Predicting every entrant in the 2026 Men's WWE Royal Rumble

The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble is less than a month away. Two names will earn title shots, but big matches beforehand could play into who competes and who misses out.

Damian Priest could be a lock, but he'll face Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match. That could be to write the loser off SmackDown. Dominik Mysterio is "out indefinitely" after suffering an injury at a recent Lucha Libre AAA show.

Whoever loses the Three Stages of Hell match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre will probably miss out on the Rumble to sell the carnage of the match. Here are predictions for every participant in the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble.

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#4. Locks to be in the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble

The base of the Royal Rumble is the full-time stars of RAW and SmackDown that carry both brands throughout the year. SmackDown names like Ilja Dragunov, Carmelo Hayes, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, and Aleister Black will participate.

RAW stars like AJ Styles, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Penta, Rey Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Gunther will also have spots. Rey Fenix is healthy and should be in the Rumble.

The story of the match could be the Vision trying to take it hostage to secure a title shot if Bron Breakker isn't successful.

Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory will compete, as will El Grande Americano, Trick Williams, Je'von Evans, and Rusev.

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#3. Likely returns from absent full-timers

Randy Orton hasn't been used on SmackDown since October 3rd. He was embroiled with Drew McIntyre before The Scottish Warrior resumed his feud with Cody Rhodes.

He doesn't seem to be hurt, so expect The Viper to strike in Saudi Arabia. Jacob Fatu has also missed time, albeit due to a dental procedure. He was written off TV with a backstage attack on October 17th.

The Samoan Werewolf quickly became one of the industry's most popular stars. He'll return to a huge crowd response, and could be in the running to win the match.

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#2. NXT entrants and other surprises

Joe Hendry is still technically a member of NXT despite appearing a few times on main-roster programming. Evans and Williams are being promoted, but Hendry is still dealing with Darkstate in NXT.

The fans will say his name on January 31st, and Hendry will appear for the Royal Rumble. Matt Cardona got a great reaction when he returned for the Last Time is Now Tournament. A Rumble return is in the cards.

Ethan Page seems like the best bet from NXT to debut. He's been one of the highlights in an otherwise disappointing men's division in 2025. The biggest return/surprise could be Chris Jericho.

His AEW deal expired with the new year, and a return to WWE is a strong possibility. His re-emergence would be one of the big talking points.

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#1. The 2026 Men's Royal Rumble favorites

30 stars may compete to win every Royal Rumble, but only a handful have a realistic chance of winning. The list of favorites isn't as big this year, but it's still filled with huge names.

Roman Reigns will probably make his first return of 2026 at or before the Royal Rumble PLE. Since he has history with both Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, he could win the second match of his career.

Brock Lesnar is in the same boat as The Tribal Chief. As for favorites who haven't won, Breakker and LA Knight are near the top. Breakker is out if he wins the World Heavyweight title on the RAW on Netflix anniversary.

If not, he's possibly the favorite to win. Knight could return on RAW, and is a sentimental favorite due to never winning a major WWE title.

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Edited by Matthew Serocki