It was revealed last week that WWE Backstage will return for a single special on January 30 before the Royal Rumble. Renee Paquette, Paige and Booker T will return to present the episode, but regular analyst CM Punk was not announced for the show.
Although the order of the Superstars to enter the Royal Rumble is often kept secret, participant # 30 in Men’s Rumble and # 1 and # 2 in Women’s Rumble will be revealed in the FS1 special.
Many questioned why WWE would do this, especially as participant # 30 is one of Rumble’s biggest surprises. According to Fightful Select, it all comes down to rankings. WWE and FOX want the special to have a good number of views and to maximize the existing partnerships they have.
Many Superstars have already declared themselves for the Royal Rumble. Check out the participants below:
Real male rumble: Edge, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Big E, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Bobby Lashley, Jeff Hardy, Jey Uso, Cesaro, The Miz, John Morrison, Otis, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Dolph Ziggler and Mustafa Ali .
Real female rumble: Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Peyton Royce, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Tamina, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose.