The Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s most anticipated shows of the year as the event typically features some big surprises. Fans are always waiting to see who might show up in the Royal Rumble matches, but it sounds like surprise entrants may be unlikely for the 2026 premium live event.
Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer recently shared an update on plans for the 2026 Royal Rumble PLE, and he claimed that the feeling in WWE is that there might not be surprises because it would be hard for WWE to sneak people into Saudi Arabia.
“There is a feeling that we might not get Royal Rumble surprises this year if only for the fact that sneaking people into Saudi Arabia will be a lot harder. Most likely surprises would take place the week prior at SNME,” Alvarez noted.
WWE is set to make history with next year’s Royal Rumble premium live event in Saudi Arabia as it will be the first time the Royal Rumble has taken place outside of North America. The show is set to air live on Saturday, January 31st.
Recently there’s been a lot of speculation regarding possible WWE returns in the coming months as Chris Jericho’s deal with All Elite Wrestling is set to expire at the end of 2025. Recently Jericho was spotted with a top WWE star and you can get more on that here.