WrestleMania 39 is gearing up to be an absolutely stacked two nights with some awesome matches. For all the fun we already know about, there are always a few surprises in store for the audience in attendance and the many people watching the upcoming WWE event home. Naturally we don't know what such surprises are right now, but we could make some guesses about who is involved based on which big wrestlers haven't been confirmed for the event.
Below, you'll find a list of the most likely wrestlers to make an appearance at WrestleMania 39. Granted, there are no guarantees, and there may be someone left off the list, but here's who is looking most likely or available in the limited time that we have left.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin brought the house down with his surprise match at WrestleMania 38, so it's silly to think the WWE hasn't tried to court the legend for doing something again for WrestleMania 39. After all, even if Austin isn't willing to do a match, just an appearance can be enough to get people talking on social media and hype up the crowd in attendance.
So far, Austin has claimed he hasn't been contacted for an appearance. With that being said, it seems like he might be playing coy, given the videos of him looking absolutely jacked in the months leading up to the event and the rumors he might be worked into a segment involving L.A. Knight. I certainly would love to see that happen, if only to hear the crowd alternate between "What" and "Yeah" chants.
Randy Orton
Randy Orton quietly exited the WWE in 2022 for what fans first thought was a scheduled break. After about a month, however, it was reported that Orton suffered a back injury and there was no timetable on his return. The year ended with no sightings of Orton in the WWE, and fans began to worry the longtime WWE superstar could be out indefinitely.
Fortunately, it's looking increasingly likely that Randy Orton is not only on the mend, but prepping for a return to the WWE. The superstar has been spotted in numerous photos as of late, and he's looking like he's in pretty good shape. It was also widely reported back in February that Orton rang up the guy that makes his boots for the WWE, which seemingly meant he was planning to make a return to the ring soon. There's no real plan for what The Viper might do, though we have an idea of who he might reappear alongside.
Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle took some time away from the WWE after reportedly failing to comply with the WWE's wellness policy. He's spent some time in rehab since then and recently posted a photo of himself looking to be in good health. Could we be in for an RK-Bro reunion at WrestleMania 39?
I'm personally hoping so, and given these two were about the most prominent tag-team on the roster before they both exited, I think it's a safe bet to think they'll be back in the WWE sooner rather than later. The question is really whether or not it'll happen at Mania, or maybe in the weeks after instead.
AJ Styles
AJ Styles is always someone toward the top of WWE's plans for big events, but things changed right at the end of 2022. Styles suffered a broken ankle during an event, and as a result, he's been on the sidelines since then. The wrestler announced he didn't require surgery, but could be out of commission for a while.
Styles noted in late February it could take up to four months for him to recover (via Sportskeeda). The wrestler was recently featured in a commercial for Snickers, though it's not entirely clear when that was filmed. In either case, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he made a surprise return at WrestleMania, and that there are plans for The Phenomenal One we don't know about.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
We know for sure that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson won't be taking on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. The Rock didn't feel confident he'd be in shape for the main event, but that doesn't mean he won't be down to make an appearance in some capacity on one of the two nights.
Dwayne Johnson is the biggest WWE star to make it as an actor in Hollywood. As such, it feels like a colossal waste of an opportunity if he isn't available to be involved in the festivities in some way. Of course, sometimes things just don't work out, so maybe it's not in the cards for Johnson to appear at WrestleMania this year.
Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss hasn't appeared in the WWE a lot in 2023 so far, which led to fears that the company put one of its best wrestlers on the back burner. Of course, we've since learned that Bliss was treated for skin cancer, and she also performed on The Masked Singer, which helps explain why we've seen less of her as of late. Does this mean we'll finally see what became of her ongoing quiet feud with Uncle Howdy?
CinemaBlend can confirm that Alexa Bliss will be at WrestleMania 39, but if she'll perform is a complicated question. Bray Wyatt's reported injury has made him a big question mark for the show, and if Wyatt is unavailable, does that mean Uncle Howdy is as well? If so, that could impact if Bliss is involved, which is a real shame.
Gangrel
A blast from the past, Gangrel was a memorable vampiric character who had memorable stints in the WWE and other pro wrestling organizations, but hasn't been with the company in a long time. It looks like he may be making a return, as PWInsiderElite alleged he's being flown to WrestleMania 39 in order to take part in the match between Finn Balor and Edge.
This would make sense considering he was in the Brood with Edge. With that said, Gangrel has been away from the WWE for quite a while, and while it's not unheard of for superstars with this type of gap in their stint to return, it doesn't happen often.
Jay White
Jay White just left NJPW as one of its bigger stars and is looking to make a splash after moving back to the United States. He's a legit talent in the ring with the chance to become a superstar, and I wouldn't be surprised if both WWE and AEW have courted him with offers.
The only downside of Jay White is that a mainstream WWE audience may not be as familiar with him, which would make a WrestleMania debut a good way to educate the masses. One match and folks would see what is special about White and why he could be one of the brand's top stars in a relatively short amount of time. Who knows where he'll go, though, as Tony Khan may have an edge considering White's already appeared on AEW television.
FTR
If you're keeping up with the pro wrestling news cycle, you'll know AEW tag-team duo FTR hasn't exactly been quiet about the upcoming expiration of their contracts. This is set to happen in April, so there's a chance that we could be seeing them make their way back to the WWE under their previous tag-team name, The Revival.
It seems like the WWE would welcome FTR with open arms, but it's still a question of how serious FTR is about leaving AEW. If Tony Khan passed on keeping them in the company, I would say their odds of a WWE debut are pretty high. Whether that will happen before WrestleMania 39, I have no idea.
Make sure to stream WrestleMania 39 with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, April 1st, and Sunday, April 2nd. Tune in for some surprises because, as we went over above, there are a lot of possibilities!
