Roman Reigns pointing at WrestleMania sign after winning the Royal Rumble - WWE
Just 48 hours ago, Roman Reigns returned to WWE and won the Royal Rumble when he eliminated GUNTHER, who retired AJ Styles earlier in the night. On Monday, he returned to "Raw" in Philly. He reflected on winning in Philadelphia before and getting a different response.
As he was deciding whether to choose CM Punk or Drew McIntyre, Punk came to the ring. He ignored Reigns and addressed Finn Balor. Reigns didn't appreciate being overlooked. Punk informed him that "Raw" is his show and he calls the shots. He told Reigns that McIntyre would be the easier opponent. When Reigns reminded him that he beat "The Scottish Warrior" for three years, Punk retorted that it was only with the help of his family. Reigns told Punk that he and his family were the reason he had a show to come back to.
Punk went on to say that Reigns is following in his footsteps because he held the title for 434 days with Paul Heyman by his side and just because Reigns held the title longer "doesn't mean you did it better." After Punk said he chooses to wrestle nationally and internationally, Reigns says its because he's making up for lost time after taking a decade off. "The OTC" said he only learned from Punk what not to do. He said when Punk wanted to come back, WWE asked him his opinion and it's because of him that Punk is even back. Reigns said, "I could pick you because you're the biggest star available. I could pick you because you're on Netflix. But no, I'm picking you because I hate you. I've always hated you. And WrestleMania is going to be the best day of my life because in the main event, you will acknowledge me."
"WrestleMania 42" takes place in Las Vegas on April 18 and 19, 2026.
Nikki Bella appeared alongside her sister, Brie Bella, during "WWE Raw" to declare their intent to win the Women's Tag Team Championship.Β
Both the Bellas made appearances in the 2026 Women's Royal Rumble on Saturday, and while for Nikki it was just the latest in a line of appearances since July, Brie was making her return to the company for the first time in four years; she last appeared in the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble, and before that had last wrestled full-time with the company in 2018.Β
The Bellas appeared on Monday's "Raw" to address Brie's return to the company, with Nikki welcoming her sister back and touting their being together for the first time in seven years. Brie said that she had returned to the company after seeing her sister beaten down time and time again, declaring that they were the original women's tag team, and should thus challenge for the titles to that effect.Β
Indeed despite prominently featuring together as a tag team, the Bellas have only held gold as singles talents in the absence of the Women's Tag Team Championship, re-introduced in 2018. Brie first held the WWE Divas Championship for 70 days throughout 2011; Nikki went on to capture the Divas title on two occasions, first for just six days in 2012, and then a record-breaking 301 days for her second and last title run to-date.Β
"Mane yall don't deserve my family," Uso posted as simple text to a black background, adding a "fr," meaning "for real," as well as a bouquet of flowers emoji.
While it's not 100% clear why Uso posted the message, it's possible that he was responding to fan backlash over Reigns' Royal Rumble victory. Reigns was the betting favorite in the days leading up to the match, but announced his participation rather unceremoniously, via video package on "WWE SmackDown."
Reigns entered the match at #26 and eliminated GUNTHER to win. It was his first Rumble victory since 2015, another win that fans vehemently rejected, to the point of booing The Rock when he came down to raise his cousin's hand.
Uso is no stranger to backlash following a Rumble victory himself. He won the match last year, after pushing John Cena from the apron to the floor, and some fans were not sold on him, and many were very vocal about it online. The online backlash was only furthered by the release of the first season of "WWE Unreal," which showed Paul "Triple H" Levesque telling Uso he needed to step things up to rise to the task ahead of his World Heavyweight Championship victory, and that he couldn't be winded during his entrance through the crowd.
This past December, John Cena lost to GUNTHER in his final match as an active WWE star at Saturday Night's Main Event, and though fans knew his farewell tour was coming to an end, it didn't stop them from being emotional about his retirement. However, it wasn't just the audience in Washington, DC who were tearing up as they watched Cena hang up his boots, as Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch recently shared in GQ's YouTube series "Actually Us" that she was an emotional mess at the end of Saturday Night's Main Event.
"I may have cried like a little baby.Β May have, no evidence whatsoever,Β but he's given a lot to the business. He's given a lot to us."
Other WWE Superstars have also admitted that they were emotional during Cena's final match, with one of Lynch's former rivals, Liv Morgan, explaining that she was sobbing on her way back from Saudi Arabia when she watched the match in between flights. Unfortunately many WWE stars and fans also witnessed another legend walk into the sunset this past weekend, as GUNTHER retired AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble after "The Phenomenal One" put his career on the line coming into the match. "The Ring General" has now retired Goldberg, Cena and Styles in just seven months, and will be looking to continue his reputation as the "The Career Killer" going forward.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "GQ" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
"From day one, even before The Culling was even a thought, me and him just really clicked," Dame told "Going Ringside." "He has brought me so much knowledge, so much wisdom inside and outside of the ring as a friend, as a mentor, as a coach. He has really been my rock throughout this entire process. I have to give him so much credit because he really has been my person throughout this whole thing. Without him, I truly don't think that I would have gotten to the point that I'm at today."
According to Dame, one of the biggest challenges of her move to the squared circle, specifically WWE, was balancing her life on the road as a WWE Superstar and personal life at home. After receiving candid advice from WWE veteran and 14-time world champion Charlotte Flair, she realized that the two often blend together.
"I was like, 'How do you balance the work-home life?' [Flair] told me, 'You don't. This is your life now. You have to make that choice. It's a sacrifice to be in this industry.' And I was like, 'Yeah, right. I'll be fine.' Boy, was she right. This really does consume your entire life, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. This is so fun."
Currently, Dame reigns as the NXT North American Champion, having unseated Thea Hail a few weeks ago on "NXT." Later this week, she will defend her title against Hail and Lola Vice in a triple threat, likely with Spears and fellow Culling member Niko Vance in her corner.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Going Ringside" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
The Deleters of Worlds (Bray Wyatt and "Woken" Matt Hardy) pose with the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles in the ring - WWE
Once each other's rivals in WWE, it would take a push into the Lake of Reincarnation beforeΒ the late, great Bray Wyatt andΒ Matt Hardy realized that they were two supernatural beings of the same coin. On an episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," a fan wrote in asking if Hardy had complete creative freedom from 2017 to 2018, would he have booked the Deleters of Worlds differently. While there were some things he would've kept the same, the current TNA World Tag Team Champion noted there were several things he would've done differently.Β
"If I would have had complete creative freedom, I would have been okay with the laughing that we did that first time, where we went back and forth, because that was both kind of staples of our characters," Hardy began. "Vince [McMahon], he loved it so much and [it] entertained him so much, he wanted us to do this s**t every single time. I mean, it was overkill. I would have liked to have kept things different and fresh. I mean, 'Broken' Matt was always saying new words or new terms or whatever. And I think Bray was like that, too."
In the second part of his answer, Hardy discussed their fight on "WWE Raw 25", where in under four-and-a-half minutes, Wyatt secured the victory. Hardy wished not only for more time in the match, but for more stipulations to have been added to the contest.
"I would have put a bit of a different twist on it, where it was, like, a more serious match, and maybe even a little more violent," he added.
Looking back on their time together, Hardy labeled their partnership as two kindred souls who had a lot to give, but sadly never got to expound upon it further. They both went on to carry the then WWE Raw Tag Team Championships for 79 days after they were vacated by Wyatt's former stablemate, Braun Strowman, and his younger partner, Nicholas. Known as "The New Face of Fear," Wyatt sparked a light that still burns brightly among his fireflies. He passed away on August 24, 2023, at the age of 36.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Roman Reigns wearing a black shirt and jacket - Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
With its lightning-like speed and intense impact, Bron Breakker's spear has been argued as the greatest ever amongst wrestling pundits and fans. Meanwhile, some others view that of former Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns as the best. In the eyes of Reigns himself, though, the debate surrounding their finishers doesn't truly matter.
"If I was a young insignificant performer, then I would take a little bit of offense or I feel some competitive nature about that, but a finishing move is a finishing move," Reigns told "The Pat McAfee Show." "I'm such a different type of performer. I'm on a whole different level. We're talking about finishers. We're talking about the spirit, bro. Come on now. You talking to Mozart here. I create real art.
"It's not just about running down a ramp and flying through the air and hitting somebody," he continued. "[Breakker] is a great athlete, but we all are. And as you get older, you got to evolve. You got to you got to learn all the different nuances to this game. You got to sharpen every blade in your set."
According to Reigns, Breakker has a promising future ahead of him in WWE, but as it stands now, he still has a long way to go before he potentially reaches the same level as "The OTC."
As the unofficial face of The Vision, Breakker notably challenged CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on "WWE Raw" last month. Weeks later, his hopes of securing a rematch were halted when a hooded figure stomped on him, then set him up for a quick elimination in the 2026 Men's Royal Rumble, which wasΒ eventually won by Reigns. With his victory, Reigns now has the right to call out a title match of his choosing for WWE WrestleMania 42.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Pat McAfee Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Mara Sade wearing glasses - Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
With a new year comes new goals for TNA Wrestling star Mara Sade, formerly known to fans as Jakara Jackson. Sitting at the top of her list is capturing the TNA Knockouts Championship, currently held by Lei Ying Lee.
"2026, I got my eyes on the prize," Sade recently told "Gabby AF." "Just the way that Lei Ying Lee is doing her thing right now, I love seeing it too. Being in TNA, I feel like people are able to just dive in head first, really show people what's good, they have the freedom to do them, and show people what it is that they're here to do.
"Just the way that [Lee] obtained the title was a beautiful moment. I'm waiting for my moment as well and it's going to come in 2026," Sade continued. "I just have nothing but great feels about what's to come. Especially with this new TV deal, I feel like there's so many more opportunities now. The Knockouts division is really like we out here. I'm so grateful to be adding to that, but it's only time that your girl steps into that picture, because I ain't here to play."
Sade became an official member of the TNA roster in July 2025, just weeks after being released from WWE. In her in-ring debut as a full-time Knockout, she found success in teaming with The IInspiration (Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee) against The Elegance Brand on "TNA iMPACT." Through WWE's partnership with TNA, she competed in a TNA ring on three previous occasions, including a four-way Knockouts Tag Team Championship match at TNA Rebellion 2025. Like Sade, reigning Knockouts Champion Lei Ying Lee is a former WWE star, having made her respective jump to TNA in September 2024.
So far, Sade's TNA run has been nothing but positive, with the promotion's welcoming nature as a standout quality for her. Of the current roster, Sade identified TNA veteran Alisha Edwards as the first person who greeted her.
"The energy has just been awesome there from the jump," she said. "I just love the fact that I feel like I have my hands on the reins when it comes to me, Mara Sade, and what I put out there. I feel heard. I feel like the sky is the limit here and I can put more into what this is that I'm doing. Just being able to do more, beyond the independents and do other promotions, it's helping me grow, for real. It's making me see just the things I do want to improve upon. Just helping me see this business in a different lens basically."
Inside and outside of the ring, Sade considers herself an artistic person, and thanks to TNA, she is able to dive into her craft, or wrestling "art," even more. In recent weeks, Sade's on-screen work has pitted her against former TNA World Tag Team Champion Ryan Nemeth.Β
The two met face-to-face on last week's "Thursday Night iMPACT," where Nemeth claimed that Sade might have a crush on him. Instead, Sade clocked him in the face. Nemeth previously defeated Sade in a singles match at TNA Genesis.Β
"I just believe that one door closing most certainly opened up literally thousands more,"Β she added about her transition from WWE to TNA. "It makes me fall in love more because there's just so much more to this art."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Gabby AF" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Roman Reigns after winning the 2026 WWE Men's Royal Rumble - WWE/X
11 years after his first win, another edition of WWE's annual Royal Rumble came to a close with Roman Reigns on top. Though the reaction to this win was quite different from the first, it's still safe to say not everyone is thrilled that the Tribal Chief is headed to the WWE WrestleMania 42 main event.
That's not the only moment from today's Royal Rumble that drew a reaction from the Wrestling Inc. crew, either! Below, in the latest edition of our regular column, you can find out what we loved and hated about the latest of the "big four" WWE PLEs. With only four matches on the card, you'll find an opinion on each bout, along with some specific standouts from the two Rumbles.
If you're looking for a more detailed breakdown of everything that happened, take a look at our Royal Rumble results. Otherwise, feel free to argue or agree with us down in the comments after you read all about our thoughts on the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble.
That's all she wrote for AJ Styles in WWE, with Gunther retiring him at the Royal Rumble 10 years after he made his debut in the eponymous match. A two-time WWE Champion and Grand Slam winner, Styles broke the mold by being a smaller "indie darling" who came into a company known to chew and spit out wrestlers like him to great success. Whether or not he continues to wrestle throughout the year with another company (here's hoping), his last match with Gunther was the perfect send off this weekend.
A key aspect of Styles' desire to hang up the boots has been the idea that he wants to bow out at his best. A key aspect of Gunther's character arc over the past few years has been his career-killing dominance; already a man with less losses than there are fingers on the average human body, he put Goldberg out to pasture before submitting John Cena for the first time in over 20 years to send him off into retirement with a knowing smile. Styles took issue with the way that Gunther had celebrated his victory over Cena, thus spurring the events that led to this career threatening match.
Unlike the previous two, however, this was a match billed with a way out of retirement for Styles. He need only beat Gunther, and he gave it his best shot when all was said and done. Ultimately, it was time that caught up with him. He wasn't fast enough, strong enough, or durable enough to survive the barrage, drop his opponent, and keep him down for the count. Even still, it was the hope that he could do it that drove the energy of the match, even as he was fading in the sleeper and clawed for the ropes.
Cena went out with a smile on his face, Styles went out after passing out. His arm dropped and even the referee hesitated, aware that he was about to end Styles' WWE career without him even being aware of the decision.
Gunther got what he wanted and left Styles in the ring to reckon with the loss and wave goodbye to the crowd in Riyadh. What a run it has been for the "Phenomenal One" over the past 10 years, what a way to sign off, and what a man to inherit the distinction of sending him off into the sunset. It was perfect. Perfect. Down to the last, minute detail.
Written by Max Everett
Hated: The chase continues for Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn after being put through a table by Drew McIntyre - WWE/X
Until tonight, Sami Zayn had quite a win streak building across all of his matches in Saudi Arabia. That all came to an end at the hands of Drew McIntyre, and I can't say that I'm thrilled about it.
Now, it should be said that the viewer being upset about a heel winning is usually the entire point of a heel winning. From that perspective, WWE knocked it out of the park here, because I very much wanted to see Sami win.
The real issue here is the fact that Zayn has been with WWE for well over a decade by this point and has yet to win a world title. For much of the time, it didn't seem like he'd ever even get close, though that has seemed to change under the control of Paul "Triple H" Levesque. Still, the story of Zayn possibly working his way up to a world title win has been years in the making, and it looks like it isn't coming to a close any time soon.
Tonight didn't really feel like the right time for Zayn to win the title, and that's kind of my whole problem. The storyline was constructed in a way that would've made it seem fairly anti-climactic if Zayn won, but it didn't have to be that way. This tale is starting to drag on for too long, like many storylines have under Levesque. I think it's more likely than not that Zayn wins one of the two world titles at some point, but I wish it didn't take over a decade to get there.
Written by Nick Miller
Loved: Lash Legend continues building her legacy
Lash Legend points ahead to the WrestleMania sign - WWE/Netflix
With every big performance Lash Legend has, I take back my initial assessment of her being an "NXT" call-up failure in the making more and more emphatically.
Legend has had an extraordinary time on the main roster. Yes, she's Nia Jax's lap dog right now, but she has been outshining her mentor in every event she's been placed in. From WarGames to episodes of "WWE SmackDown," Legend has shown time and time again that she is not one to be trifled with. She brought that same electric energy to WWE's Royal Rumble, and even though she was not the woman to outlast 29 others to secure her spot at WrestleMania, I don't think she'll have a hard time making her way to Vegas after that standout performance.
Legend continues to improve more and more, week in and week out. I remember really wanting to like her when she was coming up in "NXT," because, aside from her in-ring work, she was the full package. She has great charisma, a distinct brand, and she's absolutely stunning. However, her in-ring work always held me back from enjoying her β and Shawn Michaels might have felt similarly, considering she never earned gold in "NXT." However, she has been vastly improving, and that showed in Saturday's Royal Rumble. She looked like a complete powerhouse in that ring, and while her technique is far from perfect, she has grown into another ring wherewithal to supplement her natural charisma and athletic background. Her wrestling has improved so much, to the point that she was more entertaining to watch over other, more established veterans. Legend was a bright spot in what was otherwise a snoozefest of a match.
That's not even counting the amount of eliminations she scored, but let's add that statistic to the mix. Legend scored eliminations against some huge names, like first entrant Charlotte Flair and WWE Women's World Tag Team Champion IYO SKY. Legend was the right woman to give those eliminations to β especially over Jax, who always threatens to overshadow her, as her mentor. It seems that WWE has learned from the woes of Carmelo Hayes and other disappointing "NXT" call-ups, because they are doing all the right things to make Legend a star on her own.
I will never forgive the Saudi Arabia crowd for completely airing her (dramatic, but my point remains). I know she eliminated your favorites, but people laud GUNTHER for doing the same thing. Legend has worked hard to become the next big thing, and I can only anticipate she skyrockets to the upper- and main event card from here. We're on the ground floor of something great, and I can't to see how Legend builds her legacy.
Written by Angeline Phu
Hated: Women's Royal Rumble leaves much to be desired
Nikki and Brie Bella in the 2026 Women's WWE Royal Rumble - WWE/X
The Women's Royal Rumble was just fine.
"Fine" isn't typically a death sentence in and of itself, but for a match as big as the Royal freaking Rumble, that is a strong evaluation. Saturday, 30 of WWE's finest took to the ring to see who will remain the last woman standing, with a world title shot in the main event of WrestleMania 42 waiting for the winner. It's no secret that WWE's women's division is the most stacked in the industry β so why, then, couldn't the likes of IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and others pull this match from the dumps?
This Women's Royal Rumble was so nothingburger because of two things: odd elimination pacing and an utter lack of engaging surprises. Of course, these things don't kill a Rumble on their own, but when they happen simultaneously, it kills the stakes of your Rumble match. When you save nearly all eliminations for the end and give the crowd nothing to look forward to with a lack of surprises, any excitement of the unknown dies. Sure, it's fun that Liv Morgan won, but that can only be so exciting when her road to that Rumble win was so boring. Any cheers we might have had in the office after this Rumble were more of a "thank God that's over" nature β not ones deservingly celebratory of our Judgement Day leader.
I do not wanna hear the Brie Bella and Tiffany Stratton arguments. I'm not saying their WWE presence wasn't sorely missed β it was, especially with Stratton's absence from "WWE SmackDown's" women's division β but when those are the only two "surprises" in the Royal Rumble, you can't blame me for losing complete interest in this Rumble by the time Stratton was revealed at number 30. I know that legends can't always come back β being in the ring is no simple task, especially Divas past β but I just needed more from the Royal Rumble's participants. "NXT's" exports were nice, especially Jacy Jayne and Sol Ruca, but I needed more. Where's Blake Monroe? Is WWE not scouting out any free agents on the plentiful open market right now? No TNA Knockouts? The Royal Rumble's allure lies in its unpredictability: if I can anticipate who the next entrant will be, I don't want to watch.
My grievances are not unique to this year's Royal Rumble. My colleagues have held similar criticisms to mine following the Rumbles of recent years past, and yet my grievances today are ones that still hold true. Why is that? Why is WWE so hesitant to give the Women's Royal Rumble the same attention as they do the men's? Why can the Women's Royal Rumble only ever be just fine?
Written by Angeline Phu
Loved: Oba Femi has impressive showing leading right to 'Mania
Oba Femi, when he was still NXT Champion, poses in the ring before a match with Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event. - WWE
I think we were all, especially those of us who are big "WWE NXT" fans, expecting Oba Femi to have a big showing in the Rumble match. I wasn't a major fan of how his elimination went down, as it felt rather unceremonious, but overall, I really loved how WWE presented "The Ruler" today. While it doesn't seem to have been the plan to have Femi come out in the first spot, as it was spoiled on "WWE SmackDown" that #1 was meant to go to Bron Breakker, I think this worked out in the best way possible. If Breakker was going to get taken out anywhere else but #2, it wouldn't have made much sense.
Femi was impressive throughout the first portion of the match, especially, scoring five total eliminations, and I think four of them might have been back-to-back. While the Breakker one didn't exactly count for much visually, thanks to yet another masked intruder in a black hoodie interfering and weakening Breakker, it still added to Femi's overall Rumble elimination statistic.
There were plenty of fans who wanted to see "The Ruler" go face-to-face with "The Beast Incarnate," which we got to see a little of tonight. I'm no real fan of Brock Lesnar, but even I have to admit he'd make a perfect WrestleMania opponent for Femi, especially if Femi is the one going over. The way WWE went about their confrontation in the ring was excellent, as well, and perfectly timed. The first few times they went to square up to each other, the buzzer rang, and in came another opponent in the forms of The Miz and Rey Fenix. By that time, the others in the ring were also back on their feet and attempted to take the bigger men down.
They got a little physical, with Femi first hitting Lesnar with a clothesline to knock him off his feet, but in the end, it was Lesnar to throw Femi over the top rope. I don't love that, but it certainly sets up the must-see match between them, hopefully at WrestleMania. Lesnar was also the next person eliminated, so it doesn't hurt Femi too much there.
We know that Femi is now going to be on the main roster fully moving forward, and he has stories going in to his run on "Raw" or "SmackDown." That includes what may happen next with Lesnar, and the fact he had such an impressive showing in the Rumble, that all others on whatever brand he lands on need to watch out.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Hated: Romans Reigns shows up to work, wins Rumble
Roman Reigns celebrates after the win of the tag team match against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed during the WWE 2025 SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium on August 02, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. - Elsa/Getty Images
Imagine being someone like Je'Von Evans, or LA Knight, or Penta, or Randy Orton, who is looking for his 15th championship victory before he calls it a career, or even GUNTHER who has been put over strong by being involved in the retirement matches of top talent. And then, you get to the Royal Rumble, looking to punch your ticket to WrestleMania 41, and Roman Reigns, who declared himself for the match in a video package instead of showing up for work, waltzes in at #26, after not being on WWE TV since Survivor Series, and just wins the match. Oh, and this all happens after he ran down WWE creative and the company's younger stars just the day before on "The Pat McAfee Show." I can't imagine it feels too great.
Maybe those were worked comments, and Reigns is going to dive into that all further in storyline now that he might be back in the fold, for now, but it's still, in my humble opinion, awful booking on WWE's part. It's not an interesting story whatsoever, as there are plenty of young guys, like Evans, Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and more, who are busting their butts doing well in the company. There are plenty of older guys, like Penta and Knight, who are plenty over with fans, looking for their first championship. And there's of course Orton, who has a story built in right now.
It just doesn't feel like a landscape where Reigns needed to win the Rumble. He's still a mega star and a huge draw, and I don't think he needs to be in the main event scene at WrestleMania anymore. Have him open the show to get crowds excited, but maybe that's not what WWE wants to do with him if they're paying him the big bucks.
Reigns also doesn't exactly look too strong coming in the match at #26, and he won by throwing an exhausted GUNTHER, who had already fought an incredible match earlier in the night, over the top rope.
With his part time schedule, it also doesn't seem like Reigns is winning another big title anytime soon. I don't want to say it feels like a waste of a 'Mania match, and I could be wrong, but there just isn't much thrilling about this. And, if Reigns plays off the "I gave you guys a chance, and you couldn't do it and still needed me" thing, it's really going to feel like he's burying all of the talent who are there week in and week out. I obviously was not a fan of Reigns' win at all, and I'm not looking forward to what this means for WrestleMania.
Just over a year into her WWE career, Jackie Redmond was inserted into one of the biggest backstage interviews in recent memory when The Rock and Roman Reigns interrupted company CCO Triple H following the iconic press conference for WrestleMania 40. The segment initially went viral due to "The Great One's" use of foul language directed towards Triple H, and according to Redmond, she was unaware of the theatrics that we're going to be on display.Β
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on "Insight,"Β Redmond revealed when she found out about her interview with Triple H that night, and claimed that her reaction to the segment was completely authentic.
"The crazy thing about that situation was I didn't even know I was interviewing Triple H until 8 minutes before that. So, we're getting close to the end of this presser, right? And, producer comes up to me, he's like, 'Hey, we weren't planning for this, but some s**t's about to go down and I think we need to hear from Hunter after this, right?'" she explained. "I should know better at this point that basically 99% of the time when I'm interviewing someone, it will be interrupted. Like that's pretty much a staple of what I do. But I had no idea that Dwayne 'The Rock' motherf*****g Johnson was gonna come out, yell at Hunter, and drop F-bombs all on live television."
Redmond reiterated that she didn't know The Rock was going to interrupt the interview, while admitting that she was still intimidated by Triple H at the time after having worked for WWE for a short period of time and wanted to make sure she didn't squander the opportunity.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Drew McIntyre glowers at the camera as he holds his Undisputed WWE Championship up during Riyadh's Royal Rumble. - WWE/Netflix
Sami Zayn was backed by the vocal Saudi Arabia crowd as he marched to the ring for a date with Drew McIntyre for his Undisputed WWE Championship. Zayn's fairytale ending, however, was not to be, after McIntyre retained his gold after a gruesome event in Riyadh.
Despite a strong start, the campaign slipped out from underneath Zayn when a nasty landing on his coccyx sent the challenger into agonizing pain. The opportunistic McIntyre targeted Zayn's lower back as time went on, and the challenger's body ailed him as he failed to lift McIntyre up for the Blue Thunder Bomb. A high boot stopped McIntyre's subsequent Claymore attempt, but even with a successful Blue Thunder Bomb, McIntyre remained in the contest β much to the chagrin of Zayn and his deteriorating lower back.
Soon after, however, McIntyre got a taste of his own back pain, after Zayn rolled out of the way of a second Claymore to send the champion flying back-first into the unyielding canvas. With the odds nearly evened between both competitors, Saturday's match became a battle of will. Zayn managed to kick out of a pinfall combo after three Future Shock DDTs, but his body could not follow up with a Buckle Bomb to the champion. His Helluva kick missed the mark, but the veteran Zayn managed to escape a Claymore after resting his foot on the ropes.
The match spilled to the outside, where McIntyre laid Zayn out through the announce table. Referees and medical staff swarmed the downed Zayn, but McIntyre pushed through the bodies to push the challenger back into the ring. Zayn managed to land a Buckle Bomb, but two Claymores did the challenger in to give Zayn his first loss in Saudi Arabia.
With this victory, McIntyre is set to continue his Undisputed WWE Championship reign, which clocks in at 22 days and counting.
The "BRIE MODE!" of her music hit to bring her in the match just four spots after her twin sister, Nikki Bella, entered the bout at #25. Brie got in the match and immediately hit the "Yes!" Kicks to Raquel Rodriguez, though Michael Cole on commentary was sure to explain were now called the "It" Kicks, as Brie's husband, AEW's Bryan Danielson, then known as Daniel Bryan, was the one who popularized the "Yes!" chant in WWE. Brie helped Nikki to her feet and they embraced in the ring.
The Bellas worked together to eliminate Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, then hit the "Yes!" chants to the crowd once again. Both twins were eliminated by Lash Legend, to the disappointment of the Riyadh crowd.
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