In just four weeks time WWE’s Royal Rumble will go international for the very first time in the event’s near 40 year history, with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia hosting on Saturday, January 31.
It feels as if the field for the men’s and women’s Rumble matches is wide open this year, with many potential winners, something that can’t always be said about the event.
But it’s not just about who wins the Royal Rumble, as there could also be plenty of surprises packed into the show as a whole.
Here are seven potential surprises at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble PLE.
7. Oba Femi Breaks Royal Rumble Elimination Record
With vignettes airing on both Raw and SmackDown in recent weeks, it seems as if “The Ruler” is set to make the leap from NXT to main roster in early 2026.
While he currently holds the NXT Championship, and could remain on the brand for months to come, WWE could show fans a glimpse into their future in a big way by having Femi enter the Royal Rumble Match.
Entering early, Femi could go on a dominant run not seen since Brock Lesnar in 2020, besting his single Rumble elimination record of 13.
Even if he doesn’t win the match, Femi breaking this record will establish him as a major force and someone set for world championship level success in the future.
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6. GUNTHER Eliminates Brock Lesnar, Sets Up WrestleMania 42 Match
Three years ago, during the 2023 Royal Rumble Match, GUNTHER came face-to-face with Brock Lesnar.
Seemingly planting the seeds for what was reportedly planned to be a match between the two at WrestleMania 40 the following year, that match never came to fruition due to Lesnar being pulled from the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Now that Lesnar is back however, it seems likely that WWE will push forward with a match between “The Ring General” and “The Beast” at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
Much like it has many times in the past, a Royal Rumble elimination can be used as fuel to set up a WrestleMania feud, and GUNTHER eliminating Lesnar would be a straight forward way for WWE to begin the pair’s program together.
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5. Sami Zayn Crashes Out After Elimination From Trick Williams
The first SmackDown of 2026 gave us the long awaited official main roster call-up for former two-time NXT Champion Trick Williams.
Interrupting Sami Zayn – who was in the middle of an impassioned declaration that he will finally become world champion in the near future – Trick established himself as a future top star by also setting his sights on the WWE Championship.
With their interaction looking like the beginning of a feud, Zayn could find his Royal Rumble dreams dashed by “Trick Willy”, leading to a major crash out from the Canadian star after being eliminated.
With the realisation that he may never reach the mountaintop, Zayn could tear up the commentary table and even attack officials, showing a desperation that may lead him down a dark path heading into WrestleMania season.
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4. Kendal Grey Puts In Iron Woman Performance
When it comes to rising female stars in WWE, there’s arguably nobody who’s heading into 2026 with more of an upward trajectory than Kendal Grey.
After pulling off a major upset to win the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match At NXT Deadline 2025, Grey has the chance to dethrone Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at New Year’s Evil on January 6.
While it remains to be seen whether WWE will push her to the very top of NXT at that event, she may get another chance to show off her talents in January – via the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble Match.
Much like Roxanne Perez did last year, Grey could pull out an Iron Woman performance and last from the early numbers all the way until the end, establishing her as one for Raw and SmackDown to keep an eye on over the next 12 months.
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3. Ricky Saints Joins The Vision
With Austin Theory recently increasing The Vision’s ranks to four active in-ring members, it’ll be interesting to see whether any more WWE stars step up and attempt to audition to join Paul Heyman’s stable.
While any more than four is arguably overkill, there may be space for one more addition from NXT – Ricky Saints.
Having recently turned heel on NXT, the former AEW star is looking likely to join the main roster as a bad guy in 2026. While there are many options available for him on Raw or SmackDown, Saints would fit the bill for The Vision, adding yet another star for the future to the group’s ranks.
Perhaps beginning a tag team with Austin Theory, and thusly freeing Logan Paul up to challenge for the Intercontinental Title, Saints could make for a perfect final addition.
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2. Seth Rollins Returns & Attacks Bron Breakker
The January 5 episode of WWE Raw will be main evented by CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker.
While WWE could look to kick off 2026 with a massive title change, it feels more likely that Punk will retain and set up a rematch at a later date.
Considering Bron Breakker looks poised to be WWE’s next top male star, they may pick WrestleMania 42 as the appropriate show for such a win – or alternatively they could have other plans for the second-generation star at the “Grandest Stage of Them All”.
With Seth Rollins out for revenge after being kicked out of The Vision in October, the Royal Rumble could play host to a stunning early comeback for “The Visionary” costing Bron Breakker either a rematch against Punk for the World Title, or eliminating him from the Royal Rumble Match itself – and thusly setting up a match between Rollins and Breakker at WrestleMania.
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1. Bianca Belair Wins Second Women’s Royal Rumble On Return From Injury
Whether it be Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton or otherwise, the women’s Royal Rumble has a truly wide open field, with it very difficult to pick a winner.
While there are reportedly big plans in the works for Morgan at WrestleMania according to WrestleVotes, Bianca Belair stands as another top candidate for a top spot on the card in Las Vegas.
Having not competed since suffering a hand injury at WrestleMania 41, fans will be hoping to finally see “The EST” return to action in Riyadh, especially with a potential major showdown with Jade Cargill potentially on the cards for “The Show of Shows”.
With a story of already there between the two, Cargill vs. Belair for the WWE Women’s Title would make for a true marquee contest on the two-night Mania card.
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