The 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble delivered big surprises, brutal eliminations, and a WrestleMania-worthy bout—but it also included one bizarre production misstep that left fans scratching their heads.
During the final stretch of the January 31 premium live event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, WWE accidentally showed a “31st entrant” on-screen—despite the match being capped at 30 men. Footage that began circulating online on February 1 shows the in-arena graphic flashing “Number 31,” causing legitimate confusion among fans in the stadium.
“Number 31? We have a number 31? What is this? Number 31?” one stunned fan can be heard laughing in the viral video.
The moment clearly wasn’t part of the storyline or any surprise entrant plan. It happened deep into the match, with the likes of Randy Orton already in the ring. Some fans thought it might have been a tease, while others chalked it up to a production botch in the heat of a massive stadium show.
WWE hasn’t addressed the incident publicly, but this isn’t the first time Rumble production has slipped—previous years have included audio miscues, delayed countdowns, and camera cuts missing key eliminations.
Whether it was a glitch or a trigger-happy graphic operator, the sudden “#31” left just enough mystery to keep conspiracy-minded fans busy for days.
Do you think the #31 spot was a total mistake—or could WWE spin it into something more? Sound off below and let us know how you’d book the mystery entrant!
