Jey Usa won the Male Rumble of 2025. Only one week after losing to Gunther in Saturday Night's Main Event, The Yeet Master now has a guaranteed shot to the title in Wrestlemania 41.
Depending on who fans supported, or loved the decision or felt very disappointed. Arguments can be raised that someone like Roman Reigns or Sami Zayn should have won.
However, Reigns left a four -year championship race last April. You should not get another main event and an important title opportunity in the show of shows. Sami Zayn is in the same situation as Jey use, but defeated Gunther for the intercontinental title last year.
Who else should have won the fight? The next five WWE stars should have surpassed other 29 competitors to win the Royal Rumble instead of Jey use.
#5. Aj Styles triumphantly returned at the Royal Rumble
AJ Styles had his last important title in WWE in 2018 after losing to Daniel Bryan. He is 47 years old and could be in his last contract. Jey use has more than 15 years of service in WWE and starred in the largest story of the last five years.
Jey also lost to Gunther, Seth Rollins and Damian Priest during his reigns as World Heavyweight Champions last year. If WWE is trying to take advantage of the trope of “This will be the time”, it is difficult to invest in it.
It may be the case since he also lost to The General Ring during his reign as an intercontinental champion. Styles has not been in contest for the title in more than a year and could have challenged Gunther.
#4. The Knight competed in her first Royal Rumble
Jey use began his trip as “Main Event” Jey I use around the same time that the Knight began to gain popularity in SmackDown. Finally, he captured the United States title just when Jey claimed the intercontinental title in RAW.
Knight had a longer reign but lost it to Shinsuke Nakamura in November. His popularity is as high as Jey, but he was cheated on his two important title opportunities against Roman Reigns.
The original Bloodline interfered both times, as they did in almost all the defenses of the Roman title. The promotional battles between Knight and Cody Rhodes would have been great. Even verbally tangling with Gunther would have felt new and fresh.
#3. Seth Rollins's rivalries have been one of the best in wrestling
Seth Rollins is the first man to hold the world -weight world title reinstated. Visionary defeated use while holding the belt, helping to restore his lineage. Even without the title, it is still one of WWE's main stars.
While Rhodes has been the light and Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre the darkness about how they feel about Reigns, Rollins has been gray. He understood Zayn's reasoning and uses to ally with Roman in Wargames.
The Visionary and the head of the table simply cannot overcome their history. Rhodes also owes Rollins for having overcome him in three consecutive fighting since The American Nightmare returned to WWE in 2022.
He also sacrificed himself and his title by Rhodes in Wrestlemania 40. Gunther has never faced The Architect one by one for the title.
#2. John Cena was this year's runner -up
Winning Royal Rumble was not the only way John Cena could get another title opportunity; It was only the first option. While he is still a part -time interpreter, Dinner can still give up and carry a rivalry.
It seems that WWE will take a long -term medium -term approach on how Cena gets his title opportunity. This will probably be a continuous story for each PLE cycle.
Instead, he could have set his gaze on Cody or Gunther and wait to decide winning the Royal Rumble.
He was already among the two finalists and will be in the combat of the elimination chamber in March. Jey had more title opportunities in 2024 than most other stars.
#1. Cm punk made more sense as winner of 2025
Of all the stars that should have won the Royal Rumble instead of Jey use, CM Punk stands out as a sore thumb. It was the runner -up last year and Wrestlemania 40 was lost due to an injury suffered in the rumble.
Wrestlemania 41 will be his first event of this type from his return to WWE, so Punk should have assured a guaranteed place long before the event. He has never headed the show or won the rumble.
Through his combat for the team title against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, Jey use has already headed Wrestlemania. Basically, he will be moving to the place that Reigns has occupied during the last seven years.
If you continue with your words after the event when you go after Gunther, she removes a lot of intrigue of her great decision. Punk can still ensure a title opportunity, but the place of “main event” is debatable since Royal Rumble did not win. He also had great teasers of possible rivalries with Gunther and Cody Rhodes.
