All articles tagged with #andre the giant memorial battle royal
Royce Keys won the 12th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown, topping a final four that also included Aleister Black, Otis, and Talla Tonga; Keys eliminated Black and then Tonga to secure the victory, with Joe Hendry making a surprise entrance as part of the field. Carmelo Hayes was absent, and the piece muses on whether the win will meaningfully boost Keys' WWE push in 2026.
Ahead of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown reportedly has a frontrunner to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal—Royce Keys—based on backstage talk from Bodyslam.net, though plans can change; the go-home show also features an eight-man street fight between the Wyatt Sicks and the MFTs.
Several WWE superstars, including Chad Gable, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Andrade, were advertised for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal but did not participate as expected. This unexpected absence has left fans surprised, especially with WrestleMania 40 approaching. Chad Gable has been involved in a feud leading up to WrestleMania, while Shinsuke Nakamura's absence hints at him potentially missing this year's event.
Bobby Lashley won the 9th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal during WWE SmackDown on FOX. The 32-man Battle Royal featured several WWE superstars, with Lashley emerging as the winner after eliminating Bronson Reed. Lashley now joins the list of past winners, including Cesaro, Big Show, and Baron Corbin. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was first introduced in 2014 and has been held every year since then, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LA Knight promises to have his WrestleMania moment, despite not having a spot on the actual card yet. He scored a win over Rey Mysterio on Friday Night SmackDown and will participate in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on next week’s WrestleMania SmackDown. While it's unclear what his role will be at WrestleMania 39, Knight is determined to make an impact and have his LA Knight moment.