The boo birds are out in Lexington, Kentucky.

John Calipari returned to Kentucky’s Rupp Arena on Saturday for the first time since leaving in April to take the head coaching position at Arkansas. Heading into the SEC matchup between the Wildcats and Razorbacks, many wondered if Calipari would receive a warm welcome, including Calipari himself.

‘Walking in there will be emotions. I look forward to walking as the opposing coach,’ he said on Thursday. ‘In my time, I don’t remember them ever cheering an opposing coach, so I’m fine. (The fans) are engaged and my guess is that they’ll be engaged on Saturday night.’

Calipari guessed right. Big Blue Nation unleashed a chorus of boos as Calipari stepped on the court, where he coached the Wildcats from 2009 to 2024 and led the team to the 2012 national championship and four Final Four appearances.

Calipari shared an embrace with Mark Pope, who succeeded him as Kentucky’s head coach, ahead of tipoff.

Despite the icy reception, Calipari said his opinion of the Kentucky fanbase remains unchanged.

‘You’re not going to erase from my mind what we’ve done (in Kentucky). You can’t erase history. That’s what it was,’ Calipari said ahead of his return. ‘The fans are terrific. They were terrific during our run.’

Calipari got the last laugh on Saturday.

In the defining moment of Calipari’s tenure to this point, his Razorbacks upended the No. 12 Wildcats 89-79.

Arkansas vs. Kentucky highlights

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Speaking to reporters on Saturday, third-year coach Matt Rhule said he ‘highly doubts’ the annual spring game, one of the country’s most attended, will be played again. He blamed the transfer portal.

‘I don’t know that yet, but I’ll be honest with you. I highly doubt it,’ Rhule said about the future of the spring game. ‘I hate to say this, but last year we were one of the more televised spring games and I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that.

‘To go out and bring in a bunch of new players and then showcase them for all the other schools to watch, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.’

Nebraska’s spring game was held on April 27, 2024, in front of 60,452 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game was also televised on the Big Ten Network. Following the spring game, the Cornhuskers suffered a few losses to the transfer portal.

“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Rhule said. “It’s just an absolute free open common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’ ‘

While a ‘traditional spring’ game for the Cornhuskers doesn’t seem likely, Rhule did say he wants to have the opportunity to ‘show off’ his players to the fans in some fashion. Nebraska could hold an event on April 26 to end spring practices. The transfer portal for the spring cycle closes on April 25 this year.

‘I do want to show off our players in some way,’ he said. ‘So what exactly will it be? … I have not worried about anything other than recruiting right now.’

The first two tickets to WrestleMania 41 have been punched.

‘Main Event’ Jey Uso and the ‘Queen’ Charlotte Flair emerged as the winners of the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, respectively, in Indianapolis on Saturday night, ensuring their spots in championship matches at WrestleMania in April. They took two different paths to their monumental wins; Flair is a 14-time WWE Champion and can add to her decorated career, while Uso is continuing to build up his singles career in a major way.

WWE’s grand event is still more than two months away. Who will Flair and Uso face at WrestleMania 41? And what will be in store for them leading up to it? Here’s a look at what could be ahead for the 2025 Royal Rumble winners:

What’s next for Charlotte Flair?

The two-time Royal Rumble winner was out of action for more than a year prior to her return. Since she hasn’t been involved in any storylines, she has plenty of options open.

‘I’m coming for my title at WrestleMania. I just haven’t decided which one,’ she said at her press conference.

A matchup with Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship is an enticing option. Still young in her career, Stratton has been viewed as the next possible multi-time champion given her natural talent and ability to do just about anything in the ring. In a way, she’s just like a younger Flair, and a possible match could be a passing-of-the-torch moment for the next generation of wrestling.

However, there’s another option that’s too good to pass up for WWE: Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship in the WrestleMania trilogy match. In 2020, the two faced off at WrestleMania 36 for the NXT Women’s Championship while Ripley was still a rising prospect and the experienced Flair got the best of her. Three years later, they dueled at WrestleMania 39 in what was one of the best matches of the year, with Ripley claiming the Women’s World Championship.

Two years since their last fight, the landscape of WWE has changed. That WrestleMania 39 win is arguably when Ripley launched herself into stardom. She’s now a veteran with star power, the biggest star in the women’s division, far from the same person that faced Flair in the past. Flair wants to prove she is ‘the history-making, groundbreaking, never scared, always prepared, self-made and always paid. The woman of WWE,’ … so why not put two of the biggest names together one more time in another thriller?

What’s next for Jey Uso?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

The main event is officially in the hands of the ‘Main Event’ man, and typically the men’s Royal Rumble winner would go after the top prize in WWE. But it isn’t that simple.

Since becoming a singles star, Uso has competed for the World Heavyweight Championship three times on TV, and he has fallen short each time, including against Gunther a week ago at Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s been one of his biggest goals, and he even admitted heading into the night it was something he was planning to chase if he won. Now that he was the last one standing, that thinking may have changed.

‘Now it’s in concrete right now and it’s after the Rumble and I really won it, I’m looking at both (titles),’ Uso said.

The thought of Uso competing against friend Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship seems wild considering it didn’t seem like a possibility until Saturday night. Yet, it’s an option that’s now possible. He really could be in the main event in the biggest show possible.

But is it realistic? No. While Uso is absolutely over with the crowd, he isn’t WrestleMania main-event ready. He has improved dramatically since the dud at WrestleMania 40 with his brother Jimmy, but he isn’t there yet. There are so many big names − John Cena, CM Punk, Roman Reigns to name a few − that would be better draws to face Rhodes and make much more sense. The storylines and build-up would help make it a WrestleMania classic.

The right move for Uso would be challenging Gunther again. The current champion has trashed Uso’s ability in the ring, but Uso could change the narrative by dethroning Gunther in Las Vegas.

‘I would like one more crack at Gunther. I really feel like I can beat Gunther,’ Uso said.

It’s not the typical route for the Royal Rumble winner, but it’s the right one for ‘Mr. Yeet.’

Bech caught the game-winning touchdown for Team American in the Senior Bowl on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. Bech broke down in the end zone following the game-winning catch from Seth Henigan as his teammates mobbed him in celebration.

He did so wearing a No. 7 jersey to honor his brother and former Princeton football player Martin ‘Tiger’ Bech, who was one of 14 people killed in the New Orleans truck attack on New Year’s Day. Following the game, Bech embraced his parents and celebrated by being named the Senior Bowl MVP.

‘It’s simple, my brother has some wings on me,’ Bech said after the game to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. ‘He gave them to me and let all of that all take place. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Tiger, nothing else but them. They are the reason I did what I did today. I attribute it all to them.’

Bech, 22, led the Horned Frogs with 1,034 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in the 2024 season, and a strong week at the Senior Bowl likely will help him garner NFL draft interest.

Here’s what you need to know about Jack Bech:

Jack Bech’s brother, Tiger, dies in New Orleans attack

Tiger Bech, who spent three seasons playing college football for Princeton in 2016-18, was among those killed in the New Orleans attack on Jan. 1. The news was first confirmed by Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, where Bech attended school. Jack Bech later confirmed the news on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

‘Love you always brother,’ Bech wrote on X. ‘You inspired me (every day) now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don’t worry. This is for us.’

Bech, who wore No. 13 with TCU, switched to the No. 7 jersey during the Senior Bowl practices and game to honor his brother.

‘I’ve got angel wings on me,’ Bech said to Fox Sports about wearing his brother’s number. ‘I’ve got the greatest guardian angel of them all, pulling me to where I am now. This was his last test for me, knowing if I can get past this, anything that’s thrown at me will be nothing compared to this.’

Jack Bech stats

Bech was a Biletnikoff semifinalist this season after finishing with 1,034 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He had 647 yards and six touchdowns in the first five game of the season.

He began his collegiate career with LSU and finished with 133 catches for 1,869 yards and 13 touchdowns over four seasons.

Bech finished with six receptions for 68 yards, including the game-winning touchdown on a play that started with seven seconds left at the Senior Bowl. He could be a mid-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Here’s a look at Bech’s collegiate stats:

2021 (LSU): 43 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns
2022 (LSU): 16 receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown
2023 (TCU): 12 receptions for 146 yards
2024 (TCU): 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns
Career: 133 receptions for 1,869 yards and 13 touchdowns

The Arizona State-Arizona basketball rivalry matchup on Saturday ended with some fireworks and controversy.

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley sent his bench players to the locker room with 30 seconds left in the game. The teams agreed to skip the postgame handshake line after the Wildcats’ Caleb Love and Sun Devils’ BJ Freeman were ejected with less than a minute left in Arizona’s 81-72 win at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

Following the game, Hurley was asked about his decision to forgo the handshake line and get his team out of a heated situation. Hurley pointed to the ‘constant chatter’ coming from Arizona players.

‘If you were right near our bench, it was relentless, constant chatter from a couple of Arizona players that was not being policed properly,’ Hurley said postgame. ‘Of course, they are going to be happy with winning, but it was done with no class, in my opinion. The words that were said back and forth led to the moment where Freeman lost it and lost his cool because of the constant talk that was allowed to go on.

‘I had to make a tough decision in the best interest of our team to get them off the court and to the locker room so there would be no further incident the rest of the game and in the handshake line.

‘I just saw it was very heated and the possibility something else could happen and I was going to avoid that. I wanted to avoid any further confrontation at the end of the game,’ Hurley added.

Look: Caleb Love, BJ Freeman ejected

Love was initially ejected after he retaliated, but replays showed Freeman headbutted Love first, which also led to his ejection.

Hurley clearly took issue with Love’s actions, stating during postgame availability: ‘I get a vote for [Big 12] All-Conference, and I can tell you who’s not getting my vote’

The teams are scheduled to face off again on March 4.

The journey to WrestleMania is officially underway, and two spots have been secured.

The 2025 Royal Rumble officially kicked off the start of WWE’s biggest time of the year, as the iconic first premium live event took place Saturday in front of a record crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. The night was headlined by the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches. Each had 30 entrants, and only one emerged. On the women’s side, a former winner won for the second time, and in the stacked men’s side, an underdog came through for a shocking victory.

The WWE Tag Team Championships were on the card in a two-out-of-three falls match, and that match ended with the return of another pairing. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens took their heated rivalry into another Undisputed WWE Championship bout, and it ended in brutal fashion.

WrestleMania 41 is more than 75 days away, but the extravagant event is about to take shape. Check out the highlights and analysis from Royal Rumble 2025:

Watch: Royal Rumble postshow

Men’s Royal Rumble match

At WrestleMania 41, it will indeed be ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso in the limelight. The ‘master of yeet’ will be headlining WrestleMania 41 after he outlasted one of the most stacked men’s Royal Rumble cards of all time to cement his spot at WWE’s premier event.

There were plenty of big names in the match and a case could’ve been made for any of them. However, in the end it was Uso and John Cena as the final two stars left. They each traded blows, with Uso’s super kicks and Cena’s Five-Knuckle Shuffle. The two stars went over the ropes on the edge of the ring, and Cena looked like he would win his third Royal Rumble when he got the Attitude Adjustment set up. However, Uso jumped off and back in the ring and pushed Cena out. Cena was just as shocked as the entire WWE world, and he went back in to congratulate the winner.

Analysis: What an upset. In the lead-up to the Royal Rumble, people were arguing which former champion would be the one headed to WrestleMania. No one thought it would be Uso, and that’s why you must always expect the unexpected. A surprise win will make the build-up to WrestleMania rather interesting, for Uso and other stars who easily could’ve been the victor, as plenty of big matches are on the horizon in the coming months.

Another development to watch from people that didn’t win was the brawl between Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Rollins clearly lost his self control with a vicious assault on Reigns that included two curb stomps on the “Tribal Chief” and his continued attack on Punk. In addition, Punk was clearly frustrated with the “Wiseman” Paul Heyman, considering he owes Punk a favor. A storyline may be brewing between all parties and headed toward a match at WrestleMania.

All entrants for the men’s Royal Rumble match are listed below, as well as when/if they were eliminated.

No. 30: Logan Paul

Eliminated by John Cena.

No. 29: LA Knight

Eliminated by AJ Styles.

No. 28: Damian Priest

Eliminated by LA Knight.

No. 27: Sami Zayn

Eliminated by Jey Uso.

No. 26: Dominik Mysterio

Eliminated by Damian Priest.

No. 25: Seth Rollins

Eliminated by CM Punk.

No. 24: CM Punk

Eliminated by Logan Paul.

No. 23: John Cena

Eliminated by Jey Uso.

No. 22: Braun Strowman

Eliminated by John Cena.

No. 21: AJ Styles

Styles makes his first appearance since October. Eliminated by Logan Paul.

No. 20: Jey Uso

Winner.

No. 19: Shinsuke Nakamura

Eliminated by Jey Uso.

No. 18: Finn Balor

Eliminated by John Cena.

No. 17: Drew McIntyre

Eliminated by Damian Priest.

No. 16: Roman Reigns

Eliminated by CM Punk.

No. 15: Joe Hendry

The TNA World Champion returns to WWE. Eliminated by Roman Reigns.

No. 14: The Miz

Eliminated by Roman Reigns.

No. 13: Ludwig Kaiser

Eliminated by Penta.

No. 12: Jacob Fatu

Eliminated by Braun Strowman.

No. 11: Andrade

Eliminated by Jacob Fatu.

No. 10: Jimmy Uso

Eliminated by Jacob Fatu.

No. 9: Sheamus

Eliminated by Roman Reigns.

No. 8: IShowSpeed

Streamer replaces Akira Tozawa. Eliminated by Bron Breakker.

No. 8: Akira Tozawa

Did not enter match after attack from Carmelo Hayes.

No. 7: Bron Breakker

Eliminated by Roman Reigns.

No. 6: Otis

Eliminated by IShowSpeed.

No. 5: Santos Escobar

Eliminated by Bron Breakker.

No. 4: Carmelo Hayes

Eliminated by Bron Breakker.

No. 3: Chad Gable

Eliminated by Jacob Fatu.

No. 2: Penta

Eliminated by Finn Balor.

No. 1: Rey Mysterio

Eliminated by Jacob Fatu.

Ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens

With no love lost between the two, they quickly tried to brutalize each other right off the bat, with Owens using a piece of the ladder as a weapon. Rhodes loves taking the action into the crowd, and he lured Owens into the spectators to give fans a front-row seat to the devastation.

The action eventually found its way back around the ring, and Rhodes quickly stopped an attempt by Owens to climb the ladder. Owens later brought out a mini-ladder − made famous by Hornswoggle − and it quickly became the weapon both stars used. Later, Rhodes was about to grab the titles when Owens pushed him off and he was left dangling on the hook. He found his way back to the ladder, but was unable to grab the championships. Owens later tried the Ruthless Package Piledriver on the ladder, and Rhodes countered it to send the challenger into the steel. The favor was returned when Owens did a powerbomb to send Rhodes forcefully into a ladder.

Owens sent Rhodes off the top rope and into the ladder in the craziest spot of the match. Officials came ringside to check on both stars, who were clearly damaged, and Sami Zayn then came out. The two stars eventually got up, and Rhodes executed a Cross Rhodes. The champion suddenly felt rage and busted Owens’ face open. The two met at the announcer’s table, and Owens tried the piledriver again, but Rhodes turned it around sent Owens through the ladder, breaking it in the process. With Owens down, Rhodes climbed the ladder and claimed both championships to retain.

Analysis: What a brutal one that was. The feud was boiling between Rhodes and Owens, and yet they even took it up another notch in a ladder match where nothing went to waste. It was easy to see Rhodes winning, but it was how he did it that was the shock of it all. Fed up, he ditched the ‘good guy’ persona and did all he had to do to retain his championship. Sending Owens through the ladder, when he was already covered in his blood, sent a strong message that Rhodes can be just as sinister as anyone else. It seems like something to remember as WrestleMania 41 approaches.

With another successful title defense, it’s likely Rhodes finally has Owens in his rear-view mirror and he now awaits to see what happens in the men’s Royal Rumble. WrestleMania 41 will definitely feature ‘The American Nightmare’ in the main event.

Two-out-of-three falls match for WWE Tag Team Championship: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)

Part one of the tag team title match showcased why #DIY is among the best duos in WWE. Gargano and Ciampa executed the perfect fake tag that had Shelley thinking Gargano was the legal person in. However, Gargano didn’t tag in, allowing Ciampa to catch the challenger off guard. Ciampa got a high knee on Shelley and secured the first pin to get the advantage for the champions.

Momentum was high for Ciampa and Gargano in the second round. They continued to beat up on a fatigued Shelley. #DIY used tricks again to distract the referee from seeing Shelley tag Sabin in. The referee forced Shelley back in the match and the assault continued on him. Shelley recovered from a deep hole, thanks to Sabin finally getting in the fold. The challengers got Ciampa out of the picture and teed off on Gargano, getting their own pinfall to send the match to a decisive third round.

With one pinfall needed, all four competitors tried to get the upper hand, going off on each other. Ciampa got Sabin on his own with a drop knee maneuver, but the pin attempt was unsuccessful. The Motor City Machine Guns then thought they had the victory in their hands, only for Gargano to break the pin attempt at the last second. Gargano went for a kick on Shelley, but it went haywire when he accidentally kicked Ciampa. Gargano looked to be done when two people in hoodies appeared and distracted the referee. It turned out to be the Street Profits, and Angelo Dawkins used a crutch to hit Shelley. It was the turning point and the champions got the second pin to retain. Their reward? A beatdown from the Street Profits.

Analysis: The Street Profits are back and are hunting for blood. It’s been a few months since they’ve been seen, but they made an emphatic return with their eyes set on claiming more tag team gold.

Aside from the teams participating in the title match, the tag team picture had gotten a bit stale with #DIY and the MCMG the only viable champions. The return of the Street Profits adds a much-needed new player to the mix, and it looks nothing like the duo fans have loved for years. The heel turn could mean the Street Profits are on a warpath for success, and new champions could be coming in the next few months.

Women’s Royal Rumble match

In a stacked field, it’s the ‘Queen’ that comes out on top.

Charlotte hasn’t been in action since December 2023, and not only did she make her return, she solidified her spot at WrestleMania 41 by winning the women’s Royal Rumble.

She entered at No. 27 and although she didn’t make many eliminations, she made the ones that mattered. The final three was Charlotte, powerhouse Nia Jax and NXT sensation Roxanne Perez. Perez and Charlotte worked together to get Jax out, setting up a final two of young star vs. decorated veteran. However, Perez was at a disadvantage by being outside of the ropes. Charlotte just needed to land a nasty kick to the head and Perez went out, giving Charlotte the win.

She’s the first two-time women’s winner.

Other notable moments included the returns of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella, and Jordynne Grace made her first appearance as part of the WWE roster after leaving TNA.

Analysis: It seemed too predictable, and maybe that’s why it was somewhat of a shock. Charlotte has always been a main event name, yet it seemed like it would be too much of a rush to thrust her into the WrestleMania spot after missing more than a year. Yet she adds another notch in her family’s wrestling legacy. It may not be the popular move and is another instance of Charlotte passing by other stars, but her name will certainly be a headliner at WrestleMania 41.

Aside from the winner, Perez put up an incredible performance. She is destined to be on the main roster at any moment. She came in at No. 3 and capitalized on her opportunity to shine, setting a women’s record for time in the Royal Rumble. She may not have won, but finishing as the runner-up shows signs she is a main roster champion in the near future, and 2025 could be a big one for ‘The Prodigy.’

All entrants for the women’s Royal Rumble match are listed, as well as who eliminated them.

No. 30: Nikki Bella

The WWE Hall of Famer returns. Eliminated by Nia Jax.

No. 29: Nia Jax

Eliminated by Charlotte.

No. 28: Giulia

The NXT Women’s Champion appears. Eliminated by Roxanne Perez.

No. 27: Charlotte

Charlotte returns to WWE from injury. Winner.

No. 26: Raquel Rodriguez

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

No. 25: Trish Stratus

The WWE Hall of Famer returns. Eliminated by Nia Jax.

No. 24: Stephanie Vaquer

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

No. 23: Candice LeRae

Eliminated by Trish Stratus.

No. 22: Zelina Vega

Eliminated by Nia Jax.

No. 21: Alexa Bliss

Bliss makes her return to WWE. Eliminated by Liv Morgan.

No. 20: Michin

Eliminated by Charlotte.

No. 19: Jordynne Grace

The newest WWE signing arrives after finishing her time in TNA. Eliminated by Giulia.

No. 18: Natalya

Eliminated by Liv Morgan.

No. 17: Piper Niven

Eliminated by Charlotte.

No. 16: Jaida Parker

Eliminated by Jordynne Grace.

No. 15: Naomi

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

No. 14: Maxxine Dupri

Eliminated by Pure Fusion Collective (Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler).

No. 13: Sonya Deville

Eliminated by Bianca Belair and Naomi.

No. 12: Bayley

Eliminated by Roxanne Perez.

No. 11: Shayna Baszler

Eliminated by Bayley.

No. 10: Bianca Belair

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

No. 9: Lash Legend

Eliminated by Chelsea Green.

No. 8: Zoey Stark

Eliminated by Iyo Sky.

No. 7: Ivy Nile

Eliminated by Maxxine Dupri.

No. 6: B-Fab

Eliminated by Chelsea Green.

No. 5: Chelsea Green

Eliminated by Piper Niven.

No. 4: Lyra Valkyria

Eliminated by Ivy Nile.

No. 3: Roxanne Perez

Eliminated by Charlotte.

No. 2: Liv Morgan

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

No. 1 Iyo Sky

Eliminated by Nix Jax.

When is Royal Rumble 2025?

Royal Rumble 2025 is Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. ET.

Where is Royal Rumble 2025?

The 2025 Royal Rumble will be at Lucas Oil Stadium − home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts − in Indianapolis.

How to watch Royal Rumble 2025

The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on Netflix in most markets.

Royal Rumble 2025 match card

Matches not in order

Men’s Royal Rumble match
Women’s Royal Rumble match
Ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Two-out-of-three falls match for WWE Tag Team Championship: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)

How does the Royal Rumble match work?

The 30-person match starts off with two entrants, and every two minutes, another competitor enters the match.

The only way to be eliminated from the match is to be thrown over the top rope of the ring and both feet must hit the floor. If only one foot hits the floor or goes under the top rope, the competitor may re-enter the ring. The match goes until there is one person remaining in the ring that hasn’t been eliminated. The winner of the match then gets a guaranteed championship match at WrestleMania.

Who’s in the men’s Royal Rumble match?

Heading into Saturday night, 18 of 30 participants have been announced. To see the full list, click here.

Who’s in the women’s Royal Rumble match?

Heading into Saturday night, 14 of 30 participants have been announced. To see the full list, click here.

WrestleMania 41 sign goes up

It’s that time of the year. The Royal Rumble means the WrestleMania sign goes up, and it will be present during Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown leading up to the event.

Jordan Mendoza’s Royal Rumble 2025 predictions

Men’s Royal Rumble match: John Cena
Men’s Royal Rumble surprise: Joe Hendry
Women’s Royal Rumble match: Iyo Sky
Women’s Royal Rumble surprise: Nikki Bella
Ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship: The feud was something Rhodes needed, and there should be plenty of ridiculous spots in this one. While Owens winning would certainly add intrigue to start the year, Rhodes is on his way to another WrestleMania main event. Winner: Cody Rhodes.
Two-out-of-three falls match for WWE Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machine Guns have been a great addition to WWE, but it feels like they haven’t been used to their full potential. #DIY has had a great turnaround recently, and they should get the first pinfall before the challengers get the last two for a title change to start February. Winner: Motor City Machine Guns.

James H. Williams’ Royal Rumble 2025 predictions

Men’s Royal Rumble match: CM Punk
Men’s Royal Rumble surprise: Dolph Ziggler
Women’s Royal Rumble match: Charlotte Flair
Women’s Royal Rumble surprise: AJ Lee
Ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship: Rhodes will retain and position himself to headline WrestleMania as the defending champion for a third consecutive year. This should be the end of the feud and possibly the last we see of the Winged Eagle title that Owens stole from Rhodes. Winner: Cody Rhodes.
Two-out-of-three falls match for WWE Tag Team Championship: Gargano and Ciampa will find a way to retain the titles on a big stage. The Motor City Machine Guns will head into the event with momentum after picking up a victory (along with Los Garzas) over #DIY and Pretty Deadly during an eight-man tag team match but #DIY was also spotted backstage with Tama Tonga. The backstage segment could be leading to a potential tag match down the road with Tonga and Jacob Fatu. Winner: #DIY.

Men’s Royal Rumble history

The match first took place in 1988 – with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan winning the inaugural event – and it’s been held every year since. However, it wasn’t until 1993 that the winner received a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Here are the past 10 winners. The full list of winners is here:

2015: Roman Reigns
2016: Triple H (second win)
2017: Randy Orton (second win)
2018: Shinsuke Nakamura
2019: Seth Rollins
2020: Drew McIntyre
2021: Edge (second win) 
2022: Brock Lesnar (second win)
2023: Cody Rhodes
2024: Cody Rhodes (second win)

Women’s Royal Rumble history

The women’s Royal Rumble match was introduced in 2018, with Asuka winning the first edition. Here are the list of winners:

2018: Asuka
2019: Becky Lynch
2020: Charlotte Flair 
2021: Bianca Belair
2022: Ronda Rousey
2023: Rhea Ripley
2024: Bayley

How successful are men’s Royal Rumble winners at WrestleMania?

Since 1993, the winner in the men’s match has mostly been successful in capturing a title at the flagship event, going 17-12 in those matches for a 58.6% success rate. There have been some instances of Royal Rumble winners either not getting a championship opportunity at WrestleMania or, like John Cena in 2008, deciding to cash in their opportunity prior.

See the full list of how men’s Royal Rumble winners fared at WrestleMania here.

How successful are women’s Royal Rumble winners at WrestleMania?

The women’s winners have been quite successful at WrestleMania. Royal Rumble victors are 5-2 − a 71.4% win percentage − in WrestleMania matches with two straight wins.

See the full list of how women’s Royal Rumble winners fared at WrestleMania here.

Best number to enter the Royal Rumble?

Save the best for last when it comes to the men’s match. Five winners have come in at No. 30, the most of any entry number. All of the wins have happened since 2007. The second most is No. 27 with four wins and No. 1 and No. 24 with three wins. Nos. 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 17, 20, 21 and 26 have never been winners.

In the women’s match, it’s either been early or later in the match with the most success. No. 3 and No. 28 each have two wins. Nos. 1, 17 and 25 make up the other victories.

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The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their rotation in a big way this winter, signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki – but Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound is still up in the air.

Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in the 2023-24 offseason, didn’t pitch in his first year with the club after having elbow surgery in September 2023. But he became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs with 50 stolen bases, winning his third career MVP award.

When and if Ohtani joins the Dodgers rotation in 2025 has been a big question as spring training gets set to begin. During the Dodgers’ fan festival on Saturday, the 30-year-old Japanese star couldn’t offer specifics on when he might make his first big-league pitching appearance since August 2023.

‘Hard to pinpoint when. Generally looking at a couple of weeks to a month of leeway,’ Ohtani said. ‘It will depend on how my first bullpen session will go.’

Meanwhile, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it ‘sounds about right’ that Ohtani could return to pitching in May.

All things Dodgers: Latest Los Angeles Dodgers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Ohtani had surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder after suffering a dislocation during Game 2 of the Dodgers’ World Series triumph over the Yankees.

He began throwing off a mound last August and while the team was intentionally vague leading up to October, the Dodgers didn’t end up rushing him back in the postseason.

Ohtani had a 3.01 ERA in 86 starts across six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels from 2018-2023, racking up 608 strikeouts in 481 ⅔ innings.

Los Angeles is set to deploy a six-man rotation and if all goes according to plan, the Dodgers could begin the season with Snell, Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May making up the staff.

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