WWE May Have ALREADY Ruined Royal Rumble 2026... (WWE News)
Don't be expecting too many surprises at WWE Royal Rumble 2026.
With the Royal Rumble being one of WWE's most hotly anticipated Premium Live Events of the year, fans may need to temper expectations when it comes to the 2026 Rumble.
Of course, part of the reason why so many fans get excited for the Royal Rumble is down to the sheer surprise factor that so often comes with the over-the-top spectacular. Be that shock returns to the company, returns from injury, appearances from NXT talent, a Hall of Famer cameo, a celebrity or two, or even, in the case of Mickie James, Jordynne Grace, and Joe Hendry in recent years, a wrestler from an entirely different company.
However, it sounds as if we won't be getting any surprises at next year's Royal Rumble.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted how he's been given the impression that WWE is working under the tentative plan that there "probably" aren't going to be any surprises for Royal Rumble 2026. The reason for this is due to the PLE taking place in Saudi Arabia, with Alvarez explaining how it'd be "extremely difficult" to hide any surprise Rumble entrants on flights.
Instead, Alvarez pointed out that Saturday Night's Main Event and SmackDown are both taking place from Montreal, Canada the week before the Royal Rumble. As such, he suggested that any Rumble surprises could appear on one of those shows, meaning we'd know ahead of time that those wrestlers would be entering the Royal Rumble.
In terms of potential Royal Rumble surprises, the one big one that's been speculated about in the past few months is a WWE return for Chris Jericho. The inaugural AEW World Champion's deal with Tony Khan's promotion is up at the end of this year, with WWE believed to have interest in bringing the veteran back into the fold, whereas Khan has likewise talked about his eagerness to keep Jericho #AllElite.
As for WWE Royal Rumble 2026, that takes place in Riyadh on Saturday, 31 January.