WWE Royal Rumble 2026: 5 Shocks WWE Could Pull

3. Sami Zayn Dethrones Drew McIntyre

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Sami Zayn
WWE.com

Drew McIntyre might be a heel, but he's been receiving a lot of love from WWE audiences for a reason. They've been there every step of the way since he was last on top as WWE Champion, and people appreciate that Drew didn't get to perform in front of live crowds during his previous reigns. He plans to more than make up for that in 2026.

Along came a spider, one with red hair and fire in his belly. Sami Zayn won the right to wrestle McIntyre by winning a Fatal-4-Way over Damian Priest, Trick Williams and Randy Orton at the latest SNME special this past weekend. Now, attention turns to the Royal Rumble and a date with destiny for the ultimate underdog.

Question time: Do WWE see Zayn's push to the gold through here, or do they break his heart by having McIntyre retain in shady circumstances so a rematch is within reach? There shouldn't be any rush with Sami (there never has been, to tell the truth), but he might take home the title in Riyadh and celebrate with his family as the pyro pops off.

That'd be a gigantic Rumble moment for sure, but it'd also upend all of the hard work a certain Scot has been doing. It wouldn't sit right with a lot of people if WWE casually swept Drew to one side during WrestleMania season. That doesn't for a second mean that Zayn's own WWE Title dreams have been squashed either.

Sami may just bloody well do it, and he'd stun the wrestling world by doing so.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.