WWE Wrap-Up

This week in WWE: Stephanie McMahon announces the first ever Women's Royal Rumble match

This week in WWE: Stephanie McMahon announces the first ever Women's Royal Rumble match
Stephanie McMahon made the historic announcement at the close of Raw. Photo by WWE.com

Raw

Before Kurt Angle could discuss the fall out to last week’s Raw, Braun Strowman raced to the ring to make a claim for himself—he wants Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Of course, Kane came to make a case himself. Then, The Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, confronted both of them in the center of the ring. Then and there, Angle announced Lesnar will be taking on both men at the Royal Rumble. Seth Rollins defeated Jason Jordan with Samoa Joe at ringside. At one point, Jordan and Rollins worked together to beat up Joe. He would get the last laugh, though, laying out both Jordan and Rollins. Backstage, Angle told Ambrose, Rollins, and Jordan that they are going to be tagging against Samoa Joe and The Bar later that night.

Finn Balor took on both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas in a handicap match. He won via disqualification after both men attacked him. Hideo Itami made his debut on Raw when he raced to the ring to save his buddy Finn Balor. The two, then, tagged in a match and defeated The Mizterouge after Itami hit Axel with a GTS. Drew Gulak took on Cedric Alexander in a match to determine who the number one contender to the Cruiserweight Championship. Gulak, who has become a fan favorite, put up a valiant effort, but Alexander defeated him after a Lumbar Check. Alicia Fox finally got the chance to lose to the undefeated Asuka.

The Six Man tag match between The Bar and Samoa Joe vs Ambrose Rollins and Jason Jordan started the final hour of the show. The victory went to the heels after Sheamus hit Rollins with a big boot. Ambrose was tended to in the outside after it appeared he sustained an injury. Samoa Joe made matters worse when he attacked Rollins and Ambrose backstage with The Bar. He slammed Ambrose’s trapped arm into a crate in what appeared to be a way to write Ambrose off. The Revival made their return to Raw defeating Heath Slater and Rhyno. Elias’ concert was cut short by Sasha Banks, Mickie James, and Bayley who did not want to sit around and wait before their match against Absolution. Rose and Deville never allowed the match to develop as they began attacking Banks. Nia Jax came down and absolutely wrecked Absolution. Paige blindsided Jax prompting the entire roster to run down to the ring. Stephanie McMahon, then, came down to stop the brawl and to announce that, for the first time ever, there will be a Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Highlight of the Night:

As awkward as this segment was, without a doubt, the announcement of the Women’s Royal Rumble will live forever. It has been a long time coming.

SmackDown Live

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon opened the show airing out their differences after the fall out from Clash of Champions. The two threw passive aggressive shots at each other. Bryan explained why he used a fast count on Sunday, and how it was done to guarantee the land of opportunity. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin upset the Tag Team Champions, The Usos, in a non-title match. Charlotte Flair expressed how happy she is that there will be a Women’s Royal Rumble match next month. The Champion explained that, no matter who wins, she will be ready to defend her title against her. Naomi congratulated Charlotte for retaining her championship at Clash of Champions and announced that the two will be facing each other after she wins at the Royal Rumble. Riott Squad came to the ring, and Naomi issued a challenge—two of them vs. Charlotte and her. The latter team handed Riott Squad their first loss after Logan accidentally took out Morgan allowing Naomi to pin Logan.

The new United States Champion, Dolph Ziggler, took fans down memory lane airing highlights of his accolades. He explained that the fans are not worthy of him before walking out of the ring leaving his United States Championship in the middle of the ring. The New Day, Rusev, and Aiden English faced off in a very festive tag team match as they all wore different Christmas themed costumes. Rusev and English got too cute setting up a pancake and whip cream pie for Xavier Woods. Of course, English ended up going through the pie, and The New Day won the match. The main event of the night was a Six Man Tag Match between AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Randy Orton vs Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Jinder Mahal. The faces sent the crowd home happy after Nakamura hit Sami Zayn with a Kinshasa to win the match.

Highlight of the night

The slow dissension between McMahon and Bryan continues. It has been a long time coming. I am unsure whether it will lead to a match between the two or not, but, if it does, it will be one of the best, longest, builds to a feud in a while.

How do they compare?

This week was a weird one, in the sense that a lot happened, but it was surrounded and smothered by a reiteration of what we’ve seen the last few weeks. Rollins and Ambrose against The Bar, Orton dealing with Zayn and Owens, The Usos dealing Gable and Benjamin, rinse and repeat. It is clear, we are at that point of the year where it is a little early to start building for next year and things are just coasting along. That being said, the announcement of the Women’s Royal Rumble was huge. Sure, fans have telegraphed it, but seeing the moment actually materialize is nothing short of great. The Women’s Revolution is here to stay. The debut of Hideo Itami was well done. 205 Live is a hidden gem on the WWE Network, but him debuting there could have been inconsequential. Itami showing up on Raw was a great moment because it allowed fans unfamiliar with him to be introduced to a dynamic wrestler. Michael Cole putting him over on commentary shows those watching at home that this guy matters. Rusev and Aiden English are shining bright on SmackDown Live, but this week, again, goes to Raw.

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Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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