Saturday Night’s Main Event Delivers High Stakes, Heart, and a Royal Rumble Roadmap (1-24-26)
By: Xavier Jones
Headline Photo Credit: WWE
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, WWE revived one of its most iconic television specials with a Saturday Night’s Main Event that blended intense athletic competition with storyline advancement on the road to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season. The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada played host to an electric crowd that witnessed key developments across multiple divisions, underlining WWE’s renewed commitment to making SNME a marquee stop for major narrative beats.
A Fatal 4-Way with Massive Implications
The night’s centerpiece was a Fatal 4-Way match featuring Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest. With the number one contender spot for the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line, all four men brought differing motivations into the ring: Zayn’s emotional connection to this city and fanbase; Orton’s veteran savvy; Williams’ brash ambition; and Priest’s relentless power offense.
In the end, it was Zayn who pulled off a hard-fought victory—despite some near falls—earning a championship opportunity against Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. For Zayn, who has often been positioned as the resilient underdog, this win not only revitalizes his main-event trajectory but also taps into a deeply emotional fan reaction, especially given his Canadian heritage.
Veteran Drama: Styles and Nakamura’s Emotional Clash
One of the most emotionally charged matches of the night saw AJ Styles take on Shinsuke Nakamura in what many inside and outside the company are calling a career moment. Both men, legends of multiple eras and corners of the wrestling world, delivered a hard-hitting, technically rich encounter that felt like both a celebration of their shared history and a passing of the torch.
Styles emerged victorious, and the post-match exchange between the two veterans was striking—two competitors with intertwined legacies offering mutual respect. With rumors swirling that Styles’ career could wind down at the upcoming Royal Rumble, this bout may be remembered as a symbolic milestone in his farewell arc.
Chaos and Continental Collision: Rhodes, Fatu, and McIntyre
Scheduled to be one of the night’s marquee singles bouts, Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu instead devolved into chaos before the opening bell. Fatu ambushed Rhodes, sparking a wild brawl that spilled throughout the arena. The segment reached a fever pitch when Undisputed Champion Drew McIntyre intervened, taking out both competitors and asserting his own authority on the division.
Though short on structured in-ring action, this segment was rich in storytelling: McIntyre’s ruthless opportunism, Fatu’s violent unpredictability, and Rhodes’ never-say-die resilience were all on display, further thickening the narrative going into WrestleMania season.
Women’s Tag Division Still Brewing
On the women’s side, Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky successfully retained the Women’s Tag Team Championships in a hard-fought contest. Their victory sets the stage for future challengers—especially with the recent rise of Giulia and Kiana James, who have positioned themselves as potential double champions after a strong showing on SmackDown. This tag scene is evolving into one of the WWE’s most compelling women’s stories, with WrestleMania implications already on the horizon.
Why Saturday Night’s Main Event Still Matters
Originally debuting on NBC in 1985, Saturday Night’s Main Event was a revolutionary showcase that brought marquee matches to a major broadcast audience, often headlined by the biggest stars of the era and helping shape WWE’s “second golden age.” After several revivals—most recently beginning in 2024—the show retains its purpose: to provide a special-event platform outside the regular weekly programming where rivalries can escalate ahead of major premium live-event shows, and where unexpected moments can steal headlines.
Looking Ahead
As WWE builds toward the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the fallout from this SNME will be felt across the promotion:
• Sami Zayn vs. Drew McIntyre promises to be one of the night’s most anticipated matches aboard, with Zayn chasing championship gold.
• AJ Styles’ future continues to be a talking point, particularly with a possible career-ending match looming.
• Cody Rhodes, Jacob Fatu, and McIntyre’s ongoing tensions could converge in unexpected ways at WrestleMania.
With storylines intensified and stakes raised, Saturday Night’s Main Event has once again validated its place in WWE’s storytelling arsenal—blending classic wrestling tradition with today’s modern sports-entertainment narrative.
