Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown featured the main event, where Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against the new champion, Drew McIntyre, in a Three Stages of Hell Match.
Shortly after the match, it was announced that McIntyre will defend his title at the 2026 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event (PLE) against the winner of a Fatal 4-Way Match, which will take place at Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 24th.
Additionally, it was revealed that Sami Zayn, Ilja Dragunov, Damian Priest, Solo Sikoa, Matt Cardona, Trick Williams, Randy Orton, and The Miz will each compete in singles matches to qualify for the Fatal 4-Way.
The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble PLE is scheduled for Saturday, January 31st, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will be broadcast live on the ESPN Unlimited App domestically and on Netflix internationally.
