The WWE Royal Rumble hype continues. Mercedes Martinez takes her place into the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame. Kris Statlander defends her AEW Women’s Championship, and more.
Royal Rumble Match Lineup
This Saturday, 30 competitors will enter the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble with the dream of vying for a title of their choosing at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
Last year, Charlotte Flair conquered the over-the-top-rope match for the second time, then challenged then-WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania. In 2026, she aims to do it a third time. As always, though, she’ll have some stiff competition as several of her colleagues have also declared themselves for the Women’s Royal Rumble.
So far, 18 women have been announced for the 2026 iteration of the match. This includes Flair, her tag team partner Alexa Bliss, and the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY. The full list of confirmed entrants is as follows:
- IYO SKY Rhea Ripley Roxanne Perez
- Liv Morgan Raquel Rodriguez Bayley
- Asuka Chelsea Green Jordynne Grace
- Charlotte Flair Alexa Bliss Nia Jax
- Giulia Maxxine Dupri Becky Lynch
- Nikki Bella Lyra Valkyria Lash Legend
According to BetOnline, former WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan is the favorite to win the Women’s Royal Rumble, with “The EST” Bianca Belair trailing close behind. Upon her recent return to WWE television, Morgan stared down current Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a backstage segment, perhaps setting the stage for a WrestleMania clash between them.
Belair has notably been absent from programming due to a finger injury, but given that she’s already won the big match once before, there’s a high chance she could do it again. After all, fans last saw Belair in a ring refereeing a match between Naomi and current WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill.
The 2026 Royal Rumble premium live event will emanate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
RELATED: WATCH: Saudi Arabia Built The WWE Royal Rumble Venue Insanely Fast
Mercedes Martinez Inducted Into Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame
After more than 25 years in the business, Mercedes Martinez is marking her last year as a full-time active professional wrestler. Before she officially closes that chapter, though, she recently took her rightful place in the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Martinez celebrated the honor on X, giving fans a glimpse of her Hall of Fame plaque and herself receiving it. “WOMEN’S WRESTLING HALL OF FAME. Grateful beyond words,” she wrote. “Thank you @wwhof2022 , @realLeilaniKai for your support always, & Penelope Paradise for inducting me. This isn’t just for me. It’s for the past, the present, and the future.”
Across her multi-decade career, Martinez has enjoyed reigns as ROH Women’s World Champion, SHIMMER Champion, and WXW Women’s Champion. Currently, Martinez is a free agent, having recently left All Elite Wrestling after the expiration of her contract.
RELATED: AEW Star Confirms This Is Her Last Year as a Full-Time Wrestler
Kris Statlander Defends AEW Women’s Title
Kris Statlander is still the AEW Women’s World Champion after besting Thekla on AEW Dynamite.
For weeks, The Triangle of Madness (Thekla, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue) has set their sights on Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, and Harley Cameron, specifically for the gold they carry. While Statlander reigns as AEW Women’s Champion, Nightingale and Cameron hold the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships.
On this week’s edition of Dynamite, Statlander put her title on the line against Thekla, with the added stipulation that if Hart and Blue stayed out of that bout, then they’d receive a tag title match against Nightingale and Cameron on AEW Collision. Hart and Blue evidently obliged as they were nowhere to be seen during Thekla’s attempt to dethrone Statlander.
In the closing moments, Thekla seemed on the verge of victory when she countered a Night Fever with a roll-up, then set up for a spear. Statlander, however, intercepted the spear and drove Thekla into the mat with a powerbomb. To finish off “The Toxic Spider,” Statlander then followed with a Night Fever to retain her title.
Despite Thekla’s loss, Hart and Blue are still in line for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships, with their match being made official for this Saturday’s Collision in Arlington, Texas.
RELATED: Becky Lynch Wants To Work With Top AEW Star
INTERVIEWS
Former WWE star Sonya Deville (aka Daria Rae) spoke with Denise Salcedo about making her return to pro wrestling, making wrestling news headlines following her TNA debut, how her WWE women’s wrestling friends reacted, the inspiration behind her new persona, and more.
AEW Women’s Tag Team Champion Harley Cameron sat down with TMZ’s Inside The Ring to discuss Saraya’s potential return to the ring, working closely with Toni Storm, finding her voice on AEW television, her backstage relationships, why she believes she’s only scratching the surface of what’s next in her wrestling career, and more.
Former WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan joined SportsCenter to discuss the significance of Royal Rumble, who she might face if she wins the match, excitement for the 2026 event in Saudi Arabia, and more.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Bayley appeared on No Holds Barred to talk about her almost 15-year career in WWE, why she still continues to wrestle, the remaining goals of her wrestling career, her Lodestone training seminar for women’s wrestlers, her San Jose Sharks fandom and more.
AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green chatted with SHAK Wrestling about Matt Cardona’s WWE return, her thoughts on WWE Unreal in this candid, her unique journey through WWE, navigating locker-room dynamics, how reality-based content like WWE Unreal changes the way fans view the business, and more.
