Roman Reigns is entering the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble match. The news came on Friday Night SmackDown, but not during a Reigns promo segment where fans chanted and sang his praise, but in a 60-second video package highlighting the Tribal Chief’s dominance in last year’s event.
Depending on your perspective, there are two ways to look at it. As Cageside Seats Senior Producer Geno Mrosko bluntly stated, “This was such a shitty way to do this.”
On the other side of the coin is my perspective. While I understand
the disappointment with the lack of a live appearance, as Cageside’s chronicler of the OTC — specifically, the Noble Scribe — I thought the video was well-produced. The ending was particularly stirring, as three words hit the screen in time with the drumbeat of Reigns’ entrance theme:
“Riyadh. Reigns. Rumble.”
As rousing as it was, were it up to me, I would have finessed things a little differently on how they got there — but that’s just me creatively. Regardless, when you transcend the wrestling business like Reigns has, you don’t need to show up.
Don’t believe me? Ask WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque.
Speaking at the Survivor Series post-show in November, Levesque said Reigns “transcends the Royal Rumble” and “the Elimination Chamber,” adding, “Does he really need to qualify, or does he just call his shot?” when it comes to fighting for a world championship.
Based on Friday’s announcement, Reigns has opted to take the traditional path after all by entering the Rumble match itself. But when discussing Reigns’ superstar status, Levesque compared him to The Undertaker — another figure he believes transcended the industry. While that comparison was made in the context of the world title picture, the parallels go further.
Like Reigns, The Undertaker didn’t need to show up to sell future matches; he simply had to appear as advertised.
In 2015, Bray Wyatt repeatedly called out the Deadman before Taker responded with a chilling video, setting the stage for WrestleMania 31. For a star of Taker’s magnitude, fans only needed the time, the place, and a reason.
Fans now have all three for Reigns ahead of next Saturday. The time and place are set, and the reason is clear: the Royal Rumble winner earns a world title match of their choosing in the main event at WrestleMania — if they can survive 29 other competitors.
With the stakes established, WWE has chosen absence over exposure, and that choice matters.
Keeping Reigns off-screen from Survivor Series until next Saturday in Riyadh is likely to amplify his presence. When he does enter the Rumble match, expect it to be late. At WarGames, he was the final entrant; in Saudi Arabia, a number between 20 and 30 — if not 30 itself — feels inevitable.
When his music finally hits, it will follow months of anticipation, with his Survivor Series face-off with Cody Rhodes still fresh. Who will remain in the Rumble when Reigns arrives? Who will be first to greet the OTC as he steps into the ring? And when it’s over, will Roman Reigns be the last man standing?
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how we got here. All of that noise will fade next Saturday when the familiar drumbeat hits, the ones go to the sky, and the most preeminent performer in sports entertainment history makes his iconic march toward the Royal Rumble — and possibly an unprecedented 11th WrestleMania main event.
