Rusev

Summary

This match was short, heavy, and full of big-man violence. Rusev came in swinging with his usual bruising offense, trying to overwhelm Oba Femi early with strikes and power moves. For a moment it looked like he might control the pace, but Femi’s size and strength quickly flipped the script. Once the momentum shifted, the match became a showcase for the rising powerhouse. Femi shrugged off Rusev’s offense, powered through a few stiff shots, and started throwing the bigger man around with surprising ease. The end came quickly when Femi blasted Rusev with his Fall From Grace finisher and scored the decisive pin in just over three minutes. It was more of a statement than a classic match, but that seemed to be the point—WWE clearly wanted Femi to look like a wrecking ball, and Rusev ended up being the unfortunate demonstration.

Summary

The Men’s Royal Rumble match also featured 30 participants, mixing established stars, surprise returns, and breakthrough performances. Oba Femi made a huge early impact by entering at #1 and eliminating several competitors, including Rusev and Solo Sikoa. Throughout the middle of the match, notable moments included surprise eliminations, then-fresh returns like LA Knight, and clashes involving Brock Lesnar before he was eliminated by alliance efforts from other competitors. The final stretch came down to Roman Reigns (#26), Gunther (#30), Randy Orton, and Logan Paul as the last four. Reigns ultimately survived the fray by spearing Gunther, eliminating him over the top rope to win his second career Royal Rumble and punch his WrestleMania main event ticket.

Summary

This tournament quarterfinal was a solid, hard‑hitting affair that leaned into each man’s strengths. Rusev came out with heavy shoulder tackles and that slow‑burn brand of aggression, but Jey Uso kept finding counters and quick bursts of offense that kept him in the match. Uso hit a couple of explosive Samoan Drops and followed up with his signature splash to finally pin Rusev and advance in the tournament toward John Cena’s farewell match. It wasn’t overly dramatic, but it was the right kind of solid quarterfinal match to keep the bracket moving.

Summary

This was exactly what it looked like on paper: two big guys hitting hard and not overcomplicating anything. Priest had some momentum early and tried to keep Rusev moving, but once Rusev slowed things down, the match shifted pretty clearly in his favor. He leaned into the power game, landed his strikes clean, and never really let Priest regain control once he took over. The finish came with Rusev putting Priest away clean to advance in the tournament, and it felt straightforward in a good way. Not a flashy match, but it didn’t need to be—Rusev looked strong, and Priest didn’t get embarrassed in the process.

Champion Retains

Summary

The Triple Threat was a chaotic affair featuring big moves from all three competitors, including Rusev’s Accolade and Penta’s springboard offense. At one point, Mysterio used sneaky tactics — including ringing the bell prematurely and manipulating a ring hammer — to create chaos. After clearing the hammer from danger, Mysterio hit a Frog Splash on Rusev for the pin. He retained his Intercontinental Title in controversial, crafty fashion.