Alistair McGeorge
Published January 31, 2026 4:00pm
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Who could make an appearance at WWE Royal Rumble 2026? (Picture: AEW)
The Royal Rumble is hours away, and WWE fans everywhere are frantically trying to figure out who the surprise entrants could be.
Each year, it’s wrestling’s most unpredictable match as there’s always a handful of slots left for returning legends, new signings, or debuts for rising NXT stars.
For 2026, that’s no different, with a whole host of names in the running to make a shock appearance in either the men’s or women’s matches, from future Hall of Famers to massive free agents.
Of course, nothing is certain until the countdown hits zero and the buzzer blares, but part of the fun each year is speculating about who could turn up.
Last year, we had the likes of iShowSpeed, Joe Hendry, and Alexa Bliss prove the variety of surprises WWE could have up its sleeve, and it remains to be seen if this year will live up to those expectations.
Here’s who we think could have a chance of joining the Royal Rumble field.
Chris Jericho
Chris is currently on tour in Europe (Picture: Gary Miller/Getty Image)
It’s all gone quiet on the Chris Jericho front after he was reported to be leaving All Elite Wrestling at the end of 2025.
Speculation that he could show up on the first Raw of the year didn’t materialise, but the Royal Rumble is an event made for this kind of moment.
The only thing that makes us doubt it is that Jericho will be touring Europe with his band Fozzy in February, so waiting until the Raw after WrestleMania in April might be the smarter move to keep up momentum.
Bianca Belair
Could Bianca Belair return to wrestling? (Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
On the women’s side, Bianca Belair is our top pick to return for this year’s Rumble.
She’s not wrestled since WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 thanks to complications from a broken finger, but fans are desperate to see the EST back in the Mix, and we’re going to help manifest it.
There’s an instant storyline set up with current champ Jade Cargill on SmackDown, or a dream match with Rhea Ripley if there’s some drama between them in the Rumble.
EVIL
EVIL is someone everyone should keep an eye on (Picture: Etsuo Hara/Getty Image)
When it comes to debuts, former New Japan Pro Wrestling star EVIL is a name to keep an eye out for, after NJPW confirmed he was leaving the company ‘at the end of January 2026’.
This weekend’s Rumble might be too soon for him to have signed on the dotted line for WWE, but stranger things have happened.
Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs has a lot of potential (Picture: Lee South)
Another potential debut, Powerhouse Hobbs, is the latest name to jump from AEW to WWE.
He’s got all the tools to be a major star, and potential standoffs with the likes of Bron Breakker, Oba Femi and GUNTHER could make him an instant attraction on the main roster.
AJ Lee
AJ Lee has to make an appearance (Picture: Cooper Neill/Via Getty Images)
Not the biggest surprise, but AJ Lee is yet to be announced for the Rumble, and we think she’s a shoo-in to appear.
She’s never been in the 30-woman match, and it would be a fine way to reintroduce her on the Road to WrestleMania.
Having her eliminate rival Becky Lynch to set up an Intercontinental Championship match at the Show of Shows would get fans on their feet and build to her first singles match in over a decade.
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy would make for a great surprise choice (Picture: TNA)
We’ve seen plenty of talent sharing between WWE and TNA Wrestling in recent months, thanks to the partnership between the two, and the Rumble would be a great place to keep that rolling.
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Dolph Ziggler, AKA Nic Nemeth, recently appeared during John Cena’s retirement tour, but Jeff Hardy would be an excellent choice to surprise fans with a returning legend.
Although he’s been seen on NXT, it’s been more than four years since fans saw the Charismatic Enigma on the main roster, and at one point, he was among the most popular wrestlers in the world.
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Now feels like the right time to give him and the fans a truly special moment.
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