The Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday night. 

It's one of WWE's 'big-four' pay-per-view events and in the eyes of many fans, it's the second-most exciting event of the year, behind only WrestleMania. 

This weekend, 30 men and 30 women will have a chance to book their place on the 'Mania card by winning the namesake match. 

We've already seen plenty of WWE Superstars declare for the Royal Rumble over the last few weeks, with the likes of Daniel Bryan, Big E, Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair named as favourites.

Bryan is amongst the favourites to win the Royal Rumble

On this week's SmackDown, another star returned to throw his hat in the ring - and will now be amongst those hotly tipped to win. 

A monster 10-man tag team match closed the show on Friday night, but it was 'The Monster' Braun Strowman himself who was standing tall as SmackDown went off the air. 

He made a shock return to crash the main event, laying waste to everyone standing in the ring before officially declaring for the Royal Rumble. Check out the highlights from his return below:

That is certainly a statement.

Strowman hasn't been seen in WWE since getting suspended after Survivor Series last November, but will now be amongst the favourites to win the Royal Rumble.

Just look at the incredible shape he's in:

Strowman looks in brilliant shape following his return

Yep, 'The Monster' is certainly living up to his moniker. 

We know Strowman has been working on his physique while he's been away from the ring, given he was very active on social media. 

But even so, his impressive body transformation has left fans excited about what's to come. 

Strowman's future is bright in WWE

Could he really win the Royal Rumble this weekend? Well, we certainly can't see why not. Even with less than 48 hours until the event, there's not a clear favourite for the men's match. 

It really could be anyone's to win - and with a place at WrestleMania on the line - you can bet every WWE Superstar in the locker room wants it.