WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Match Card Predictions After SNME 42 Results

Despite receiving a rather rushed build, the 42nd installment of Saturday Night's Main Event delivered in spades and successfully set the stage for WWE Royal Rumble 2026.

Sami Zayn emerged victorious in a star-studded Fatal 4-Way match to become the new number one contender to the Undisputed WWE Championship and punch his ticket to the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, when he'll challenge Drew McIntyre.

McIntyre appeared earlier in the night to lay out both Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu after their match didn't get underway due to a chaotic brawl that broke out between them instead.

Not only did Rhodes and Fatu fail to settle their score, they took their heated rivalry to the next level, and The Scottish Warrior remains embroiled in the bad blood as well.

AJ Styles also had an excellent outing against one of his most memorable in-ring rivals in Shinsuke Nakamura, likely marking the final time the former IWGP heavyweight champions will collide ahead of The Phenomenal One's potentially career-ending match with Gunther at the Rumble.

This year's Royal Rumble will boast a small yet stacked four-match card. In the wake of Saturday Night's Main Event, let's look at everything on tap for the weekend and attempt to predict each bout.

Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Championship)

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Although Sami Zayn only just earned his shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship by winning the Fatal 4-Way at Saturday Night's Main Event, it had been clear for weeks that he would be first to face Drew McIntyre for his newly-won title at the Royal Rumble.

In the many matches they've had dating back several years, Zayn has never been able to best McIntyre in a one-on-one encounter. It's a simple yet strong story to tell on such short notice, especially with the event emanating from Saudi Arabia where Zayn is a massive fan favorite.

It took McIntyre much longer than it should have to take the title from Cody Rhodes and at this point, it would be premature for him to drop it before WrestleMania 42. That means yet another defeat for Zayn at the hands of McIntyre come the Rumble, but they can still make every nearfall suspenseful by having Zayn come close to clinching the championship.

Zayn winning a WWE world title is inevitable, and it will mean that much more once it finally happens, but it won't be at the Rumble, where McIntyre will keep his undefeated streak against Zayn intact for a little longer.

Prediction: Drew McIntyre retains.

AJ Styles vs. Gunther (Career-Threatening Match)

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AJ Styles established many months ago that 2026 would be his last year as an active wrestler, but he never revealed when he would wrap up specifically. He could well be on the verge of his retirement if his recent rivalry with Gunther is any indication.

Gunther handed losses to Goldberg and John Cena in their final matches, and he may now have the chance to send Styles into an early retirement.

The Ring General already beat Styles once on Raw, and if he can do it again at the Rumble, The Phenomenal One will be forced to call it a career per the stipulation he agreed to when the match was made official.

With Fightful Select reporting late last year that Styles' WWE contract is expected to expire in February, this is genuinely the most unpredictable match at the Rumble this year.

It's entirely possible Styles signed or will soon sign an extension that sees him stick around until WrestleMania 42 or later, but it would be poetic for his WWE sendoff to take place at the same pay-per-view he debuted a decade earlier.

Fans are under the belief that Styles could win and Gunther would then redeem himself with a Rumble victory later in the evening, but the Austrian shouldn't be losing a month removed from submitting Cena.

Styles seems content with lacing up the boots for good, and therefore it appears next Saturday will be his swan song.

Prediction: Gunther wins.

Women's Royal Rumble Match

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Several high-profile names have declared for the women's Royal Rumble match and many more are bound to be added by next Saturday, but there isn't one obvious winner for the upcoming installment as there has been in the past.

At Saturday Night's Main Event, Liv Morgan fell short of regaining the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship with Roxanne Perez against Rhiyo. That automatically increases her chances of coming out on top in the Rumble, especially following her interactions with women's world champ Stephanie Vaquer recently on Raw.

Morgan is owed a Rumble win after all of the Rumbles she's lost over the years, and it could be what sets her looming face turn alongside Dominik Mysterio into motion.

If not Morgan, Bianca Belair would have to be considered the front-runner to rule the Rumble, five years removed from her last win in the event. She's been out of action with an injury since WrestleMania 41 and the uncertainty surrounding her status could merely be a red herring.

Belair vs. Jade Cargill is the direction WWE should be going in for 'Mania and a Rumble return for The EST of WWE would be the perfect way to kick off that build.

It's difficult to know for sure whether Belair is indeed cleared to compete, so Morgan feels like the better bet at the moment.

Prediction: Liv Morgan wins.

Men's Royal Rumble Match

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So many different world title matchups have been rumored at WrestleMania 42 that the men's Royal Rumble feels almost impossible to predict.

Penta, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Solo Sikoa and Jey Uso have all declared for the Rumble, but none are legitimate threats to win.

Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu will further their feud by taking part, and the latter winning by lastly eliminating the former would be a worthy transition into a full-fledged program with Drew McIntyre over the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Gunther can't be counted out as a possibility, but he should be seen as the odds-on favorite only if he loses to AJ Styles earlier in the event. Even in that case, there isn't a 'Mania match for a world title that would be logical for him to have this year.

Bron Breakker and Roman Reigns are the top two front-runners for the men. Reigns vs. Rhodes III was teased at the end of Survivor Series and is a blockbuster bout WWE can revisit at any time, but it's also too soon for them to be rekindling their rivalry.

Breakker finding a way out of his storyline suspension and winning the Rumble would earn him a rematch with CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, this time on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Ideally, WWE going with a fresh face like Oba Femi for the Rumble winner would be ideal, but Breakker is a much more realistic—and equally appealing—choice.

Prediction: Bron Breakker wins.

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.