With WWE Royal Rumble set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 31, there has been a lot of anticipation surrounding the event.
With several twists and turns on WWE TV ahead of the event, including major championships changing hands, fans are eager to see how the two Royal Rumble matches play out.
WWE will have a number of shocks and surprises planned for the Rumble matches, and will be looking to make an impact with the number 30 entrants.
Here are eight potential Men’s Royal Rumble 2026 number 30 entrants.
8. Cody Rhodes
Someone who seems destined to compete in the Royal Rumble is Cody Rhodes, with many fans predicting big things for him in the match following SmackDown.
Drew McIntyre notably defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship on the January 9 episode, meaning that Rhodes is once again chasing WWE’s top title.
Rhodes now has the opportunity to equal Stone Cold Steve Austin’s record, with Austin currently being the only star to win three Royal Rumble matches.
With the American Nightmare’s 2023 Rumble victory coming following his entrance in the #30 spot, we could see the now-former WWE Champion attempt to repeat history from the #30 spot.
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7. Bron Breakker
Following his recent title match loss, the Royal Rumble would be the perfect place for Bron Breakker to regain momentum.
While the Vision member unsuccessfully challenged for CM Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship on the January 5 Raw episode, Breakker could quickly bounce back with a win – or at least a dominant showing – in the Royal Rumble match.
With Breakker’s recent dominant streak, everyone’s expecting him to have a worthwhile appearance, and entering at number 30 would allow the young star to leave his mark on the closing moments of the match.
The 2023 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge proved that Breakker can turn things around in a matter of seconds after entering a multi-man match. If he has this energy in the Rumble, nobody will be safe.
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6. GUNTHER
GUNTHER currently holds the record for the longest time spent in a traditional Royal Rumble match, lasting almost 72 minutes in the 2023 match, which he entered in the #1 spot.
It would be interesting if GUNTHER had the opposite role in the 2026 match, entering late to play spoiler for this year’s iron-men.
After making John Cena tap out at December’s Saturday Night’s Main Event special, GUNTHER will be looking to capitalize on his momentum.
Retiring both Cena and Goldberg in 2025, entering in the #30 spot would be another way for GUNTHER to crush fans’ dreams, marking the end of entrances in the beloved match.
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5. Sami Zayn
We will learn more about Sami Zayn’s role at Royal Rumble in the coming weeks, with the underdog in the running to be Drew McIntyre’s first WWE Championship challenger.
McIntyre’s Royal Rumble opponent will be determined in a four-way bout at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which Zayn has a qualifying match for on the January 16 SmackDown episode.
Regardless of if Zayn is McIntyre’s opponent, we could still see the popular star enter the Royal Rumble match, in front of the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia crowd.
With Sami Zayn both wanting to win a world title, and finally score a victory over Drew McIntyre, entering the Rumble in the #30 spot would be a triumphant moment, as Zayn fights to keep his dreams alive.
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4. Oba Femi
Following Oba Femi relinquishing the NXT Championship, and vignettes playing during Raw and SmackDown, WWE is building anticipation ahead of Femi’s official main roster debut.
With Oba Femi clearly set to make an impact, the Nigerian star could make a late entrance in the Royal Rumble match to keep him associated with the main event scene.
After Oba Femi’s match against Cody Rhodes was interrupted by Drew McIntyre at December’s Saturday Night’s Main Event special, the former NXT Champion has two ready-made rivalries with top stars.
Especially now that Drew McIntyre is the WWE Champion, big things appear to be planned for Oba Femi’s future.
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3 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins was written off WWE TV in October, after suffering a legitimate shoulder injury at Crown Jewel 2025.
While Rollins previously indicated that he is on track for a return in April, there has been speculation that Rollins is bending the truth, to make his actual return date a surprise.
With Rollins revealing that he hadn’t actually suffered a leg injury at SummerSlam 2025 during his Money in the Bank cash-in, he ensured that every update he gives about his legitimate injuries moving forward will be met with skepticism.
Between Bron Breakker, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, there are many avenues for Seth Rollins to go down following his return, and a Royal Rumble return would certainly be memorable.
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2. Roman Reigns
With Roman Reigns teasing challenging for both the WWE and World Heavyweight titles ahead of Survivor Series 2025, he will be a popular pick to win the 2026 Rumble.
Reigns hasn’t wrestled since the WarGames match at Survivor Series, which saw him on the same side as then-champions Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, with their side losing to The Vision’s team, which featured current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
With the WWE Championship changing hands during Reigns’ absence, the Tribal Chief’s return will see him find his place in the new WWE landscape.
If WWE is planning to have a returning star as the #30 entrant, Roman Reigns is one of a few names who could make this moment feel monumental.
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1 Chris Jericho
Following reports that Chris Jericho’s AEW contract was set to expire on December 31, 2025, there has been a lot of speculation about Jericho potentially returning to WWE.
While Chris Jericho was seemingly teased for the January 5 Raw episode, the former WWE Champion ultimately didn’t appear on this show.
If WWE does have a Chris Jericho return planned, it would make sense for his iconic countdown to replace the standard Royal Rumble countdown in the late stages of the Royal Rumble match.
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