Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley and other WWE stars likely to turn heel at Royal Rumble 2026
(Courtesy : WWE)
WWE Royal Rumble might see some shocking heel turns.
WWE will make history with the 2026 edition of the Royal Rumble show. The Premium Live Event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 31st, at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With the stage set for a marquee show, it could create more headlines with a shocking heel turn and these five WWE superstars could be the ones to do it.
5. Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley has been on an exciting run as a tag team with IYO Sky. However, that has reduced her to become a mid-card attraction, not the dominant World Champion she once was.
Her frustrations could catch up to her in the Women’s Rumble match, and she could turn on IYO in a shocking turn of events to become a monster heel again.
4. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn has fought time and again to win his first World Championship in WWE, but has never been able to do so. The same could happen at the 2026 Royal Rumble, where he would lose his scheduled match to Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE title.
The loss could lead to Zayn berating the audience after the match and turning heel in the process, going it alone from there on.
3. AJ Styles
AJ Styles is set to wrestle Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble PLE with his career on the line. A scenario could see Styles emerge victorious and The Ring General offering him a handshake in respect.
The Phenomenal One could shock the world by dropping him down with a low blow and turning heel for the final year of his WWE run.
2. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns has been on a downward spiral since he lost the Undisputed WWE title at WrestleMania 40. He has not been the monster Tribal Chief he once was, who dominated the WWE landscape.
Reigns could fail at winning the Rumble match this year, and this could let his rage take over him to revert back to a heel and begin his road to reclaim the glory he once had.
1. Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes has shown signs of aggression in WWE on occasion and has displayed it even more since losing the Undisputed WWE title due to Jacob Fatu’s interference.
The American Nightmare could win his third Rumble match and instantly turn his back on the fans who supported him, creating one of the most shocking moments in the PLE’s history.
When and where will the Royal Rumble 2026 take place?
The 39th edition will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season.
Where can fans tune in to catch all the action live?
Fans in the United States can catch all the action on ESPN, while international fans can tune into Netflix (excluding some markets).
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Nik O Conner is a long-time fan of professional wrestling. After dropping his Engineering regular studies in 2020, he decided to pursue his passion and became a writer. Over the last few years, he has written for multiple webs bringing a lot of skills and creativity to the table.