Two More WWE Stars Announce Themselves For Royal Rumble Matches On SmackDown

Both the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches received new entrants on Friday's "WWE SmackDown," as Bianca Belair and Bobby Lashley declared for the respective bouts. Belair joins Bayley, Nia Jax, and Becky Lynch among the women currently announced for the Rumble, while Lashley joins CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Shinsuke Nakamura in the men's match.

Belair will face Bayley on next week's "SmackDown," as she prepares for the January 27 event at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida. She might be considered among the front-runners too, previously winning the 2021 Royal Rumble and challenging Sasha Banks for the "SmackDown" Women's Championship at WrestleMania 37; which she would go on to win.

Lashley will be entering his fifth Royal Rumble match, having previously competed in the 2006, 2019, 2021, and 2023 iterations, but has yet to win one. Lashley and the Street Profits are currently feuding with Karrion Kross and the Authors of Pain on "SmackDown," falling prey to an ambush on Friday's episode. Elsewhere on the Rumble event card, Friday's "SmackDown" saw Kevin Owens win the United States Championship Tournament to determine a challenger to Logan Paul. Likewise, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will now defend his title in a fatal four-way match against AJ Styles, LA Knight, and Randy Orton, after earning the ire of "SmackDown" GM Nick Aldis.