This year's Royal Rumble PLE takes place in Saudi Arabia on January 31, marking the first time that one of WWE's four big shows—the others being WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series—takes place outside the U.S.
Local advertising in Riyadh has started, and Dave Meltzer has shared an update on potential spoilers—first revealed on a banner for the show—in his latest report for Wrestling Observer.
"NXT wrestlers Thea Hail, Tatum Paxley, Ethan Page, and Lola Vice are all featured on the billboard outside of the venue promoting the Royal Rumble," the professional wrestling historian shared. "Oba Femi is also featured on the Royal Rumble billboard amid plans for the former NXT Champion to move to the main roster."
Meltzer also pointed out that "The likes of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are on the billboard too," suggesting they'll both return at the event after being absent from WWE programming since competing at Survivor Series: WarGames last November.
It's worth noting that just because these Superstars are featured in advertising doesn't mean they'll actually be featured on the show. We're also expecting some big surprises, with rumours still pointing to the long-awaited WWE return of Chris Jericho at the Rumble.
Femi impressed everyone with his match against former Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event last month. In a recent interview with Cheap Heat, he explained why he's ready for a move to the main roster.
"Of course [I've thought of a match with Lesnar]. Definitely. Especially when I believe in myself, and I believe I'm good enough to be there. Like, right now, I'm good enough to be on the main roster. Period. Like, there's no question about that. But I've been patient, you know, I've done what's been put in front of me because sometimes when you think about what's at the end of the tunnel, you somehow get lost in the sauce and you stop figuring out how to navigate your current situation. So I've tried my best to stay on course the best I can."
"I definitely do think about those dream matches. I think about Oba Femi versus Drew [McIntyre], Oba Femi versus Randy [Orton]. I've thought about Oba Femi versus Cody Rhodes, which is actually happening now. But I've thought about these matches for a very long time, but I've also tried my best to stay on course."
See who else you can spot on this banner for the Royal Rumble PLE below.