2026 WWE Royal Rumble Winners

With the 2026 Royal Rumble on the horizon, there could be some very intriguing winners at the event to set up the road to WWE WrestleMania 42.

From stars making a big return after being out due to injury to others who are marking their first appearance in years, there could be some surprise winners at the next Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Here are six potential 2026 WWE Royal Rumble Winners.

6. Bianca Belair

A potential major return that could end up being reserved for the actual Royal Rumble as a surprise could be Bianca Belair.

Out of action since WrestleMania 41 when she picked up a complex hand injury during a triple-threat match against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY — the Royal Rumble 2026 could be a perfect return for Bianca Belair.

Able to enter the match and immediately take out top competition, Belair would be sure to receive a huge crowd reaction upon her return after so long away from action.

Opening up exciting possibilities for who she might challenge leading into WrestleMania 42 —more than likely her showdown against Jade Cargill is headed for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

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5. Sami Zayn

Beloved every time he appears in front of the crowd in Saudi Arabia, it could be Sami Zayn’s year to win the Royal Rumble given the Riyadh debut of the event.

Notably supportive of Zayn, Sami could be headed for a big showdown on the road to WrestleMania 42.

One of the most emotionally driven characters in WWE, it would be amazing to see a Cinderella story from Sami Zayn ahead of WrestleMania 42.

Still yet to claim his first World Championship in WWE, the chase could become if Zayn were to capture victory in the Royal Rumble 2026.

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4. Chris Jericho

With reports suggesting that Chris Jericho may be making a return to WWE after his current contract with AEW ends, perhaps a Royal Rumble victory is in his future.

Able to be a major surprise entrant that comes in and takes the entire match, he could end up in the mix for the top spots with former rivals.

Since Jericho has never encountered this Tribal Chief iteration of Roman Reigns, it could be that it ends up being a battle between them at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas in the end.

With so many storylines up in the air, kicking off a retirement run with a Royal Rumble victory in Riyadh could make total sense.

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3. Roxanne Perez

A possible surprise winner for the women’s Royal Rumble 2026 could be WWE Raw and Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez.

Potentially taking her impressive Royal Rumble appearances from the past to a new level in 2026, it could absolutely be the case that Roxanne Perez goes all the way.

Able to win the Royal Rumble and set up a major WrestleMania 42 match against the likes of Nikki Bella, Liv Morgan or Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s World Championship — there could a culmination of several big storylines at the event.

Potentially bringing together all the ghosts of Dirty Dom’s past in one match, it could end up that the WWE Women’s World Championship is decided between Perez, Ripley and Morgan.

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2. Seth Rollins

While Seth Rollins suffered a shoulder injury that has sidelined him indefinitely, there could still be some hope that he is on track to return by WrestleMania 42.

Less realistically would be Rollins returning in time for the Royal Rumble 2026 however, there could be some intricate ways to get around Rollins doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Entering at a late number, partnering up with someone else who does all his muscle work then jumps over in order to hand him the win (looking at you, Austin Theory) — there could be some workarounds that might make this possible.

While being fit enough to return in late January is a lofty goal, WWE giving Rollins a win in a manner that wouldn’t risk further injury could potentially happen.

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1. Brock Lesnar

Making his first Royal Rumble match appearance since 2023, it could be that it is Brock Lesnar’s year in 2026.

Able to certainly enter at any number and make a devasting impact, the crowd in Saudi Arabia is always overjoyed to see him.

Setting him up nicely for a showdown with the champion of his choosing, there could end up being some last minute swerves that see him elect to do something unexpected.

With there already being adverts for WrestleMania 42 featuring Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar — there is reasonable cause to believe that one of the four could be the Rumble winner, and with Punk and Rhodes world champions, perhaps Lesnar is the favorite.

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