In a new interview following her WWE departure, Shotzi confirmed that she was slated to appear in the 2025 women’s Royal Rumble match before being replaced by the returning Alexa Bliss.
Shotzi told Daria & Toni Unwrapped that, the day before the show, she got a last-minute call from WWE about being in the Rumble match. She flew out to Indianapolis and was all set to compete before being informed that she actually would not be participating. Shotzi was getting makeup done when she received the news.
“So I heard mixed messages. Like, a couple producers said that I was always in the Rumble. But then they just told me last minute. Yeah, I don’t know, I was very confused by it. But they didn’t relay anything to me until the day before,” Shotzi said. “It was like 3 p.m. the day before Rumble and they were like, ‘Hey, can you get on a flight in a couple hours?’ And then I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not ready for this.’ Just like packed my bags, I don’t even know what I put in the bags. Got to the airport in like an hour, and then it led to nothing.”
Bliss returned as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, wrestling for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Hendrix in 2023. But whether Bliss was going to take part in the Rumble was legitimately up in the air until the last minute. There was a contract situation where Bliss’ new five-year deal with WWE was not completed until shortly before the match.
Shotzi noted that Bliss was gracious about the situation and apologized to her over taking her spot.
“Honestly, if you’re going to take me out for anyone, at least make it be the biggest pop of the night,” Shotzi said. “And I have to say that Alexa had no idea that someone was getting replaced. She had no idea any of that was going on. She felt so bad and she came up to me afterwards. And she was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even realize they were taking someone out of the Rumble to get me in there.'”
Last month, Shotzi announced that she is departing WWE with the company choosing not to renew her contract. She is taking indie bookings and has been teased for MLW’s Summer of the Beasts show that is being held in New York City on June 26.
The full episode of Daria & Toni Unwrapped is available to watch below. The podcast is hosted by former WWE wrestler Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato) and her wife Toni Cassano.
The lead story looks at the latest developments in the Janel Grant vs. Vince McMahon case, followed by a full recap of everything from last Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble.
Get that and all the news of the week in this week’s issue.
Figure Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including Lance’s thoughts on the two Royal Rumble matches, the new Janel Grant lawsuit and what changes were made to it, and tons more. A fun show as always with Lance, so check it out~!
If it were up to CM Punk, the winner of the 2025 men’s Royal Rumble would have been John Cena.
Punk and Cena both made it to the final four of the Rumble match on Saturday night. It came down to Cena and Jey Uso with Uso eliminating Cena to get the victory. Punk thinks Uso winning is a fantastic choice, but he would have done things a bit differently if he were booking the match.
While being interviewed on Good Guy/Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier & Chael Sonnen, Punk said his ideal version of the Rumble would have seen him and Cena as the final two — and Punk would have booked Cena to win. Punk said that, at this point in his own career, he believes losing is more valuable than winning.
Punk responded when asked if he was disappointed not to win the Rumble:
I think early in my career, I would say yes. I think now, I’m actually more inclined to pitch me losing things. Because I think there is a broader story to tell. Oh, 100 percent. It’s all about the chase. It’s like — the most recent example I can give you is Cody [Rhodes] losing to Roman [Reigns] at WrestleMania 39. That was Cody’s time. He loses in the main event and it’s just like — man. And he spends the entire year as like a redemption arc and he chases the title and he wins it at [WrestleMania] 40.
The Rumble didn’t go the way I would have booked it, so to speak. Since we’re just peeling back the curtain so much here: I would have had me and Cena as the last two guys. And I would’ve had Cena throw my ass over the top rope, you know? Because I think at this stage, I think losing is so much more valuable than winning. I’m almost afraid of me winning everything that I’ve ever dreamed of because what do I do then?
Punk and Cena will get another chance to face off when they both participate in the men’s Elimination Chamber match in Toronto on Saturday, March 1. It will feature six competitors in total with the winner earning a World title shot at WrestleMania 41.
With Cena set to retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025, Punk told Cormier & Sonnen that he made sure to spend as much time as he could backstage with Cena at the Royal Rumble. Punk said he likes being around Cena and knows moments like this are fleeting.
If a match between himself and John Cena is to happen this year, TNA World Champion Joe Hendry said it’s up to him to drum up the interest to make it a reality.
Hendry appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show Monday to talk about his experience debuting at the WWE Royal Rumble Saturday and said he had “a long and meaningful conversation” with the legend which blew him away given the chaos of the day.
He stated his desire directly to Cena that he wants to have a match with him before he retires, something Hendry has said before and stated to Helwani that, “hand on heart, I believe I will wrestle him this year 100%.”
Hendry said Cena gave him great advice on how it could happen.
“What (Cena) did say was fortune favors the bold. If I want it to happen, it’s on my shoulders. I have to generate the interest to make that happen,” Hendry said, later adding that “I have to put myself in a position where that me vs. Cena is one of the most compelling matchups in professional wrestling.”
**********
On the Rumble match itself, Hendry said he tried to speak it into existence, telling former TNA co-worker Jordynne Grace last year after her debut in the match that he would be there this year.
Without knowing anything, he had a feeling it would happen, going as far as to pause his presence on this week’s Chris Jericho cruise until after the show. Anthem executive Ariel Shnerer told him the news recently and he said he immediately began thinking of how he could maximize the opportunity, elevate both TNA and the World title, and make the most impact.
He purposely booked signings and appearances in Indianapolis to put him there and then had to leave a signing early to “catch a flight,” adding that he was amazed his inclusion didn’t leak.
He said he spoke with CM Punk and Cody Rhodes about how he should approach his appearance and also put over The Miz as “awesome” with his guidance.
“These guys go out of your way to help you succeed,” he said, noting that Shane Helms also gave great advice about taking a moment after he came out for his entrance and “appreciate the magnitude of what is happening.”
He said the main things he wanted to avoid was “not doing the Titus (O’Neill) thing” where he accidentally fell running to the ring and to not stumble on the kip-up he performed.
He later revealed the Triple H “point” picture that made its way to social media was done right before he headed out to the ring.
Hendry said he had another conversation with Cena when the latter got back after his elimination and that the whole night was “hard to put into words” and “a chapter in my career that was a wonderful surprise.”
Drew McIntyre is not happy with someone he was in the ring with at Royal Rumble 2025.
Yesterday, PWInsider reported that McIntyre was angry backstage after being eliminated from the Rumble about one participant who “had to get their moves in” at the expense of other stories being told. McIntyre is said to have been “screaming and cursing” and stormed out of the building before the end of the show.
Our own Dave Meltzer confirmed the story on Wrestling Observer Radio, adding that McIntyre was not the only one upset about the situation.
“There’s a guy that a lot of people were pissed at in that match with the idea that he was trying to get himself over and not the match over,” Meltzer said, also noting that the name of the person in question will likely come out soon, but has not been confirmed by more than one source as of yet.
“It’s multiple people telling me that the Drew thing was… he wasn’t happy. It’s not an angle,” Meltzer said, adding, “I heard that Drew was not the only one unhappy about the situation.”
A clip of McIntyre being eliminated in the match by Damian Priest while Logan Paul and LA Knight are nearby was posted online by SEScoops’ Anutosh Bajpai. McIntyre attempts to throw Jey Uso out of the ring before he and Uso collide with Paul and Knight, which leads to McIntyre’s elimination.
The biggest win of Jey Uso’s career happened at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Uso will be in one of the top spots at WrestleMania 41 after winning the 2025 men’s Royal Rumble match. Jey entered the match at number 20 and last eliminated John Cena to get the victory. His win was pushed as being the biggest upset in Royal Rumble history by Michael Cole on commentary.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is no longer just a nickname. It is no longer a moniker. Jey Uso is truly the Main Event at WrestleMania,” Cole said.
It came down to Uso and Cena at the end after Cena eliminated Logan Paul. As they were fighting on the apron, Cena went for an Attitude Adjustment but Uso was able to slip out. He pushed Cena to the floor to eliminate him.
Uso now heads to WrestleMania 41 in pursuit of his first-ever World Championship. Currently, World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes are the title holders. Gunther vs. Uso would be a rematch from the most recent edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Gunther retained his belt.
WrestleMania 41 is being held in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20.
Much like the women’s WWE Royal Rumble match had several surprises like Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella, the men’s Rumble match that main evented Saturday’s Royal Rumble show also featured a few jaw droppers.
After being out since early-October, former WWE Champion AJ Styles made his return, entering at number 21. Styles appeared to suffer an ankle injury during an October 4th SmackDown match with Carmelo Hayes and has been away every since. Styles was eliminated by Logan Paul as Styles was about to springboard into the ring. He joined Jimmy Uso in eliminating Sami Zayn and also eliminated LA Knight.
After appearing on WWE NXT, reigning TNA Champion Joe Hendry made good on his hinted promise and experienced his main roster debut in the process, entering at number 15 to a massive ovation. Hendry hung in there until he was eventually eliminated by Roman Reigns without scoring an elimination.
YouTube star IShowSpeed made his WWE in-ring debut at number four, eliminated by Bron Breakker and Otis after he first joined Breakker in eliminating Otis. Breakker tossed him over the top onto Otis who then threw him over his head through the announce table.
That was after he took a violent Breakker spear which you can see below along with the scenario in how he was put into the match by Triple H for the injured Akira Tozawa.
Here are the entrants and eliminations for this year’s men’s WWE Royal Rumble match. A similar post with the women’s Royal Rumble match is available here.
Charlotte Flair is back — and she’s already secured a Women’s Championship shot at WrestleMania 41.
In her first match since December 2023, Charlotte won the women’s Royal Rumble on Saturday night. The final three left at the end of the match were Charlotte, NXT star Roxanne Perez, and Nia Jax. After Charlotte dumped Jax out of the ring, she followed up with a big boot on Perez to eliminate her and get the victory.
This was Charlotte’s first time competing since suffering a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus 13 months ago. Her return was advertised in advance with Charlotte being announced as one of the participants for the Rumble. She entered at number 27 and wore a brace on her left knee for the match.
With her victory, Charlotte is now the first woman to win the Royal Rumble twice. Her previous win happened in 2020.
WWE has not yet confirmed which champion Charlotte will be challenging at WrestleMania. Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley of Raw and WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton of SmackDown are the current title holders.
Here are the entrants and eliminations for this year’s women’s WWE Royal Rumble match. We will be doing a similar post with the men’s Royal Rumble match later this evening.
The following is an opinion-based preview that reflects the view of the author and not the website.
The 2025 edition of the WWE Royal Rumble takes place this Saturday from Indianapolis and should be a fun show.
Most years, the Rumble matches themselves are not difficult to predict. However, that’s not the case this year as there are numerous routes WWE could go with the men’s and women’s matches.
There are just two non-Rumble matches on the card this year. Kevin Owens vs. Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE title will be a great match, albeit one where the winner is not in doubt. Then, there will be a best two out of three falls match between #DIY and the Motor City Machine Guns, a dream match I’m sure Triple H wished had happened on an NXT TakeOver show at some point.
Below are predictions, betting odds, and previews for each match for Saturday’s Royal Rumble (6 PM Eastern start time on Peacock domestically/Netflix internationally):
Men’s Royal Rumble match
According to Las Vegas, John Cena is a -110 favorite to win the match. This is likely due to rumors that WWE wants Cena vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania this year with the story that Cena would have the chance to win his 17th World title. In storyline, he’d break Ric Flair’s record. (In reality, who knows how many times Flair won and lost the World title?) Regardless, that’s the story. WWE doesn’t need Cena to win the Rumble to get that match, though. There’s always the Elimination Chamber in Toronto as well.
According to the betting odds, the next favorite is Seth Rollins at +175. Rollins and Gunther had a promo segment together on Monday, so perhaps Rollins vs. Gunther is the plan for Mania. If so, Rollins winning is possible, but I don’t see it happening.
The third favorite at +210 is CM Punk. I don’t know about that as Punk’s already got his “path to WrestleMania.” We know Paul Heyman owes him a favor which could also have something to do with Mania. Punk winning the Rumble to get what he wants at this stage feels unnecessary.
Roman Reigns is a +300 favorite. I’m a little surprised Roman isn’t a bigger favorite, but perhaps the thinking is that Reigns vs. Punk is the plan for Mania and the story doesn’t need the Rumble to get there.
There’s a significant drop off in the odds from all of those guys to the fifth favorite: The Rock. His odds are listed as +1200. He doesn’t need a Rumble win to have a big match at Mania, and I’m not even sure he’ll be in the match to begin with.
Jey Uso is listed as a +2500 favorite. Under no circumstances do I think betting on wrestling is a good idea, but if I did, I might consider putting a little money on Uso here. All that’s left to make him a perennial main eventer and World champion is simply putting him in that role. The guy seems pretty freakin’ popular as he is someone the fans have watched put in the work, grind, and develop into one of the most popular wrestlers in the world today.
Similar to Sami Zayn vs. Drew McIntyre, there is a story with Uso and Gunther where Uso can’t seem to get a win over the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Albeit, that is also the case with Gunther and most other opponents. With their last match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Gunther is 3-0 against Uso right now. I can see Uso winning the Rumble, challenging Gunther, and then finding that fighting spirit deep within himself to overcome an obstacle that had previously bested him. And it would undoubtedly make Rikishi happy.
As for my prediction, the smart money says John Cena, but my gut says Jey Uso.
Prediction: Jey Uso
Women’s Royal Rumble match
Charlotte Flair is the betting favorite to win at -200 odds. I believe she will do just that and start a dominant heel run as WWE Women’s Champion on SmackDown.
I’m surprised that Triple H has yet to book a Four Horsemen-style heel group led by Flair in the women’s division, and I wonder if this is the start of him doing that. One thing I know about his booking is that he loves a good heel stable protecting a World champion. Look at the Undisputed Era in NXT, Imperium in NXT UK, The Bloodline, Judgment Day, Damage CTRL, not to mention his own role in Evolution. It’s his grilled cheese sandwich of creative comfort. His biggest influence in wrestling is the heyday of the Horsemen, and now he’s got Ric Flair’s daughter to play with. There are other daughters of the Four Horsemen out there WWE could bring in for this, but despite being a tremendous wrestler, Tessa Blanchard comes with a lot of baggage.
The next highest favorite is Bianca Belair at +180. The plan is likely for Belair vs. Jade Cargill at WrestleMania, so I don’t know how her winning the Rumble would lead to that.
IYO SKY is listed at +325, but I don’t see what Mania match that would build to. Triple H always books her strong, though.
Becky Lynch is listed at +500 and I’m a little surprised her odds aren’t better. But with two babyface champions right now, there might not be a story for Becky with either of them. I expect her to return in the Rumble, but I don’t know if she will win.
Alexa Bliss is listed as a +1000 favorite. Oddly enough, all the reports about WWE and Bliss being in a contract dispute lead me to believe she’s returning Saturday. Leaking red herring reports seem to be a tactic of this WWE regime unless you believe the deal for CM Punk’s 2023 return at Survivor Series did all come together at the last minute.
Other possible returns include Asuka, Jordynne Grace, Nikki Bella, Lynch (as mentioned above), and possibly Trish Stratus or Lita.
Prediction: Charlotte Flair
WWE Tag Team Champions #DIY defend against the Motor City Machine Guns
I’m surprised we are getting this match on the PLE rather than a SmackDown, but I’ll take it. #DIY are listed as -500 favorites which is high to me. I think the idea is that with MCMG having just lost the titles to #DIY, it seems early to regain them. Triple H might want this rivalry to go on longer, perhaps forever, so I don’t see it as out of the question that MCMG get the titles back and they keep trading them back and forth.
No matter who wins, this should be a fun match. #DIY retaining seems more likely, though.
Prediction: #DIY retains
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Kevin Owens in a ladder match
Rhodes is listed as a -4000 favorite and barring an injury or accidental belt grabbing, that is what will happen.
I think Rhodes, Owens, and WWE’s creative team deserve a lot of credit for just how entertaining this story has been even though no one believes Owens has a realistic chance of winning the title. Owens’ heel turn throughout this angle has been brilliant and similar to Drew McIntyre, his path to the dark side began with people forgiving Roman Reigns. How the storylines have all connected to that in recent years has been fun to watch play out.
Rhodes will win. We all know that, but it’ll still be fun to watch.
The list of entrants for Saturday’s men’s and women’s WWE Royal Rumble matches grew following the events of Friday’s SmackDown.
Two new entrants declared for the men’s Rumble on Friday’s SmackDown, while four new entrants either declared for the women’s Rumble or were featured in the graphic advertising the bout that aired during a rundown of Saturday’s lineups.
Damian Priest and Santos Escobar both declared their intention to win the men’s Rumble on Friday’s SmackDown. Additionally, Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, and Zelina Vega were advertised for the women’s match.
14 competitors are official for the 30-person women’s Rumble, while 15 men have declared for the 30-person men’s match.
The list of entrants for both matches is below, as is the card for the Royal Rumble PLE. The show streams on Peacock on Saturday, February 1 beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time.
Men’s Royal Rumble entrants —
John Cena
Roman Reigns
CM Punk
Seth Rollins
Jey Uso
Drew McIntyre
Sami Zayn
Rey Mysterio
Shinsuke Nakamura
Logan Paul
Chad Gable
Penta
Bron Breakker
Damian Priest
Santos Escobar
Women’s Royal Rumble entrants —
Bayley
Nia Jax
Charlotte Flair
Bianca Belair
Naomi
Liv Morgan
Raquel Rodriguez
IYO SKY
Ivy Nile
Lyra Valkyria
Candice LeRae
Zelina Vega
Chelsea Green
Piper Niven
WWE Royal Rumble, Saturday, February 1, 6 p.m. Eastern time —
Men’s Royal Rumble match
Women’s Royal Rumble match
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Kevin Owens in a ladder match
WWE Tag Team Champions DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) defend against Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) in a two-out-of-three-falls match
CM Punk has had a long and illustrious career and one day, he plans on writing all about it.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Friday, Punk said he is “going to write a book someday and I don’t know when. I’m just going to tell stories.”
Punk will be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble match Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana, which he said will take place exactly a year from when he had surgery on his torn right triceps he suffered in last year’s Rumble match.
He was asked about the rumors of his wife AJ Lee being part of the women’s Royal Rumble which he no-sold as best he could.
Punk was also asked about John Cena’s final run and said he felt spoiled to be a witness to whatever journey he’s about to embark on and is “selfishly hoping: the two of them share will share a moment during Saturday’s Rumble match.
He continued to effuse praise for being in WWE at this point in his life and sharing moments with wrestlers he has known and worked with for years like Rey Mysterio Jr. and R-Truth.
He was asked about his thoughts on the WWE/TNA relationship which he said is an example of how Paul “Triple H” Levesque is receptive to other people’s ideas which was different than how Vince McMahon ran it.
“The best idea always wins in today’s WWE,” he said, adding that he doesn’t like to talk about the current positive vibes in the company because he’s been in places where people say things are great but they really hate each other and it’s super cliquey.
Punk wasn’t asked about AEW which McAfee referred to in passing as “the elite place” before moving on.
