Councilor Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, Godfather of Vision, for the generous support that contributed to the success of hosting the “SmackDown” and “Royal Rumble WWE” shows, stressing that this event reflects the Saudi position and the global one. Provide leadership in planning the largest sporting and entertainment events.
This was posted by him on the ‘X’ platform and was attached to a photo from the event that showed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s flag adorning the ring as the royal song was played.
The WWE Royal Rumble 2026 show event concluded on Saturday night in the capital, Riyadh, amid massive crowd attendance and global media follow-up, officially paving the way for WrestleMania 42, the historic event to be held outside of North America for the first time within WWE’s list of four big shows in 2026.
In addition to two high-profile matches for world titles and careers, the show featured four major matches, led by the traditional men’s and women’s Royal Rumble match, with 30 male and female stars in each match, making for a breathtaking night for fans and cementing Saudi Arabia’s status as a global destination for major events.
The women’s Royal Rumble match resulted in a victory for Liv Morgan, officially guaranteeing her a chance to compete for the world title at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Morgan entered the match in 14th place and put in a strong performance eliminating three female stars before defeating former champion Tiffany Stratton and NXT star Sol Rocca, who formed the final trio in the ring, to clinch a showdown.
In a fateful match that threatened his career, Gunter continued to assert his superiority even after defeating AJ Styles, imposing a harsh style and ending the match with a chokehold that rendered Styles unconscious, officially ending a 10-year career since his first appearance at the Royal Rumble in 2016. Styles received an emotional greeting and farewell chant from the crowd, a humanitarian moment that included widespread interaction in the stands.
For the unified WWE World Championship, Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn in a fierce confrontation that lasted approximately 16 minutes, and a fierce exchange of attacks was seen inside and outside the ring, successfully defending the title. McIntyre was able to decide the match after executing two attacks with a sudden flying kick to the leg, ending the showdown and retaining the title in one of the most intense matches on the show.
In the men’s Royal Rumble match, Femi Aoba entered as number one, and then Bron Breaker, who was making his first appearance, was suddenly attacked by someone on his way to the ring, and Femi easily eliminated him, surprising fans.
Excitement was further heightened by the entrance of many celebrities, with Randy Orton making his penultimate appearance for the 15th appearance in Royal Rumble history amidst a great interaction as the audience sang his famous entrance song. The picture was completed with Gunter finally taking the field after suffering from an apparent leg injury, but this was an extension of the events of his previous match against AJ Styles on the same night.
As a result of the match, Roman Reigns, who was ranked 26th in the rankings, resolved the conflict and won the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble title, booking his ticket to the biggest event in the world of wrestling entertainment and putting him at the forefront of the road to WrestleMania 42 next April. The towers of the King Abdullah Financial Center (KAFD), located opposite the arena, were then lit up with a dazzling display of fireworks, creating a festive scene that reflected the importance of the occasion and the prestige of the event, adding an extra visual dimension to the atmosphere of the start.
The Royal Rumble 2026 show in Riyadh thus concluded a historic night that combined determination, excitement and big surprises, confirming a strong start to the 2026 WWE season and the beginning of the countdown to the most important global event in the world of wrestling entertainment.
Councilor Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Crown Prince, Custodian and Visionary of the Two Holy Mosques, for the generous support that contributed to the successful hosting of the “SmackDown” and “WWE Royal Rumble” events, affirming that this reflects Saudi Arabia’s status and global leadership in hosting the biggest sports and entertainment events.
This was posted by him on the ‘X’ platform, along with a photo of the event showing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s flag adorning the ring as the national anthem was played.
The WWE Royal Rumble 2026 event concluded on Saturday night in the capital, Riyadh, to a huge crowd and global media coverage, officially paving the way for WrestleMania 42, the historic event that will be held outside of North America for the first time as part of WWE’s Big Four 2026 show.
The event featured four main matches featuring the traditional men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, with 30 stars in each match, and two high-profile title matches, making for a breathtaking night for spectators and cementing Saudi Arabia’s status as a global destination for major events.
Liv Morgan was victorious in the Women’s Royal Rumble match, officially securing her chance to compete for the world title at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Morgan entered the match at number 14 and put in a strong performance eliminating three stars before scoring wins over former champion Tiffany Stratton and NXT star Sol Luka, who formed the final trio in the ring.
In a key, career-threatening match, Gunter continued to assert his dominance after defeating AJ Styles, displaying brutal style and ending the match with a chokehold that rendered Styles unconscious, officially ending a decade-long career since his debut at Royal Rumble 2016. Styles received hearty applause and farewell chants from the crowd, a human moment that echoed widely throughout the stands.
In the match for the unified WWE World Championship, Drew McIntyre successfully defended his title against Sami Zayn in an intense match that lasted nearly 16 minutes, exchanging fierce attacks both inside and outside the ring. McIntyre secured the victory after executing two moves with a surprise aerial kick, ending the match and retaining the title in one of the show’s most competitive matches.
The men’s Royal Rumble match was full of surprises from the start, as Omos entered in first place and Bron Breaker made his first appearance, but as Bron Breaker made his way to the ring, he was ambushed by a figure dressed all in black, and Omos quickly eliminated Bron Breaker, surprising the audience from the start.
Excitement was further heightened by the entrance of several celebrities, with Randy Orton making his 15th and penultimate appearance in Royal Rumble history during a major interaction with the audience as attendees sang his famous entrance song. The scene was completed with Gunter finally making his entrance, clearly suffering from a leg injury, following on from the events of his previous match with AJ Styles on the same night.
At the end of the match, Roman Reigns, who entered at number 26, emerged victorious, winning the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble title and securing his ticket to the biggest event in the world of sports entertainment, putting him at the forefront of the road to WrestleMania 42 next April. Following this, the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) tower opposite the ring was lit up with a spectacular display of fireworks, creating a celebratory scene that reflected the importance of the occasion and the grandeur of the event, adding an extraordinary visual dimension to the atmosphere of the launch.
The Royal Rumble 2026 event in Riyadh thus concluded a historic night full of decisive moments, excitement and big surprises, confirming a strong start to the 2026 WWE season and marking the countdown to the most important global event in the world of sports entertainment.
