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WWE Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Streaming Live on ESPN | January 31st, 2026 | Premium Live Event — The Show Recap:

  • robbyplaha
  • 2 days ago
  • 12 min read
The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns has won his 2nd Ever Royal Rumble Match and now has the privilege to choose what World Title he would like to chase in the Main Event of WrestleMania this year. (Image courtesy of WWE)
The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns has won his 2nd Ever Royal Rumble Match and now has the privilege to choose what World Title he would like to chase in the Main Event of WrestleMania this year. (Image courtesy of WWE)

WWE Premium Live Event | WWE Royal Rumble — The Match Results:


The Opening Match: Liv Morgan defeated Alexa Bliss and Asuka and Byaley and Becky Lynch and Brie Bella and Candice LeRae and Charlotte Flair and Chelsea Green (with Alba Fyre) and Giulia and Ivy Nile and IYO SKY and Jacy Jayne and Jordynne Grace and Kairi Sane and Kelani Jordan and Kiana James and Lash Legend and Lola Vice and Lyra Valkyira and Maxxine Dupri and Nattie and Nia Jax and Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez and Rhea Ripley and Roxanne Perez and Sol Ruca and Tiffany Stratton and Zelina Vega in the Women's Royal Rumble Match — (1:07:00)


The 2nd Match: Gunther defeated AJ Styles in a Career Threatening Match | via Technical Submission — (24:05)


The 3rd Match: Drew McIntyre (c) defeated Sami Zayn in an Undisputed WWE Title Match | via Pin-Fall — (15:58)


The Main Event Match: Roman Reigns defeated Austin Theory and Brock Lesnar and Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed and Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest and Dragon Lee and El Grande Americano I and El Grande Americano II and Gunther and Ilja Dragunov and Jacob Fatu and Je'Von Evans and Jey Uso and LA Knight and La Parka and Logan Paul and Matt Cardona and Mr. Iguana and Oba Femi and Penta and Randy Orton and Rey Fenix and Rey Mysterio and Royce Keys and Rusev and Solo Sikoa and The Miz and Trick Williams in the Men's Royal Rumble Match — (58:20)


The WWE Brands Color Keys:

(RAW)

(SmackDown)

(NXT)

(Free Agent)

(HOF)

(AAA)


The WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Match Statistics — The Entries & Eliminations Made:


  1. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Lash Legend | Elimination Made — 2 — (59:49)

  2. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Charlotte Flair | Elimination Made — 0 — (13:29)

  3. Kiana James (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Raquel Rodriguez | Elimination Made — 0 — (27:30)

  4. Nia Jax (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Charlotte Flair| Elimination Made — 0 — (09:29)

  5. Ivy Nile (RAW) — Eliminated by Jordynne Grace | Elimination Made — 0 — (06:24)

  6. Lola Vice (NXT) — Eliminated by Jordynne Grace | Elimination Made — 0 — (04:32)

  7. Candice LeRae (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Jordynne Grace | Elimination Made — 0 — (02:13)

  8. Jordynne Grace (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Lash Legend | Elimination Made — 3 — (14:47)

  9. Becky Lynch (RAW) — Eliminated by Nattie | Elimination Made — 1— (07:35)

  10. Sol Ruca (NXT) — Eliminated by Tiffany Stratton | Elimination Made — 1 — (50:47)

  11. Roxanne Perez (RAW) — Eliminated by Rhea Ripley | Elimination Made — 0 — (22:12)

  12. Maxxine Dupri (RAW) — Eliminated by Becky Lynch | Elimination Made — 0 — (02:47)

  13. Nattie (RAW) — Eliminated by Liv Morgan| Elimination Made — 1 — (23:01)

  14. Liv Morgan (RAW) — Elimination Made — 3 — (43:50) — WINNER!!!!

  15. Lash Legend (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Rhea Ripley | Elimination Made — 5 — (38:46)

  16. Zelina (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Giulia | Elimination Made — 0 — (10:54)

  17. Raquel Rodriguez (RAW) — Eliminated by Liv Morgan | Elimination Made — 2 — (35:29)

  18. Chelsea Green (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Rhea Ripley | Elimination Made — 0 — (08:35)

  19. Giulia (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Lyra Valkyria | Elimination Made — 1— (15:15)

  20. IYO SKY (RAW) — Eliminated by Lash Legend | Elimination Made — 1 — (27:31)

  21. Asuka (RAW) — Eliminated by Kairi Sane | Elimination Made — 0 — (14:36)

  22. Rhea Ripley (RAW) — Eliminated by Raquel Rodriguez | Elimination Made — 3 — (25:40)

  23. Bayley (RAW) — Eliminated by Nikki Bella | Elimination Made — 0 — (16:22)

  24. Jacy Jayne (NXT) — Eliminated by Sol Ruca | Elimination Made — 1 — (16:11)

  25. Nikki Bella (RAW) — Eliminated by Lash Legend | Elimination Made — 1 — (14:02)

  26. Lyra Valkyria (RAW) — Eliminated by Brie Bella | Elimination Made — 1 — (10:44)

  27. Kelani Jordan (NXT) — Eliminated by Jacy Jayne | Elimination Made — 0 — (09:22)

  28. Kairi Sane (RAW) — Eliminated by IYO SKY | Elimination Made — 1 — (01:36)

  29. Brie Bella (HOF) — Eliminated by Lash Legend | Elimination Made — 1 — (06:50)

  30. Tiffany Stratton (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Liv Morgan | Elimination Made — 1 — (12:48) — RUNNER UP


The WWE Men's Royal Rumble Match Statistics — The Entries & Eliminations Made:


  1. Oba Femi (Free Agent) — Eliminated by Brock Lesnar | Elimination Made — 5 — (39:04)

  2. Bron Breakker (RAW) — Eliminated by Oba Femi | Elimination Made — 0 — (00:10)

  3. Solo Sikoa — Eliminated by Oba Femi | Elimination Made — 0 — (03:51)

  4. Rey Mysterio (RAW) — Eliminated by Oba Femi | Elimination Made — 0 — (02:43)

  5. Rusev (RAW) — Eliminated by Oba Femi | Elimination Made — 0 — (00:32)

  6. Matt Cardona (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Royce Keys | Elimination Made — 0 — (00:55)

  7. Damian Priest (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Randy Orton | Elimination Made — 0 — (11:06)

  8. Je'Von Evans (RAW) — Eliminated by Randy Orton | Elimination Made — 0 — (40:58)

  9. Mr. Iguana (AAA) — Eliminated by Trick Williams | Elimination Made — 0 — (02:05)

  10. Trick Williams (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Cody Rhodes | Elimination Made — 2 — (06:19)

  11. Cody Rhodes (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Drew McIntyre | Elimination Made — 3 — (36:50)

  12. El Grande Americano I (RAW) — Eliminated by El Grande Americano II | Elimination Made — 0 — (02:45)

  13. El Grande Americano II (RAW) — Eliminated by Trick Williams | Elimination Made — 1 — (01:21)

  14. Royce Keys (Free Agent) — Eliminated by Bronson Reed | Elimination Made — 1— (09:55)

  15. Austin Theory (RAW) — Eliminated by LA Knight | Elimination Made — 2 — (10:08)

  16. Bronson Reed (RAW) — Eliminated by LA Knight | Elimination Made — 3 — (09:02)

  17. Ilja Dragunov (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Brock Lesnar | Elimination Made — 0 — (11:00)

  18. La Parka (AAA) — Eliminated by Austin Theory & Bronson Reed | Elimination Made — 0 — (04:26)

  19. Dragon Lee (RAW) — Eliminated by Austin Theory & Bronson Reed | Elimination Made — 0 — (03:01)

  20. Logan Paul (RAW) — Eliminated by Roman Reigns | Elimination Made — 0 — (25:07)

  21. LA Knight (RAW) — Eliminated by Cody Rhodes | Elimination Made — 3 — (14:25)

  22. Brock Lesnar (Free Agent) — Eliminated by Cody Rhodes & LA Knight | Elimination Made — 3 — (05:32)

  23. The Miz (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Roman Reigns | Elimination Made — 0 — (00:00)

  24. Rey Fenix (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Brock Lesnar | Elimination Made — 0 — (01:28)

  25. Jey Uso (RAW) — Eliminated by Roman Reigns | Elimination Made — 0 — (13:08)

  26. Roman Reigns (SmackDown) — Elimination Made — 5 — (15:48) — WINNER!!!!

  27. Jacob Fatu (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Roman Reigns | Elimination Made — 0 — (09:01)

  28. Penta (RAW) — Eliminated by Gunther | Elimination Made — 0 — (06:01)

  29. Randy Orton (SmackDown) — Eliminated by Gunther | Elimination Made — 1 — (07:40)

  30. Gunther (RAW) — Eliminated by Roman Reigns | Elimination Made — 2 — (07:51) — RUNNER UP


My Thoughts on the WWE Premium Live Event — WWE Royal Rumble:


My Thoughts: This Royal Rumble event fell flat overall. It lacked meaningful buildup, making both Rumble matches seem less significant than they should have been. The Women’s Royal Rumble was, by far, better than the Men’s in pacing, storytelling, and crowd reaction. The show exposed ongoing issues in WWE’s creative process. Booking decisions appeared inconsistent and shortsighted, suggesting no clear long-term plan. A key purpose of a Royal Rumble is to promote up-and-coming talent and build future stars. Instead of pushing a younger, full-timer, the company had a part-time wrestler win, off TV for most of the year. This choice weakens the match’s role as a star-maker and dampens WrestleMania anticipation. A highlight was AJ Styles vs. Gunther, which delivered excellent in-ring work, strong psychology, and a coherent story. If this is one of AJ Styles’ last big matches, it’s a fitting tribute to an outstanding career. Conversely, the Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn match was dull, lacking intensity and emotional connection. The feud lacked genuine heat, and McIntyre hasn’t felt as compelling since 2024. The match ended with McIntyre’s victory, but Sami Zayn’s ongoing losing streak against him continues, offering no real growth for Zayn. Overall, WWE ended January with disappointment. The poor build, questionable booking, and missed chances to boost new talent led to a Royal Rumble that didn’t meet expectations and failed to generate excitement for the upcoming months.


WWE Premium Live Event | WWE Royal Rumble — The Match Ratings:


The Opening Match: Liv Morgan vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Byaley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Brie Bella vs. Candice LeRae vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green (with Alba Fyre) vs. Giulia vs. Ivy Nile vs. IYO SKY vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Kairi Sane vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Kiana James vs. Lash Legend vs. Lola Vice vs. Lyra Valkyira vs. Maxxine Dupri vs. Nattie vs. Nia Jax vs. Nikki Bella vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Sol Ruca vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Zelina Vega in the Women's Royal Rumble Match | The Match Rating: *** — This was way better than the cluster of a mess the Men's Royal Rumble was. The young talented showed out the likes of Lash Legend who had an dominating performance it seems like she'll be primed for soem World Titles once her tag run with Nia Jax conlucdes, Sol Ruca managed to last to the final three, and also win the Royal Rumble she has been someone who I'm excited for on the Main Roster, and Kelani Jordan had a nice showing as well. It seemed like the younger talent was overshadowing the older talent, which is what I want to see. WWE knows how to create female talent, but can't with the male talent, and I've said this on many occasions. WWE is set for the next 10-20 years when it comes to the Women's Division. But this match was fun and had some cool moments like the shocking return of Brie Bella with the YES-Chants coming down from the crowd, and Liv Morgan eliminated Raquel Rodriguez to start the downfall of The Judgement Day, a lot of crazy aftermath stories that will be shown because of the Royal Rumble Match. The final moments of the match were intense. I wanted Sol Ruca to win, but Liv Morgan got the win after being runner-up for many years. She got her moment. I'm happy for her, she has been someone who has worked her ass off, and now she;lk face Stephanie Vauqer at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas for the WWE Women's World Title.


The 2nd Match: Gunther vs. AJ Styles in a Career Threatening Match | The Match Rating: ****.50 — A beautiful way to end your career. I wanted AJ Styles to win this match against Gunther. I don't want to see the Phenomenal AJ Styles walk in the sunsets just yet, as there are some matches I would like to see still. Gunther, who has been touted now as the "Career Killer,” has been on a rampage of destruction as he been making everyone’s life a living hell, and to note, Gunther is 33-0 in non-title singles matches. So this was a hard task for AJ Styles. AJ Styles and Gunther suprass there Monday Night RAW Main Event Match a few weeks back. Gunther scouted and watched some film, it seemed like from their previous match because the mistakes he made beforehand he wasn’t making this time arounfd and that's something I like, and that's why they call him The Ring General. AJ Styles was mustering up everything in his willpower to beat and take down Gunther. There were some moments where we thought he was going to keep his career, but Gunther kept fighting back. Towards the end of the match, Gunther started hammering away and brutally breaking down AJ Styles to the point he couldn't even stand. But AJ Styles kept fighting and kept showing some life, but to end his career, he passed out, to now be officially retired as Gunther snatches the 3rd Legend career as AJ Styles has retired from in-ring competition. Afterwards, an emotional AJ Styles gets to his feet as everyone applauds him and he almost took his gloves off, but he kept them on as AJ Styles faded away, we all praised and showe dhim love. AJ Styles had an marvekous career dating back to TNA, ROH, NJPW, and in WWE. He has become a World Champion in every company he worked in, and to finish his WWE Career, the 2x WWE World Champion, 1x WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3x WWE United States Champion, 2x WWE Tag Team Champion, 15th Grand Slam Champion, and 32nd Triple Crown Champion. He'll be a WWE HOF Headliner. Go enjoy retirement, AJ Styles, and you have to end your career on your terms. I appreciate what you did for the business.


The 3rd Match: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Sami Zayn in an Undisputed WWE Title Match | The Match Rating: **.75 — I'm not going to lie, this was a very boring first title defense for Drew McIntyre. They barely had a build for this match, and Drew McIntyre isn't the same person he was backin 2024. Sami Zayn, who we knew was going to lose, is trying to get what he always wanted, and that's the WWE World Title against a man he never beaten before. The match, I was like, okay, this is going to be a lot of fun. They've had matches in the past where they had great performances, but this time around, it was very boring & underwhelming. Sami Zayn is trying to be the underdog in 2026, which isn't very believable anymore, and I love Sami Zayn, but they should've pulled that trigger back in 2023. Drew McIntyre isn't the same wrestler he once was, and it shows because the ending of this match, people thought this was going to end with a lot of heat, but no one in the crowd cared whatsoever. I do hope Sami Zayn can do it; he's still a marvelous wrestler, but in reality, they should've done it back in 2023. But this was boring, and now Drew McIntyre has some drama with Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu, and we know it's going to lead to a Triple Threat Title Match in the near future.


The Main Event Match: Roman Reigns vs. Austin Theory vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Bron Breakker vs. Bronson Reed vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest vs. Dragon Lee vs. El Grande Americano I and El Grande Americano II and Gunther and Ilja Dragunov and Jacob Fatu vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. La Parka vs. Logan Paul vs. Matt Cardona vs. Mr. Iguana vs. Oba Femi vs. Penta vs. Randy Orton vs. Rey Fenix vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Royce Keys and Rusev vs. Solo Sikoa vs. The Miz vs. Trick Williams in the Men's Royal Rumble Match | The Match Rating: *.50 — A very putrid and uninspiring Royal Rumble Match. This match, I thought it would be the showcase of the young talent, and we did see Je'Von Evans be the Iron-Man of this match, which I'm very happy about. We saw Oba Femi dominate and eliminate five men, but in my opinion should have been more. But WWE just keeps on trusting these part-timers to get the job done. I didn't like how Bron Breakker, Chad Gable, LA Knight, Royce Keys, Rey Fenix, and Trick Williams were treated because they barely had time to show out. The crowd wasn't very much into it unless it was the casual superstars everyone knows about. What this rumble shows me is that they will always rely on the part-timers and never create new stars, and then they have an issue when they don't have any new stars to build around. For example, the whole purpose of the Royal Rumble should be to create new, younger stars and to elevate those talents in the process by having them win the Royal Rumble. Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and Oba Femi were my picks. We had Bron Breakker have twelve seconds in the match. Oba Femi cooled down in the 2nd Half, then Brock Lesnar eliminates him, and Jacob Fatu, who a lot of people thought logically should be the winner, gets eliminated by his cousin Roman Reigns. Don't people see the issues? Roman Reigns ‘ elimination of Gunther to win was a punch to the face. Because the man who retired AJ Styles and John Cena didn't win either, but a part-timer who has a good four moves to show you and tries to make you believe he's an actor, which he isn't good at either. Roman Reigns is one of the reasons why WWE can't create new stars. Egos hold that back. I ain't happy with the result, but WWE, after having a very strong January with good weekly shows, and a good Saturday Night's Main Event, finishes the month off with a whole dud with this laughable and uninspring and boring Male's Royal Rumble Match.


WWE Premium Live Event | WWE Royal Rumble — The Match of the Night: Gunther vs. AJ Styles in a Career Threatening Match | The Match Rating: ****.50


WWE Premium Live Event | WWE Royal Rumble — The Event Grade: 4.75/10 (D+) — This was a very underwhelming Royal Rumble show. There was no build for this show whatsoever; the Rumble Matches felt less important. The Women's Match was way better than the Men’s Royal Rumble Match by a far margin. There are clear issues with creativity, as they don't even know what they're doing. The whole purpose of a Royal Rumble is to elevate young talent into the future. They didn't do that; they gave it to a part-time wrestler who, 90% of the time, doesn't appear on television. The bright spots on the show were the AJ Styles and Gunther Match, which was fanstatic and if this is it for AJ Styles, it was one hell of a career. Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn had a very boring match. Drew McIntyre hasn't been the same person since 2024, and it's evident that this match didn't have any heat. Drew McIntyre was successful as Sami Zayn continues his winless streak against Drew McIntyre. After having a strong Janaury WWE ends the month with a huge dud.

 
 
 

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