One of the most polarizing WWE stars will be in the Royal Rumble.
Brock Lesnar announced he will be in the 2026 men's Royal Rumble match. He revealed his participation during "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday, Jan. 28. He called into the show to announce the news.
"I'm heading to the Royal Rumble and I'm gonna win it," Lesnar said.
Lesnar is one of 11 WWE stars to have won the Royal Rumble match twice, doing so in 2003 and 2022. Automatically a favorite to win the match, a third victory would make him the second person to achieve the feat alongside Stone Cold Steve Austin.
BROCK LESNAR IS ON THE PHONE
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 28, 2026
"I'm heading to the Royal Rumble and I'm gonna WIN it" ~ @BrockLesnar
THAT'S BIG NEWS #PMSLivepic.twitter.com/JOkGqlhB4J
The news is a slight surprise, as Lesnar has not appeared in WWE since Survivor Series in November, when he was part of the winning team in the men's WarGames match.
Lesnar made his sudden return to WWE at the end of SummerSlam 2025 in August when he attacked John Cena after the main event. It was his first appearance in nearly two years, with his hiatus coinciding with the Vince McMahon lawsuit. In January 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant sued McMahon, alleging the wrestling company's founder took part in sex trafficking and put her through sexual acts that were done with "extreme cruelty and degradation." Lesnar is mentioned in the lawsuit as someone that McMahon offered sexual encounters to with Grant.
WWE drew criticism for bringing Lesnar back, as a spokesperson for Grant said the return was an "attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug."
The 2026 Royal Rumble takes place Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. ET in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brock Lesnar declares for WWE Royal Rumble 2026
