Report: Why Key Royal Rumble Entrants Will Be Announced On WWE Backstage Revealed

It was revealed last week that WWE Backstage will return for a one-off special on January 30 ahead of the Royal Rumble. Renee Paquette, Paige and Booker T will return to host the episode, but regular analyst CM Punk has not been advertised for the show.

While the order Superstars will enter the Royal Rumble has often been kept secret, the #30 entrant in the Men's Rumble and the #1 and #2 entrants in the Women's Rumble will be revealed on the FS1 special. 

Many questioned why WWE would do this, particularly as the #30 entrant is one of the Rumble's biggest surprises. According to Fightful Select, it all comes down to ratings. WWE and FOX want the special to have a good viewership number and to maximise the existing partnerships they have in place. 

Many Superstars have already declared for the Royal Rumble. Check out the participants below: 

Men's Royal Rumble: Edge, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Big E, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Bobby Lashley, Jeff Hardy, Jey Uso, Cesaro, The Miz, John Morrison, Otis, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Dolph Ziggler and Mustafa Ali. 

Women's Royal Rumble: Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Peyton Royce, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Tamina, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose.