Every Royal Rumble reignites the same argument. With only 30 slots available, fans debate who deserves a place, who gets squeezed out, and whether surprise entrants or developmental talent should even be there. In 2026, that conversation largely focused on NXT and AAA names, but Bully Ray shifted the spotlight in a completely different direction.
The Hall of Famer questioned whether GUNTHER should have been in the Men’s Royal Rumble at all, despite entering at number 30 and finishing as the runner-up. On Busted Open Radio, Bully framed his criticism not as a knock on GUNTHER, but as a matter of protecting the emotional weight of AJ Styles’ exit.
“If I would’ve had say, I would’ve voted no GUNTHER in the Rumble,” Bully explained, arguing that the Rumble should have ended with a singular image in fans’ minds. “I would want the last thing for the people to remember is the elimination of AJ, the defeat of AJ.”
Bully’s concern centered on how WWE packages history. He pointed out that Roman Reigns’ Rumble victory will always be replayed alongside the visual of eliminating GUNTHER, whether his name is mentioned or not. “You’ll see the visual of Roman eliminating GUNTHER,” he noted, “but you might not hear GUNTHER’s name. You’ll hear them talk about Roman winning.”
By contrast, Bully believes AJ Styles’ final chapter risks being diluted rather than sharpened. “When they remind us about GUNTHER and AJ, they’re going to remind you that GUNTHER made AJ pass out, and AJ had to retire,” he said, stressing that the focus shifts from AJ’s moment to GUNTHER’s dominance.
That does not mean Bully disliked the booking outright. In fact, he admitted the late Rumble drama hooked him immediately. “When GUNTHER came out at 30, I did say to myself, ‘Holy s**t,’” he recalled. The possibility of GUNTHER retiring Styles and winning the Rumble on the same night was compelling enough to make him reconsider the entire outcome in real time.
“We talked about GUNTHER having the opportunity to retire AJ and win the Rumble,” Bully added. “What a night that would’ve been for GUNTHER. So they definitely had me thinking about that.”
Bully’s argument cuts to a deeper issue in wrestling storytelling: how many narratives can coexist in one defining moment. The Rumble is designed to crown a winner, but it often doubles as a farewell stage, and balancing both can reshape how history is remembered.
In this case, his critique reflects a broader tension between elevating the next dominant force and preserving the clarity of a legend’s final image. WWE thrives on layered storytelling, but as Bully Ray’s take shows, sometimes the loudest debate is not about who wins, but about what fans are meant to remember when the dust settles.
