Cody Rhodes wasted no time setting the tone for WWE’s next Royal Rumble cycle. Appearing on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Rhodes announced he has declared for the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble, becoming the first person—male or female—to officially enter the field for next year’s match.
The move positions Rhodes to chase one of WWE’s most elusive milestones: a Royal Rumble three-peat. He won the Men’s Royal Rumble in both 2024 and 2025, and no superstar has ever won the match three years in a row.
That context matters. Only a small group has captured back-to-back Rumbles—Hulk Hogan (1990–1991), Shawn Michaels (1995–1996), and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (1997–1998). By winning in 2024 and 2025, Rhodes joined that elite list. A 2026 victory would break new ground as the first three-peat and would also tie Austin’s all-time record of three Royal Rumble wins.
Declaring first is more than a headline. It’s a statement of intent inside WWE’s storytelling calendar. The Royal Rumble traditionally serves as the launchpad to WrestleMania, with the winner earning a world championship opportunity on the industry’s biggest stage. By planting his flag months in advance, Rhodes is framing the conversation around WWE’s main-event scene heading into 2026 and inviting the rest of the roster to answer.
From a competitive standpoint, the Rumble demands durability, timing, and ring awareness as much as star power. The 30-man over-the-top-rope format introduces variables few matches can match—entry numbers, surprise returns, shifting alliances, and the sheer chaos of navigating a crowded ring. Rhodes winning in consecutive years underscores not only his status on the card but also a specific aptitude for the match’s unique demands. Sustaining that across a third straight Rumble would be unprecedented.
Historically, repeat Rumble wins have coincided with defining eras atop WWE. Hogan’s back-to-back victories crystalized the early ’90s main-event picture. Michaels’ consecutive triumphs marked a shift toward athletic, fast-paced headliners. Austin’s run—two straight wins and a third several years later—became synonymous with WWE’s rise during a turbulent and transformative period. If Rhodes can complete a three-peat, it would be a modern-era milestone that reflects both his longevity at the top and WWE’s commitment to featuring him at the center of its biggest stories.
There’s also the strategic dimension of momentum. Announcing early doesn’t guarantee Rhodes an advantageous entry number or an easier road, but it does set a narrative in motion. WWE often uses the autumn and winter stretch to define contenders, escalate rivalries, and populate the Rumble field with a mix of established stars, rising names from Raw and SmackDown, and occasional NXT call-ups or surprises. Being the first through the door gives Rhodes months of runway for WWE to build his pursuit of history into a recurring thread across television.
For WWE, that pursuit is valuable. The Rumble’s reputation rests on unpredictability, but the event’s stakes are elevated when a clear target is in view. A three-peat bid is the kind of long-term, numbers-driven story that can anchor promotional messaging while still leaving room for twists. It invites fans to track every development—who else declares, who catches fire on TV, who stumbles, and whether any new contenders can derail a bid for history.
A potential third straight Rumble victory for Rhodes would carry immediate and long-term consequences. In the short term, it would lock him into a world title match at WrestleMania, shaping WWE’s championship landscape early in the year and creating clarity around one of the weekend’s top main events. In the long term, tying Austin’s all-time wins record and doing so via a three-peat would place Rhodes alongside the most statistically dominant Royal Rumble performers ever, reinforcing his place in WWE’s modern hierarchy.
Of course, the path is rarely straightforward. The Rumble field tends to include powerhouses who are difficult to eliminate, ring generals who excel in match management, and opportunists who capitalize on late-entry numbers. Surprise entrants and returns can seize momentum in an instant. The match has produced unlikely winners before, and even dominant years can end with a single misstep on the apron. Rhodes may have the resume, but the Rumble’s design ensures he won’t have a straightforward march to history.
From a storyline perspective, Rhodes’ declaration also signals WWE’s broader direction. With him publicly staking a claim this far out, the company can revisit themes that have defined his recent years—resilience, long-form goal-setting, and high-stakes positioning—without revealing the specific championship paths that will emerge closer to WrestleMania season. It’s a flexible narrative that can engage fans week-to-week while preserving the Rumble’s core unpredictability.
The next checkpoints are predictable but important: who else declares, how brand-specific rivalries from Raw and SmackDown feed into the Rumble’s composition, and whether NXT call-ups or returns from injury change the competitive landscape. As the field forms, WWE will have the opportunity to balance star power and fresh faces, a formula that often determines how compelling the final stretch of a Rumble match feels.
For now, the headline is simple and significant. Cody Rhodes is in, and he’s in first. Coming off consecutive Royal Rumble victories in 2024 and 2025, he heads toward 2026 with an opportunity no one has ever converted: three in a row. It’s the kind of chase that defines eras and draws clear lines around who sits closest to the top of WWE’s mountain. The road to the Royal Rumble has begun, and Rhodes has made sure it runs straight through him.
