WWE Royal Rumble 2018: 10 Suprise Entrants We Could See

When WWE announced a slew of superstar releases in early 2016, Wade Barrett was one of the most perplexing names of the bunch. A wildly talented and hugely over performer, he had all the ingredients to make a classic WWE main eventer. And yet, he was somehow mishandled throughout his entire WWE career, from the bungling of his stint as the Nexus' leader through to his disappointing run as a member of the limp League of Nations faction.

Given the nature of his departure from WWE, it might seem unlikely for him to return. However, as names like Bret Hart, the Ultimate Warrior and Alberto Del Rio prove, there are no burned bridges that can't be rebuilt (unless your name is CM Punk).

The chief reason for believing that the bearer of bad news could be making a surprise WWE return comes from an Instagram post made on 30 December, when the Defiant Wrestling general manager said, "To those complaining about my abs, don’t worry they’ll be back by The Rumble."

Now, there's every chance that Barrett is just trolling, or poking fun at his former employer. But, back in 2015 when he chose not to renew his contract, he said he would return to WWE when the time was right. Is that time now? The rumour mill has gone into overdrive since he made his snide comment, and it's a return that fans are begging to see. Let's hope there's some fire to go along with the smoke.