Tonight’s (Apr. 17) episode of WrestleMania SmackDown featured the 12th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Which current WWE star would join the list of previous winners like Bronson Reed, Madcap Moss, Big Show, Jey Uso, Cesaro, and Mojo Rawley?
The match included more than 25 participants, but only two of them received entrances on television. One of these men was the rumored favorite, WWE newcomer Royce Keys. The other was the NXT star with one of the most popular entrances in the business, Joe Hendry.
Aleister Black proved to be a dominant force in the match, eliminating the likes of Hendry, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ilja Dragunov, and Akira Tozawa. That’s how he made his way to the final four.
The rest of the final four were Otis, Talla Tonga, and Keys. Royce eliminated Black, Talla tossed out Otis, and then Keys used his spinebuster en route to eliminating Talla for the victory.
It’s worth noting that some AAA stars like La Parka and Psycho Clown were in this match, but last year’s winner Carmelo Hayes was missing despite also not having a match this weekend at WrestleMania 42.
Do you think being this year’s winner of the Andre the Giant Battle Royal will have a significant impact on Royce Keys’ WWE push for the remainder of 2026, or is it mostly just a chance to pose next to a big trophy for a few seconds?
Let me know your thoughts on this year’s Andre Battle Royal in the comments below, Cagesiders.
Catch up on all the results from SmackDown in our live blog right here.
