The WWE year is coming to a close. Saturday Night’s Main Event was the final major show on WWE’s calendar, and now we head into the Christmas season. It’s a time of year when not much of importance happens, but also one that signifies the road to WWE’s most anticipated PLE, the Royal Rumble.
The Royal Rumble features two highly anticipated contests where the winners punch their ticket to a championship match at WrestleMania. It’s a huge moment for two wrestlers, but now the debate can begin as to who will capture that honour. Many wrestlers would be great fits to win the Royal Rumble and make their way to WrestleMania. Let’s take a look at some options.
Potential 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble Winner
LA Knight
Knight has been one of WWE’s most steady hands over the past few years. His babyface pops rival any on the roster, and while he has had some mid-card success, it hasn’t amounted to much else. He has been consistently great, both in and out of the ring, and the time to give him that push could be now.
An injury angle has written him off television, and keeping him off until the Royal Rumble could lead to a big win. It’s a natural angle to have a returning wrestler do well in the Rumble, maybe even win it. L.A. Knight could be the success story of 2026.
Bron Breakker
The prevailing opinion is that Bron Breakker is earmarked for a huge main event run. Judging from WWE’s booking over this past year, one can see that he will break through at some point. He has taken control of Raw’s heel stable, cutting a path of destruction through whoever is brave enough to stand across from him.
Breakker has a World Championship shot on January 5th, and a loss there could lead to a bigger program in the future. He is a dominant force, and winning the Royal Rumble would signal his rise to prominence.
Roman Reigns
If Roman Reigns is participating, he has a better-than-average shot of winning the Royal Rumble. He is one of the biggest names on the roster and has that big-match experience to ensure a great performance. He has won the Royal Rumble once before and been in the final four too many times to count.
If rumours are to be believed, Roman Reigns is facing Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42. It’s a big-money match and one that would complete the rare WrestleMania trilogy, creating the type of history that WWE loves. There isn’t a chance that Cody Rhodes drops the WWE Championship before WrestleMania. The easiest path for Reigns to get to Rhodes is winning his second Royal Rumble.
Sami Zayn
Everyone loves an underdog story. So why wouldn’t WWE consider having their greatest underdog win the 2026 Royal Rumble? Sami Zayn plays every character well, but excels in his underdog role. The fans identify with him, and his in-ring psychology makes it hard not to root for the man.
Great Royal Rumble victors have been told from the angle of overcoming all the odds. Coming in early and outlasting the field is a great story, and only the best characters can pull it off. Sami Zayn fits that mold perfectly, and with his beliefs, a win in Saudi Arabia would be a logical move.
Gunther
There isn’t a bigger heel in the world than Gunther right now. The heat that has been thrown upon him since tapping out John Cena is nuclear. If WWE wanted to capitalize on this heat, having him win the Royal Rumble would make sense. They are short on monster heels, and Gunther has proven his ability to be that dominant heel.
Having him win the Royal Rumble, win a World Championship, and go on a long run of destruction could be the best way to book the Ring General.
Gunther is also a man who has tremendous Royal Rumble history. He has been in the final two and set records for time spent in the Rumble match. He is the one to get another notch on the belt with a Royal Rumble victory.
