WWE teases major surprise entrant at Royal Rumble 2026

WWE has hinted at a big surprise entrant for the men’s 2026 Royal Rumble match. WWE will be taking its annual over-the-top-rope spectacle to Riyadh on Jan. 31. As is the case with every “Royal Rumble” show, some surprises are to be expected.

Could one of those surprises be “The Ruler” of the “NXT” brand, Oba Femi? During the “Saturday Night’s Main Event” post-show, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque expressed his excitement over Femi’s future.

“Just watching Oba Femi walk out, there’s a lot of people you want to see him go with,” Levesque said. “I think that’s the wonderful thing about NXT. You get to fantasy book these people when they get here. What can they accomplish and achieve?”

Peter Rosenberg then teased a possible “Royal Rumble” appearance for Femi.

“If only we had an event at the end of January where tons of people got showcased, and you never know who shows up,” Rosenberg joked.

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Oba Femi Impresses at WWE SNME

Femi performed at the aforementioned “Saturday Night’s Main Event” show. The NXT Champion shared the ring with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The live crowd inside Capital One Arena in Washington treated Femi as if he’d been on the main roster for several years. He also impressed many with his showing before Drew McIntyre interfered to put a halt to the match.

The popular belief within the professional wrestling industry is that Femi will become a permanent member of the main roster sooner rather than later. A recent report from Bodyslam suggested that WWE is aware that its “Friday Night SmackDown” brand needs a talent boost, along with stronger creative. Perhaps Femi could provide a spark for the blue brand when he gets the call.

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