AJ Styles vs. Gunther at WWE Royal Rumble 2026.
WWE
WWE Royal Rumble 2026 (Jan. 31, 2026) Key Points
- AJ Styles puts his career on the line against Gunther.
- Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan are favored to win the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble, respectively. Potential surprises for the Royal Rumble include Chris Jericho, Bianca Belair, Royce Keys (FKA Will Hobbs) and LA Knight.
- Sami Zayn challenges Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship.
WWE Royal Rumble Returns, Surprises And Stage Construction
WWE Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia will feature another loaded pair of namesake matches. Several former world champions in both Royal Rumbles are vying for another world title shot at WrestleMania 42. Roman Reigns declared for the Royal Rumble on SmackDown, leaving him and Gunther on the short list of possible winners. Gunther will face AJ Styles in a Career Match, and should Gunther lose, he’ll likely be kept strong through a Royal Rumble win.
With one week left until the Royal Rumble, many expect a Chris Jericho sighting in Saudi Arabia. Jericho’s Fozzy tour was released, and it’s notable that he will not have any shows on Mondays. Fozzy does have multiple shows booked on Wednesdays.
As the Royal Rumble approaches, the massive stage construction in the King Abdullah Financial District is near completion. Several social media accounts have obtained local footage of the impressive set in Saudi. Thousands of architects and stage ands are building the endeavor inside the KAFD venue, which holds approximately 65,000 attendees depending on the event.
WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Match Card In Saudi Arabia
- Men’s Royal Rumble Match
- Women’s Royal Rumble Match
- AJ Styles vs. Gunther | If AJ loses, he must retire
- Sami Zayn vs. Drew McIntyre | WWE Undisputed Championship
Potential WWE Royal Rumble surprise entrants include:
- Chris Jericho
- Royce Keys (FKA Will Hobbs)
- Bianca Belair
- Brock Lesnar
- Jeff Hardy
- LA Knight
- Blake Monroe
- Chad Gable
- Paige
- Oba Femi
WWE Men’s Royal Rumble 2026 Odds Via Betonline.com
- Roman Reigns (+175)
- Gunther (+200)
- Sami Zayn (+400)
- Bron Breakker (+525)
- LA Knight (+600)
- Jacob Fatu (+700)
- Oba Femi (+1400)
- Seth Rollins (+1800)
- Dirty Dominik Mysterio (+2000)
- CM Punk (+2000)
WWE Women’s Royal Rumble 2026 Odds
- Liv Morgan (-120)
- Bianca Belair (+200)
- Rhea Ripley (+300)
- Tiffany Stratton (+700)
- Charlotte Flair (+1200)
- IYO SKY (+1400)
- Lyra Valkyria (+1800)
- Nia Jax (+2200)
- Chelsea Green (+2200)
- Jade Cargill (+2500)
WWE SmackDown Ratings And Viewership
- January 16, 2026 | Total viewership unavailable, 0.21 in 18-49
- January 9, 2026 | 990,000
- January 2, 2026 | 1.175 million
- December 26, 2025 | 1.138 million
- December 19, 2025 | 995,000
WWE Royal Rumble Start Time And Where To Stream
- WWE Royal Rumble Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
- WWE Royal Rumble Start Time: 11:00 am PST (2:00 pm EST)
- Where to Watch/Stream WWE Royal Rumble: ESPN Unlimited
WWE Royal Rumble Ticket Sales For January 31, 2026
- WWE Royal Rumble Venue: King Abdullah Financial District (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- WWE Royal Rumble Ticket Demand: 868,000 potential ticket buyers in queue.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alfredkonuwa/2026/01/26/wwe-royal-rumble-2026-date-start-time-odds-and-massive-stage-reveal/
