WWE Royal Rumble is one of the best PLEs of the year.
This year, the Royal Rumble will take place on January 31, 2026. The start time is 2 PM EST because it will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For people located in the United States, you can watch it on the ESPN app. If you are located outside of the United States, it will stream live on Netflix.
The Rumble kicks off the road to WrestleMania.
Surprise entrants happen each year, with major returns usually occurring. This year should be no different. It is widely expected that Bianca Belair will return during the women’s rumble match. One name to keep an eye on in the men’s Royal Rumble match is Chris Jericho. He has been rumored to be returning to WWE for quite some time, and the perfect place for a return is the Royal Rumble.
Below, we will take a look at some WWE Royal Rumble stats, returns, and give updated odds on the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble match, as the odds have changed since early January.
WWE Royal Rumble Stats
The Royal Rumble is one of the best PLEs of the year in WWE. There have been great moments, returns, and eliminations in Royal Rumble history.
The first Royal Rumble took place in 1988, so there are plenty of stats from Rumble matches.
Stone Cold Steve Austin has the record for most Royal Rumble victories with three.
Kane has the record for eliminating the most people in Royal Rumble history.
Nia Jax has the record among women for eliminating the most people.
Braun Stroman and Brock Lesnar each have the record (13) for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match.
Four superstars have won back-to-back Royal Rumbles. Hulk Hogan in 1990 and 1991, Shawn Michaels in 1995 and 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1997 and 1998, and most recently Cody Rhodes in 2023 and 2024.
Santino Marella holds the record for fastest elimination, as Kane eliminated Santino in just 1.9 seconds.
WWE Royal Rumble Returns
Whether it is returning from injury or returning to the company, a lot of superstars make surprise entrants in the Royal Rumble. Here is WWE’s list of top 25 returns at the Royal Rumble.
- 1. John Cena at the 2008 Royal Rumble
- 2. Cody Rhodes at the 2023 Royal Rumble
- 3. Edge at the 2020 Royal Rumble
- 4. Alexa Bliss at the 2025 Royal Rumble
- 5. Roddy Piper at the 2008 Royal Rumble
- 6. Naomi at the 2024 Royal Rumble
- 7. Rob Van Dam at the 2009 Royal Rumble
- 8. Rey Mysterio at the 2018 Royal Rumble
- 9. The Undertaker at the 2003 Royal Rumble
- 10. Chris Jericho at the 2013 Royal Rumble
- 11. Booker T at the 2011 Royal Rumble
- 12. Diesel at the 2011 Royal Rumble
- 13. Trish Stratus at the 2018 Royal Rumble
- 14. Charlotte Flair at the 2025 Royal Rumble
- 15. Mickie James at the 2022 Royal Rumble
- 16. Mr. Perfect at the 2002 Royal Rumble
- 17. Bubba Ray Dudley at the 2015 Royal Rumble
- 18. Nia Jax at the 2023 Royal Rumble
- 19. The Hurricane at the 2018 Royal Rumble
- 20. Melina at the 2022 Royal Rumble
- 21. Nikki Bella at the 2025 Royal Rumble
- 22. Road Dogg at the 2012 Royal Rumble
- 23. DDP at the 2015 Royal Rumble
- 24. Jake “the snake” Roberts at the 1996 Royal Rumble
- 25. Ronda Rousey at the 2022 Royal Rumble
WWE Royal Rumble Updated Odds
The winner of the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble will get to choose which title and opponent he wants to challenge at WrestleMania.
Men’s Royal Rumble Updated Odds
As of early January 2026, these were the odds for the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
- Roman Reigns (+165)
- Gunther (+200)
- Sami Zayn (+400)
- Bron Breakker (+500)
- LA Knight (+600)
- CM Punk (+1000)
The odds have shifted a bit over the last few weeks. Here are the updated odds for the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
- Roman Reigns (+140)
- Gunther (+200)
- Bron Breakker (+300)
- Sami Zayn (+400)
- LA Knight (+600)
- CM Punk (+1000)
Roman Reigns is slightly more favored now than in early January.
Bron Breakker went up from +500 to +300. He leaped Sami Zayn, as Zayn was the third favorite in early January.
Women’s Royal Rumble Updated Odds
The winner of the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble will get to choose which title and opponent she wants to challenge at WrestleMania.
As of early January 2026, these were the odds for the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
- Liv Morgan (+100)
- Bianca Belair (+200)
- Rhea Ripley (+300)
- Charlotte Flair (+1000)
- Lyra Valkyria (+1200)
- IYO SKY (+1400)
The odds have shifted a bit over the last few weeks. Here are the updated odds for the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
- Liv Morgan (-115)
- Bianca Belair (+200)
- Rhea Ripley (+300)
- Tiffany Stratton (+1000)
- Charlotte Flair (+1200)
- IYO SKY (+1400)
Liv Morgan is slightly more favored now than in early January. She went from being a +100 favorite to now -115.
One major change is that Lyra Valkyria is no longer considered a top six favorite. She was replaced by Tiffany Stratton, who has even leaped over Charlotte Flair. Stratton is the fourth favorite to win the Women’s Royal Rumble match at +1000, as Charlotte Flair went from being a +1000 odd to now a +1200 odd.
