face in WWE.
Ricochet did fail to qualify for The Royal Rumble match a few weeks ago on RAW, but this doesn't mean that he can't still be part of the match. Ricochet could be a surprise entrant or even part of a heel turn where he takes someone else's place, which would set up a match with Edge once he steps into the Rumble this Sunday.
#3. Former two-time WWE Champion Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins and Edge have quite the history on WWE TV since The Rated-R Superstar was used in one of The Messiah's plots on RAW almost six years ago. Edge hasn't got his revenge against Rollins as of yet.
Rollins threatened to break Edge's neck if The Authority were not reinstated, which then forced John Cena to make the rough decision back in 2014. At the time, Edge wasn't expected to step back in the ring again, but now that The Rated-R Superstar is cleared to return to the ring and Rollins could return in The Royal Rumble, it's perfect timing for both of them to confront each other.
Of course, Edge is on RAW, and Seth Rollins is on SmackDown. But there is nothing stopping these two men from having a back and forth during the Royal Rumble match.
This feud may not take place at present, but it could occur in the future and include Beth Phoenix and Becky Lynch if WWE wants the women to be added. A tease for a future feud in the Royal Rumble could be enough to excite the WWE Universe, especially if Edge is the man who eliminates Rollins.
#2. Former 14-time WWE World Champion Randy Orton
Randy Orton and Edge were once WWE World Tag Team Champions. It was thought that Rated-RKO was going to get back together when Orton offered his hand to Edge following the latter's Royal Rumble return last year.
Orton and Edge then had a lengthy feud and Edge suffered a torn tricep at WWE Backlash last year. Even though Randy Orton has since moved on to a feud against The Fiend, The Viper will still be in the Royal Rumble match and it's hard to imagine that these two men won't have some kind of altercation if they are in the match at the same time.
Orton already put Edge out of action for seven months and he will definitely feel the need to brag about this if the two men come face-to-face.
The Viper obviously has his hands full with Alexa Bliss and The Fiend right now, but he could make time to tease that the feud with Edge is far from over before being eliminated from The Royal Rumble match.
#1. Former two-time WWE Champion AJ Styles
AJ Styles has been looking a little lost on WWE RAW in recent weeks. The Phenomenal One has been put in matches against Superstars hoping to qualify for the Royal Rumble in what has been a waste of AJ's talents.
Styles will need a new storyline coming out of the Royal Rumble match and the return of Edge could give him the lifeline he requires. Edge has made it clear that he wants to wrestle Styles in the future since the two men were never able to cross paths in a WWE ring during his first run.
There is also the added fact that back in the Royal Rumble last year, AJ Styles suffered an injury whilst wrestling Edge, which forced The Phenomenal One's Rumble elimination. This means that if WWE wants to open a feud between the two men, then Styles has a reason to confront Edge because he could claim that the Rated-R Superstar cost him the match last year.
Styles and Edge are also both on RAW. Both of them would then be able to have an interesting feud heading into Elimination Chamber.
