• Sad News For Fans Looking Forward To Royal Rumble 2026
WWE will host the Royal Rumble 2026 Premium Live Event outside of North America for the first time, heading to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first of the company’s big four events of next year.
Royal Rumble matches are known for their surprise element, including returns of injured stars and wrestlers who left the company, debuts of new talent, call-ups from NXT, or others who have been away for various reasons.
However, Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer reports that Royal Rumble 2026 won’t feature any surprises. With the event taking place in Saudi Arabia, it would be extremely difficult for WWE to keep unexpected appearances under wraps, including managing travel and logistics for returning talent.
Saturday Night’s Main Event and SmackDown airing the week before in Canada will likely feature any returning or debuting talent to set up a potential role for them at the Royal Rumble.
• Lilian Garcia Gets Engaged To Former Wrestler
Longtime WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia has shared joyful personal news: she is officially engaged!
Garcia noted that she had spent nearly four years unmarried while focusing on personal healing and self-discovery. Once she felt ready for a committed relationship, the decision to go public came as a natural next step. Although she did not reveal her fiancé’s name, she teased that he was once a professional wrestler.
The engagement announcement comes amid Garcia’s return to WWE-related duties. Recently, she transitioned back into announcing major events and signed a new two-year deal with the company. She worked Saturday Night’s Main Event this past weekend.
While wedding details remain private, the excitement is evident. Garcia closed her announcement with a message of hope to those still seeking love, encouraging self-work and patience.
“If you’re single, don’t give up. Work on yourself so you can actually love yourself first,” said Lilian.
LATEST: Torrie Wilson, Lita & More React To Charles Robinson’s Heartbreaking News
• WWE Officials Were Upset After Friday’s SmackDown
WWE SmackDown in Salt Lake City this past Friday has sparked behind-the-scenes concern after ticket sales reportedly plummeted to nearly half of what the company achieved in the same market 11 months ago. According to multiple internal sources, Friday’s edition of SmackDown saw significantly weak demand, falling to less than half of WWE’s 2025 average attendance.
A WWE source described the turnout as “very disappointing” to Fightful Select, noting that a large number of ticket holders were relocated from their original sections – a common practice when live shows under-deliver.
While relocating fans isn’t unique to WWE (other promotions including AEW and TNA also do it), the scale of the gap this time stood out.
WrestleTix reported that a little over 7,000 tickets were sold for SmackDown, far below WWE’s year-to-date average of approximately 12,272 attendees. Another source suggested the decline was nearly 50% compared to the previous visit to Salt Lake, which upset WWE officials.
Despite featuring major match-ups, including headline talent on SmackDown and plans for Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE’s ability to draw in Salt Lake City was clearly hampered. One backstage observer said the promotion’s reliance on upper-deck capacity that was later tarped off reveals a bigger issue with demand over content.
