WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Triple H Levesque stopped by ESPN Get Up this morning to promote the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble and he did little to calm the growing buzz around surprise entrants.

When asked directly about the Men’s Royal Rumble match, Triple H leaned into the mystery.

“There are a lot of surprises in store,” he said.

Those words immediately set the rumor mill spinning, especially with this year’s Royal Rumble taking place outside North America for the first time, emanating from Riyadh. Despite the international setting, expectations backstage are that WWE will deliver the same jaw dropping moments that have defined the January spectacle for decades.

According to Fightful Select, WWE officials are confident the company can still protect major surprises even with the added travel challenges. Sean Ross Sapp previously detailed how those logistics are being handled.

“WWE’s charter with talent takes off in the wee hours after this week’s WWE Raw, and the talent will be there all week to prepare for Smackdown and the Royal Rumble,” Sapp wrote. “There are also plans to bring in talent on their own later in the week, including surprise names.”

While fans have long questioned how WWE could hide surprise entrants during overseas events, sources indicated that the private nature of chartered flights and secured hotels may actually make secrecy easier than domestic shows. With fewer public airports and less fan access, the feeling internally is that leaks are less likely.

Naturally, speculation has followed about who could be on those flights. One name that continues to surface is Chris Jericho. Rumors have circulated for months that the nine time world champion could be headed back to WWE for one final run. He is still listed as active with All Elite Wrestling, but his contract is believed to have expired at the end of 2025.

Another name generating chatter is Powerhouse Hobbs. The former AEW standout is reportedly set to debut under the new ring name Royce Keys.

Additional reports in early January suggested that Brock Lesnar, LA Knight, and Chad Gable were all expected to be in Riyadh ahead of the event.

The women’s division could also see major movement. Tiffany Stratton is expected back after being sidelined since November with an undisclosed injury. AJ Lee is also expected to return soon to continue her heated rivalry with Becky Lynch.

Fans are also hoping this weekend finally marks the long awaited return of Bianca Belair. The EST has not competed since suffering a broken knuckle against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at WrestleMania 42.

With Triple H openly teasing surprises, expectations for this year’s Royal Rumble continue to climb.