NEIDHART: Road to WrestleMania begins after successful Royal Rumble

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The road to WrestleMania has begun and this year’s Royal Rumble was a massive success. More than 70,000 fans attended the event at Lucas Oil Stadium, which generated the largest gate for any single-night event in WWE history. Royal Rumble 2025 set the event’s all-time viewership record, and most social video views in Royal Rumble history. What an incredible week!

For me, it’s hard to believe, but I competed in my eighth Royal Rumble match, tying Liv Morgan for the most-ever Royal Rumble appearances by a woman in WWE. I didn’t appreciate Liv for eliminating me, but I am happy we got to set a record together!

I’m so grateful for each and every Royal Rumble I’ve been in, as each has been special to me in different ways. Every time I get the chance to wrestle with women from the past, present and future of WWE, it’s always exciting because each girl brings something so special and different to the table.

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I feel extremely grateful this year that I got to personally tango with Toronto’s own Trish Stratus, Michin, Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez, IYO SKY, Bayley, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Jaida Parker, Raquel Rodriguez, Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss. The women whom I was most excited about in the match were the girls who’d never been in the Royal Rumble before, such as Parker, Giulia, Vaquer and Lash Legend. Seeing the excitement in their eyes backstage before their number hit just made me feel so happy for them. It reminded me of how important THE JOURNEY is.

I’m not going to lie, I loved seeing Nikki Bella make her triumphant return to the ring at No. 30. The WWE universe welcomed her back with open arms and she proved she hasn’t missed a beat. She is a sister for life and her return reminded me of all the special memories I’ve shared with her in the ring before. Some of my favourite moments of my career have been matches I’ve had with Nikki, including our Falls Count Anywhere match on Smackdown, which was such a blast.

The loudest reaction of the night had to be for the returning Alexa Bliss. Although I didn’t appreciate Bliss slapping me in the face in the ring, it was nice to have her back. It was also very cool to see the queen, Charlotte Flair, return after 14 months of being away with an injury. I could tell that she was so excited to be back doing what she loves! Congratulations on your Rumble win, Queen, and welcome back.

Throwing it over to the men’s Rumble, I want to congratulate my good friend Jey Uso on his win. When it came down to Jey and John Cena, it was so hard to decide who deserved it more. Cena has announced this is his last year in WWE as a competitor, so there was a part of me that wanted to see him have one last Rumble win. But Jey has been waiting for this moment his entire career. Jey first debuted in WWE against the Hart Dynasty, so our connection to Jey runs deep. Jey has always been the real deal, and he’s proven with even a sliver of opportunity, he’s stayed ready for the bigger ones.

Over the last few years, Jey has made such a special connection with the audience and he’s really grown into his own, proving there’s nothing he can’t do if he’s given the opportunity. Jey is truly deserving of this moment to shine. I couldn’t have been happier for my friend to win Rumble and to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 41!

As we move forward, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible talent that took part this year. The diversity and strength of the men’s and women’s rosters shone through, showcasing the evolution of women’s wrestling and the power of storytelling that WWE is known for. Each superstar brought their unique flair to the ring (pardon the pun) ensuring that fans were treated to unforgettable moments.

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The anticipation for WrestleMania is already building, and with the stakes higher than ever, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us on this road to WrestleMania 41. Who else could be ready to punch their ticket to a Main Event WrestleMania spot? I guess we’ll find out at Elimination Chamber at Rogers Centre in Toronto on March 1.

Nattie Neidhart is a Calgary native and third-generation Hart family professional wrestler who works for World Wrestling Entertainment and appears on its flagship Monday Night Raw.