7 Debuts At WWE Royal Rumble 2026

With WWE Royal Rumble 2026 set to be the first edition held outside of North America set for later this month, there could be big debuts coming.

From familiar faces from other promotions to potential surprises that could come out of the blue — there may be some exciting debuts coming to Riyadh for this year’s battle royal.

Here are seven debuts that could happen at the WWE Royal Rumble 2026.

7. Leon Slater

Having recently made his mark in appearances across NXT and the main roster, Leon Slater could be an incredible debut in the Royal Rumble 2026.

While he was bested by Oba Femi for the NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil, Femi would go on to vacate the championship, there could be an interesting set of conflicts over who might pick up the title next.

The English star could find himself as TNA’s representative in the 2026 Royal Rumble with big potential make a memorable moment.

With his high speed and high flying style sure to impress, there could be a standout performance from Slater in Riyadh.

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6. Blake Monroe

Potentially making her first appearance in the ring on the main roster at the Royal Rumble 2026, Blake Monroe could be an amazing surprise entrant.

Bringing veteran in-ring skills from her days in STARDOM, AEW and more, Monroe could be an excellent addition to the battle royal.

Potentially facing off against old foes like Jordynne Grace or Giulia, there are certainly a lot of stories for the former Mariah May to tell now that she is in WWE.

With her NXT run being enjoyable but overall with the capacity to do much more, Blake Monroe would be great Royal Rumble debut.

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5. Mike Santana

With Matt Cardona officially making his WWE return on the January 2 edition of SmackDown, perhaps Mike Santana could be next to join the ranks.

Impressing audiences whenever he has featured in NXT, Santana could continue to dominate the TNA Wrestling roster into the new year — unless of course, he was planning to switch to WWE.

Likely to anchor TNA impact on the AMC Network, Mike Santana could build up his name further by appearing in the 2026 Royal Rumble.

Bringing veteran experience along with a captivating character from day one, Santana could prove to be a valuable asset for WWE, even if he continues to only make crossover appearances in 2026 rather than signing with the company full-time.

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4. Sol Ruca

After an impressive performance at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, it could be that Sol Ruca finds herself called up to the main roster soon.

More likely to debut in the Royal Rumble and then stick around the main roster than simply make an appearance and go back to the Performance Center, Ruca could launch brand new rivalries in her appearance.

Already facing Bayley at the December event (which was headlined by John Cena’s last match), Ruca also has simmering tension with the likes of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss after Ruca and her NXT tag team partner ZARIA stepped up to the veterans in the past.

Either on the hunt for tag team gold or ready to strike out on her own on the main roster, Sol Ruca seems ready for singles success that could be launched at the Royal Rumble.

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3. Ethan Page

Already having a remarkable run in NXT during his time on the brand, Ethan Page has branched out elsewhere in WWE.

Having appeared in crossovers with both TNA Wrestling and AAA, it would seem the logical next step for Ethan Page would be the main roster.

Already holding mixed tag team gold with Chelsea Green as the pair are the current AAA Mixed Tag Team Champions, there could be a foundation for the duo to begin defending the titles on SmackDown.

Potentially ushering in a brand new era of the Green Regime with the addition of Page, it might be that the Royal Rumble 2026 is where the North American Champion makes his main roster in-ring debut.

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2. Saraya

While Paige certainly has plenty of history in WWE, it is possible that her character from AEW Saraya (her actual first name) could pop-up in Riyadh for the Royal Rumble 2026.

Not having featured in a WWE match for nearly a decade, the return of Paige would be an exciting one for fans of the Divas revolution days.

With the returns of Nikki Bella and AJ Lee already in 2025, Paige would seemingly be the ideal next returning star to make their veteran presence felt in WWE.

Able to appear as a fun surprise in the Rumble, it would be great to see Paige return “home” by re-signing with WWE in 2026.

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1. Isiah Kassidy

Last appearing in AEW when they dropped their AEW World Tag Team Championship to the Hurt Syndicate in January 2025, both members of Private Party disappeared.

With Isiah Kassidy & Marc Quen boasting solid in-ring skills as well as defined characters, it would be great to see either of them make a debut in WWE.

While it could be equally likely that either member of Private Party could enter the 2026 Royal Rumble, it would be fun to see them make a WWE debut after having being on the AEW bench for nearly a year.

Potentially marking their segue onto either the main roster or NXT to bring their tag team excellence, a surprise debut at the Royal Rumble 2026 could be a memorable moment for Private Party.

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