Backstage Notes on WWE Planning ‘WrestleMania or Better’ Stage for Royal Rumble, Concerns Over Build

Backstage concerns are growing around WWE Royal Rumble 2026, with Dave Meltzer describing the build as “weakest” for one of WWE’s biggest shows. With only one episode of RAW and two SmackDowns remaining, the runway to January 31 is short.

The event takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first Royal Rumble held outside North America. While the context is historic, the promotion leading into the show has raised eyebrows. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the buildup feels “like the weakest promoted Rumbles of all-time.”

Dave Meltzer pointed to limited in-ring promos, few confirmed entrants until recently, and minimal storyline focus. At this stage, the card appears to be capped at four matches, including the men’s and women’s Rumble matches. Those two matches alone could run close to an hour or longer each. Even if a fifth match gets booked, it must be kept short. That leaves little time to spotlight title defenses or create memorable moments without rushing the event altogether. Another challenge is the start time. The event begins at 2 p.m. Eastern and 11 a.m. Pacific, which could impact US viewership.

Meltzer also felt the viewership may be down from the 2025 event due to a decline in interest and the earlier start time, as mentioned earlier.

He also noted that the special stadium that is being built for the show will easily hold 30,000 fans as ticket demand has been high.

The expectation is that the show will include major pyro and a drone show, with WWE aiming for a WrestleMania or better stage.

The Rumble will feature top WWE stars including Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Jey Uso, and more. This will be the first Rumble since John Cena retired last month and sets the stage for major future Premium Live Events such as Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.

let's make the royal rumble magical.
Here is the Setup for the 2026 BWE Royal Rumble at Truist Park. pic.twitter.com/mlx5YmRv17

— B.W.E (@MediaBWE) January 23, 2026