Ten wrestlers who could make shock WWE returns at 2020 Royal Rumble, including The Rock, John Cena, CM Punk and Ronda Rousey

The 2020 Royal Rumble is less than a week away and it looks set to be a memorable one.

Becky Lynch defends her Raw Women’s title against Asuka, while Daniel Bryan looks to dethrone Bray ‘The Fiend’ Wyatt.

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The men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches will arguably be the most exciting bouts of the evening.

It is a time of the year when rumours of surprise returns and debuts are constantly floating about.

Below, talkSPORT.com lists the wrestlers who could make their comebacks at the Royal Rumble this weekend.

Ronda Rousey

Rousey has not been seen in WWE since losing her Raw Women’s Championship to Lynch at WrestleMania 35.

Lynch inflicted a first pinfall loss on Rousey, who had been undefeated in her first 12 months with the company.

It is believed the Baddest Woman on the Planet is taking time away from WWE to start a family with husband Travis Browne.

However, do not rule out Rousey from returning at this month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

She could compete in the women’s Royal Rumble match or cost Lynch against Asuka, which in turn, would set the wheels in motion for a WrestleMania rematch with her former foe.

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CM Punk

Rumours of an in-ring return for CM Punk have more or less been circulating online since he left WWE in 2014.

The former world champion, who has publicly criticised WWE on many occasions, tried his hand at UFC, but lost his two matches.

Speculation of a wrestling return have picked up pace since Punk became a pundit of Fox’s WWE Backstage show in November.

While he is only employed by Fox, the link to WWE has never been stronger.

As it stands, only Roman Reigns (4/6) is a bigger favourite with Sky Bet to win the men’s Royal Rumble match than Punk (4/1) – do they know something we don’t?

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The Rock

Talk of a return to WWE action always seems to follow The Rock.

The Great One marked his WWE return for SmackDown’s debut episode on Fox in October in a segment with King Corbin and Lynch.

But he has still not wrestled since beating Erick Rowan in an impromptu six-second match at WrestleMania 32 in 2016.

Last year, The Rock revealed he had ‘quietly retired’ from wrestling with his Hollywood career taking priority.

But The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment could have one or two matches left in him.

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John Cena

Similarly to The Rock, Cena’s priority appears to lie in Hollywood nowadays.

Cena was supposed to compete in the 2019 Royal Rumble match, but was sidelined with an ankle injury.

He has not wrestled in a WWE ring since last January.

A comeback for the 42-year-old at Sunday’s Royal Rumble would send the WWE Universe wild.

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Paige

Paige announced her retirement from wrestling in April 2018 after suffering a nasty-looking neck injury at a house show four months before.

She signed a new multi-year deal with WWE in November, which has increased talk of a potential in-ring return.

And there would be no better place for it than at the Royal Rumble.

Earlier this month, Paige tweeted her ‘glory days are from over’.

She said: “I get told that my glory days are over w/ my career & that I’m a ‘slut’ coz [sic] of the crap that got released about me. Just know again. Ppl [sic] make mistakes when they’re young. I’m not that person. Also my glory days are far from over.”

Edge

Similarly to Paige, Edge’s wrestling career was cut short due to a neck injury in April 2011.

However, Edge speared Elias at SummerSlam 2019, which suggested his wrestling days might not be over yet.

He has recently signed a new lucrative contract with WWE, according to reports, with the ever reliable PWInsider claiming an in-ring return is on the cards.

Again, just like with CM Punk, Cena or The Rock, a comeback at the Royal Rumble would be one for the history books.

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Nia Jax

Nia Jax had surgery on both her knees shortly after WrestleMania 35 last year.

The former Raw Women’s champion’s timescale of recovery was around nine months, so a surprise comeback could happen at the Royal Rumble.

Jax stole the show last year by participating in both the women’s AND men’s Royal Rumble matches.

She eliminated Mustafa Ali, before being hit with a Superkick, 619 and RKO and chucked out by Randy Orton. She was superb.

Goldberg

There is always a chance of a Goldberg return when the Royal Rumble occurs.

He was last seen defeating Dolph Ziggler in a match which lasted less than two minutes at SummerSlam last year.

Goldberg’s limited move set would suit a Royal Rumble match and get decent reactions from the crowd.

Naomi

Naomi has not been seen in a wrestling ring since July.

And after months of silence, the former SmackDown Women’s champion revealed she had been taking a break from WWE due to health issues and the passing of a close relative.

In September, she tweeted: “I’ve faced some trying times the past few months…losing a loved one so dear to me (rocked me to my core) & handling my own health issues I wasn’t aware of forced me to slow down & reevaluate…I want my loving fans to know that I’m ok and will be back when the time is right.”

Dominick

Dominick, Rey Mysterio’s real-life son, seems set to make his wrestling debut this year.

He was on the receiving end of two vicious beatdowns from Brock Lesnar last year and was involved in an entertaining WWE Championship feud between the Beast and his father.

Dominick and Mysterio performed a double 619 on Lesnar at Survivor Series, which further showcased the former’s in-ring ability.

He could make an even bigger name for himself at this year’s Royal Rumble.