WWE Rumor Roundup: WrestleMania plans for top stars, Reason for Royal Rumble returns from Mickie James, The Bella Twins, & More (January 15, 2022)

#3. Reason why WWE has brought back female stars from the past for the 2022 Royal Rumble

More than half of the entrants for the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble match have already been announced by WWE. The list of confirmed names includes some from the company's past, like current IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James, Nikki & Brie Bella, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Summer Rae.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that higher-ups don't want to bring up many NXT names for the Rumble. In addition to that, the slim women's roster for the multi-person contest is why stars from outside had to be brought back:

"Essentially, there simply aren’t 30 women on the roster available and they don’t want many from NXT, so The Bella Twins, James, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly and Summer Rae are all coming back for the match," stated Meltzer.

WWE has reportedly planned more surprises (possible spoilers) for fans regarding the remaining unannounced female entrants. Here's the list of all the confirmed Women's Royal Rumble participants as of this writing:

• Charlotte Flair
• Naomi
• Rhea Ripley
• Nikki A.S.H.
• Brie Bella
• Nikki Bella
• Carmella
• Queen Zelina
• Lita
• Michelle McCool
• Kelly Kelly
• Dana Brooke
• Natalya
• Mickie James
• Tamina
• Shayna Baszler
• Summer Rae
• Aliyah
• Shotzi