7. Bob Backlund (2000)
In 2000, former 2-time WWF Champion Bob Backlund returned as the fourteenth entry in the Royal Rumble. Backlund was no stranger to the Royal Rumble match; in 1993 he lasted over sixty minutes in the match, a record that wasnt broken until 2004 by Chris Benoit. After a three year absence from WWF, the veteran returned for just a 2-minute period in the Rumble before being eliminated by Chris Jericho. Following his Rumble cameo, Backlund went on to briefly manage Intercontinental and European Champion, Kurt Angle. He has since made appearances for TNA and more recently WWE. Backlund will be honoured this year as a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
6. Diesel (2011)
Following a surprise appearance from Booker T, 2011s Royal Rumble also offered an even more shocking return; Kevin Nash entered under the Diesel persona which hadnt been used since 1996. Nash hadnt appeared in WWE since 2004 and had spent a successful 6-year period in TNA. He was eliminated from the Rumble after nearly three minutes by Wade Barrett but didnt fade away into obscurity. Having signed a five-year Legends contract, Nash feuded briefly with Triple H in 2011 and also made appearances on WWEs house shows. He has more recently made appearances on WWEs developmental training show NXT. http://youtu.be/uvyymEuqybE