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WWE Icon Tops Charts As Royal Rumble Returns Ranked

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Jan 19, 2026 08:30 EST
Edge WWE Royal Rumble

WWE has ranked the 25 greatest Royal Rumble returns ever, but do you agree with who they put at number one?

Royal Rumble season has arrived in WWE as 30 men and women get ready to do battle in the annual spectacular with title matches at WrestleMania on the line.

In 2025, Charlotte Flair and Jey Uso came out on top in the Rumble matches, but perhaps more hotly anticipated than the winners of the match are the surprise entrants. Trish Stratus, Nikki Bella, and Alexa Bliss were among those in the 2025 women’s match, while the men’s match saw then-TNA World Champion Joe Hendry as well as social media star IShowSpeed entering the fray.

Fans knew Flair was entering the match in 2025, but her return was heralded as she’d been out of action for over a year due to injury.

WWE Legend Tops Royal Rumble List

In a video released on its YouTube channel, WWE has ranked the top 25 Royal Rumble returns of all time, with the likes of Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, DDP, Diesel, Edge, and Roddy Piper all making the list. The full rundown of the top 25 is below.

  1. John Cena returns at the 2008 Royal Rumble
  2. Cody Rhodes returns at the 2023 Royal Rumble
  3. Edge returns at the 2020 Royal Rumble
  4. Alexa Bliss returns at the 2025 Royal Rumble
  5. Roddy Piper returns at the 2008 Royal Rumble
  6. Naomi returns at the 2024 Royal Rumble
  7. Rob Van Dam returns at the 2009 Royal Rumble
  8. Rey Mysterio returns at the 2018 Royal Rumble
  9. The Undertaker returns at the 2003 Royal Rumble
  10. Chris Jericho returns at the 2013 Royal Rumble
  11. Booker T returns at the 2011 Royal Rumble
  12. Diesel returns at the 2011 Royal Rumble
  13. Trish Stratus returns at the 2018 Royal Rumble
  14. Charlotte Flair returns at the 2025 Royal Rumble
  15. Mickie James returns at the 2022 Royal Rumble
  16. Mr Perfect returns at the 2002 Royal Rumble
  17. Bubba Ray Dudley returns at the 2015 Royal Rumble
  18. Nia Jax returns at the 2023 Royal Rumble
  19. The Hurricane returns at the 2018 Royal Rumble
  20. Melina returns at the 2022 Royal Rumble
  21. Nikki Bella returns at the 2025 Royal Rumble
  22. Road Dogg returns at the 2012 Royal Rumble
  23. DDP returns at the 2015 Royal Rumble
  24. Jake “The Snake” Roberts returns at the 1996 Royal Rumble
  25. Ronda Rousey returns at the 2022 Royal Rumble