Reigns earns WrestleMania 42 title shot after chaotic Rumble finish
Summary
– Roman Reigns won the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble in Riyadh
– The match featured major surprises, debuts, and returns throughout
– Reigns last eliminated GUNTHER to secure his WrestleMania 42 opportunity
The 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble closed out the Premium Live Event from Riyadh Season Stadium with one of the most unpredictable matches in recent memory.
Oba Femi and Bron Breakker began the match, but chaos struck early when a masked attacker assaulted Breakker during his entrance. After being thrown into the ring steps and hit with a Curb Stomp, Breakker was rolled into the ring and eliminated by Femi, signaling unfinished business heading toward WrestleMania.
The early portion of the match featured rapid eliminations and strong showings from Femi, Solo Sikoa, Rey Mysterio, Matt Cardona, Damian Priest, Je’Von Evans, Mr. Iguana, Trick Williams, and Cody Rhodes. Femi dominated much of the early action before the field continued to fill.
Multiple surprise moments followed, including the arrival of El Grande Americano, the return of Chad Gable as the original El Grande Americano, and the WWE debut of Royce Keys. Austin Theory, Bronson Reed, Ilja Dragunov, La Parka, Dragon Lee, and Logan Paul added depth to an increasingly crowded ring.
LA Knight returned to a strong reaction at entry number 21, followed by Brock Lesnar and The Miz. Rey Fenix entered as Lesnar, and Oba Femi squared off, with Lesnar eventually eliminating Femi before being taken out by Cody Rhodes and LA Knight.
Roman Reigns entered soon after and immediately shifted the momentum. He cleaned house and came face-to-face with Cody Rhodes before the arrivals of Jacob Fatu, Penta, Randy Orton, and GUNTHER rounded out the field.
Key eliminations followed, including Drew McIntyre eliminating Cody Rhodes and Orton hitting a decisive RKO on Je’Von Evans. Jey Uso attempted to eliminate Reigns but failed, allowing Reigns to throw Uso out moments later.
The final four came down to Roman Reigns, Logan Paul, Randy Orton, and GUNTHER. Reigns eliminated Logan Paul, Orton briefly stunned Reigns with an RKO, and GUNTHER tossed Orton to set up the showdown.
GUNTHER locked Reigns in a sleeper hold during the closing moments, but Reigns powered through, landed a spear, and eliminated GUNTHER to win the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble match and punch his ticket to WrestleMania 42.
