15 Most Surprising WWE Royal Rumble Entrants Of All Time
13. Rob Van Dam (2009)
Rob Van Dam left WWE in the spring of 2007, less than one year after winning the WWE Championship. During that time, he wrestled on the independent circuit, but still kept ties to the company. At the 2009 Royal Rumble, he was the only surprise entrant, making a one-night-only appearance which was very well-received by the crowd.
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RVD lasted almost 14 minutes before being eliminated by Chris Jericho and didn't return to WWE for another four-and-a-half years. He ended up going to TNA for a couple years, before returning to WWE on a part-time basis in 2013.