The 2025 Royal Rumble pay-per-view kicked off with the highly anticipated Women's 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match, with the winner earning a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. This year's match featured a star-studded lineup, with a number of surprises in store for the WWE Universe.
The Rumble began with former WWE Raw Women's Champion Asuka drawing the #1 spot. She was quickly joined by up-and-coming star Indi Hartwell at #2. Over the next several minutes, a steady stream of top female Superstars from the WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown rosters entered the fray, including Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Raquel Rodriguez.
The first surprise entrant was Ivory, a member of the legendary Right to Censor stable, who entered at #12. However, Ivory's time in the Rumble was short-lived, as she was quickly eliminated by Candice LeRae.
As the match wore on, the action grew more chaotic, with alliances and rivalries playing out across the ring. Two more surprise entrants then appeared - Timeless Toni Storm, who entered at #22 and immediately made an impact, and Mariah May, who drew the #25 spot and quickly threw several competitors over the top rope.
The final five competitors were Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Raquel Rodriguez. In a shocking turn of events, Toni Storm and Mariah May teamed up to eliminate the other three, setting a new record for the longest combined time in the Rumble match.
In the end, it was Timeless Toni Storm who emerged victorious, last eliminating Mariah May to punch her ticket to the main event of WrestleMania. Storm's impressive performance, along with Mariah May's surprise showings, were the talk of the WWE Universe in the aftermath of the historic 2025 Royal Rumble.
The Rumble also saw the return of legendary WWE Hall of Famer Triple H, who served as the special guest booker for the Women's Rumble match. Though he did not compete, Triple H's presence and influence over the match was felt throughout the event.
