Saturday Night’s Main Event Delivers Early Road to WrestleMania Chaos in Montreal

Although the Road to WrestleMania officially begins next weekend at the Royal Rumble, WWE gave fans an early taste of the chaos and intrigue on Saturday night with an excellent installment of Saturday Night’s Main Event from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The show opened in pure mayhem, as Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu never actually made it to the match they were scheduled to have. Fatu ambushed Rhodes during his entrance, igniting a wild brawl that spilled throughout the arena and quickly became one of the most entertaining moments of the night. Before either man could gain the upper hand, Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre shocked everyone by attacking both competitors, power bombing them through tables and making a definitive statement as champion.

WWE threaded a very fine needle with this segment, and it largely paid off. Rhodes and Fatu are both legitimate main event players and protecting them while keeping the crowd engaged was crucial. Letting the two brawls instead of having a traditional match accomplished that goal, while McIntyre’s interference added heat and further cemented his dominance. The only downside is that the feud’s escalation feels slightly rushed, as this essentially played out like a street fight right out of the gate.

The lone championship match of the evening saw Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky successfully defend the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships against Judgment Day members Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez. The bout was fast-paced, well-structured, and showcased strong chemistry among all four competitors. Aside from one minor hiccup involving a near-fall late in the match, the execution and storytelling were exactly where they needed to be.

Stephanie Vaquer’s timely save to neutralize Raquel Rodriguez made perfect sense and could be the catalyst for future tension within Judgment Day. Any of the faction’s members could believably challenge Vaquer moving forward. As for the champions, Ripley and Sky will next defend against Giulia and Kiana James, who earned a title shot on Friday’s SmackDown. Both challengers feel like legitimate threats, making that matchup one to watch at the Royal Rumble.

A late addition to the card featured Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, potentially wrestling each other for the final time, as Styles is expected to retire sometime in 2026. With no stakes attached, the match relied entirely on history and delivered. The two veterans brought their long-standing rivalry from New Japan Pro Wrestling into a hard-hitting, respectful contest that felt meaningful despite the lack of buildup.

This was easily the best Nakamura has looked in quite some time, and Michael Cole did an excellent job on commentary setting the stage with their shared past. While the match didn’t reach the heights of last year’s John Cena Styles encounters, it didn’t need to. Surprisingly, it ended clean with no interference from Gunther, and the post-match show of respect provided a genuinely heartwarming moment after Styles’ victory.

The main event was a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the No. 1 contender for McIntyre’s Undisputed WWE Championship. Montreal native Sami Zayn entered as the overwhelming crowd favorite and ultimately delivered, defeating Damian Priest, Randy Orton, and Trick Williams to earn a title shot at the Royal Rumble.

Even with Zayn being the obvious choice, the match remained entertaining throughout. Williams excelled in the heel role, Orton hit all of his signature offense and continues to feel like a main-event fixture, and Priest, despite taking the pin, looked strong and reminded everyone why he’s a former World Heavyweight Champion.

The only misstep came after the match, when McIntyre once again appeared to attack and issue a warning, only to be chased off by Zayn. Given McIntyre’s earlier statement, a simple staredown or nothing at all may have been the stronger option.Overall, Saturday Night’s Main Event succeeded in delivering excitement, advancing key storylines, and setting the tone for what should be a compelling Road to WrestleMania. Montreal got an energetic, memorable show and WWE got exactly the momentum it needed heading into Royal Rumble weekend.