WWE Royal Rumble 2026: Bianca Belair and 5 potential surprise entrants

The 2026 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble is wide open, and with no clear potential winner, this year’s 30-woman Battle Royal could spring some surprises.

Last year’s Royal Rumble also featured its fair share of shockers. There was a rare appearance from Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, and fellow Hall of Famer Nikki Bella appeared as the No. 30 entrant. But news of her return had caused quite a stir in the weeks leading up to her appearance, which had subsided some of the intrigue.

Still, Bella and Stratus made two impressive appearances as a handful of NXT stars, including Stephanie Vaquer and Lash Legend, showed up at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In 2026, WWE will likely follow a similar format, with a mix of returning stars and NXT standouts making their presence felt in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Here are five potential surprise entrants into the 2026 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble.

ForbesWWE Royal Rumble 2026: Liv Morgan and the 5 most likely winnersBy means of Blake Oestriecher

Tiffany Stratton

After missing some TV time due to injury, former world champion Tiffany Stratton is reportedly absent expect to return soon in preparation for a major WrestleMania storyline.

While it’s unclear exactly how Stratton will fit into WWE’s immediate creative plans, it’s likely she’ll be placed in a top storyline immediately. After all, Stratton has spent virtually her entire career starring in a high-profile role, and after a lengthy layoff, she should return with renewed momentum and fan support.

Stratton had lost a lot of momentum as a babyface during her feud with Jade Cargill, so the time off, coupled with a big WWE Royal Rumble return, could be just what she needs to get back on track.

Blake Monroe

While WWE reportedly is don’t call NXT stalwart Blake Monroe at this point, WWE has typically used a handful of its 30 Royal Rumble slots to spotlight some NXT stars.

Monroe, formerly Mariah May in AEW, is one of the top talents in NXT after a stellar run in AEW, and in the long run she should be a major force in the women’s division on the main roster as well. But for now, WWE can do what it often does in the Royal Rumble and use it as a way to briefly introduce a star to core WWE fans.

This has happened numerous times in the past, like last year when NXT’s Stephanie Vaquer showed up, and now that Monroe is among the top stars in NXT, she’s a strong candidate to make an announced appearance and make some noise in Saudi Arabia.

AJ Lee

Despite reports that AJ Lee signed a full-time WWE deal last year, apparently so is not the caseand Lee simply remains a beloved, if rarely seen, part-time artist.

Lee’s return should be on the horizon as she is reportedly “locked” into a WrestleMania 42 singles match against Becky Lynch. Maybe WWE will bring Lee back as a surprise Royal Rumble entrant to reignite that rivalry with Lynch, who is once again the Women’s Intercontinental Champion.

That would be the very first Lynch vs. Lee singles match, which would certainly be a big attraction for the women’s division at WrestleMania 42. However, if WWE has other plans in mind for Lynch, the Royal Rumble is still a great platform for Lee to return and start a WrestleMania feud with one of a number of great performers in the WWE women’s division.

Paige

WWE officials are reportedly confident that they will be able to hide surprise participants in the WWE Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia without spoiling the surprise.

And of all the possible surprise returns that WWE fans could see in Riyadh, there’s probably none bigger than Paige. Paige performed under her real name Saraya in AEW and parted ways with the company in March 2025, but recently expressed her wish to struggle again.

One of the early trendsetters of women’s evolution in WWE, Paige’s career in the ring ended there in 2017 thanks to a serious neck injury. Obviously, Paige was back in wrestling, and it’s unclear if WWE would ever release her for in-ring action. But there’s certainly a reason to be optimistic about that, as both Daniel Bryan and Edge were eventually given the green light to wrestle in WWE after similar injuries.

While Paige’s days as a full-timer are likely a thing of the past, she could certainly appear at the WWE Royal Rumble and/or follow in Lee’s footsteps as a part-timer.

Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair has been out of action since WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 after suffering a horrific finger injury.

Recovery from that injury has been difficult for the former world champion, but there is widespread expectation that she will be ready to step back into the ring in the near future. If she does, there’s no better time or place for her triumphant return than the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, where she’d also be a frontrunner to win the whole thing.

After all, Belair has a ready-made opponent waiting for her in the form of Jade Cargill, her former tag team partner who currently holds SmackDown’s WWE Women’s Championship. That would be a logical and effective storyline that could carry SmackDown through WrestleMania 42 and beyond.

But of course, Belair must first return at WWE Royal Rumble 2026.