WWE Saturday Night's Main Event Review - January 24, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu Never Got Underway

It wouldn't have hurt Rhodes in the slightest to lose to Fatu here, even if it was a clean loss, but I assumed this would end in some sort of a non-finish to protect both guys. They went a different route entirely by not going through with the match at all, and although that was a bummer, the brawl we got instead was a blast and the crowd ate it up. Drew McIntyre attacking them made sense, but I hope this doesn't mean we're getting a Triple Threat between them at WrestleMania 42 because the McIntyre vs. Rhodes rivalry has really run its course.

WWE Women's Tag Team Champions RHIYO def. The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez)

The women's tag team division has been on fire the last few months with most of the matches being bangers. This was no exception. These two teams put forth a fantastic effort and exceeded my already-high expectations. They worked a frantic pace and actually had me second-guessing down the stretch whether RHIYO would retain or not. I'm not usually in favor of interference, but Raquel Rodriguez thwarting Raquel Rodriguez's involvement was well done.

AJ Styles def. Shinsuke Nakamura

It was exactly a decade ago today that Styles made his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble match, so I love that he was added to this card for a last-minute match with Nakamura. I had to look it up, but apparently this was the first singles match they've had on television since 2020, which is insane. Honestly, this may have been their best bout together since their Wrestle Kingdom 10 clash. They received plenty of time and kept the crowd invested throughout. If this was indeed their last-ever encounter, they closed out their long-running rivalry on a high note.

Sami Zayn def. Damian Priest, Randy Orton and Trick Williams in an Undisputed WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Match

Despite the predictable outcome, this was a fun four-way with great work from everyone involved. Zayn winning in Montreal wasn't in much doubt, so the crowd wasn't as invested as they would have been otherwise, but the action was entertaining, nonetheless. Zayn earning the shot was the correct outcome, even though he's absolutely losing to McIntyre at the Royal Rumble.

Overall Show

Last month's Saturday Night's Main Event with John Cena's final match and the NXT showcases was excellent on the whole, but I'd argue this was an even better show and the strongest installment of Saturday Night's Main Event since they revived the concept. Sure, Rhodes vs. Fatu didn't happen as advertised, but their brawl was white-hot and the three matches we did get were above average, not to mention this was over in under two hours, so this was a terrific show.

SEE MORE: Saturday Night's Main Event Reviews