Scrapped Plans for Bron Breakker To Win 2026 WWE Men’s Royal Rumble Match

As noted before, last Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble 2026 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia featured Roman Reigns becoming the winner of this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match. This match was notable for Bron Breakker coming out as the #2 entrant and being attacked by a mystery hooded person leading to his quick elimination from the match.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources stated that Breakker was originally planned to win the Men’s Royal Rumble match before WWE officials decided to go into another direction for their plans.

Meltzer reported that Seth Rollins’ shoulder injury caused WWE officials to change several of their original plans. These plans reportedly revolved around Breakker feuding with CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with the idea that he would lose the match against Punk at the RAW Netflix Anniversary show, win the Men’s Royal Rumble, and then face off and defeat Punk for the title at WrestleMania 42.

Meltzer also reported that these plans for Breakker were changed after WWE officials decided that Drew McIntyre would defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a Three Stages of Hell match. McIntyre reportedly had pushed the idea that since he had lost multiple times to Rhodes, it would be better for him to win the title in the Three Stages of Hell match. Rhodes reportedly was on board with the idea.

WWE officials reportedly currently view Reigns, Rhodes, and Punk as the three biggest stars in the company. Meltzer reported that McIntyre essentially was getting Breakker’s spot in the title picture for WrestleMania 42.

Meltzer also reported that when the decision was made for McIntyre to win the Undisputed WWE title, WWE officials had to scrap their plans for Breakker winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match and the choices for the new winner was between Rhodes and Reigns.