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Reigns, Morgan Win Royal Rumbles in Riyadh as McIntyre Retains, Styles' WWE Run Ends

The Saudi-hosted spectacle exposed creative rifts, production slips, strict attire rules for women.

Overview

  • Roman Reigns captured the men's Royal Rumble and Liv Morgan won the women's match, positioning both for WrestleMania title opportunities.
  • Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn to remain WWE Champion, and AJ Styles lost to Gunther in a match framed as the end of Styles' WWE career.
  • The event was staged in a newly built Riyadh venue and aired live in Germany on BILD, with post-show reactions noting impressive scale but a subdued crowd at times.
  • Hours before the show, Reigns criticized WWE's creative direction in a Pat McAfee Show interview, sharpening focus on backstage tensions over storytelling.
  • Coverage also flagged a SmackDown graphic that briefly showed Bron Breakker as entry No. 1 and reported that women must compete in full-coverage gear in Saudi Arabia, with Fightful claiming performers source and pay for those outfits.