Wrestling Ratings- WWE Royal Rumble 2026

 

Location- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Venue- Riyadh Season Stadium, King Abdullah Financial District

Commentary- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner- Liv Morgan

Rating- 7/10

AJ Styles VS Gunther- If AJ Loses, He Must Retire

Winner- Gunther

Rating- 8/10

Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre (Champion)- WWE Undisputed Championship

Winner- Drew McIntyre 

Rating-6/10

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner- Roman Reigns 

Rating- 5/10

Overall Thoughts- Sami VS Drew really picked up towards the end. Loved the trash talking from Drew, the hard slaps across the face, and a clearly exhausted Sami fighting back. I never believed Sami had a real shot at winning the belt, because we’re too close to Wrestlemania, so maybe there’s a chance they’re saving Zayn’s big moment for Vegas. Still, a solid match, and I’m glad they’re giving Drew a real sustained run as champion. 

Styles VS Gunther is my pick for the best match at the Rumble. AJ emptied the tank. Styles threw everything he had at Gunther to keep his career alive, but The Ring General was just too much for him. Too relentless, too nasty, and too physical. AJ tried to make that one last push to win, but Gunther shut down all of his comeback attempts.

Gunther is reaching a point, where he doesn’t necessarily need a world title. Goldberg, Cena, and now Styles. Gunther has retired a number of big legends, but sometimes I get the feeling Gunther’s character is becoming a bit too comical and hokey. Staying in the realm of “Legend Killers,” Randy Orton was far more sadistic and mean-spirited, when he bullied and went up against Mick Foley and other veteran wrestlers, who were either retired or still active. A really good match, and AJ strikes me as one of those guys, who’ll be serious about staying retired.

The women had the better Royal Rumble match. The best friends forever stuff between Alexa Bliss and Charlotte was good for a few laughs. The comedy spots were well-placed, and the overall match had a better flow to it. The women’s Rumble did an excellent job of pushing and showcasing the women from NXT and new, or newer faces on the main roster, including Lash Legend, Jacy Jayne, Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, and Giulia. Also, Liv finally winning the big one works as a feel good story.

The Men’s Royal Rumble wasn’t terrible, but it was painfully obvious Reigns was winning this one. Cody winning three years in a row would’ve been overkill. Yes, the Rumble had numerous main event or main event ready guys. But looking at the landscape for WWE’s world title picture across Raw and Smackdown, Reigns was really the only guy, who made sense to win the whole thing.

If I had to pick out a few positives from the Men’s Rumble, I’d have to go with Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans. Femi made a strong impression with a dominant run before his elimination. Evans showed off his endurance. He had a number of impressive high spots, and Evans’ close calls for escaping eliminations really worked.   

Show Highlights-

-Liv Morgan wins Women’s Royal Rumble 

-Brie Bella returns during Women’s Royal Rumble

-Tiffany Stratton returns as the 30th entrant in the Rumble

-Gunther retires AJ Styles, Styles seemingly puts an end to his in-ring career during post-match farewell 

-Drew McIntyre retains WWE Undisputed Championship

-Mysterious hooded man attacks Bron Breakker before entering the Rumble, Breakker is instantly eliminated by Oba Femi

-Royce Keys/Powerhouse Hobbs debuts in Men’s Royal Rumble match

-Roman Reigns wins Men’s Royal Rumble

Overall Rating- 6/10

Wrestling Ratings-WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event- January 24, 2026

 

Location- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Venue- Bell Centre

Host- Stephanie McMahon

Commentary- Wade Barrett & Michael Cole

Jacob Fatu VS Cody Rhodes

Winner- No match after Jacob attacked Cody during his entrance

Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky (Champions) VS Roxanne Perez & Liv Morgan- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Winners- Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky

Rating- 8/10

AJ Styles VS Shinsuke Nakamura

Winner- AJ Styles

Rating- 8/10

Trick Williams VS Randy Orton VS Damian Preist VS Sami Zayn- Number One Contender’s Match For WWE Undisputed Championship

Winner- Sami Zayn

Rating- 6/10

Overall Thoughts- A definitive winner for Fatu VS Rhodes would’ve killed the loser’s momentum. Cody would’ve recovered soon enough, but I’m not so sure about Jacob, and we’re too close to Wrestlemania now. The brawling angle works as an emergency exit escape route, and Drew stands tall at the end.

Rhea and Iyo have excellent chemistry as a tag team. Roxanne always does a good job of playing the bratty and obnoxious heel. She forms a perfect pairing with Liv, and there’s no real reason to take the titles off Rhyio now. A really good match, with some nice near falls, and Rhyio continues their dominance as the champs. 

AJ Styles and Nakamura had a hard hitting, physical, and grueling match. The simple story of two respected veterans beating the piss out of each other surpassed my expectations for this one. Nakamura proved he can still rise to the challenge. AJ? Yes, we’re in the middle of his farewell run, but there’s no denying he can still bring it a high level.

Sami Zayn was the right choice to win the Fatal Four-Way, but I still believe WWE should’ve put the title on Sami at Elimination Chamber 2023. It was a perfect storm scenario. That crowd was white hot, Sami had a ton of momentum during the Bloodline drama, playing the scrappy babyface, who was sick and tired of dealing with Roman Reigns being a manipulative bully. Sure, if Sami wins the title at Wrestlemania (if that’s the plan), he’ll get a nice reception, but WWE really missed a big opportunity in 2023.

The match itself was fine. Just about what’d you expect from a Fatal Four-Way: lots of near falls, everyone scrambling for a quick pin cover, and Trick Williams had a few moments. Not a bad match at all, but Sami winning was pretty much a foregone conclusion. 

Show Highlights-

-Jacob Fatu and Cody Rhodes brawl throughout the arena, Drew McIntyre gets involved 

-Rhyio retains, Raquel interferes, but Stephanie Vaquer intervenes

-AJ Styles defeats Shinsuke Nakamura 

-Sami Zayn becomes the number one contender to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Undisputed Championship 

-Zayn thwarts McIntyre’s post-match attack

Overall Rating- 7/10

Wrestling Ratings- WWE Survivor Series: War Games (2025)

 

Location- San Diego, California

Venue- Petco Park

Commentary- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Team Rhea (Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, AJ Lee) VS Team Asuka (Asuka, Nia Jax, Kairi Sane, Lash Legend, Becky Lynch)- Women’s War Games Match

Winners- Team Rhea

Rating- 7/10

Dominik Mysterio VS John Cena (Champion)- Intercontinental Championship

Winner & New Intercontinental Champion- Dominik Mysterio

Rating- 8/10

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) VS Nikki Bella- Women’s World Championship

Winner- Stephanie Vaquer

Rating- 5/10

Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, & Bronson Reed VS Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, & The Usos- Men’s War Games Match

Winners- Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, & Bronson Reed

Rating- 6/10

Overall Thoughts- I never believed Stephanie Vaquer was in any danger of losing the title. Of course, a lot of the big names in the women’s division were busy with War Games. Nikki Bella is a veteran with a good amount of name value, so she’s more than capable of filling the role of a credible challenger. Nothing extraordinary overall, but the match was just fine, and Stephanie retaining was the right move.

Cena VS Dirty Dom easily takes the spot for the best match on the card. An electric crowd, some good sneaky heel tactics from Mysterio, and all the shenanigans from Raquel, Dom, and Roxanne added to the insanity throughout the match. Predicting a winner wasn’t so easy, because I genuinely believed there was a real chance Cena walked into his final match with Gunther as the IC Champion. A fun match overall, capped off by Liv Morgan’s big return, and Dom stealing the championship away from Cena.

The women delivered the best War Games match. I’m kind of burnt out on Iyo’s annual trash can spot, but there’s no denying it still looks cool, and the live crowds want to see her jump off the top of the cage. The women’s match had a better flow to it, AJ got the best of Becky again, and I got good laugh out of AJ needing help from Rhea to pass the garbage can to Iyo. 

The men’s War Games match? Yes, the match was loaded with star power. Legitimate main event wrestlers, Wrestlemania main eventers, former world champions, and guys, who were apart of WWE’s biggest feuds for years. But this match never kicked into the high gears that I was hoping for. A lot of big names in the cage, but the match just didn’t live up to the hype.

I kind of wish WWE would move past War Games matches being a staple for Survivor Series. On the flip side of that, I guess going back to the Raw VS Smackdown matches would be the alternative. I could never get into the brand supremacy stuff, because it’s just too silly. I have a hard time buying into Raw wrestlers hating Smackdown wrestlers or vice versa. Everyone on both teams works for WWE, when it’s all said and done, so it’s hard to flip the suspension of disbelief switch. 

Show Highlights-

-Liv Morgan returns

-Dominik Mysterio wins the Intercontinental Championship

-Team Rhea wins Women’s War Games match

-Mysterious masked man attacks CM Punk, Bron Breakker scores pinfall victory over Punk to pick up the win for his team

Overall Rating- 6/10

Wrestling Ratings- WWE Crown Jewel: Perth (2025)

 

Location- Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Venue- RAC Arena

Commentators- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett

Australian Street Fight- Roman Reigns VS Bronson Reed/With Paul Heyman

Winner- Bronson Reed

Rating- 6/10

WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship- Stephanie Vaquer (Women’s World Champion) VS Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Champion)

Winner & 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Champion- Stephanie Vaquer

Rating- 6/10

John Cena VS AJ Styles

Winner- John Cena

Rating- 9/10

Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky VS Asuka & Kairi Sane 

Winners- Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky

Rating- 7/10

WWE Crown Jewel Championship- Seth Rollins (World Heavyweight Champion) VS Cody Rhodes (WWE Undisputed Champion)

Winner & 2025 Men’s Crown Jewel Champion- Seth Rollins

Rating- 9/10

Overall Thoughts- Reed defeats Reigns! Okay, he had a lot of help from Bron Breakker and a spear from Jey Uso, but scoring a pinfall victory over The OTC is still a big deal. Reed needed this. Losing two singles matches to Roman would’ve completely killed his momentum, so Bronson going over was the right call, even if they took the predictable route with interference and shenanigans to help preserve Reigns’ status. The match itself was an enjoyable street fight. Nothing special, but a handful of fun spots, and I did get a good laugh out of Reigns throwing rugby balls at Paul Heyman. 

The ongoing Bloodline drama after the match? Eh, I’m kind of burnt out on The Bloodline stuff. I get it. Reigns is upset, because he wanted to prove he could beat Reed without any help. He wants to put an end to the belief that he needs his cousins to get things done. Reigns telling Jey and Jimmy that he doesn’t want to see them until Christmas tells me they’re clearly taking this storyline into 2026. Jey is also more aggressive this time around, and he’s still bitter about losing the WHC to Gunther. Maybe they’re building towards a triple threat between Roman, Jey, and Jimmy at Wrestlemania?

Stephanie Vaquer winning the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship was a foregone conclusion. WWE is all in on Vaquer, pushing her as the next big superstar in the women’s division. Tiffany, and the fact that she’s the WWE Women’s Champion, was kind of an afterthought at times, but overall, it was still a solid match. 

Cena VS Styles was amazing. Two legends, slugging it out in a big match, easily lived up to the hype, a wildly entertaining and fun spectacle. Cena breaking out numerous finishers from his opponents over the years works for a handful of surprising moments, while he simultaneously pays tribute to his former rivals, or almost everyone he’s ever been in the ring with. Cena using Sister Abigail to pay homage to Bray Wyatt? The crowd coming together with the fireflies, while singing He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands was just fantastic. One of the big highlights during the match, and Cena was a little bit choked up, when he sat up and looked at the sea of lights 

This is what it’s all about. Cena and Styles threw everything they had at each other, while Cena completely emptied his bag, while borrowing key maneuvers from other wrestler’s bags, because he knows this is it. No reason to hold back now on his final run, so he might as well throw all of his cards on the table. 

AJ Styles’ throwback TNA gear added some nostalgia to the match, and Alicia Taylor’s special introduction for AJ (prepared by Cena) was a cool moment. I wouldn’t have known this, if AJ didn’t post it on X/Twitter, but his gear in this match is the same gear he wore in a WWE VS TNA cover on an old issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, an issue where he shared the cover with Cena. Phenomenal stuff!

They gave Rhea, Iyo, and The Kabuki Warriors a lot of time. It’s not a surprise, because Rhea is the big hometown hero, so it was well deserved. The setup for milking the hot tag from Iyo to Rhea really worked. Rhea got the big pop, and kudos to Asuka and Kairi for using well-placed sneaky heel work and tactics. 

As a fan, I want to see Rhea back in the world title picture, but I’m guessing they’re saving Rhea VS Stephanie Vaquer for Wrestlemania, because that’s a big match. But until that happens, Ripley and Iyo need something meaningful to do, because they’re two big stars.

Rollins and Cody delivered a stellar main event. Two top guys struggling to get the best of each other in a match that featured a lot of good back and forth action. In the end, Rollins, desperate to prove he could finally beat Cody without any help, used the Rolex gifted to him by Rhodes to help him win the match. Great storytelling, with the Rolex working as a personal weapon with sentimental value attached to it, the same Rolex Cody gave Seth as a thank you for helping him defeat Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. Seth did something far worse than backstabbing with the Rolex, he basically looked Cody in the eyes before plunging the knife deep into his heart. 

Seth Rollins is one of my favorite heel characters in pro wrestling. I believe everything he says, because when Rollins isn’t dancing or cackling, he’s deadly serious. You can believe he genuinely hates CM Punk and Roman Reigns, that he would do anything to ruin their plans and aspirations. 

Seth has all the tools and the accolades to be considered a top guy, but his character is still a deeply insecure man. He’s constantly bitter about having to be the number two guy behind the likes of Punk, Reigns, and Rhodes, because Rollins is the ultimate company man. It’s believable that Seth is not only willing to bleed for WWE, but he’ll die waving the company flag, if that’s what it comes down to just to prove his loyalty. 

Crown Jewel: Perth was a big upgrade over Wrestlepalooza. The big matches delivered, and Seth exorcised some of his demons with a win over Cody. It’s a bummer Rollins apparently hurt his shoulder on the Coast To Coast headbutt, but it’ll be interesting to see where things go with Seth, when he returns. A lot of different routes for Rollins’ future, including feuds with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Hopefully, Rollins returns as a heel. Reed, Breakker, and Heyman turning on Seth perfectly sets the stage for a triumphant return as a babyface, but Rollins is just too damn good at a playing a bad guy.

Show Highlights- 

-Bronson Reed defeats Roman Reigns, Bloodline family drama continues

-Stephanie Vaquer wins 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Championship 

-John Cena defeats AJ Styles

-Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky pick up the victory over The Kabuki Warriors

-Seth Rollins wins 2025 Men’s Crown Jewel Championship

Overall Show Rating- 8/10