WWE Royal Rumble 2026: 5 Things That NEED To Happen
4. Drew McIntyre Retains
Either Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, Trick Williams or Damian Priest will be lining up to shoot down Drew McIntyre by the time some read this. That Fatal-4-Way on the 24 January version of Saturday Night's Main Event hasn't happened yet at time of writing, but here's the incredible thing: It really doesn't matter who Drew is wrestling on 31 Jan.
He has to win and retain that hard fought WWE Title regardless.
McIntyre's smugness will be his undoing eventually, but it's far too early for that. He's spent years scratching and clawing his way back to the top, so it'd be a real downer if Drew dropped the belt at the Rumble. Wins over Zayn or Orton (the most likely contenders coming out of SNME) would do him the world of good right now, and both babyfaces can easily bounce back from defeat themselves.
Ideally, it's Sami who will find out firsthand just how bloody difficult it is to become World Champion. His promo on SmackDown a while back about explaining to his young son why he's never held 'the big one' tugged at fan heartstrings, so there's plenty of mileage in his underdog success story narrative.
There's no rush, in other words. Besides, McIntyre would look like the bloody Iron Sheik if he was just a transitional champ designed to bridge the gap between Cody Rhodes and someone like Zayn or Orton. That'd be a crying shame for the heel, not least because he's worked so hard to enjoy this moment again (this time in front of fans).