WWE reveals first and second entrants for men’s Royal Rumble

WWE has revealed which wrestlers will be entering this Sunday’s men’s Royal Rumble match at numbers one and two.

Randy Orton will be the first wrestler to enter the men’s Royal Rumble match, then Edge will enter the Rumble at number two. That announcement was made on Saturday’s WWE Backstage preview special.

Edge is returning to action in the Royal Rumble for the second straight year. This will be the first time he’s wrestled since tearing his triceps while filming his “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” against Orton for Backlash last June.

After being forced to retire in 2011, Edge made his surprise return in last year’s men’s Royal Rumble. It set up Edge and Orton facing off in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36. Edge won that match but lost to Orton at Backlash.

A pre-taped promo where Edge announced that he’s entering this year’s Royal Rumble aired on Raw’s go-home show for the pay-per-view this past Monday. Edge said he needs to win the Rumble, main event WrestleMania 37, and take back what he never lost when he had to vacate the World Championship in 2011.

Orton defeated “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Inferno match at December’s TLC PPV. On the January 11 episode of Raw, Orton had a fireball thrown in his face by Alexa Bliss. Orton cut a promo the following week while wearing a mask. He declared that he wouldn’t let the fireball attack stop him from achieving the inevitable, which is winning the Royal Rumble. Orton then appeared with his face exposed on Raw this past Monday and gave Bliss an RKO while she was challenging Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship.

It was also confirmed on the WWE Backstage preview special that Natalya will enter Sunday’s women’s Royal Rumble match at number 30. Natalya defeated Tamina to determine who would get the advantage of entering the women’s Rumble last.

The Royal Rumble main card is beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. The main card starts at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Here’s the list of announced entrants for the Royal Rumble matches:

Men’s Royal Rumble entrants —

  • Daniel Bryan
  • United States Champion Bobby Lashley
  • AJ Styles
  • Randy Orton (entering at number one)
  • Otis
  • The Miz
  • Jey Uso
  • Cesaro
  • Jeff Hardy
  • Intercontinental Champion Big E
  • Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Sami Zayn
  • SmackDown Tag Team Champion Dolph Ziggler
  • John Morrison
  • Sheamus
  • Mustafa Ali
  • Edge (entering at number two)
  • Rey Mysterio
  • Dominik Mysterio
  • Baron Corbin
  • Braun Strowman

Women’s Royal Rumble entrants —

  • Nia Jax
  • Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair
  • Bianca Belair
  • Bayley
  • Mandy Rose
  • Dana Brooke
  • Peyton Royce
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Shayna Baszler
  • Ruby Riott
  • Liv Morgan
  • Tamina
  • Natalya (entering at number 30)