Wrestling fans are always excited to see what surprises WWE has in store for the annual Royal Rumble matches, and this year is no different.
With that in mind, AEW commentator Jim Ross said he expects to see
former AEW stars Powerhouse Hobbs and Chris Jericho debut for WWE in Saudi Arabia this Saturday (Jan. 31) as surprise entries in the men’s Royal Rumble match.
Wait a minute, does Jericho even count as a former AEW wrestler? I guess that’s what JR assumes, even though Chris is still listed on AEW’s official roster page.
Anyway, here’s what Ross had to say on his Grilling JR podcast about Jericho’s return to WWE, courtesy of F4WOnline’s transcript:
“Hell yeah. Absolutely. He’s too smart not to get himself booked on this show for his return. He’ll get a big pop.”
Then there is Hobbs, maybe going by a new WWE name of Royce Keys, who JR has recently been in contact with:
“I’m especially excited about ‘Big Willy.’ I don’t know if it’s a secret or not. He’ll be in the Royal Rumble, I think. Why in the hell would you sign a guy this close to a major event and then not utilize him? And that’ll be a new face. And he looks great…He called me a day or two ago, thanking me for my help over the years. I said, ‘Well, my phone number isn’t going to change, big fella.’”
Ross made it clear that he doesn’t know for sure that Jericho or Hobbs will be in the Royal Rumble; these are just speculative guesses that make sense given all the reports and rumors going around and Jericho and Hobbs going to WWE.
Do you agree with JR’s explanation for why it’s a no-brainer that Chris Jericho and Powerhouse Hobbs / Royce Keys will appear in the Royal Rumble match if they are indeed under contract with WWE? What other Rumble surprises do you expect to see this weekend in Saudi Arabia? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders.
