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Other stars toss people out with little effort, establishing themselves as the monster of the match. The following are bold predictions for both the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches.
#5. The end is near for one of the current women’s tag teams
The Royal Rumbles are always “every man or woman for themselves.” It’s part of what makes things interesting when a tag team or faction has to face each other at various points of the match.
WWE has invested significant time in the women’s tag division to the point that the Intercontinental and WWE Women’s titles have been poorly booked.
Whether it’s the Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, or Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, one of those duos will face a reckoning.
Some stars, like Asuka, Flair, and Bayley (if her heel side emerges), won’t have a problem tossing their partners out. With The Road to WrestleMania underway, the beginning of the end for at least one duo will begin at the Royal Rumble.
#4. New faces make an impact during the Royal Rumble
Over the last month, Je’Von Evans joined RAW while Trick Williams signed with SmackDown. Williams already competed for a shot at the Undisputed title. Evans has started with Los Americanos, and WWE teased Oba Femi’s arrival.
Evans will probably play the Kofi Kingston role, staving off eliminations with athletic feats and huge jumps. As for Femi, he will have the most eliminations in the men’s match.
Officials want to present him as an unstoppable force right off the bat, which is why his official main-roster debut was held off until the Rumble.
#3. Gunther eliminates Brock Lesnar
Gunther is becoming The Legend Killer for the new generation. He’s already retired WWE Legends Goldberg and John Cena. He’ll try to add AJ Styles to his trophy case at the Royal Rumble.
Brock Lesnar may also be hanging up his boots at the end of 2026. Gunther will be in the match as well. WWE already teased a future match in the 2023 Royal Rumble.
To kickstart their WrestleMania 42 showdown, The Ring General will eliminate The Beast from the match. A potential loss to AJ Styles earlier in the night will require a big moment during the Rumble to regain some steam.
#2. Lyra Valkyria and Sol Ruca battle for the Iron Woman honor
Every year, a few stars in each Rumble contest have long tenures. It’s become the Iron Man/Woman spot, and is a sort of consolation prize for a star who isn’t winning.
Last year, Penta lasted the longest for the men at only 42 minutes. Roman Reigns had the second-longest tenure at 37:15, followed by Jey Uso (37 minutes) and John Cena (30:30).
IYO SKY, Liv Morgan, and Roxanne Perez were the first three entrants in 2025, and each lasted over an hour. The Prodigy set the record (1:07.47). This year, Lyra Valkyria and Sol Ruca will battle each other for the honor.
WWE is obsessed with Ruca and has pushed her over many other women in NXT. Valkyria is a future World Champion and technical worker.
#1. Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu eliminate each other
Having Cody Rhodes win a third Royal Rumble in four years would be a disaster. His run as Undisputed Champion has been underwhelming and repetitive. He, and many other former winners, don’t need another victory in the match.
Since he’s been feuding with Jacob Fatu recently, the two will be after each other during the Rumble contest. Having them fight during the match and eliminate each other will protect both men.
It will also continue their feud and lead to another clash that may actually go in the books this time around.
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