HIGHLIGHTS
- The 2026 Royal Rumble takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with an early start time for U.S. viewers.
- Nearly 30 Superstars have been confirmed across the men’s and women’s Rumble matches.
- Several high-profile names could make surprise appearances in the match.
If you’re a WWE fan, there’s a ton of reasons to be fired up as we sit just days away from the 2026 Royal Rumble. This year’s event has a chance to be one of the biggest in history. The title pictures are pretty wide open in both the men and women’s division and the event is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
If we’ve learned anything about WWE events in Saudi, we know the presentation will be expensive and the budget for the show will be high overall. That could mean we’ll see some high-profile returns and surprises. Let’s look at everything we know so far.
When, Where and How to Watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026?
WWE fans will need to lock in a little early on Saturday.
- Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
- Start Time (Main Show): 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT
- Preshow: Coverage from 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT in the ESPN app
- Location: King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- How to Watch (U.S.): Streaming on ESPN’s “Unlimited” tier through the ESPN app; also accessible via ESPN-carrying bundles like Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Spectrum, etc.
- International: Streaming on Netflix in dozens of markets including the U.K., Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and much of Europe and Asia.
WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Full Card
- Women’s Royal Rumble
- (c) Drew McIntyre Vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship
- AJ Styles Vs. Gunther – If Styles loses, he has to retire
Who’s Confirmed For the Women’s Rumble?
The women’s Rumble already has a who’s who of Superstars confirmed.
WWE has announced 15 women so far with 15 spots still open.
Confirmed Women’s Rumble Entrants:
These names were confirmed across Raw, SmackDown and Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Who’s Confirmed For the Men’s Rumble?
With Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns and others locked in, there will be tons of star power.
The current count is 14 confirmed men with 16 spots to go.
Confirmed Men’s Rumble Entrants:
Reigns and Solo officially declared on SmackDown and Saturday Night’s Main Event weekend, while the rest came via TV promos and graphics.
Who Are the Potential Surprise Entrants?
The wrestling world is still waiting on Chris Jericho to land in WWE. The Rumble seems like the right spot.
Beyond Jericho, here are some names to watch:
LA Knight – He’s been off WWE programming for weeks after a vicious attack from the Vision. The Rumble is likely his spot to return.
Royce Keys (Powerhouse Hobbs) – A monstrous outside name who fits the classic “one-night wrecking ball” role. Quite honestly, Keys seems like the best bet from this list–even over Jericho.
Nic Nemeth – He came back for the John Cena Last Time is Now Tournament. Fans would love to see Nemeth again at the Rumble.
El Hijo del Vikingo – The dream lucha cameo. With WWE leaning into its partnership with AAA, this isn’t crazy. When you think of the kind of show he El Hijo could put on in the Rumble, it could be an excellent showing.
Mr. Iguana – The cult-favorite wild card. A surprise entrance with the iguana, a quick comedy flurry and an over-the-top bump out of the ring would make hardcore lucha fans go crazy. I’d rank this close to Keys when it comes to likelihood.
EVIL – The rumors suggest he is on his way to WWE. He could make a solid splash at the Rumble. However, if WWE really wants to make something happen with him, they may wait to give EVIL a better spot for individual presentation.
Leon Slater – The “Next Gen highlight” candidate. I like Slater’s chances of being in the Rumble too.
Ricky Sosa – This is wishful thinking. Sosa has gone viral recently because of his viral entrance song. In case you haven’t heard or seen the video, check it out.
Who Will Win the Royal Rumbles?
You didn’t ask, and I didn’t promise, but here are my predictions for the men and women’s Rumble. I’m shifting gears on the men’s side. I’ve been saying Bron Breakker would win for weeks, but now I’m going with Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief is returning and the last time we saw him he talked about turning his attention toward either the World Heavyweight title or the WWE Championship. If he wins the Rumble, his WrestleMania 42 choice will be a major storyline.
I’ve got Reigns.
As for the women, I have been in and out with my pick, but I’m going with Tiffany Stratton. I think the former champion wins and gets his WrestleMania rematch with Jade Cargill. It’s possible it could wind up being a Triple Threat match if Jordynne Grace can make some noise in her feud with Cargill.
In any case, I’m going with Stratton.
