5 WWE stars who should NOT win the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble match

Every WWE star statistically has the same chance to win every Royal Rumble match. Since bookers don't treat every performer the same, only a handful of stars realistically have an opportunity to outlast 29 other wrestlers.

Several names like John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes have won more than one Royal Rumble. Jey Uso won in 2025 and tries to go back-to-back this upcoming January.

While some fans would love The Yeet Master to win another match, it's probably not going to happen again in 2026. The next five WWE stars should not win the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble.

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#5. Jey Uso won in 2025

As mentioned above, Jey Uso won the 2025 match. Stars rarely win in back-to-back fashion unless they are among the company's top four or five performers.

Uso is a former World Heavyweight Champion, but isn't on the same level as Rhodes, Cena, Punk, Seth Rollins, and others. Rhodes was the hand-picked face of the WWE after his return, hence why he won two matches in two years.

With many other deserving stars like Bron Breakker, LA Knight, or AJ Styles who could win in 2026, Jey shouldn't get another accolade over those names.

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#4. Randy Orton already has two victories in his pocket

Randy Orton has been absent from programming for the last few months. He left off feuding with Drew McIntyre as backup for Cody Rhodes.

Jacob Fatu was attacked while The Viper was out, and there haven't been any developments since the initial attack. Like other legends, Orton has already captured two Royal Rumble victories.

A third would be overkill, especially since he had a title shot against Cena after WrestleMania 41. He also lost to Rhodes with a title shot up for grabs in the King of the Ring Tournament.

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#3. Logan Paul joined the Vision

Jey Uso and Logan Paul were in the final three of this year's match. (Image Credit: WWE.com).

Logan Paul may be protected as a member of the Vision, but the vehicle is to set up Bron Breakker as the World Heavyweight Champion.

If he doesn't beat CM Punk at the first anniversary show on Netflix, he'll be a favorite to win the Royal Rumble.

The Maverick is a great heel, but should never win a major title shot like that through the Rumble. He's literally been handed shots against Rhodes, Reigns, and Jey Uso. The win should be used for a different star.

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#2. Brock Lesnar is a two-time Royal Rumble winner

Brock Lesnar has always picked his dates, and that trend has continued since returning at SummerSlam. He didn't show up for a few months until Wrestlepalooza, and did the same until he joined Team Vision for WarGames.

He's been absent since that match, and will presumably pop up at either the first RAW of 2026 or in the Royal Rumble. The Beast won the match twice, including in 2022.

Lesnar does have built-in angles with both current champs, but both would probably win. The Rumble winner should be someone who hasn't won the match yet.

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#1. Roman Reigns winning would hold down WWE

Roman Reigns has operated as a part-time star since 2020. That included a four-year run as champion on SmackDown. He faced Rhodes twice at The Showcase of the Immortals with the belt on the line.

Another showdown was teased after the good guys lost WarGames. The Tribal Chief winning another Rumble is a strong possibility since he only won the match in 2015.

Officials must resist the urge since he can get a title shot whenever he wants. Some think that Rhodes and Reigns could have a trilogy at WrestleMania 42.

The problem is fans have already seen that, and it's a lose/lose in terms of the rest of the roster. If Rhodes wins, nothing changes. If Reigns wins, it sets back the entire WWE roster.

Edited by Matthew Serocki