Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion to return after 499 days in the Royal Rumble Match? Potential surprise explored

The Royal Rumble Match is fast approaching and will take place in two weeks from now, on February 1. A few superstars have already declared their participation in the match, aiming to get a title shot at WrestleMania 41.

At the same time, there has been speculation that a former WWE star and World Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth (aka Dolph Ziggler) could make his return at Royal Rumble, even if this is a one-off appearance.

The now-former TNA World Champion has rejuvenated his career since leaving the Stamford-based company on September 21, 2023, but he hasn’t ruled out a return to WWE.

Recently, he had an interview with The Daily Star and teased a return at the Royal Rumble, saying it would be cool to come back, even if it is just for one appearance.

“A rumble spot, dude that’s so cool. WWE’s killing it right now. To do something fun and wear my old trunks, get the old music to play, come out there, and kick somebody in the face, that would be awesome. It would just be something to have a viral moment so I could talk about TNA, so that’s the only reason I would want to do it. It’d be cool see some old friends,” Nic Nemeth said.

In addition, the partnership between WWE and TNA makes it easier for superstars to appear on both brands.

WWE will move to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Royal Rumble

In a surprising move, WWE recently announced that they will move to Saudi Arabia and the city of Riyadh for the 2026 Royal Rumble.

This will be the first time that Riyadh and Saudi Arabia will host the Premium Live Event and the first time Rumble will be held outside the United States and Canada.

WWE has yet to announce the official date for the event, which marks another sign of the company’s expansion to Saudi Arabia. Over the past few years, the country has hosted not only episodes of RAW and SmackDown but also Premium Live Events like the King & Queen of The Ring, Night of Champions, the Elimination Chamber, and, the Crown Jewel.

With that in mind, the question now is how many Premium Live Events Saudi Arabia will host in 2026.