WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Review.

Intro.

Agh yes the rd to Wrestlemania, and its many turning corners, and avenues. This, next to the summer is one of my favourite times of year to be a Pro Wrestling fan. It's unpredictable, and given how HHH looks to book Matches, I can see this years build acting like a learning curb from last year. 2025 wasn't a great year for the WWE on a creative front, so it's important to allow the product to have breathing space. This is what HHH has done this time around. Last years Royal Rumble Matches ranged from the predictable, to the suprising, so the question I have is this, how did this years fair in comparison? So sit back, get yourself a drink, and a snack, and lets find out.

Stadium Set Up.

The Saudi regime built this Stadium for one night, just for the Rumble, and then it's getting torn down. This is all I have to say. What is the point of this? The UFC did this when Abu Dhabi hosted UFC 112 back in 2010. I hated it then, and I don't like now. This could be damaging on an economic level.

Superstars Seen Showing Up.

Charlotte Flair. Alexa Bliss. The Judgement Day Ladies. Nia Jax. Lash Legend. Rhiyo. AJ Styles. Gunther. Drew Mcintyre. Sami Zayn. Jey Uso. Jacob Fatu. Jevon Evans. Cody Rhodes, and even HHH were all seen showing up for their shifts.

HHH Hype Video.

Can someone please explain to me like i'm a six year old, what was the point to this. I hate hype packages, and having a man who's growing widely hated amongst the fanbase f, worse than he was back in 2003 front it, isn't a good idea.

The Womens Royal Rumble.

HHH hasn't had the best time, when it comes to booking ladies Rumble Matches, this one was a lot better than last years. After the pacing issues were sorted out, what we were treated to, was an all fun run with solid Matches within the Match, and great looks at what could becoming in the future. The inbuilt storylines were woven well, as the in ring work remained at a solid pace. However if I could just one issue it's this, the drama failed to elevate until the final 20 minutes, this could be due to the fact the Match was too long coming in at over 73 minutes. NXT call ups. Kelani Jordan. Jacy Jayne. and. Sol Ruca all gave good accounts for themselves, as they added a sense of urgentcy when it came to how the Rumble came to an end. The final 3 were Tiffany Stratton. Sol Ruca, and. Liv Morgan. These ladies showed that they've got great chemistry, and when Sol Comes up to the main roster I want to see more of her interacting with Liv Morgan. It was Liv who was the last lady standing, and will go onto WrestleMania to face an opponent of her choosing. I liked this, because WWE felt the need to not feed us the same old outcome, and give us something fresh. Liv Morgan vs Stephanie Vaquer sounds alright doesn't it. I liked this.

AJ Styles vs Gunther.

It's not very often that I struggle for words, but given how this Match ended. I actually don't know what to say. I don't like the fact that this didn't get the main event slot, which showed in hindsight a lack of respect to AJ, but when you dig beneath the surface, it made sense. This is arguably one of the best WWE Matches so far this year. How do put a 25 year plus career into words? It's not easy, all I will say is this. AJ all the best. You came, you saw, and you were phenomanal. AJ got choked out by Gunther. In the aftermath of this Match. I went on X, and all I could see were comments saying that AEW is going to have a phenomanal year, this leads to think that I want to be proven wrong. I don't think that AJ will become All Elite, but it would make sense. AJ Styles vs Kenny Omega, or Will Osperay. How would either one of those Matches look like on the 30th of August at Wembley Stadium? This was excellent.

Sami Zayn vs Drew Mcintyre WWE Undisputed Championship.

I didn't like this, and it's not the fault of Drew, or Sami, it's all down to the positioning on the card. This should've followed the Ladies Rumble, because on an emotional level this wasn't a good idea, as in undermined what came before it. It's the Ric Flair and HBK arguement from WrestleMania 24 all over again. Both Drew, and. Sami worked hard to get the fans onside, after feeling the noise slump. Sami got a good reception, but the fans sounded burnt out after watching a legend go off into the distance. Drew got the win, and retained his championship. Some fans online have complained about the ending to this Match being weak, so to those, all I have to say is this. This is going to set up a larger arc in the future for Sami, heading into the WrestleMania 43 next year, so all is not lost, because I get the feeling that WWE have something big up their sleeves for Mr Zayn.

Mens Royal Rumble.

Online this years mens Rumble Match, has received some negative press, but I actually enjoyed it, let me explain. If you take a look at both the mens and ladies Rumbles, and hold them in isolation, you can see the prospects of both HHH/HBK's NXT Systems, for example in the ladies Matches, the likes of Iyo Sky. Rhea Ripley. Liv Morgan, and. Tiffany Stratton, were all insights of both mens vision, and when you take a look at the mens, this followed the same pattern, as. Jevon Edwards. Damien Priest. Roman Reigns, and. Oba Femi all had solid showings, as the inbuilt storylines came to light, as the Mania main event revealed itself. The inclusion of Brock Lesnar did lower the tone, but this was a passing moment, as the final stages saw. Gunther  throw Randy Orton out the ring, allowing Roman to target the big Austrian, and throw him over the top rope, and book his ticket to Mania. WWE are teasing another big thing for Roman, and the motion was laid bare last night. Some fans have said on X that this has haulted Gunthers Momentum, and i'm struggling to understand why. If anything this could ad an extra layer to his character as his bitter side comes out. I know i'm fantasy booking at this point, but i'm very intrigued with were WWE take Gunther next. I got why fans are angry with the outcome, however this is the start of the rd to wrestleMania, and I know that I can't talk for other fans, so i'm going to let this one play out.

Overview Of The Royal Rumble 2026 Riyadh.

I understand the fan frustration that has gone around online, but in my opinion, this has been one of HHH's best creative endeavours for some time, as it all comes in the form of what's going off from the back end of this show. Sami's 15 month run to the belt. Gunthers bitterside becoming his backbone, and the next phase for Roman Reigns, are all things to look forward too on the mens side, whilst the ladies have, the decay and infighting of The Judgement Day. The seperation of Alexa Bliss, and. Charlotte Flair, and the many main roster Matches for Sol Ruca off the back of her strong showing last night. Sol Ruca vs Bianca Belair when she's healthy sounds tasty. What i'm trying to say is this. If this version of WWE is what you like, then drink this in, and have as much as you want, and don't let anyone stop you. Pro Wrestling is something that is special when it's looked at through the eye of the beholder.

WWE Royal Rumble Riyadh 2026 is a high 8/10.