Mark Henry has been removed from the confirmed list of participants for this year's Royal Rumble match. WWE's decision could be to open up a spot for a major surprise, with rumours that AJ Styles could be debuting at the January 24 special. What's notable about Henry's removal, is that he had featured in a WWE video hyping his involvement. He had talked about how this was potentially his last ever Rumble appearance. The story would have been that this was his final effort to win the WWE Championship. He would have been useful in the big man role, coming into the Rumble as a perceived threat due to his size. His elimination would have then been a major spot for someone like Reigns or Lesnar. The Beast could have suplexed him over the top rope. It is a shame for Henry to now lose out, especially as he is planning to retire this year. He turns forty five in the summer and is expected to confirm his retirement after WrestleMania 32. It hasn't always been a smooth career, and he was outright awful during his first decade in the business. But he turned it all around, enjoying considerable success in recent history. Both in the ring and on the mic, he became a genuinely enjoyable performer.