The WWE Royal Rumble’s specialty is the art of surprise. But it’s also a place where history is made, and records are broken with reckless abandon. Looking into his crystal ball, former WWE Champion Big E foresees a longstanding Royal Rumble record being broken this weekend in Riyadh.
Big E appeared on the Raw Recap podcast earlier this week to share his predictions for the women’s Royal Rumble. The former New Day member went with a young star who made a major splash during last year’s match.
“You know what, I’m gonna go with The Prodigy,” decided Big E. “Well, what was it last year? That she went an hour in the Rumble? A very, very talented woman who I think I love when the Rumble is a lot of people who are just really talented, but you’re not expecting that this is the year, but you see them take that leap. I think this is the year that Roxanne Perez takes a big leap.”
The Women’s Royal Rumble is shaping up to be an incredibly competitive event. At the time of writing, 17 participants have been confirmed. Of the 17, nine are former WWE Champions.
But with arguably the best performance at the event last year, Perez won’t be fazed by the strong field. The Prodigy lasted just shy of 68 minutes in the 2025 match, entering at no. 3 and finishing runner-up to Charlotte Flair. In doing so, Perez set the record for the longest time spent in a women’s Royal Rumble. In history, her time is only surpassed by Gunther’s 71 minutes in 2023 and Daniel Bryan’s 76-minute run in the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018.
Roxanne Perez Set to Break Longstanding Royal Rumble Record with 2026 Victory
Perez will probably be hoping that she doesn’t have to last over an hour in this year’s Royal Rumble to win it. But she will be quietly confident of breaking a 23-year-old record if she can go one better in 2026.
At just 24, Perez has the opportunity to become the youngest Royal Rumble winner ever. The current record holder is Brock Lesnar, who won the 30-man match in his first attempt in 2003 at the age of 25. The Beast Incarnate has also confirmed for the 2026 men’s match.
But unlike Lesnar, Perez has two experienced allies on her side, which will boost her chances of victory. Perez’s Judgment Day stablemates, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, have also confirmed for the WWE Royal Rumble. Should the three of them find themselves in the ring simultaneously, they will prove difficult to stop.
— roxanne (@roxanne_wwe) January 19, 2026
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