Join Jer and RichTheRiz on the Basement Bookers Podcast as we break down the latest WWE Raw and SmackDown action on the Road to WrestleMania 42! We dive into the Elimination Chamber qualifiers – Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky looking unstoppable in the women's match, Cody Rhodes locking his spot in the men's, plus Gunther, Dominik Mysterio, and more battling it out. We discuss Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee building to a potential American vs American Mask match (wait, what?), the safe booking for WrestleMania, slow ticket sales concerns, Braun Strowman's injury excuse, and why WWE is playing it reliable this year. Plus, wild ideas like Jacob Fatu stalking his way into the main event! Don't miss our hot takes on the current WWE landscape.

Fresh off WWE Royal Rumble 2026 in Riyadh, the Basement Bookers break down EVERY match! Liv Morgan shocks the world winning the Women's Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns claims his second Men's Rumble victory heading to WrestleMania 42, Gunther retires AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre retains vs. Sami Zayn, Oba Femi dominates, masked attacker drama, surprise returns (Brie Bella!), and SmackDown/Raw fallout including Roman choosing CM Punk for Mania. Hilarious takes, predictions gone wrong, and Booking 101 from @BasementJer & @RichTheRiz. Don't miss this full Royal Rumble 2026 recap! Subscribe for more WWE reviews, predictions & watch parties. #RoyalRumble2026 #WrestleMania42 #LivMorgan #RomanReigns #AJStyles #WWE #BasementBookers

The Royal Rumble 2026 is here — and the Basement Bookers are LOCKING IN picks, chaos, and maximum overbooking.

• AJ Styles vs Gunther (Styles’ career on the line)

• Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship

• Women’s Royal Rumble picks: Bayley / Becky Lynch / Charlotte Flair vs Liv Morgan / Roxanne Perez / Becky

• Men’s Royal Rumble picks: Braun Breakker, Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu… plus Brock Lesnar, Gunther, and the wild Oba Femi swing

• Surprise entrant talk (Jericho rumors, “don’t say his name” energy, and replacement-slot chaos)

• Tiebreaker: 78 minutes vs 64 minutes for the main event length

🕑 Royal Rumble starts Saturday, Jan 31, 2026 at 2PM ET (US).

Drop your winners in the comments: Men’s Rumble, Women’s Rumble, and who you THINK shows up as the biggest surprise.

Follow the Bookers: X: @BasementJer | @RichTheRiz 👍 Like, sub, and help us hit 500 subscribers.

(Notes for accuracy/SEO: Royal Rumble 2026 is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and includes Styles vs Gunther (career stip) + McIntyre vs Zayn on the card.)

Saturday Night’s Main Event is almost here, and The Basement Bookers Podcast is breaking down everything WWE has announced so far — even if the card feels a little light.

In this episode, BasementJer and Rich The Riz dive into:

Cody Rhodes vs Jacob Fatu and why this match could be bigger than it looks

The Fatal 4-Way No.1 Contender’s Match featuring Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, Damian Priest, and Trick Williams

Why Sami Zayn might be running out of chances — and what a loss could mean

The Women’s Tag Team Championship match and why Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY retaining feels inevitable

Long-term booking thoughts, faction teases, and WrestleMania implications

Is WWE playing it safe… or setting the table for something bigger?

Drop your predictions in the comments and let us know where you agree — or where we’re completely off base.

🎙️ The Basement Bookers Podcast

📺 Live every Monday for WWE RAW Watch Parties

🐦 X (Twitter): @BasementJer @RichTheRiz

Powerhouse Hobbs might be WWE-bound, so naturally we break down what that could look like (and how fast we’d have him destroy The Miz). Then we get into “BaldGate”—Adam Pearce putting hands on Braun Breakker, and why WWE “logic” is absolutely gonna spin this into Pearce being the problem.

We also talk Gunther vs AJ Styles, the weird decision-making that led to the finish, and why a career vs title stip could actually work (and how this all should end with Brock vs Gunther). Plus: the Judgment Day red X mystery, Liv & Roxanne as #1 contenders, and some quick thoughts on WWE 2K26 rumors.

Let us know in the comments:

Should Hobbs go straight to the main roster or start in NXT?

Who’s in the wrong—Pearce or Breakker?

Does the red X mean anything or is it just TikTok brainrot?

Subscribe + Like if you enjoy the chaos.

We’ve got a NEW WWE Undisputed Champion as Drew McIntyre pulls it off in a wild Three Stages of Hell style situation — with Cody Rhodes, a cage escape, and the moment everything flips thanks to a certain “hooded” return…

Plus:

• Jacob Fatu’s return and why it changes EVERYTHING for Drew vs Cody

• Is Drew just a transitional champ… or is this the start of something bigger?

• Our take on CM Punk’s comments about fans being “angry” (and the “mental illness” line…)

• The Jey Uso discourse: entrance hype vs TV pacing (aka: “I’m a Yeetator”)

• Quick hits: Jordynne Grace to SmackDown, Javon Evans, Oba Femi fantasy bookings, and more

Drop your take in the comments: Did WWE make the right call putting the title on Drew? And what’s the best move to WrestleMania?

Follow us on X: @BasementJer @RichTheRiz Basement Bookers Podcast — the match is scheduled for one fall… so make it count.

The Basement Bookers Podcast hosts their 2025 Bookie Awards, a tongue-in-cheek ceremony where the hosts hand out fictitious awards to wrestlers for the year’s most notable moments.

Highlights include winners like Cody Rhodes, John Cena and Alexa Bliss across categories such as Superstar, Tag Team, Feud and Best Match.

The hosts debate picks, dish out the golden pencil, and invite listeners to share their own votes and reactions in the comments.

It’s the final Basement Bookers Podcast of the year, and we’re closing things out by breaking down a chaotic week in WWE.

We dive into Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, including:

• Austin Theory’s reintroduction and why WWE clearly sees him as a stand in for Seth Rollins

• The growing tension inside The Judgment Day, especially on the women’s side

• Bron Breakker’s momentum vs. WWE’s shaky long-term booking history

• Gunther beating John Cena… and WWE doing almost nothing with it

• CM Punk’s involvement and why the follow-up feels weak

• Drew McIntyre getting rewarded for complaining (again)

• SmackDown chaos, Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov, and questionable storytelling choices

• Are they already booking WrestleMania 2026 and filling in the blanks later?

We also talk:

• AJ Styles’ unclear retirement timeline

• WWE loading rosters instead of using who they already have

• Heel vs heel booking problems (Chelsea Green discourse 👀)

• Why fans are right to be frustrated heading into the Netflix era

As always, we keep it honest, loud, and slightly unhinged.

👇 Sound off in the comments:

• Is WWE working backwards?

• Should Bron Breakker be fast-tracked?

• Did Gunther’s Cena win actually matter?

📌 Basement Bookers Podcast 📺 Subscribe for weekly WWE breakdowns, watch parties, and unfiltered opinions.

Follow us on X: @BasementJer | @RichTheRiz