KARACHI:
Since Vince McMahon’s departure amid harassment and trafficking allegations, WWE has experienced a surge in success under the leadership of Triple H, who now serves as the Chief Content Officer. The momentum continued with the 2025 Royal Rumble held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which set new records.
The highly anticipated event featured both men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, along with two championship bouts. The mega show attracted over 65,000 attendees from all 50 U.S. states and 48 countries, making it a historic spectacle. However, the records didn’t stop there.
At the post-show press conference, Triple H, aka Paul Levesque, shared exciting news, saying, “Tonight, we set a record as the highest-grossing Royal Rumble in history, marking the third-largest gate in WWE history, and the largest for a single-night event.” Only the two nights of WrestleMania 40 from the previous year surpass this milestone. Additionally, the Rumble set social media ablaze, with Bron Breaker’s spear to YouTuber IShowSpeed in the men’s match amassing over 300 million views across platforms in less than 24 hours, making it the most viewed Royal Rumble post ever.
The energy at the event was palpable, starting with the women’s Royal Rumble match, which featured debuts from international superstars such as Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia, alongside former TNA star Jordynne Grace. The match also marked the return of Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, who made history by becoming the first two-time women’s Rumble winner, much to the chagrin of fans. Charlotte Flair eliminated NXT’s Roxanne Perez, who set a new record for the longest time spent in the match at one hour, seven minutes, and 47 seconds.
In other action, DIY defended the WWE Tag Team Championships by defeating the Motor City Machine Guns in a two-out-of-three falls match, while Cody Rhodes successfully retained the Undisputed WWE Championship in a brutal Ladder Match against Kevin Owens.
The men’s Royal Rumble match headlined the event, featuring top WWE stars like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Penta, Rey Mysterio, and YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul, all vying for the chance to headline WrestleMania 41. The match also marked the final Rumble appearance for John Cena, who is set to retire from wrestling in December 2025. The 1 hour and 20-minute match became the longest Rumble in history, showcasing WWE’s wrestling diversity. Penta lasted the longest at 42 minutes, while Jacob Fatu dominated for 24 minutes before being eliminated by Braun Strowman.
The crowd erupted when Punk, Reigns, Cena, and Rollins faced off in the ring. With everyone striving to headline WrestleMania, the stage was set for thrilling confrontations. While fans speculated that Punk, Reigns, or Cena would win, WWE shocked the audience when Jey Uso, the popular “Yeet-man” and cousin to Reigns and The Rock, eliminated Cena to secure a victory. This marks a major milestone for Jey, who will now head to WrestleMania for a shot at the world championship, with his eyes likely set on re-challenging Gunther, the reigning champion.
