WWE Rumor Roundup: Plans for Royal Rumble; NXT call-ups after SNME; Thea Hail, Blake Monroe rematch & more (December 18, 2025)

Let’s discuss the latest rumors making the rounds among fans on social media!

Speculation and rumors are among the favorite pastimes of WWE fans worldwide. Fans from all over the world enjoy discussing and debating various aspects of the world of pro wrestling. In the aftermath of the Crown Jewel 2025, the rumor mill continues to run in full force.

In today’s edition of the roundup, we cover the latest rumors and news circulating among fans on social media, including plans for the Royal Rumble, NXT main roster call-ups, Thea Hail – Blake Monroe rematch, and much more.

Royal Rumble 2026

According to a report from WrestleVotes, WWE settled on a 2 p.m. ET start time after internal debate, which means a relatively late 10 p.m. local start in Riyadh.

Per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Royal Rumble is tentatively set for four matches: two Rumble bouts and two title matches, though the championships are not yet finalized.

Royal Rumble 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season. It marks the first traditional Royal Rumble ever held outside North America, the 14th WWE event hosted in Saudi Arabia under the company’s decade-long partnership supporting Saudi Vision 2030.

NXT call-ups after SNME

Following SNME, which featured John Cena’s final match as well as multiple NXT stars who competed against main roster talents, Bryan Alvarez addressed the speculation of main roster callups in a subscriber update on X, stating WWE has not called up five NXT talents despite widespread online rumors.

“Since people have been asking after SNME and Raw, I had been told at this point, nobody has been called up.”

The rumored names from NXT included Oba Femi, Sol Ruca, Je’Von Evans, Leon Slater, and Joe Hendry, all of whom were prominently featured at last week’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Thea Hail vs Blake Monroe rematch under discussion

According to PW Insider, the unexpected Women’s North American title change on this Tuesday’s NXT occurred because Thea Hail left Blake Monroe winded and went for a pin too quickly; WWE referees are instructed to count all pin attempts as legitimate.

Furthermore, Fightful Select reported that NXT had pre-taped segments with Monroe as North American Champion through year-end, and Hail’s victory forced “a frantic scramble to adjust already filmed content.” An NXT executive told the outlet that they plan to implement new rules requiring all talent in Monday pre-tapes to appear at Tuesday live shows.

The outlet also reports that a rematch between Hail and Monroe is under discussion and is expected to happen at New Year’s Evil. However, there is no confirmation on that matter.

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