WWE fans react to surprise elimination at Royal Rumble 2026

The WWE Royal Rumble 2026 is happening on Saturday, Jan. 31, and the action is already heating up early in the event.

Towards the start of the event, which kicked off at 2 p.m. ET in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a favored wrestler was surprisingly eliminated from the event. The elimination has sparked a new feud, too.

Leading up to the event, Becky Lynch has been talking about how her legal team was making sure she would get a good draw in the Women’s Royal Rumble and said that she would win it. But, things didn’t go as planned. Just one day ago, she told ESPN that she wanted to eliminate everyone at the Royal Rumble, too.

WWE legend Natalya, known as Nattie, turned heel and defeated Lynch at the Royal Rumble. Lynch appeared totally surprised by this move and tried to say that her feet had not touched the ground. Now, there’s a new feud between Lynch and Natalya, and there’s no telling what will happen next.

Fans are reacting to the surprising elimination. “Eliminated,” one follower said on X with a crying face emoji. “Might be the best women’s rumble yet,” another said.

More sports news: WWE Fans Slam ‘Empty’ Crowd at Riyadh Royal Rumble

“I can’t believe she was eliminated so quickly,” another said. “Becky is the best,” another said.

During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Lynch was asked if there was somebody she wanted to eliminate in the Women’s Royal Rumble.

“Oh that is a great question. Everybody. Absolutely everybody,” she said. “Gosh, who do I look forward to… I really look forward to eliminating Moody Maxxine (Dupri), she’s been a thorn in my side, big liar, awful person. Gosh, who else? Charlotte Flair, let me get rid of her again. Let’s run that back. Everybody loved it the last time.”

More sports news: WWE Hall of Famer Makes Surprise Return at Royal Rumble

Lynch added, “Asuka…awful Asuka, terrible. She stepped to me the other day. I didn’t appreciate that. I’ve beaten her many times. She says nobody is ready for Asuka… I’m always ready for her. Really, everybody. Absolutely everybody. She did cost me that match at WarGames where AJ Lee, absolute joke AJ Lee, said that she tapped me out, which she didn’t. It was really because of Asuka, I was calling her over.”

So, Lynch is known for being dramatic, and she certainly had that persona going into this event. Now, she’s licking her wounds and having to accept that she’s fallen early and hard. It’ll be interesting to see where Lynch goes from here.