The 2025 Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, Indiana, was an exciting and memorable event for both Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair. Both superstars punched their tickets to WrestleMania 41 by winning the respective titular battle royals, solidifying their place in wrestling history. The night was filled with drama and unexpected moments, and while the show had its highs and lows, this letter aims to break down the winners and losers of the evening, examining who came out on top in terms of performance and who fell short, despite their apparent victories.
Winner: The Graphics Department
In professional wrestling, presentation matters as much as the action in the ring. The graphics department at WWE really stepped up its game during the 2025 Royal Rumble, providing viewers with a fresh and visually engaging experience. The event now felt like a legitimate sporting event, with real-time statistics displayed on the screen, showcasing the number of entrants and eliminations throughout the match. This added a layer of excitement and engagement for the audience, as they could follow the Rumble’s progress like never before.
In the past, WWE’s graphics often felt disconnected from the athleticism of the product. However, in recent years, the company has made great strides in improving the visual elements of its events. The new graphics brought a level of professionalism to the show, making it feel like WWE was embracing its “sports entertainment” identity in a more meaningful way. The design choices, including showing entrants’ country of origin and detailing eliminations, mirrored how major sports networks cover real-time events. This approach was a welcome addition and made the Rumble feel more connected to other major sporting events, especially as it aired just after the NFL conference championships and before the Super Bowl.
WWE Royal Rumble 2025 (image via Getty)Loser: The WWE Women’s Division
While Charlotte Flair’s victory in the Women’s Royal Rumble match solidified her place at WrestleMania 41, it unfortunately also revealed some of the stagnation in WWE’s women’s division. Flair is undoubtedly one of the best wrestlers in the company, but the predictability of her win highlighted a concerning trend. The Women’s Royal Rumble has become a bit too much of Charlotte’s show, and it was hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu when she entered the match at the iconic number 27 spot.
Charlotte’s entrance felt like a scripted moment that many saw coming, making the entire match feel less dynamic. Her presence in the Rumble match created an almost suffocating atmosphere in the women’s division, which had previously felt fresher and more open with the introduction of mid-card titles and other emerging stars. Her victory felt like a return to the same old narrative, one where Charlotte stands tall above everyone else. This left little room for others to shine, including some up-and-coming talent who might have had a chance to break into the upper echelons of the division. WWE’s women’s division was much more exciting when Charlotte was out of the picture, and her predictable victory undermined the progress made in recent months.
WWE Royal Rumble 2025 (image via Getty)Winner: Kevin Owens
If there’s one wrestler who continues to deliver both inside and outside the ring, it’s Kevin Owens. The man known for his no-nonsense attitude and his ability to bring humor and depth to his character has been on an absolute tear recently. Kevin Owens’ involvement in the 2025 Royal Rumble added another chapter to his already impressive career. Owens’ fun-loving and entertaining persona has kept him relevant, even if he didn’t win the coveted Undisputed WWE Championship.
Owens has been relentless in his pursuit of success, even if the ultimate goal—defeating Roman Reigns—wasn’t achieved. However, it was clear that he had a blast performing in the weeks leading up to the Rumble, poking fun at Cody Rhodes, mocking his rivals, and stealing moments from others. His match against Cody Rhodes, despite not being the result many fans hoped for, showcased Owens’ ability to work with top-tier talent and uphold the stakes of any feud. Despite not winning the title, Owens proved once again that he is one of the most reliable and entertaining wrestlers WWE has to offer.
Loser: DIY…and also MCMG…maybe tag teams in general?
The tag team division in WWE continues to struggle, and the 2025 Royal Rumble further cemented that reality. DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) and the Motor City Machine Guns found themselves in a tough spot, unable to recapture the glory days of their tag team success. WWE’s focus on making tag teams relevant again has often led to them being left behind in a division that still doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.
The decision to feature a two-out-of-three-falls match for the tag titles did not help things. With too much predictability and downtime between matches, fans were left less engaged in the action, resulting in a lackluster tag team contest that didn’t capture the excitement that it should have. WWE’s failure to revitalize the tag team division is evident, as teams like DIY and MCMG struggle to maintain relevance in a company that has often seemed more interested in solo superstars. While the company is trying to fix the tag team issue, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure that tag teams can shine.
WWE Royal Rumble 2025 (image via Getty)Winner: Jey Uso
One of the most surprising and satisfying moments of the 2025 Royal Rumble was Jey Uso’s victory. After years of being overlooked and overshadowed by his more prominent family members, Jey Uso finally got the recognition he deserved. His victory in the Royal Rumble, especially after eliminating John Cena, was a statement moment. It was clear that WWE was ready to invest in him, finally positioning him as a main-event player in the company.
Jey’s win sent through the crowd in Indianapolis, who were firmly behind him throughout the match. His victory wasn’t just about eliminating Cena—although that moment in itself was monumental—but also about proving that Jey had the star power to carry the company forward. His performance in the Rumble was incredibly solid, and the fans’ reaction only highlighted how much they supported him. This victory is a significant turning point in his career, and it has the potential to set the stage for bigger things to come, including potential matchups against top names like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.
Loser: Solo Sikoa
Despite the success of his family members, Solo Sikoa found himself in a somewhat unfortunate position at the 2025 Royal Rumble. After being ousted from the New Bloodline by Jacob Fatu following his loss in Tribal Combat to Roman Reigns, Sikoa seemed to be biding his time, waiting for the right moment to make a return. However, his absence from the Rumble match made it feel like a missed opportunity for the rising star.
Solo had been a key player in the Bloodline storyline, but after a year of tension and drama, it seemed like he was being left behind. His failure to make an appearance at the Rumble solidified the feeling that Sikoa was the one member of the Bloodline who had not benefitted from the storyline as much as others. While Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso have found ways to evolve and move forward, Solo has been stuck in limbo, and his lack of involvement at the Royal Rumble was a clear sign that WWE has some work to do in finding a meaningful direction for him.
The 2025 Royal Rumble was an event full of twists and turns, with moments of glory and moments of disappointment. While certain superstars like Jey Uso and Kevin Owens emerged victorious and solidified their spots in the main event scene, others like Charlotte Flair and Solo Sikoa were left with mixed results. As we head into WrestleMania 41, the road ahead will be filled with intriguing storylines and rivalries, and fans can only hope that WWE continues to give its stars the platform they need to shine. The 2025 Royal Rumble proved that anything can happen in WWE, and with the company continuously evolving, it will be exciting to see who rises to the top in the coming months.