Predicting Surprise Entrants, Legends and NXT Stars for WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Matches
The build for the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble has been nearly nonexistent thus far, but as is usually the case, the men's and women's matches essentially sell themselves.
There are a handful of Superstars who could realistically win those contests, but even more than the actual outcomes, fans are excited about the promise of surprise entrants, which have made many Rumbles far more entertaining than they would have been otherwise.
Despite WWE boasting a stacked roster on Raw and SmackDown at the moment, a number of notable names remain missing from television, and the Rumble is as fitting of a time as any to resurface and make an impact.
Rumors of returning legends as well as NXT call-ups competing in the Battle Royals are also circulating, making the Rumble fields as unpredictable as ever. Although no one has officially declared for either match yet, the influx of fresh and familiar faces alike on the main roster as of late ensure the Rumbles won't be short on star power come Jan. 31.
Which of the following surprise entrants for the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches have the best chance of appearing?
Chris Jericho
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Perhaps pro wrestling's worst-kept secret at the moment is that Chris Jericho is on his way out of All Elite Wrestling—assuming he hasn't already exited—and is preparing to make a grand return to WWE in time for the Royal Rumble.
Despite being absent from the first Raw of 2026 on Jan. 5, the Rumble was always the most appropriate place for him to come back and kick off whatever he'll be involved with on the Road to WrestleMania 42.
Notably, Saudi Arabia was where Jericho had his last match with WWE and in a Rumble match, no less. He took part in WWE's first-ever premium live event to emanate from the country in 2018 where he had a short showing in the only 50-man Rumble match in history.
His iconic entrance music would receive a raucous reaction, and whatever he does in the bout should set up his first feud. The roster is drastically different from when he was last with WWE, providing him with a plethora of potential programs for The Show of Shows on April 18-19.
The bigger question is whether he'll resurrect his vintage "Break the Walls Down" walkout song and accompanying character or bring over his Painmaker persona from his stint in AEW, complete with his own band Fozzy's "Judas" as his theme.
LA Knight
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WWE's handling of LA Knight as of late has been highly questionable, to say the least.
The Megastar has been among the company's most beloved babyfaces for the better part of the past three years, yet his booking hasn't reflected his popularity in the slightest. He's instead been slotted at a certain level and hasn't been able to break through to the main event scene permanently.
The Vision's intense attack on Knight at the beginning of December effectively wrote him off Raw and he hasn't been seen since. Fans were hoping he'd be back for revenge and in line for a feud with the group heading into WrestleMania 42, possibly with the World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance.
In this case, seeing is most certainly believing, but regardless of whether Knight winds up challenging for the top title or not, he should be back sooner rather than later. At this point, his anticipated return should be saved for the Royal Rumble.
There, he can target each member of The Vision and attempt to eliminate them one-by-one. His chances of winning the whole thing are slim, but he should be the reason none of his rivals emerge victorious.
Sol Ruca
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It was heavily implied that all of the NXT talent who were showcased at the December installment of Saturday Night's Main Event would be main roster-bound before long.
Sure enough, Je'Von Evans has since joined the main roster and Oba Femi, who recently relinquished the NXT Championship, won't be far behind.
Sol Ruca was the sole star from NXT to win her match at the event, yet there's been no word on when she'll be joining Raw or SmackDown.
Although Jordynne Grace already made the move from NXT to SmackDown, the blue brand's women's division is depleted enough that it would benefit from adding Ruca to its ranks as well. It's possible she hasn't appeared on the show this year because she'll debut during the women's Rumble match.
It's astonishing she hasn't taken part in one in the past given her awe-inspiring athletic abilities. More than anyone, she'd be a natural fit for the Rumble, if only so she could get innovative in avoiding elimination.
A standout showing in the Rumble could translate to a successful stint on SmackDown.
Jeff Hardy
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John Cena's The Last Time Is Now Tournament saw not one but two TNA talents brought back under their old WWE monikers: Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler. Both made for fun surprises and were possible because of the company's working relationship with TNA.
Ideally, a homegrown star from TNA should be spotlighted in either the men's or women's Rumble matches this year.
Mike Santana will likely have regained the TNA World Championship by then and would be a great get for the men's matchup, especially after Joe Hendry set the precedent for participating in the Rumble as TNA world champ a year ago.
With this year's installment taking place in Saudi Arabia, however, WWE may be looking to load up both bouts with significant star power, and you won't find two bigger stars than The Hardy Boyz in TNA.
The reigning TNA world tag team champions have made infrequent appearances on NXT over the last year and even held the NXT Tag Team Championship for a brief period. Jeff Hardy's music playing in particular would generate a massive pop and give fans the shot of nostalgia they look forward to in the Rumble.
Chad Gable
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Chad Gable has been out of action with a shoulder injury for so long that it's easy to forget he was originally under the mask as El Grande Americano.
The Olympian getting sidelined led to Ludwig Kaiser taking over the role and New Catch Republic being repackaged as his masked sidekicks, Bravo Americano and Rayo Americano. The gimmick has more than overstayed its welcome, but Gable resurfacing soon should speed up the storyline.
The rest of Gable's group American Made can be seen in the background on Raw while the Americanos are preparing to walk out to the ring, so the seeds are being planted for faction warfare when he is cleared to compete again.
The multi-time tag team champ entering the Royal Rumble wouldn't be a massive surprise, but it would be a logical way to reintroduce him, especially if he were to throw out El Grande Americano.
Doing so would effectively turn him babyface, but that was always inevitable with how exceptionally skilled he is in virtually every aspect of wrestling.
Bianca Belair
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Bianca Belair's absence from SmackDown has been felt over the last year with how shallow the women's division has been and the lack of interesting stories surrounding the WWE Women's Championship.
At one point a few years ago, The EST of WWE was overexposed in the title scene, but outside of her one shot at the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania 41, it's been so long since she was prominently featured in the top mix that it shouldn't be a concern once she returns from injury.
She wasn't expected to be out of action for the remainder of 2025, and now fans are eagerly awaiting her comeback. There not being any meaningful update on when she'll be returning means it's either still a way off or WWE is doing an excellent job of keeping it under wraps.
The latter would be the best-case scenario, because if Belair is able to compete in the 2026 women's Rumble, she'd automatically be a front-runner to win it.
The EST challenging former tag team partner Jade Cargill for the championship at WrestleMania 42 would be a dream match years in the making, and it could well become a possibility if Belair returns at the Rumble and reigns supreme.
Ethan Page
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Of all the rising rookies rumored to be on their way up to the main roster from NXT, Ethan Page is apparently not among them.
In a way, it's a credit to how he excels working with the next generation of stars and helping everyone he shares the ring with to shine. That said, he belongs with the best and shouldn't be down in developmental for longer than he needs to be.
At the very least, a cameo in the men's Rumble would establish him as someone for fans to keep an eye on when he eventually makes it to the grand stage. It'd be a deserved spot for someone who has arguably been the best part of NXT for several months now and is amid a memorable reign as NXT North American champion.
Page appearing in the annual Battle Royal would also allow him to cross paths with Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown and give the audience a taste of what he's capable of by proving he can hang with them at an elite level.
Paige
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From one Page to another, the biggest possible surprise WWE could deliver in the women's Rumble this year is Paige.
AJ Lee held that honor for almost a decade before finally returning to the ring last year to team up with husband CM Punk to beat Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins at Wrestlepalooza.
Now that Lee is back on the active roster (even if only as a part-timer), the former Saraya in AEW becomes the new "white whale" for women's Rumbles going forward.
She was forced to retire from the ring mere weeks before the first-ever women's Rumble took place in 2018. She was underutilized until 2022 when her contract wasn't renewed and she subsequently signed with AEW, where she was deemed fit to wrestle again and captured the AEW Women's World Championship in her home country of England.
The two-time Divas champion and inaugural NXT women's champion departed AEW in early 2025 and has largely laid low since then. It wouldn't be necessary for her to have another extended run with WWE, but as a one-off, she would be welcomed back with open arms.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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