Linkin Park to Soundtrack Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, Because Sportswashing Needs a Chorus
During last night’s edition of WWE Raw, famed announcer Michael Cole confirmed that Linkin Park‘s song “Heavy Is The Crown” would be the theme song for this year’s Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Heavy Is The Crown” was the second single off Linkin Park’s From Zero, which served as the band’s official introduction of their new vocalist Emily Armstrong, who took the spot of the late Chester Bennington. And despite how nu-metal happy the world’s largest wrestling promotion was back in the day, this is the first time Linkin Park has been used as the backing track for a WWE premium live event (or pay-per-view as us oldheads used to call ’em).
For those that don’t know, the Royal Rumble is a yearly event where WWE hosts two 30-person matches: one each for the men and women in their roster. Wrestlers are gradually added to the ring, where they’ll “fight” each other with the hope of eliminating all other competitors by tossing them over the ropes. The winner then goes on to face the champion of their choice at WrestleMania.
Remember, there were days when Limp Bizkit, Drowning Pool, and Saliva reigned supreme on WWE broadcasts. Of course, bands like Metallica, Motörhead, Guns N’ Roses, and AC/DC have also been used to promote WWE events, showing how deep the rock and metal ties really go with the wrestling company.
Of course, there’s a blood-soaked elephant in the room about this upcoming event and the fact that it’s taking place in the not-so-great-for-human-rights kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For years now, the powers that be in Saudi Arabia have worked tirelessly to throw money at their international PR issues in what’s been coined by the Human Rights Watch as “sportswashing”. By heavily investing in things like Forumla 1 racing, creating the LIV Golf Tour, and hosting a number of massive boxing and wrestling events, Saudi Arabia is hoping people will forget their well-documented human rights abuses against women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and political dissidents. WWE is a major component of that effort. (Not like the U.S. has been fairing any better as of late…)
Still, it’s always cool to see a contemporary artist get the nod for something so high profile as a major WWE event. This year’s Royal Rumble will take place at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.
