WWE is scheduled to hold its 2026 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event (PLE) on Saturday, January 31st, at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As always, one of the main attractions of the Men's and Women's Royal Rumble Matches is the potential for surprise appearances.
According to an update from Fightful Select, there are several speculated stars who may appear in both Royal Rumble Matches. Confirmed or expected participants for the Royal Rumble PLE in Saudi Arabia include LA Knight, Tiffany Stratton, and Sol Ruca. Knight has reportedly been scheduled for the Rumble for quite some time, while Stratton was added to the lineup earlier this week. Ruca was featured in advertisements for the event and is expected to be present.
The report also mentions that Chris Jericho remains listed on the AEW roster page, which AEW updates regularly. Furthermore, a rumor about WWE trademarking the Fozzy song "Judas" has been debunked as false. Additionally, Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay of The IInspiration are not slated to participate in the Royal Rumble. They concluded their tenure with TNA earlier this month following the AMC premiere of iMPACT, and although there has been interest from other companies, they are not currently scheduled for the Rumble.
Other names not expected to appear at the Rumble include Kevin Owens, Zoey Stark, Seth Rollins, and Michin. Owens was not cleared to compete during the Saturday Night’s Main Event weekend, while Stark is still recovering from an ACL injury. Michin suffered an injury during the holiday tour and is not cleared to wrestle and did not travel to Saudi Arabia. As for Rollins, he has indicated that he is not yet ready to return, and WWE personnel do not expect him to participate in the event.
Additionally, Powerhouse Hobbs, who recently signed with WWE, was not on the charter flight to Saudi Arabia with the other talent. However, WWE will bring in other talent on a later flight, and it would be surprising if Hobbs is not at least brought over.
Lastly, Saraya had her weekend unexpectedly freed up after being scheduled to appear at a convention that was moved back a week due to a double booking. Although she was still in the U.S. on Wednesday night, there remains a possibility that she could appear at the Royal Rumble.
