With the Royal Rumble kicking off WWE’s 2026 calendar, WrestleMania season is officially here. Let’s break down the highlights that will shape what’s next, from shocking moments to emerging rivalries.
The show kicked off with the women’s Royal Rumble match, with the winner getting a world championship match at WrestleMania. Charlotte Flair started the match, followed by her tag team partner, Alexa Bliss. The main highlights of the match saw the first in-ring action of Brie Bella since 2022. Tiffany Stratton also made her return after multiple months dealing with a knee injury. It was really a showcase for the up and coming stars of the women’s division. Lash Legend had the performance of the night, eliminating top names such as Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, The Bella Twins and Jordynne Grace. NXT star Sol Ruca was ready for the main roster call up and had a very strong showing. Ruca lasted until the final three of the match and stole the show multiple times, including delivering a jaw-dropping double version of her finisher: the Sol Snatcher. Ultimately, Liv Morgan won the Royal Rumble for the first time in her career, eliminating her Judgement Day faction member Raquel Rodriguez in the process. With Rodriguez owed a championship opportunity in the future, the two long-term partners could end up facing each other at the Showcase of The Immortals.
Next, AJ Styles faced Gunther, with Styles’ career on the line. This was the second matchup between the two. In their controversial first meeting in which Gunther tapped out without the referee’s knowledge, allowing him to steal the victory. The match was incredibly physical, with Styles focusing on Gunther’s leg and Gunther continuing to deliver chops and strikes. Gunther dominated the match throughout, despite Styles’ fighting spirit. The finish saw Styles pass out in a sleeper hold after managing to escape multiple times, ending his over 25-year-long legendary career.
Drew McIntyre put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against crowd favorite Sami Zayn, who not only looked to win his first world championship, but to beat McIntyre for the first time in a singles match. Zayn delivered a Tope Con Hilo to the outside, which tweaked his lower, which McIntyre targeted for the rest of the contest. Zayn remained resistant, kicking out of three straight Future Shock DDTs and managing to get his foot on the rope after a Claymore Kick. The crowd thought Zayn had the match won when McIntyre, as smug as ever, got nailed with a Helluva Kick after he chose to yell at the referee, taking his eyes off Zayn. McIntyre just kicked out, then later Powerbombed Zayn through the announce table. McIntyre then dragged him back into the ring and delivered two Claymores, retaining his championship and improving his record against Zayn to 12-0.
The men’s Royal Rumble match was the main event of the show. Former NXT champion Oba Femi kicked off the match at number one, followed by Bron Breakker in second. Before the match started, Breakker was attacked by a masked assailant who delivered a Superkick and a Curb Stomp, before rolling Breakker into the ring, allowing an easy elimination for Femi. Femi dominated early, stacking up five early eliminations. While the match was not as strong or entertaining as the women’s Royal Rumble, there were some fun moments. The original El Grande Americano returned to face off with the current El Grande Americano. As did LA Knight, who was previously taken out by The Vision. Royce Keys, formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs, made his WWE debut and had a strong showing as well. The long-awaited face-off between Femi and Brock Lesnar also took place, and Lesnar eliminated Femi to the chagrin of many fans. While many expected the return of Chris Jericho, no major surprises took place.
Two-time Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes faced lots of adversity as he attempted to be the second man to win the Rumble three times. His feud with Jacob Fatu showed no signs of cooling down, with the two men brawling throughout the match. Fatu nearly eliminated Rhodes, but the former world champion was able to hold on to the ropes before McIntyre came through the crowd and delivered a Claymore to the hanging Rhodes, eliminating him.
The match came down to Roman Reigns and Gunther, who came out at number 30. Reigns eliminated Gunther after escaping a sleeper hold and nailing Gunther with a Spear. This is his second Royal Rumble win, the first taking place in 2015. Early reports seem to believe that Reigns will challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania in a much-anticipated singles match.
