WWE Royal Rumble, Sunday 1st February 2026, 6am AEDT

[DarkPhoenix]

is it still too early OR can we safely conclude now that HHH has dropped the ball with Bron Breakker?

I don't think anythings been dropped yet.
Bron has his weaknesses for sure - it took Corbin to get the fans back on side with him in NXT.
But it could definitely be argued they should have thrown the title on him and seen if he could swim.

 

[James Colorado]

I don't think I've ever had so many questions (likely many without answers) arising from a wrestling event in my life.

AJ putting the gloves back on, to me, absolutely signified that he wasn't retiring. I was so convinced that this is what we were meant to believe that I ended up being stunned that he wasn't in the Rumble match in the end. What else was putting the gloves back on meant yo signify if it wasn't the wolf of wall street 'I ain't funkin leaving!?'

Why did they build a stadium from scratch for this show? Why didn't they just use the existing ones?

I thought it was pretty obvious that the lights just made it look like there were empty seats, but the stadium was actually full, no? A lot of people in here seem to think it was only 30/40% full?

Why didn't anybody just shove Jey Uso off the top rope when he 'ran it back'? That's honestly the most suspension of disbelief I've had to use in ages.

Did I see an offical card a few days ago with an extra womens match involving Stephanie Vacquer in it, or am I just going crazy?

Am I the only one who didn’t know Sami Zayn was muslim?

Is all of this my fault because I'm a full time AEW viewer and only a casual WWE viewer?

Sami's Canadian himself, but his family are from Syria (his real name is Rami Sabei), which is why he wears the keffiyeh and his ring attire has Arabic letters. He's insanely popular in the Middle East shows due to being an Arab and Muslim, as it gives the crowd someone to identify with. Given TKO's pivot to increase focus on this market it means that Sami gets a lot of exposure for this very reason (and he is a very good performer), but it also does limit his character as this is exactly why he needs to remain as a babyface and any heel turn is likely out of the question.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I don't think anythings been dropped yet.
Bron has his weaknesses for sure - it took Corbin to get the fans back on side with him in NXT.
But it could definitely be argued they should have thrown the title on him and seen if he could swim.

Balls been dropped storyline wise for sure . Same as Bronson Reed.

The Vision is just a disaster right now . Only way to save it is for Seth to come back and kill it

 

[YeoShuey]

it's currently at 5.75 on Cagematch. thoughts (too high/too low/just right)?

Way too high.

Shouldn't be above a 3.

 

[glenn2479]

Pretty much the perfect event for TKO. Taking the blood money, and stage managed to the nth degree. Terrible crowd, is it just me or was there like 3 women in the crowd? Incredible the WWE supports this crap. Horrible ring announcer and piped in crowd reactions make this one of the worst shows I’ve seen. CM Punk backing up his apology to Saudi fans by saying how much he loves them on the PreShow.

 

[Loonerty]

Jesus Christ what a shitter of a mens Rumble. They did nothing with Finn? They had Lesnar come out to eliminate Oba and then get eliminated practically off screen. Gunther comes out just to lose to Roman
They're really going to put Roman back at the top and think that'll solve their issues.

Liv is a good winner for the women's rumble.

 

[Permission Capable]

Balls been dropped storyline wise for sure . Same as Bronson Reed.

The Vision is just a disaster right now . Only way to save it is for Seth to come back and kill it

Far as Seth coming back and killing it we hopefully got the start of that at the Men's Rumble. Agree it's been shite otherwise. Heyman with Reed and Steiner is fine. Them having associations with other heels where convenient also ok. But Paul does not need to be in this and neither does Theory. It's hurting rather than helping them.

 

[TY24]

I said to my partner before the Women's rumble, that I thought Raquel would be the winner and turn on Liv in the process.

I was almost right, kind of.

 

[ptrg]

Balls been dropped storyline wise for sure . Same as Bronson Reed.

The Vision is just a disaster right now . Only way to save it is for Seth to come back and kill it

Backed up by the fact that Heyman, again, came out with Lesnar, with no real explanation or payoff.

They need to blow up the stable, and all go their seperate ways (Theory’s being out the door)

 

[Cleavy]

now we'll end up with a Bella Twins tag title victory at WM

 

[kistan]

The layouts for both Rumbles were so boring. Person comes out does 3 spots. Walks to the corner. Stands there.

All that money, paying all those people for creative, and the Young Lion Cup final for NJPW was better laid out. People wrestling for 2 years...

The Ballroom Brawl 2022 is the best example how to run something like that.

To think generations are going to be inspired by this.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Also they did three "tag-team breakup" spots in the one match (JD, Flair/Bliss, Kabuki Warriors).
It's like the producers didn't talk at all.

They run the same playbook for everything. Hence the run in by hooded figure being done forever now.

This is what Triple H would call "planting a seed" like they did with Theory and Waller... where it actually doesn't go anywhere. They just do it and then can use it down the line if they feel they want to. Trouble is, they plant the same seeds everywhere. Boring and uncreative.

 

[Cleavy]

They run the same playbook for everything. Hence the run in by hooded figure being done forever now.

I haven't seen this many hooded figures since Pretty Little Liars

 

[Hawksboy72]

I so hope big Vinnie Mac comes back at Mania.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Can anyone but me see Roman choosing Drew, Rhodes winning Elimination Chamber and choosing Drew and a Triple Threat match of Roman vs Rhodes vs McIntyre

 

[eddiesmith]

Heard some snippets of that interview and it was just insanely tone deaf.

I know it was supposed to be (mostly) in character, but to say shit like the young wrestlers can't get themselves over regardless of the opportunities they're given, when it took him a DECADE, some phenomenal writing and a heap of sheer luck to even have the fans accept him. So lame.

Always been a w***er who thinks very highly of himself, believe he was furious and the family stormed out of Mania 31 when WWE changed direction and realised he sucked.

 

[eddiesmith]

Can anyone but me see Roman choosing Drew, Rhodes winning Elimination Chamber and choosing Drew and a Triple Threat match of Roman vs Rhodes vs McIntyre

I hope so, Punk deserves better than to have to carry Roman to a half decent match then do the job to the part timer

 

[brutus76]

AJ needs to have a Bullet Club NJPW farewell and finish in TNA as a TNA original to full circle his career

 

[Cleavy]

AJ needs to have a Bullet Club NJPW farewell and finish in TNA as a TNA original to full circle his career

Clearly he needs to return to Ring of Honor to capture that elusive ROH World Championship

 

[SugarShane]

Can't wait for the WWE Unreal episode that shows us that having a shit Rumble was all part of the bigger plan and geniously concocted by Papa H and Brother Love.

What a mess of a Rumble. The womens Rumble was great. It had its share of moments that just didn't hit but overall it did what it needed to do pretty well.

But the mens, just, ugh. Stacking a rumble full of Luchas who, checks note, end up doing 0-1 Lucha moves before getting tossed out by monsters is just so boring.

Where's Finn? I know the storyline but... why? What was the point? Where's Hendry? Where's Shinsuke? Where's Kit Wilson?

And then to end on Gunther and Roman, with Roman once again going over. Just, blegh. Couldn't help but think about previous Final 4s as I'm sitting there with Roman, Gunther, Logan and Orton as the F4.

 

[Ry009]

Will say, while 90% of the event was underwhelming and wasn't a fan of Liv winning, end of Women's Rumble was good. Wish someone like Sol won though as a surprise..Imagine she'll get her chance in about 12 months though.

 

[Golden_6]

How many poor Saudi shows will they deliver before they pull the pin? Or are we destined to always have to put up with these soulless events? It’s mind boggling.

I shudder to think how bad Wrestlemania will be next year. You can already lock it in as being the worst of all time. I’m expecting Kane vs Undertaker for one final time knowing what these guys want.

 

[brutus76]

Saudi Wrestlemania
Night One - Heroes of Wrestling 2 (old vets doing it for a paycheck as appointed by the blood money's faves)
Night Two - Wrestlemania

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Imagine this being held in France

The crowd would be going nuts.

But the WWE sold themselves out to the Saudi's.

Sadly this is how sport and entertainment is going.
If the AFL got a big enough wad of cash thrown at them make no mistake they'd twerk for that cash like every other entertainment entity has done before them.

 

[Cleavy]

How many poor Saudi shows will they deliver before they pull the pin? Or are we destined to always have to put up with these soulless events? It’s mind boggling.

I shudder to think how bad Wrestlemania will be next year. You can already lock it in as being the worst of all time. I’m expecting Kane vs Undertaker for one final time knowing what these guys want.

the way the society/"sports-washing" is going, we're probably stuck with them. even more-so if they sell the company to the Saudis as has been rumoured in the past.