Psyko’s quick review of the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble PLE

Last night, WWE presented the annual Royal Rumble event, and as always, this event has been a favorite of mine. It was the first special event I saw on VHS back in 1989, making it a special tradition for me—even when it wasn’t great.

But how did the 2025 edition stack up to previous ones? For me, it was one of the best Rumble PLEs that WWE has ever produced, even surpassing the 1992 edition as my favorite. Here’s my quick review of last night’s event.

Before I start reviewing the show itself, I want to say how fun it was to watch a PLE on Netflix instead of the WWE Network. I didn’t have to deal with all the unnecessary ads that WWE usually inserts into PLEs, which was a nice change of pace.

Now, on to my thoughts on the show itself:

1. The Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The show started with the women’s Rumble match, and quite frankly, it was one of the best women’s Rumble matches since they started doing them. While I would have loved to see Becky Lynch or A.J. Lee as surprise entrants, I wasn’t disappointed with the surprises we got. Alexa Bliss’s return was well executed, making the dirt sheets look like complete idiots once again—which made me laugh when Cole and McAfee brought attention to it. Nikki Bella’s return was probably the second biggest surprise, and the fans popped huge for both returns.

The ending saw Roxanne Perez face Charlotte Flair in the final two. While Roxanne ultimately didn’t win and there was a timing issue in the finish, she still looked like a million bucks and solidified herself as a future star. This performance cemented Roxanne’s position for when she gets called up, which I hope happens soon.

In the end, Charlotte won the Rumble, adding another accolade to her Hall of Fame-worthy career. Quite frankly, I don’t mind, since whoever she chooses between Rhea Ripley and Tiffany Stratton for her WrestleMania match will be in a main event-caliber match.

2. DIY vs. Motor City Machine Guns – 2-out-of-3 Falls for the WWE Tag Titles

This was the filler match of the show, and it showed, as the crowd was mostly dead throughout. The audience needed to recuperate from the strong women’s Rumble match, and these two teams paid the price for it.

That said, both teams gave it their all. The first fall focused on DIY doing everything in their power to outshine MCMG, preventing them from gaining any momentum. It ended with a great sequence where Gargano faked tagging Ciampa to secure the win over Shelley. It was so well done that I didn’t even realize what had happened until they showed the replay.

The second fall was more of the same from DIY, but we got a great comeback from MCMG, who tied things up.

The third fall was another great athletic contest with lots of back-and-forth action. Just when it looked like MCMG was about to regain their titles, the returning Street Profits interfered to ensure DIY retained. I loved how commentary tied it all together by mentioning that the Profits wanted their revenge by taking the titles from DIY.

In the end, this was a solid tag match. While the crowd didn’t really get into much of it, it served its purpose as the buffer match of the night.

3. Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens – Ladder Match for the WWE Title

Next was the WWE Title match between Owens and Rhodes, and all I can say is—wow. I didn’t expect this match to be as violent as it was, and I hope both guys are okay after what they went through.

Having Owens control most of the match was a great call, as it made him look like a deranged monster and elevated his standing heading into WrestleMania season—even in defeat. That crazy ending, with Cody putting Owens through the ladder, was insane. I was genuinely worried about Owens’ health after that brutal bump.

Cody retained the title, and now we wait to see what’s next for him as we move toward Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.

4. The Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Just looking at the lineup, we all knew this match had the potential to rival the legendary 1992 Rumble, and quite frankly, I think it surpassed it. Starting with Rey Mysterio vs. Penta was a nice touch, giving us a bit of a passing-of-the-torch moment while teasing a dream match I hope we get on a future PLE.

Unlike the women’s match, this Rumble wasn’t really about surprises. The only big surprise entrant was Joe Hendry, who received one of the biggest pops of the night. His reaction proved that he could be a future main event star if he joins WWE after his TNA deal is up.

The match really picked up when all the big names started entering. I loved the standoff between Reigns, Cena, Punk, and Rollins—it was such a surreal moment, and the fans ate it up.

I also liked how the eliminations of Rollins, Reigns, and Punk played out. Punk eliminating both Reigns and Rollins before getting eliminated himself was great storytelling, and I think we’re headed toward a triple-threat match between them at WrestleMania—which I’m all for.

The final two were Cena and Jey Uso, and let’s be honest—I thought for sure Cena was going to win at that point. But WWE surprised me again, giving Jey Uso the win, which shocked everyone and made the road to WrestleMania a lot more intriguing.

Now, I’m curious to see where Cena’s retirement tour goes while also wondering what’s next for Jey heading into WrestleMania. I just hope they don’t have him defend his title shot at Elimination Chamber just to hand it to someone else.

Final Thoughts

In the end, this was an incredibly strong PLE, and for me, it has become one of my favorite Rumbles of all time. It showcased why WWE is the major league of pro wrestling right now. Every match was compelling and told a great story, both Rumble matches were fantastic and advanced several key storylines, and the show ensured that fans remained hooked on what’s to come.

WrestleMania season is off to a strong start, and I hope WWE can maintain this momentum moving forward.