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A top WWE star has expressed his desire to eliminate Brock Lesnar from the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble Match. The wrestler has specifically singled out Lesnar as a target for elimination from the upcoming Royal Rumble event.
WWE SmackDown on January 30, 2026 will feature a United States Championship match between champion Carmelo Hayes and Rey Fénix, plus a tag team match with Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss facing Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez. The show will also include a Cody Rhodes promo, Johnny Gargano vs. Axiom, The Miz vs. Ilja Dragunov, a face-to-face segment between Gunther and AJ Styles, and The Vision taking on Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Sami Zayn in what appears to be a handicap match.
The January 30, 2026 episode of Friday Night SmackDown aired from the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as the final show before the Royal Rumble. The show featured a face-to-face confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn, who will clash for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble after Zayn earned the title shot by winning a four-way match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Other segments included Carmelo Hayes' U.S. Open Challenge, a Cody Rhodes segment, and matches featuring Ilja Dragunov vs. The Miz and Axiom vs. Johnny Gargano.
WWE's charter flight to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Royal Rumble was delayed seven hours due to inclement weather, but the flight eventually took off smoothly and all talent and staff landed safely in Riyadh. NXT Women's Champion Jacy Jayne has been rerouted from scheduled U.S. NXT house shows to travel to Saudi Arabia, with WWE also internally discussing Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, and AAA's Mr. Iguana as possible Royal Rumble participants. The Royal Rumble is set to take place January 31 at King Abdullah Financial District.
WWE sources are reportedly "split" on AJ Styles' future with the company, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, with the promotion apparently not having his retirement run mapped out despite it becoming a focal point for his current storylines. Styles has openly discussed plans to retire in 2026, with his WWE contract believed to align with early 2026, and his upcoming Royal Rumble match against Gunther has his career on the line.
According to sources, Cody Rhodes is expected to open tonight's WWE SmackDown broadcast from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The show will also feature Carmelo Hayes issuing a U.S. Title Open Challenge with Rey Fenix reportedly expected to answer, and a final face-to-face between Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre ahead of the Royal Rumble.
Cody Rhodes stated during an ESPN appearance that he would like to eliminate Brock Lesnar from the 2026 Royal Rumble, saying "I thought we ended this thing. Apparently, we did not." Rhodes indicated he wants to be the one to throw Lesnar out of the match, suggesting their rivalry may continue when they potentially meet in the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.
A WWE star has stated that he will eliminate himself from the Men's WWE Royal Rumble in 2026 to help his stablemate win the match.
Cody Rhodes, who has won the Royal Rumble in 2023 and 2024, stated in an ESPN interview that he wants to win a third Royal Rumble to tie Steve Austin's record of three victories. The Royal Rumble is taking place on January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Austin being the only WWE Superstar to have won the event three times (1997, 1998, 2001).
WWE confirmed that United States Champion Carmelo Hayes will defend his title in an Open Challenge on the January 30 SmackDown from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to reports from Bodyslam.net and PWInsider.com, Rey Fenix is expected to be the challenger who answers Hayes' open challenge.
Plans for CM Punk at the WWE Royal Rumble 2026 premium live event have been revealed. The plans were disclosed ahead of an upcoming WWE show.
WWE has signed Saudi Arabian wrestler Fahd Tuwaiq, with the announcement being made by Turki Alalshikh, who reportedly controls an estimated 12-13 percent of WWE revenue in 2026. Tuwaiq made his first official WWE appearance during the Royal Rumble 2026 kickoff show, where he discussed his training at the WWE Performance Center and promoted WrestleMania 43, which will take place in Saudi Arabia.