WWE RoyalRumble 2026 is very nearly upon us, as virtually the entire roster has already begun to converge on the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia! As always, the show will feature both a men's and a women's Royal Rumble match, and two massive prizes are on the line as Drew McIntyre defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn and AJ Styles defends his WWE career against GUNTHER!
But how excited are the WINC staff for these matches? There's already been some discourse over the promotion of the Rumble matches themselves do we share those concerns? And how do we feel about the other contests on the card? It's time to find out which matches the WINC crew is hyped up for, and which ones have us shrugging our shoulders in disinterest.Here's our biggest draw and our biggest dud for the 2026 WWE RoyalRumble!
The Royal Rumble is one of WWE's most exciting premium live events every year, without fail, as it kicks off "The Road to WrestleMania." The Rumble matches are always touted as the moment that could make a WWE's star's career, but this year, the PLE could see one "Phenomenal" talent's WWE career come to an end for good. AJ Styles will be taking on GUNTHER once again, this time, with his career on the line.
There are so many reasons why this match is a draw. The Rumble matches are usually the most exciting bouts of the night, with the most on the line, and while GUNTHER has declared himself for that match, as well, Styles has much more on the line than any Rumble participant this year. "The Phenomenal One" has made it no secret that he's retiring in 2026, but in recent weeks, fans have been wondering just when exactly that will be this year.
While many are hoping for a John Cena-style retirement tour for Styles, there have been quite a few signs that his Rumble singles match against "The Ring General" may be it. In addition to a possible spoiler leaked by one of Styles' rivals, Shinsuke Nakamura, via a since-deleted Instagram post, WWE almost seems to be speed-running Styles' retirement, putting some fans on edge. In addition to a last-minute inclusion of Styles vs. Nakamura at Saturday Night's Main Event, where Styles emerged victorious, WWE also squeezed in CM Punk vs. Styles for the World Heavyweight Championship on "WWE Raw," their first time meeting in singles competition in WWE. The last minute addition of these matches have many believing that Styles will officially be retiring at the Rumble, though they could also be some kind of in-ring red herrings.
When it all boils down to it, Styles vs. GUNTHER is a big draw, as it may be the final time WWE fans get to see "The Phenomenal One" in action. GUNTHER has been involved in the retirement matches of both John Cena and Goldberg, and has adopted a kind of career-killer gimmick that would be dead itself if he loses to Styles.
It looks like the only way for Styles to get out of this one is a good ol' fashion WWE interference finish, causing a no contest, which is intriguing in itself, as it could be anyone from Styles' storied past who would want a shot at him before he leaves his boots in the ring. There's a lot of unknown going in to Styles vs. GUNTHER on Saturday, which is what makes it a draw. It could be a very emotional night for fans of Styles, or the retirement tour can roll on.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Like the Cookie Monster with his cookies, I will always be thrilled about WWE Royal Rumble matches. In 2026, though, my excitement level isn't as high as it usually is.
Unlike most years, the field for the 2026 Men's and Women's Royal Rumbles filled up rather late, with January 16 marking the first utterance of any wrestler's participation (Thank you, Cody Rhodes). Before that, it felt like the Royal Rumble matches, which guarantee the winners a title match of their choosing on WWE's grandest stage, were an afterthought to Saturday Night's Main Event, a show that didn't even seem necessary.
For many of us long-time fans, Royal Rumble declarations mean something. They give us confirmation and clarity as to who will be in Royal Rumbles, and in turn, we can start forming theories as to who may fill the spots that are left vacant heading into the titular premium live event. We can also begin making cases for why our favorite stars should or could win the over-the-top-rope spectacle. Unfortunately, all of this was derailed and/or rushed partly by the fact that SNME, which had its own build and lineup of matches, took place merely one week before the 2026 Royal Rumble PLE.
Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY, two of the WWE's top women, weren't even able to declare themselves for the Royal Rumble without mentioning Saturday Night's Main Event in the same breath. The same can be said for the Judgment Day's Roxanne Perez and Liv Morgan, who tried to hype their own Royal Rumble participation while not overlooking their tag title match at SNME and vice versa.
Had WWE continued the tradition of confirming Royal Rumble entrants in December, or at least early January, it would have made the build to the matches feel less rushed, and more importantly, as major as it should be. After all, the Royal Rumble marks the official starting point for the road to WWE WrestleMania, the biggest event in all of professional wrestling.
Build (or lack thereof) aside, it's also hard not to groan at the unfortunate reality that will specifically be apparent for the women once again. Due to cultural constraints, the women of WWE have routinely had to modify their in-ring attire into more modest sets when wrestling in Saudi Arabia. And with the 2026 Royal Rumble taking place in Riyadh, I already feel sorry for the women that will have to endure long performances in the Royal Rumble match while wearing long sleeve bodysuits.
Written by Ella Jay
