With the WWE Royal Rumble 2026 fast approaching, it is entirely possible that both the men’s and women’s matches see first-time winners.
Amongst the names of top WWE stars that have never won a Royal Rumble match are some serious contenders for this year’s battle royal.
Here are seven potential first-time WWE Royal Rumble 2026 winners.
7. Chris Jericho
One potentially historic first-time winner of the WWE Royal Rumble could be Chris Jericho after many appearances in the bout but with zero wins in his career.
With his first appearance in the Royal Rumble coming in 2000, Jericho is a historic competitor in the over-the-top-rope battle royal
Technically his last appearance was not in the Royal Rumble proper but rather the Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he was the final entrant at #50 but still failed to capture victory.
Having competed in a total of eleven Royal Rumbles, Jericho could find himself not only making a surprise entry into the match but winning the 2026 edition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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6. Nia Jax
After numerous impressive showings in the Royal Rumble match, Nia Jax has never claimed victory.
Somewhat surprising since she has had dominant showings in a total of six Royal Rumbles — including the 2019 event which saw her enter both the men’s and women’s Rumbles.
Potentially set to make 2026 her year, she could easily join up with tag team partner Lash Legend during the bout.
With Legend already having an impressive debut showing in the Royal Rumble 2025, the duo working together in the over the top rope battle royal could end up capturing either one their first Rumble win.
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5. IYO SKY
Another impressive former WWE World Champion that has yet to capture a victory in the Royal Rumble is IYO SKY.
Appearing in three Royal Rumbles so far in her career, including kicking off the bout in 2025 as the number one entrant.
Potentially set to actually capture a victory in the over the top rope battle royal this year, it could be the perfect way to see IYO SKY get back into the hunt for the WWE Women’s World Championship.
With plenty of contenders on the WWE Raw women’s division for Stephanie Vaquer’s title, a win for IYO SKY in the Royal Rumble would cement her WrestleMania 42 status early on the Road to WrestleMania.
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4. Bron Breakker
One of the most exciting prospects of a potential Royal Rumble winner that could shift the landscape of WrestleMania 42 might be Bron Breakker.
If Bron Breakker were able to capture victory in the titular battle royal, he certainly could call his shot for WrestleMania 42 including targeting CM Punk or even picking up a new foe.
With the potential for Breakker to have an amazing match against Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns in addition to The Vision leader Seth Rollins that he ousted in storyline — there could be twists and turns ahead for Breakker.
Potentially set to see the rug pulled out from beneath his feet by Paul Heyman, it could be a very interesting time for Bron Breakker between Riyadh’s Royal Rumble and Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42.
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3. Liv Morgan
One potential first time winner that might find herself at a career crossroads if she were to claim victory is Liv Morgan.
After having suffered an injury over the summer, Morgan returned to WWE Raw as a heel despite rumors in her absence she was set for a babyface turn.
However, potentially waiting to turn babyface until closer to the Road to WrestleMania, Liv Morgan could use her Royal Rumble win to segue into a new attitude ahead of the big event.
Potentially using her Royal Rumble victory to target women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch, the duo could have an interesting face-off by which both play up their dynamic characters that are both beloved and seemingly unscrupulous.
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2. Logan Paul
While this entry is probably the least likely to happen on the list, there is a solid case to be made for why the swerve could be a solid one.
Since the winner of the Royal Rumble retains the right to challenge any champion, Logan Paul could go on to target any number of unlikely options.
Perhaps taking aim at the NXT Champion for a first-ever crossover event in the men’s division (harkening back to 2020 when Charlotte Flair’s victory in the Rumble went towards challenging Rhea Ripley for the NXT Championship at WrestleMania 36), there are options in AAA as well.
Potentially serving as a winner that doesn’t disrupt the overall plans for the main event bouts for the Undisputed WWE Championship or the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Logan Paul could be sort of the perfect escape route.
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1. Sami Zayn
With the Royal Rumble 2026 being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it could finally be the year that the ‘Underdog from the Underground’ Sami Zayn gets his shot at a World title.
If he is able to win the Rumble, Zayn could guarantee his title shot at WrestleMania 42, shaking up the current projections for who might land in the main event.
Adding an element of unexpectedness to the entire Road to WrestleMania, Zayn has plenty of emotional ground to cover with opponents like Roman Reigns, CM Punk or even Brock Lesnar.
Potentially making for an amazing storyline that fans can really find inspirational — Zayn could be the absolute perfect winner of the Royal Rumble 2026, that’s if he doesn’t already have a Undisputed WWE Championship Match with Drew McIntyre lined up at the event.
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