WWE Royal Rumble 2026: 10 Surprise Entrants We Could See
WWE takes the Rumble to Saudi Arabia, but which unexpected wrestlers will also make the flight?
It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the Royal Rumble 2026 is upon us. Despite the rumours suggesting that all potential surprises will be spoiled as every reporter on the internet can track flights to see who is aboard the WWE's official chartered plane as it makes its way to Saudi Arabia, we choose to believe that a billion-dollar company can find alternative ways to keep its greatest surprises under wraps.
What is Rumble season without speculation though? From superstars returning to WWE after years away to call-ups from NXT and superstars nearing the end of their lengthy layoffs from injury, the upcoming matches should still be filled with the usual amounts of chaos and surprises.
The road to WrestleMania 42 also starts here, and we should begin to see the biggest show of the year taking shape. With both the mens and women's Rumble matches set for shocks and twists, we are getting our crystal ball out and predicting who we expect to be part of the first ever Royal Rumble to take place outside of the United States Of America, and who might return home with a brand new WWE tenure to boot...
10. Chris Jericho
There is every chance that Chris Jericho's WWE return happens before the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, but Y2J's big comeback will surely include a spot in the 2026 Royal Rumble. With his contract at AEW up any day now and Tony Khan doing that thing he does in interviews where he says he'd "love to have Chris back in AEW" without using him on television, Jericho's reunion with WWE feels like an absolute certainty.
What is most intriguing about Chris's return in the Royal Rumble is what direction he'll begin to take in the build towards next year's WrestleMania. Jericho is unlikely to win the Rumble itself, but there's every chance he comes out of the match with one of the biggest storylines of the night.
Jericho has a long-running history of wanting to work with younger talent, and would be great as either a face or a heel. Could he be the man to lead The Vision in 2026 until Seth Rollins returns, reuniting with his former ECW alumni, Paul Heyman? Will the serotonin rush of his WWE return fuel a babyface run for what he has said will be the final wrestling contract of his career? One thing's for certain: everything will look much clearer after this year's Royal Rumble.