The 2026 Royal Rumble promises to be a landmark wrestling event as WWE stages it in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first time the match is held outside the United States. Scheduled for the evening of Saturday, January 31, the match features top WWE superstars including Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton competing for a chance to headline WrestleMania. The unpredictability of this year’s Rumble, especially after Cody Rhodes lost the WWE Universal Championship to Drew McIntyre earlier in the year, has fans eager to see who will emerge victorious.
Ahead of the event, a detailed simulation of the men’s Royal Rumble match was run using WWE 2K25. The simulation aimed to replicate the actual roster and allowed for surprise entrants, capturing the essence of Royal Rumble’s unpredictable nature with the help of the Community Creations feature.
Detailed Breakdown of the Simulated Men’s Royal Rumble Match
The simulation opened with Damian Priest and Trick Williams entering as the first two competitors. The early stages saw intense exchanges, with Trick Williams eliminating Priest soon after. Ilja Dragunov arrived fourth and immediately targeted The Miz, who was in the ring after joining at number three. Matt Cardona, making a recent return, followed closely at number five, then Rey Mysterio joined, increasing the ring’s intensity.
Several participants entered sequentially, including El Grande Americano and Chad Gable, both wearing similar ring gear, leading to an unusual contest between them. Dragon Lee joined as another luchador entrant but was soon eliminated by Dragunov. Dragunov himself was next to go, tossed out by El Grande Americano, who was then eliminated by Penta in his impactful entrance. The Miz was also eliminated by Cardona, who shortly thereafter exited at the hands of Bronson Reed, making his way in at number ten.
Logan Paul, Reed’s stablemate, made a strong impression by eliminating Gable but failed to protect Reed from Rey Mysterio, who removed the Aussie powerhouse. Austin Theory joined but was swiftly eliminated by Penta, marking Penta’s third elimination at this stage. Je’Von Evans entered for his first Rumble appearance but was almost immediately chased out by an aggressive Bron Breakker. LA Knight, recently returned from injury, helped keep Breakker occupied, allowing Solo Sikoa to remove Mysterio from the match.
Clashes Among Heavy Hitters and Surprise Returns
Jacob Fatu and Gunther traded heavy blows before Gunther gained the upper hand, eliminating Fatu and then later Cody Rhodes, ending Rhodes’s attempt at a third Royal Rumble win. The simulation delivered its first major shock when Seth Rollins made a surprise return from injury, instantly targeting and eventually eliminating Breakker in a lengthy feud payback.
Gunther maintained his ruthless path by eliminating Solo Sikoa. Shortly after, the Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio made an unexpected comeback into the match, preceded by the much-anticipated arrival of Roman Reigns himself.
Reigns wasted no time, confronting and eliminating Seth Rollins, demonstrating his dominance early in the altered match flow. However, chaos escalated with the back-to-back entry of Oba Femi, the recent NXT Champion, and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar removed Penta quickly, while the newcomer Femi shocked viewers by eliminating Gunther, staking his claim on the main roster. Lesnar then eliminated Femi after a titanic clash, but Reigns soon intercepted Lesnar to eliminate him.
Final Entrants and the Dramatic Closing Moments
‘Dirty’ Dom, focusing on eliminating LA Knight, was active as more wrestlers like Randy Orton, reigning 2025 Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso, Joe Hendry, and two surprise contenders entered. Powerhouse Hobbs, anticipated to debut at the real event, appeared in the simulation, confirmed by Community Creations for an imminent WWE debut. WWE legend Chris Jericho rounded out the entrants as number 30, a significant return to competition.
Jericho’s return was short-lived as Hobbs, an old acquaintance from AEW, eliminated him swiftly. In a stunning twist, Hobbs also eliminated Roman Reigns, abruptly ending the Tribal Chief’s hopes of securing a WrestleMania main event slot through this simulated Royal Rumble.
Dominik Mysterio then removed Randy Orton, leaving the match down to himself, Powerhouse Hobbs, Jey Uso, and Joe Hendry. This unexpected final four was unlikely to represent the real event’s outcome. Mysterio eliminated Uso, narrowing the field to Hendry and Hobbs. Hendry eventually eliminated Hobbs but was quickly taken down by Mysterio, capitalizing on Hendry’s fatigue.
Dominik Mysterio’s Surprising Victory and Its Implications
After approximately one hour of simulated action, Dominik Mysterio secured victory, earning a number one contender spot for a title of his choosing. This outcome would, if mirrored in real life, set up an electrifying atmosphere at WrestleMania 42’s Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with the energy surrounding Mysterio potentially reaching a fever pitch.
“Imagine the noise from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas if Dom were to lift the World Heavyweight Championship come WrestleMania? It’d be almost unbearable as Dom himself.” – Source Attribution
The simulation’s surprising results, especially the early elimination of Roman Reigns, challenge expectations and highlight the unpredictable nature of Royal Rumble matches, where any superstar can seize a chance on wrestling’s biggest stage.
Looking Ahead to the Actual 2026 Royal Rumble Event
The WWE 2K25 simulation offers a thrilling preview but remains just one possibility among many. With stars like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, and rising talents such as Dominik Mysterio in the mix, the real 2026 Royal Rumble promises high stakes and action-packed moments. Fans worldwide will watch closely as events unfold live in Riyadh, eager to see which competitors will advance toward WrestleMania glory and how the narrative will diverge from or align with this virtual scenario.
