Some places do power rankings. Here at Cageside, we do a stock report.
In this weekly series, we identify three Superstars (or groups of Superstars) who are on their way up, and three that are moving in the opposite
direction. After a busy week that included WWE ‘s Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia, a lot of fortunes were changed.
With that in mind, let’s see whose stock decreased the most this week:
Stock Down #3: Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is a former WrestleMania main eventer and was once the very biggest star in WWE. That’s why I was pretty shocked to see her get eliminated like just another mid carder in the women’s Royal Rumble match.
Yes, WWE is setting Lynch up for an Intercontinental title defense against the person who tossed her out (Nattie), but I have a hard time seeing other recent WrestleMania main eventers like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, CM Punk, and Bianca Belair being eliminated so easily in a Royal Rumble match. I do think this kind of booking can hurt Becky’s star power, especially combined with those relatively recent losses to the inexperienced Maxxine Dupri.
Stock Down #2: Rusev & Matt Cardona
After being off TV for a while, Rusev was one of the surprise entrants in the men’s Royal Rumble match. However, he barely lasted 30 seconds and was tossed out like a jabroni. Matt Cardona didn’t fare much better, as he was eliminated in less than a minute.
I’m sure these guys thought things would go better for them in WWE this time around, but this is about as bad as Rusev’s ever been booked, and Cardona is booked like he’s still Zack Ryder. There is plenty of time for Cardona to turn things around given he just returned to WWE one month ago, but Rusev looks like a total bust.
Stock Down #1: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn got his ass kicked and was beaten clean by WWE Champion Drew McIntyre in their title match at Royal Rumble. Coming into the bout, Zayn talked as if he had a big advantage in Saudi Arabia and would be at his very best wrestling in front of these fans who adore him. But he failed to deliver on those words once the bell ring, as Drew thoroughly dismantled him.
Seeing how this match played out, it’s hard to draw any conclusion other than Drew McIntyre is the better man, and Sami Zayn isn’t world champion material. That’s the message WWE sends to its fanbase when a babyface who has a history of losing high stakes matches like this goes out and flops in his latest pursuit of the gold.
Perhaps WWE’s plan is to wait another year so the story of Sami’s title chase can pay off at SaudiMania in 2027, but I’d say the company already missed the boat on Zayn’s peak popularity, and he’s probably not going to reach that level again.
Now let’s see whose stock increased the most this week.
Stock Up #3: Oba Femi & Lash Legend
Femi and Legend dominated their respective Royal Rumble matches in Saudi Arabia by leading the way in total number of eliminations. WWE commentators praised both stars and emphasized there is no doubt they will be future WrestleMania main eventers and/or the faces of the company. Femi may have even been set up for a WrestleMania match this year against Brock Lesnar, while Legend suddenly looks like someone who should be pursuing the WWE women’s championship.
Stock Up #2: GUNTHER
GUNTHER sent another legendary wrestler into retirement (maybe) when he defeated AJ Styles at Royal Rumble. The Phenomenal One joins a list of victims that includes even bigger stars in Goldberg and John Cena. GUNTHER is now being referred to by WWE commentators as the “Career Killer,” and there are plenty of other older stars hanging around pro wrestling for him to humiliate and send packing next. It’s no wonder Chris Jericho has yet to return to WWE.
Stock Up #1: Liv Morgan & Roman Reigns
Morgan and Reigns each punched their ticket to a WrestleMania 42 main event by winning the women and men’s Royal Rumble matches, respectively. After a down year in 2025, the Tribal Chief is doing interviews where it sounds like he is ready to take over and dominate WWE again, and this Rumble win puts him in position to make that a reality. As for Morgan, this win cements her place as a top star in WWE, as she now gets a huge spotlight in a world championship match at WrestleMania.
There you have it, Cagesiders. Whose stock do you think changed the most this week?
