Which former WWE Champion is rumored to return at WWE Royal Rumble 2023?

WWE Royal Rumble 2023 is around the corner as the company takes over the Alamodome in San Antonio on January 28. This will be the third installment of the Rumble premium live event to emanate from the Texas stadium.

As one of professional wrestling's most invigorating and beguiling concepts, the thirty-person WWE Royal Rumble match always has several surprise entrants that send the live crowd into a frenzy. These surprises include legendary veterans returning for a one-off show, injured WWE Superstars making a grand comeback, or NXT talent getting their big break.

Over the years, we have seen some bone-chilling and spine-trembling surprises. Who could ever forget Edge's miraculous return from retirement in the 2020 WWE Men's Rumble match? How about AJ Styles' amazing debut at the Amway Center in 2016? PG-Era fans will certainly recall John Cena's shocking return inside Madison Square Garden in 2008.

Last year, Shane McMahon returned for a one-off appearance as the twenty-eighth entrant. Puerto-Rican sensation and massive pop star Bad Bunny also wowed the crowd during the 2022 WWE Men's Rumble match. Who will return in this year's installment?

Xero News dropped an intriguing hint that heralds a "One of a Kind" WWE Royal Rumble return. The source suggested that Rob Van Dam, one of the greatest high-flyers and hardcore wrestlers of all time, could return as the twenty-eighth entrant in the thirty-man melee.

The Hall of Famer last appeared on WWE programming during a special RAW Reunion in July 2019. This excludes his Hall of Fame induction in April 2021, which was followed by a WrestleMania appearance to honor the entire class of legends.

As a popular fan-favorite with an incredible following, RVD's rumored return inside the Alamodome may generate one of the loudest crowd reactions of the night, possibly outdoing his one-off appearance at WWE Royal Rumble 2009.

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Rob Van Dam was a surprise entrant in the 2009 WWE Royal Rumble Match

If Rob Van Dam does shock the world with a surprise return in the 2023 Men's WWE Royal Rumble match, it wouldn't be the first time he sent the crowd into a frenzy with an unannounced appearance. During the 2009 edition of the bout, RVD returned to a monster pop as the twenty-fifth entrant.

The ECW legend entered as a free agent, slugging it out with the top superstars of the time like Triple H, Randy Orton, Kane, and The Undertaker. RVD also had a mini-reunion with former on-screen ally Rey Mysterio. The Hall of Famer lasted nearly fifteen minutes, scored no elimination, and was tossed over the rope by Chris Jericho to a chorus of boos.

Although he is 52, the former WWE Champion can still go in the ring. Fourteen years after his surprise return in 2009, Van Dam can rewrite history and shock the wrestling world to its core with another unannounced entry into the Rumble match.

In an interview with Steve Fall of NBC Sports, Rob Van Dam seemed quite open to another run with the company, considering the underwhelming stint he had in 2013-14.

"You know what, I kinda feel like if they wanted me there, then I would be there. They would make it so that I would want to be there. Without having any, just being on the fence and not feeling hungry or either way, just whatever happens happens, like RVD is, I kinda feel like that."

A couple of months following this interview, Seth Rollins paid tribute to the legendary hardcore superstar at Extreme Rules in Philadelphia. RVD's trademark singlet heavily inspired Rollins' ring gear, and The Visionary also did the signature "Rob Van Dam" gesture.

These signs clearly indicate a potential "One of A Kind" return for the high-flyer. This is mere speculation, and nothing is set in stone. However, a ground-breaking one-off appearance at WWE Royal Rumble 2023 in the thirty-man affair would be a fantastic sight.