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Jim Ross believes two former AEW wrestlers will be in the WWE Royal Rumble

Posted: Jan 30th 2026 By: Ian Carey

Jim Ross believes that both Chris Jericho and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in the men’s Royal Rumble match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

On the most recent edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross spent time talking with co-host Conrad Thompson about who he expects to be in the Rumble matches. He said Jericho is too smart not to get himself booked on the show.
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“Hell yeah. Absolutely. He’s too smart not to get himself booked on this show for his return,” JR said when asked if he thinks Jericho will be in the Rumble. “He’ll get a big pop.”

“I’m especially excited about ‘Big Willy,'” JR continued, referring to Powerhouse Hobbs.

“I don’t know if it’s a secret or not. He’ll be in the Royal Rumble, I think. Why in the hell would you sign a guy this close to a major event and then not utilize him? And that’ll be a new face. And he looks great.“

Ross also revealed that Hobbs recently called him to thank him for advice he’s given over the years.

“He called me a day or two ago, thanking me for my help over the years. I said, ‘Well, my phone number isn’t going to change, big fella.’”

Ross and Thompson later stated that they do not have any inside knowledge about whether either Jericho or Hobbs will be in the Rumble.