8 Wrestlers Who NEED A Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2026
The names WWE need to strap a rocket to following the Royal Rumble.
The Royal Rumble matches are never just about the winners. With all respect and congratulations to Liv Morgan and Roman Reigns, the headlines are also written by those who stand out from the crowd and demand to be noticed by casual and hardcore fans alike. From stars who've been around for a while and won't stop improving to NXT call-ups and debuts from outside WWE, this year's pair of Rumbles had plenty of superstars end the match with their star on the rise.
The refreshing part about this in the 2026 Royal Rumble from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia came in the variety of performers who made a case to be pushed off the back of the men's and women's Rumble matches. Be it with jaw-dropping eliminations or surviving way longer than anticipated, a host of men and women came out of this year's Royal Rumble PLE with plenty of credit in the bank.
As we are now on the road to WrestleMania 42, the following eight names all put themselves forward for giant pushes as we head towards WWE's biggest show of the year and beyond.
8. Raquel Rodriguez
Unquestionably the most improved WWE superstar of the past few months, The Judgment Day’s resident big bad Raquel Rodriguez capitalized on her recent glow-up with an incredible showing in this year’s women's Royal Rumble match. Ever since she took Kevin Nash’s advice to “wrestle big” (as well as pinching his Big Sexy nickname), Rodriguez has felt like one of the most dominant forces in women’s wrestling.
There is no clearer sign that WWE has seen the potential with Big Mami Cool than her eliminating the biggest star in the division, Rhea Ripley, from the women's Rumble. Marching Ripley across the ring while holding her six feet in the air, and mercilessly dumping her over the top rope, this was a clear sign of faith in the great work Raquel has been putting in.
Eventual winner Liv Morgan followed this up with a lightning-fast elimination of her Judgement Day partner, and being the most notable elimination from this year's Rumble winner is all the more reason to push Raquel Rodriguez into the big leagues. With two months to go until WrestleMania 42, there is every chance that Rodriguez and Morgan go to war over the WWE Women’s World Championship at the biggest show of the year. At the very least, Raquel deserves a spot on the card at The Showcase of the Immortals.