Roman Reigns and Rhea Ripley lead the charge as Royal Rumble mayhem hits Riyadh

WrestleMania 42 may still be some distance away but the journey toward the Grandest Stage of Them All officially gathers momentum this weekend as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) reaches its most unpredictable checkpoint - the Royal Rumble. 

Set for Saturday, January 31 at 6pm (SA time), the event marks the true beginning of the Road to WrestleMania, where destinies can change in an instant and careers can be reshaped in dramatic fashion.

Hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the land of endless horizons and towering ambition, the Royal Rumble once again promises a night where championships, legacies and WrestleMania dreams hang in the balance.

With titles on the line and two blockbuster 30-person battle royals set to headline proceedings, the stage is set for a spectacle designed to shape the months ahead on WWE’s calendar.

As always, the Rumble offers the most direct path to a WrestleMania main event. Champions face mounting pressure to defend their titles, while challengers lurk with intent, aware that a single victory can reshape their careers entirely - the winner earns the right to challenge the world champion of their choice at the two-night event.

Lying in wait will be CM Punk, who continues to carry both momentum and unfinished business. Fresh from bruising encounters with Finn Balor in Belfast and most recently AJ Styles, the scars of betrayal still linger after Paul Heyman’s shocking turn at WrestleMania 41, which helped usher in Seth Rollins’ Vision. 

All eyes will be on Punk as he observes who emerges victorious, knowing the outcome could shape his path toward WrestleMania and future championship opportunities.

Jey Uso returns as the defending battle royal winner, having converted last year’s triumph into a WrestleMania 41 victory over the hard-hitting Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship. With history on his side, Uso will be determined to prove that success was no fluke as 30 men once again chase the same prize on Saturday night.

The men’s field is stacked with star power, led by The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, who will be aiming to capture only his second Royal Rumble victory. Gunther, meanwhile, enters with unfinished business of his own. 

The Austrian powerhouse still holds the record for the longest time spent in a Royal Rumble match - one hour and 11 minutes in 2023 - and faces a daunting workload as he is set to clash with AJ Styles in a high-stakes encounter where Styles’ career will be on the line, with defeat forcing him into retirement.

For Cody Rhodes, recent weeks have been turbulent. Having seen his championship taken by Drew McIntyre, Rhodes now begins a familiar path toward redemption. A Royal Rumble victory would see him join Stone Cold Steve Austin as the only men to win the match three times, with former ally Randy Orton standing directly in his way also chasing that record.

While the Rumble has launched countless WrestleMania dreams, it has also shattered many. McIntyre will be hoping to avoid the latter as he defends his WWE Championship against Sami Zayn in a clash loaded with emotion and consequence.

The women’s division continues to grow in stature and depth. Since Asuka broke barriers in 2018 as the first female Royal Rumble winner, the women’s match has become a cornerstone of the event. Charlotte Flair leads the charge as a two-time winner, while Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax, Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch add further intrigue.

As tradition dictates, no Royal Rumble would be complete without surprise entrants. With unexpected returns and shocking debuts almost guaranteed, the unpredictability only heightens anticipation on a night where the road to WrestleMania truly begins.