Cody Rhodes enters the 2026 Royal Rumble with a spotlight on him as he pursues an unprecedented third victory at the event. Scheduled for Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this milestone could elevate Rhodes alongside wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, who claimed three Royal Rumble wins during his career.
Rhodes Reflects on His Quest to Equal Stone Cold’s Record
Speaking on SportsCenter before the match, Rhodes emphasized his ambition to solidify his legacy by matching Austin’s feat.
“I’m a big proponent of even if the score is up — we’re not punting away. And I, since I’ve returned, have every statistic you could think of, winning the WWE Championship, King of the Ring, Crown Jewel,”
Rhodes said.
“Again, two Royal Rumbles. I want to run the score up. One more Royal Rumble. Tie Stone Cold Steve Austin — the argument about the Attitude Era versus what we’re doing now, all is put to rest.”
He described achieving this goal as a career-defining accomplishment:
“That would be the biggest thing done in my career, yet. A near impossible feat, (and I’m) looking to get done in a matter of hours.”
Rhodes’ Career Journey and Recent Achievements
Rhodes has experienced a noteworthy journey in professional wrestling, departing WWE about a decade ago before rising to prominence with Bullet Club in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Later, he co-founded AEW, only to return to WWE reinvented as the “American Nightmare.” Since his April 2022 return, Rhodes has captured the WWE Championship and won the Royal Rumble in both 2023 and 2024. He also ended Roman Reigns’ extensive 1,316-day WWE Championship reign in April 2024.
Rhodes did not participate in the 2025 Royal Rumble due to his WWE Champion status but holds a 2-0 record in the events he contested after his comeback. Expectations are high for him to make a significant impact in the upcoming Rumble.
Potential Storylines and Competitive Field
There remains the possibility that WWE could script a surprising twist at the event, such as setting up Rhodes for a high-profile WrestleMania match without immediately returning him to the title scene. Notably, Rhodes recently lost the WWE Championship to the new titleholder Drew McIntyre on the January 9 edition of SmackDown.
The competition includes several other prominent wrestlers who have also won the Royal Rumble twice, including Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, and Brock Lesnar. Both Orton and Lesnar are anticipated entrants this year, meaning Rhodes will have multiple competitors aiming to equal or surpass the historic record.
Women’s Royal Rumble and Event Details
On the women’s side, Charlotte Flair seeks a historic third Royal Rumble victory as the only woman to have won the event more than once, adding an additional narrative layer to the Saudi Arabia event.
The 2026 Royal Rumble is slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET and will stream exclusively on the ESPN app from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, drawing significant global attention to WWE’s continued expansion into the region.
"That would be the biggest thing done in my career yet and near impossible feat, looking to get it done in a matter of hours."
Cody Rhodes has his eyes on a third overall Royal Rumble win 👏
Stream the 2026 Royal Rumble today at 2 PM ET on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited… pic.twitter.com/457ZhtNSQ1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 31, 2026
