Chris Jericho headlines 6 potential bombshell surprises for 2026 WWE Royal Rumble

It’s already time for the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, and it will surely be filled with surprise returns of new and old stars — perhaps Chris Jericho will finally make his return to the promotion.

However, Jericho won’t be the only one making his return on Jan. 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. About half of the participants of the men’s and women’s matches have been announced, leaving the door open for surprises.

All the WWE stars confirmed to participate in the 2026 Royal Rumble matches

First, before getting into the potential surprise returns, here are the select names that have been confirmed for the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches.

Men’s

• Cody Rhodes
• Roman Reigns
• Gunther
• Jey Uso
• Rey Mysterio
• Dragon Lee
• Penta
• Solo Sikoa
• Jacob Fatu
• Bron Breakker
• Logan Paul
• Austin Theory
• Bronson Reed
• Je’Von Evans
• Oba Femi

Women’s

• Rhea Ripley
• Iyo Sky
• Roxanne Perez
• Liv Morgan
• Raquel Rodriguez
• Bayley
• Lyra Valkyria
• Asuka
• Chelsea Green
• Jordynne Grace
• Charlotte Flair
• Alexa Bliss
• Nia Jax
• Lash Legend
• Giulia
• Maxxine Dupri
• Becky Lynch

WWE legend Chris Jericho is an obvious star bound to return at the Royal Rumble

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Jericho is on his way back to WWE after his AEW contract expired. He didn’t come back during the Monday Night RAW on Netflix anniversary show on Jan. 5, but the Royal Rumble is the perfect spot for his return.

At his age (55), it seems unlikely that Jericho will do a lot in the Royal Rumble match. He can enter the match at #30, get a big pop, and be eliminated within a few minutes if he really wants to.

Regardless of what he does in the match, expect Jericho back in a WWE ring once again. A lot has changed in the landscape of WWE since his last departure in 2018. It will be fun to see him cross paths with old and new foes.

LA Knight could be a name to watch in the match

The last few months haven’t been kind to LA Knight. First, he was written off of TV in early December 2025 with an attack by the Vision’s Bronson Reed and Logan Paul.

Then came WWE Unreal Season 2. This showed his blunder during the 2025 Money in the Bank ladder match, which resulted in a stern talking-to by Triple H.

Maven on Triple H pressing LA Knight after that unplanned Money in the Bank finish.

pic.twitter.com/RNoMC9xJhH

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) January 23, 2026

It made Knight look bad, and it’s unclear if that was WWE’s intention. Looking at it optimistically and not cynically, perhaps WWE was trying to create more empathy for Knight. Fans already rally behind him, but imagine the pop he will receive when he comes back at the Royal Rumble.

Knight is long overdue for his moment. He has come up short in several Money in the Bank ladder matches, and if Roman Reigns doesn’t win the Royal Rumble, Knight is a viable option.

Ultimately, he is going to come back on Jan. 31 and likely target the Vision. They have been a thorn in his side for months, and it’s time for Knight to get his receipts.

AJ Lee will return (again)

The most memorable part of 2025 was AJ Lee’s return to wrestling after a decade in retirement. This was something many wrestling fans, including yours truly, never thought they’d see.

However, participating in the 2025 Women’s WarGames match, Lee has gone on a hiatus. No one was expecting her to be a full-time member of the roster at her age, but she has been gone for two months.

She will likely come back at the Royal Rumble to advance her feud with Becky Lynch. Lee has now gotten two wins over Lynch, and “The Man” needs a chance to get a win back.

Lee won’t win the Royal Rumble, but expect her to make her presence known in Riyadh. If she doesn’t come back in Riyadh, it’s only a matter of time before she does if she’s gonna take part in WrestleMania 42.

Is Seth Rollins’ latest injury a work?

Ever since he pulled off the “Ruse of the Century” at SummerSlam in August 2025, it’s hard to believe Seth Rollins is injured. He has been on the shelf since October 2025 with a shoulder injury.

However, could he come back at the Royal Rumble in shocking fashion to surprise his former Vision stablemates? He’d be beating the return timeline he has given in the past, which would see him return around or after WrestleMania 42, in John Cena-like fashion circa 2008.

It may be unlikely, but if anyone is going to pull it off, it’s Rollins. This seems incredibly likely if WWE goes the route of having the Vision stable dominate the Royal Rumble match. If there’s a point where they’re standing tall in the ring, only Rollins or Knight makes sense to come back and try to take them out.

A reunion of twins

While WWE Unreal Season 2 confirmed initial plans to have Brie Bella return alongside Nikki Bella in 2025, it didn’t happen. It has been four years since Brie appeared in WWE. Ironically, her last appearance was at the 2022 Royal Rumble event.

Nikki has been on a hiatus since late December 2025. She was spotted in the background of a picture taken by Jackie Redmond, indicating she will take part in the Women’s Royal Rumble. Could her twin finally make her return at this year’s Royal Rumble? It now appears likely.

Maybe it will lead to a final run for Brie. Nikki is currently in the midst of her last full-time run, and it’d be fitting to reunite the Bella Twins one last time.

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