The 2026 Mens Royal Rumble delivered big surprises, brutal eliminations, and a WrestleMania-worthy boutbut it also included one bizarre production misstep that left fans scratching their heads.
During the final stretch of the January 31 premium live event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, WWE accidentally showed a 31st entrant on-screendespite the match being capped at 30 men. Footage that began circulating online on February 1 shows the in-arena graphic flashing Number 31, causing legitimate confusion among fans in the stadium.
The moment clearly wasnt part of the storyline or any surprise entrant plan. It happened deep into the match, with the likes of Randy Orton already in the ring. Some fans thought it might have been a tease, while others chalked it up to a production botch in the heat of a massive stadium show.
WWE hasnt addressed the incident publicly, but this isnt the first time Rumble production has slippedprevious years have included audio miscues, delayed countdowns, and camera cuts missing key eliminations.
Whether it was a glitch or a trigger-happy graphic operator, the sudden #31 left just enough mystery to keep conspiracy-minded fans busy for days.
Do you think the #31 spot was a total mistakeor could WWE spin it into something more? Sound off below and let us know how youd book the mystery entrant!
