2026 Royal Rumble Review
February 5, 2026The Women’s Royal Rumble
RHR Rating: B-
The opener felt a bit disconnected early on, but the star power eventually smoothed things out. Bliss and Flair started, and Kiana James (I love her!) turned in an impressive performance at #3. Nia Jax was the anchor of the match as the resident giant.
The Action: Ivy Nile and Jordynne Grace had strong moments, and the Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte face-off gave us that “original horsewomen” nostalgia.
A New Look Nattie: Nattie showed up with a badass new look and eliminated Becky. If we aren’t getting Lynch vs. AJ Lee at Mania, Nattie beating Lynch is a solid pivot.
Global Influence: Seeing Asuka, IYO SKY, and Giulia standing tall together was a massive reminder of how far women’s wrestling has come.
Breakout Performances: Sol Ruca was phenomenal and it’s time to call her up full-time. Lash Legend also dominated with a “Diesel-like” performance and elevated herself greatly.
The Mami Factor: Rhea Ripley is the clear super-mega-rockstar of the entire company.
End of the Match: The pace of this Rumble felt much faster than previous years. Brie Bella and Tiffany Stratton were nice surprise returns but wished we got Bianca Belair and AJ Lee. After Liv Morgan tossed Raquel Rodriguez, it came down to Liv, Tiffy, and Sol. Ruca went to the well one too many times with a top-rope move, got eliminated by Stratton, and then Liv Morgan hit ObLIVion to finally win it all.
Gunther vs. AJ Styles
RHR Rating: A
A masterclass that exceeded expectations. Gunther is the “Career Killer,” and seeing AJ pass out to the sleeper stunned everyone in the stadium and watching at home. If this was AJ’s last WWE match, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Hopefully, it’s his last match ever, but I feel the Phenomenal One may have a last dance back where it all started in TNA which would be poetic.
Undisputed WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn
RHR Rating: B+
Sami got a hero’s welcome, but this was all about making McIntyre look like the absolute monster heel champ he’s meant to be. Zayn’s spirit was there, but McIntyre’s dominance won out and he wasn’t done for the night.
The Men’s Royal Rumble
RHR Rating: B+
Future Stars: Oba Femi is a superstar, period. Je’Von Evans ended up being the “Iron Man” of the match.
Black Excellence: Seeing Trick Williams, Je’Von, and Oba in the ring at the same time was a vision of the future.
WTF Happened to Bron Breakker: This was wild. Bron Breakker was attacked by a hooded man (Seth Rollins???) before the match could even get going. As soon as the bell rang, a dominant Oba Femi capitalized on the damage and eliminated Breakker in seconds. Total shock.
The “Vision” Problem: LA Knight returned and dismantled the Vision’s numbers advantage, taking out Theory and Reed.
Returns & Debuts: Gable looked main event ready as “Original El Grande Americano,” and Powerhouse Hobbs (Royce Keys) eliminating Priest was an awesome debut where I would like to say thank you, Tony Khan! Also, while I understand and appreciate the incorporation of the Triple A talent but I’m sorry La Parka and Mr. Iguana (Lucha Orange Cassidy) as well as Miz being the rumble over Finn Balor, Zayn, possibly Owens or Jericho was huge blunder to me.
The Beast vs. The Ruler: Brock Lesnar cleaned house until he met Oba Femi. Femi slamming Lesnar was a “Shut up and take my money” moment. He fell short after turning his back on Brock, but he’s a made man now.
Jey and the OTC: Main Event Jey tried to “run his entrance back” once he got in the ring where Brock Lesnar’s elimination was a blimp, when the OTC came out next, where Roman Reigns was all business. The tension between Reigns, Jey, Cody, and Jacob Fatu took this match to another level.
End of the Match: Randy Orton was having the time of his life at #29 with the crowd belting out his theme song. Orton hitting a slick RKO on Penta was slick, but the madness peaked when Drew McIntyre came from the crowd to Claymore Cody Rhodes out of the match. Finally, it came down to Reigns vs. Gunther. The OTC hit the Spear to become a two-time Rumble winner.
RHR Sidenote: The Money Grab
The announcement of WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia for next year is disheartening. It’s foul to give them the first overseas Mania over England, Japan, or Australia. We know it’s a TKO money grab, but at some point, enough is enough. One thing I have to give Tony Khan and AEW over WWE is that they haven’t done shows over there, the board needs to read the room before they push the die-hard fans away.
Overall Show Rating: B
