WWE Rumor Roundup: Major star erased from history? Royal Rumble surprises, JD McDonagh Update
The 2025 WWE Royal Rumble will kick off the Road to WrestleMania. The premium live event has dominated the headlines over the past few weeks. Ahead of the event, there has been much speculation about the Rumble matches and who will be involved. Finally, tonight, the surprises will be made public.
There have been many other rumors flying around today, and the following article looks at four of the biggest ones this weekend.
#4. Randy Orton is expected to return soon
Randy Orton has been out of action since he was hit with a Piledriver from Kevin Owens in November 2024. Cody Rhodes stepped up to face Owens in his place after the attack, and the two men will collide later today at the Royal Rumble in a Ladder match with both the Undisputed WWE Championship and the Winged Eagle Title hanging above the ring.
According to The Wrestling Observer, Orton is expected to "return soon," although no timeline was given.
#3. JD McDonagh's expected WWE return date revealed
JD McDonagh was injured this week on WWE RAW during his match against The War Raiders alongside Dominik Mysterio. The former champion collided with the announce table before it was revealed that he had suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Wrestling Observer noted that McDonagh could be out of action for around four months following his injuries. This would mean he would miss WrestleMania 41.
#2. Many Royal Rumble surprises expected
The Royal Rumble takes place later tonight, and Stephanie McMahon has already claimed that the show has some big surprises planned. Fightful Select has noted that Nikki Bella was spotted in Indianapolis after speculation that she could return. At the same time, Mickie James, Matt Cardona, and Becky Lynch are also reported to have made the trip.
#1. Was Matt Riddle erased from WWE history?
Matt Riddle is a former RAW Tag Team Champion who was included in the 2020 Men's Royal Rumble match. WWE recently uploaded a director's cut of the bout to its YouTube channel, which featured every star in that Rumble except Riddle.
The former United States Champion entered the match at the #23 spot and was eliminated by Baron Corbin in 18 seconds. In the video, the company skipped the King of Bros entry and showed Luke Gallows, who came out at #24. Interestingly, the director's cut featured Brock Lesnar despite his recent alleged allegations that prevented him from returning over the past year.
