If you were looking for a wrestling ring in the middle of January, you were out of luck. For the first time ever, WWE decided to break a tradition that felt as old as the hills. Usually, we're used to the Rumble kicking off the year in late January, but the calendar looked a little different this time around.
What day is the Royal Rumble 2025? It actually went down on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Yeah, February.
It felt weird for a second, right? But honestly, the shift to a Saturday night in Indianapolis at the Lucas Oil Stadium made for an atmosphere that was basically electric. If you missed it, or you're just looking back at why that specific Saturday mattered so much, you’re looking at a night where "Main Event" Jey Uso finally proved his name wasn't just a marketing gimmick.
The Big Date Shift and the Indy Connection
For decades, the Royal Rumble was a January staple. It was the "Hangover Cure" for the post-holiday slump. However, WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque has been shaking things up lately. By moving the event to February 1, they avoided a lot of the usual January clutter and gave the "Road to WrestleMania" a slightly more condensed, high-octane feel.
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The venue was massive. Lucas Oil Stadium—the home of the Colts—packed in over 45,000 fans. This wasn't just a one-off show; it was the start of a massive partnership between WWE and the city of Indianapolis. Because of this deal, Indy is basically becoming the new wrestling hub, with a future WrestleMania and SummerSlam already locked in.
What Actually Happened on February 1?
If you just want the quick hits, the night was defined by two massive wins that nobody—and I mean nobody—predicted with 100% certainty back in December.
- The Women’s Rumble: Charlotte Flair came back at number 27 and reminded everyone why she's "The Queen." She ended up tossing NXT's Roxanne Perez to win the whole thing. It made her the first woman to ever win two Royal Rumbles.
- The Men’s Rumble: This was the emotional peak. Jey Uso entered early and outlasted a field that included Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and a retiring John Cena.
- The Undisputed Title: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens beat the living hell out of each other in a ladder match. Cody kept his belt, but the real story was Owens' brutal heel turn in the parking lot after the show.
It’s wild to think that Jey Uso, a guy who spent years in a tag team with his brother, ended the night by throwing John Cena over the top rope. That specific moment happened right around 11:15 PM ET on that Saturday night, and the "Yeet" chants could probably be heard all the way in Louisville.
Surprises That Made the Date Memorable
Wrestling fans live for the buzzer. On February 1, that buzzer delivered some heavy hitters. We saw the return of Alexa Bliss after two years away from the ring. She came out to her old "Goddess" music but had some subtle nods to the late Bray Wyatt in her gear. It was a nice touch, honestly.
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Then you had the "forbidden door" stuff. TNA’s Jordynne Grace showed up again, but this time it was different because she’d actually signed a WWE deal. Oh, and Joe Hendry? Yeah, he appeared. The crowd sang his song. It was meta, it was fun, and it’s why people still talk about what day is the Royal Rumble 2025 even months later.
Why the Saturday Slot Matters for Fans
WWE has mostly moved away from Sunday pay-per-views, and honestly, it’s the best move they’ve made in years.
Watching a four-hour show on a Sunday night when you have work on Monday? Terrible. But a Saturday night? That’s a party. For the 2025 Rumble, the "Kickoff" show started early, and the main card actually moved to a 6:00 PM ET start time.
They did this to accommodate the international audience and to make sure the show didn't bleed past midnight. It worked. The Men's Rumble was the longest in history, clocking in at 1 hour and 20 minutes, yet fans weren't exhausted because of that earlier start.
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Looking Back at the Results
If you're keeping score for history's sake, here is how the big matches shook out:
- Women's Royal Rumble: Charlotte Flair won by eliminating Roxanne Perez.
- WWE Tag Team Titles: #DIY (Gargano and Ciampa) retained against the Motor City Machine Guns in a 2-out-of-3 falls match.
- Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match.
- Men's Royal Rumble: Jey Uso won by last eliminating John Cena.
The 2025 Royal Rumble will always be remembered as the night the "Bloodline" story finally saw a member break entirely free into the stratosphere. It wasn't about Roman. It wasn't about Solo. It was Jey's night.
If you're looking to revisit the chaos, the full replay is sitting on Peacock in the US and Netflix internationally. Since this was the first major PLE to stream on Netflix in many regions, the production quality had a bit of a different sheen to it—crisper, maybe a bit more "big fight" feel.
The next step for any fan is to track how these wins translate to the WrestleMania 41 card in Las Vegas. You’ll want to keep an eye on the Monday Night Raw episodes immediately following February 1, as that’s where Charlotte and Jey officially laid down their challenges.
Check your local streaming listings to see if the post-Rumble "Press Conference" is still available; the footage of Kevin Owens attacking Cody Rhodes near the tour buses is essential viewing to understand why their feud didn't end at the Rumble.