WWE Scrapped Plans For Aleister Black To Work Royal Rumble 2026

Many WWE stars made the trip to Saudi Arabia over the last week for the Royal Rumble 2026 PLE, though not everyone managed to find their way into the men’s or women’s Rumble matches. One who did make the trip over to Saudi Arabia was SmackDown star Aleister Black, though it seems plans may have changed for him, as he didn’t end up competing inside the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble. 

According to a report from PWInsider, WWE made the decision to not feature Black inside the Royal Rumble this year. It was explained that WWE wanted to bring him back to programming in a different way, rather than just as another entry into the Rumble match. 

Black has been absent ever since his Ambulance Match loss to Damian Priest on the January 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown. It was revealed in recent weeks that Black’s absence wasn’t due to injury, but instead due to WWE keeping him off TV to sell the effects of the feud-ending clash with Priest, with WWE waiting for the right time creatively to use him again.