WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Recap And Potential Fallout

The night kicked off with the Women’s Royal Rumble contest. The first two entrants were the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. After several teases, Flair and Bliss decided not to battle and waited for the third competitor before the action actually began. Flair, perhaps inadvertently, ultimately knocked Bliss out of the Royal Rumble while eliminating Nia Jax.

Flair’s ring knockout of Bliss would not be the only case of friendly fire that occurred in the match, as Kairi Sane accidentally eliminated Asuka while attempting to attack Iyo Sky. Asuka has not exactly been the most understanding tag team partner lately, so this will likely lead to another crashout against Sane.

Liv Morgan won the 30-woman battle for the first time in her career, eliminating the returning Tiffany Stratton. Morgan will likely pursue the Women’s World Championship, as that seemed like her original plan upon returning two months ago.

While the final elimination was obviously the most important, it may not be the one discussed the most this time around. After Raquel Rodriguez took care of Rhea Ripley, Morgan would come from behind and toss her fellow Judgement Day member out. Morgan feels that her “sister” will be understanding, but it could result in more tension.

AJ Styles Vs. Gunther: A Phenomenal Career On The Line

AJ Styles put his career on the line against The Ring General, Gunther. The bad blood had been building since Gunther ended John Cena’s career last month at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Gunther had become insufferable, constantly bragging about how he made Cena tap out, and finally, Styles intervened.

The two battled two weeks ago on Raw in a matchup that had a controversial ending. Styles made Gunther tap, but the referee was not in a position to see it, and Gunther stole a victory. Styles demanded a rematch at the Royal Rumble, but Gunther would only accept if The Phenomenal One put his career on the line.

Styles gave everything he had in what would ultimately be his final match. The matchup ended with Gunther applying the same sleeper hold he delivered to Cena at SNME. The referee was hesitant to end the battle, shouting “AJ” multiple times before lifting Styles’ arm. The arm of Styles would drop, ending his WWE career at the same event where he made his debut ten years ago.

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre Vs. Sami Zayn

In match three, Drew McIntyre would put his WWE Championship on the line against Sami Zayn. McIntyre was 11-0 versus Zayn in singles competition, but Zayn had never lost in Saudi Arabia, so something had to give. Zayn showed off that usual “never give up” mentality, surviving numerous near falls after taking McIntyre’s best shots, including being slammed on the announce table.

McIntyre, “The Scottish Warrior,” would finally be able to keep Zayn down for good after delivering a pair of Claymores. McIntyre would move to 12-0 against Zayn one-on-one, while the latter suffered his first loss in Saudi Arabia.

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

The main event of the night would be the WWE Men’s Royal Rumble, and before the match even officially started, chaos ensued. As the number two entrant, Bron Breakker, made his way towards the ring, he suffered an attack from a masked assailant. After being thrown into the steel steps, super kicked, and stomped, Breakker was thrown into the ring and immediately eliminated by entry number one, Oba Femi. Femi would throw out five superstars in a row before being slowed down by Damien Priest.

The match featured stars from multiple eras of WWE. There were living legends and future Hall of Famers like Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns. The new generation was also present, as Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans made their impact felt along with Femi.

The final two competitors would be Reigns and Gunther, who had already been on a high after ending the career of Styles earlier on. Gunther attempted to wear Reigns, “The OTC,” down with multiple sleepers. Reigns, though, would eventually deliver a spear, toss Gunther over the top rope, and become a two-time Royal Rumble winner. This result may set up a WrestleMania bout teased two months prior.

End Of My WWE Royal Rumble Rant

The Royal Rumble may be over, but the controversy has just begun. Multiple actions will need to be addressed, including eliminations by allies and the attack on Breakker. Those events could mark the beginning of the end for several alliances.

WWE fans have started speculating that Austin Theory was once again the masked man, and it is not out of the realm of possibility. When Logan Paul suggested that The Vision should make sure Breakker won the rumble, Theory was the last one to agree. When you also see Theory’s initial reaction, he did not seem thrilled necessarily.

There is also controversy surrounding Rhodes, as he was not eliminated from the Royal Rumble by a participant of the match. After being tossed out by Jacob Fatu, Rhodes held on to the top rope for dear life. As he attempted to flip back into the ring, McIntyre came out of nowhere, delivered a Claymore, and Rhodes fell to the floor.

McIntyre wanted to ensure that Rhodes did not get another WWE Championship shot, so he took matters into his own hands (or foot, technically). That action may have just provided more problems for the champ, however, as Rhodes will surely fight this based on how he got eliminated. The American Nightmare could end up finding an alternate route on the Road to WrestleMania.