The 39th annual Royal Rumble premium live event (PLE) will take place on Jan. 31 (on ESPN Unlimited) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will be the 14th WWE PLE to take place in Saudi Arabia, the first of which occurred in 2018.
WWE PLE history has been made outside of the United States for over 30 years, starting with WrestleMania VI in Toronto in 1990.
Take a journey through a selection of notable international shows below:
SummerSlam 1992 - London
The highlight of the show was the main event but before we get there, the WWE championship match between the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage deserves its recognition. While count-out victories aren't generally well received -- and the Ultimate Warrior won by count out -- the storytelling and chaotic involvement of Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect made this highly entertaining.
But SummerSlam 1992 is most well-known for its Intercontinental championship main event between the champion Bret Hart and the hometown hero, the British Bulldog. The bout was an all-time classic -- a tremendous match that saw the Bulldog defeat his brother-in-law Hart to claim the first and only Intercontinental championship of his career.
WrestleMania VI / WrestleMania X8 - Toronto
Next, we've got a double feature. While they are close to 12 years apart, WrestleMania 6 and WrestleMania 18 from Toronto's Rogers Centre are notable for many reasons. They are the only two WrestleMania events to take place outside the United States. WrestleMania 43 from Riyadh in 2027 will be an addition to that list.
WrestleMania 6 is known for its main event featuring WWE champion Hulk Hogan versus Intercontinental champion Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior won the match and became WWE champion for the first and only time in his career. He would hold on to that title for close to 300 days.
WrestleMania 18 brought us one of the most iconic battles in WWE history -- The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan. They had the crowd in the palms of their hands from the opening bell. Every move they made was revered as the crowd completely flipped the script by cheering the heel Hogan and booing the babyface Rock. The reaction was goosebump-inducing.
One Night Only 1997 - Birmingham, England
Just over a month after the formation of D-Generation X -- one of the top factions in the history of professional wrestling, which initially featured Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna and Rick Rude -- the group made even more history.
The show's main event saw Michaels challenge the British Bulldog for his European championship. The Bulldog won the title over 200 days earlier and was the inaugural champ. Michaels captured the title on this night and became the first WWE Grand Slam champion. He was a former WWE champion, Intercontinental champion, tag team champion and he now had his fourth different title.
Survivor Series 1997 - Montreal
The 1997 Survivor Series is arguably the most talked about PLE on this list -- not because of the wrestling (and the Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels main event was very good), but because of the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
As Hart was finishing up his run in the WWE on his way to WCW, the expectation was that he'd drop the WWE championship. Hart did not want to do that in his home country, so Vince McMahon took matters into his own hands.
As the match neared its conclusion and Michaels attempted to lock in Hart's patented sharpshooter, McMahon called for the bell, ended the match and awarded the WWE championship to Michaels. Hart spat on McMahon and destroyed the ringside area during a situation in which scripted television became real.
Backlash 2004 - Edmonton, Alberta
It was clear from the start that Randy Orton had the makings of a top-tier superstar. Two years after his main roster debut, Orton found himself out of his element in a hardcore match with the king of hardcore, Cactus Jack. The Intercontinental championship was on the line, but that was a secondary element in this performance.
Orton proved his toughness with blood, sweat, barbed wire and thumbtacks. He retained his championship and elevated himself to a new level.
Unforgiven 2006 - Toronto
John Cena had some incredible rivalries throughout his 23-plus year career -- Randy Orton, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, CM Punk. But it was his feud with Edge that elevated them both equally.
In early 2006, Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Cena to win his first WWE championship. From that point, the two clashed in many memorable matches and segments. Their main event match at Unforgiven 2006 might have been their best.
It was a TLC (tables, ladders and chairs) match with the WWE championship on the line. The match was filled with high-risk sequences including the final spot that saw Cena deliver an Attitude Adjustment to Edge off the top of the ladder through two tables.
Crown Jewel 2019 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Crown Jewel 2019 was the second WWE PLE to take place in Saudi Arabia -- the first was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. This show was jam packed with fighters, including Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury. The main event saw "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt defeat Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match to become the WWE Universal champion.
More history was made on this night when Natalya and Lacey Evans squared off in the first women's professional wrestling match to take place in Saudi Arabia. Since then, women's wrestling has been prominently featured on WWE shows from Saudi Arabia.
Elimination Chamber 2024 - Perth, Australia
It had been six years since the WWE showcased a PLE from Australia. Super Show-Down in 2018 was the first such event. Elimination Chamber made its mark on Perth in February 2024, followed by Crown Jewel in October 2025.
The goal of this PLE was to steer storylines into the biggest event of the year less than two months later -- WrestleMania XL. In the opening match, Becky Lynch won an Elimination Chamber match to earn a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Her opponent? The woman who won the main event of this PLE, Rhea Ripley.
Ripley, from Adelaide, Australia, defeated Nia Jax to close out the show and send the crowd home happy.
Backlash 2024 - Lyon, France
Crowd reactions can make or break an event. Pro wrestling events are designed to entertain and elicit strong reactions from the live audience. Simply put, the Lyon crowd was hyped. From start to finish, the fans took it upon themselves to create an unforgettable atmosphere.
Adding to the excitement was one of the better wrestling shows of the year from an in-ring perspective. Its main event saw Cody Rhodes defeat AJ Styles to retain the WWE championship in a match that warranted consideration as the best of 2024.
For more WWE updates, check out the ESPN hub page with event information, title history and more.