NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The Royal Rumble is one of those special premium live events on the WWE calendar where anything really can happen.
Last year, WWE fans saw Jey Uso win the men’s Royal Rumble match and earn a title shot at WrestleMania 41. Uso won the World Heavyweight Championship in a wild upset over Gunther. Charlotte Flair won the Women’s Royal Rumble match and challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s World Championship, but came up just short.
Both the male and female competitors on the WWE roster will try to climb to the top of the mountain and win the title again. First, they must survive 29 other opponents and make sure they are thrown over the top rope to eliminate them from the Royal Rumble match.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Jey Uso celebrates his victory during WrestleMania 41 on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images)
The match starts with two contestants in the ring with a new contestant entering the ring every 90 seconds or so. The only way contestants can be eliminated is if they are thrown over the top rope and both of their feet hit the ground.
One of the best things about the fight is the feeling that anyone could win and anyone could be in the fight. WWE legends, stars recovering from injuries, or wrestlers fans haven’t seen in a while have been known to make epic returns and wow audiences.
The road to WrestleMania 42 has barely formed and there is a feeling in the air that anyone could win the Royal Rumble matches and come out on top.
Aside from the Royal Rumble matches, the rest of the card is pretty solid.
Sami Zayn will challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship, while Gunther will try to be the “Career Killer” and end AJ Styles’ tenure in WWE.
The Royal Rumble takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first time. It will be broadcast on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET.
SETH ROLLINS DEFENDS JOHN CENA’S WWE FAREWELL LOSS, GEARS UP FOR NFL BROADCAST ON NETFLIX
Read below for five predictions for the event.
1. Gunther achieves “career killer” status.
Gunther kicks CM Punk during the Men’s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field on January 27, 2024 (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)
Gunther enters the Royal Rumble on a bit of a hot streak since losing to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. During that time, he regained the World Heavyweight Championship and later lost it to CM Punk. He retired Goldberg and John Cena and now has AJ Styles in the crosshairs. It will be a huge moment for the “ring general” if he were to get another big win on his resume.
2. Drew McIntyre retains his title
Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)
Drew McIntyre is likely to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship after winning it in a match against Cody Rhodes with indirect help from Jacob Fatu. The only question is how he will win it. Zayn is one of the top guys on the SmackDown brand and got his chance after winning a fatal four-way match over Trick Williams, Damian Priest and Randy Orton. But McIntyre has been on a roll lately and made sure his opponents know it as well, knocking out Rhodes and Fatu at Saturday Night’s Main Event. McIntyre should stay on top at the Royal Rumble and at least through to WrestleMania.
3. The women’s side will feature returning familiar faces, NXT stars
Sol Ruca enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on June 17, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE via Getty Images)
Alexa Bliss, Trish Stratus and Nikki Bella were among the top surprises in last year’s Women’s Royal Rumble, while NXT stars Roxanne Perez, Lash Legend, Jaida Parker, Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia took part in the match. Jordynne Grace was also involved in the event after coming over from TNA.
This year there may not be as many surprises, but some injury returns are possible. Tiffany Stratton has not been seen since losing her title to Jade Cargill. Bianca Belair has been out of the game since April and was only a judge in Evolution. The two could come back.
NXT stars tend to make an impact in the Royal Rumble. They might not have the same impact that Perez had last year, but it could be something special. Sol Ruca and Zaria have already been seen going up against Flair and Bliss on the main roster. Jacy Jayne is also up for a call-up after a successful run as NXT Women’s Champion.
4. The men’s page will feature old and new faces
LA Knight and Jey Uso during the Men’s Royal Rumble match during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)
The women’s side had some big comebacks last year, but this year it will be the men’s match that has pro wrestling fans talking.
The biggest rumor has been the return of Chris Jericho. WWE fans have been clamoring for it since his contract with AEW reportedly ended. Jericho is a legend in the WWE. He has not participated in a WWE match since 2018 and has not been on WWE programming since 2022.
Two other pro wrestling superstars who could make their debut are Powerhouse Hobbs and EVIL. Hobbs was a superstar on the AEW roster since 2020 and was a two-time champion. EVIL was a star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and four-time NEVER Openweight Champion. Both have been rumored to be making their WWE debut and it could be coming soon.
There is also a chance that WWE guys who haven’t been on WWE programming in a while will return. Fans can’t count on LA Knight doing his best to come into the match and try to win it all. Seth Rollins has been out with a legitimate injury, but after his streak of winning at SummerSlam, anything is possible with him. Oba Femi has also been announced for the Rumble and could shock the world.
5. Bron Breaker and Liv Morgan win the Rumble matches
Liv Morgan during the Women’s Royal Rumble during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)
Bron Breaker and Liv Morgan win this year’s men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, respectively.
Breakker had an epic match against Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship set to begin in 2026, and a rematch would make for an epic WrestleMania 42 main event. Breakker had a viral moment at last year’s Rumble when he fronted iShowSpeed. But he was eliminated by Roman Reigns after eliminating three contestants. Breakker has improved a lot since then and could be in line for another title shot.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Morgan returned to RAW earlier this month after coming back from injury. She and Perez are the No. 1 contenders for the women’s tag team titles, but the bigger goal would be to get back to the top of the women’s division. A win at the Royal Rumble will do that, but will likely mean a doomsday rift if Raquel Rodriguez defeats Vaquer for the World Women’s Championship.
It would certainly make for an interesting WrestleMania if that is the case.
