WWE is set 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, a key focus of both the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble Matches will be the potential surprise appearances.
Fightful Select has provided an update on the statuses of several speculated stars who might appear in both Royal Rumble Matches. Confirmed or expected participants for the event include LA Knight, Tiffany Stratton, and Sol Ruca.
According to the report, Knight has been scheduled for the Rumble for some time, while Stratton was confirmed to be scheduled earlier this week. Ruca was also included in advertisements for the Rumble in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be part of the show.
The report notes that Chris Jericho is still listed on the AEW roster page, which is regularly updated by AEW. Additionally, rumors about WWE trademarking the Fozzy track “Judas” have been debunked as false.
It was also mentioned that Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay of The IInspiration are not expected to participate in the Royal Rumble. McKay and Lee recently completed their time with TNA after the AMC premiere of iMPACT, and while there has been interest from other companies, they are not currently slated for the Rumble.
Furthermore, Kevin Owens, Zoey Stark, Seth Rollins, and Michin are not expected to compete in the Rumble. Owens was not cleared to compete as of the Saturday Night’s Main Event weekend, while Stark continues to recover from her ACL injury.
Michin sustained an injury during the holiday tour and is also not cleared to participate, nor did she travel to Saudi Arabia. Rollins has indicated he is not ready to return, and WWE does not expect him to be ready for the event.
The report also mentions two others whose participation is uncertain. Powerhouse Hobbs recently signed with WWE, but he was not on the charter flight to Saudi Arabia with the rest of the talent. However, WWE plans to bring additional talents on a later flight, and it would be surprising if Hobbs is not included.
Lastly, Saraya unexpectedly found her weekend free after a convention scheduled for that weekend was moved back a week due to a venue double-booking. This was not a cancellation on Saraya’s part.
While she was still in the U.S. on Wednesday night, there remains a possibility of her appearing at the Royal Rumble.
