Royce Keys won the 12th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on Friday night, eliminating Aleister Black in the final stretch after a surprise entrance by NXT’s Joe Hendry drew early attention. The victory came during the final SmackDown before WrestleMania 42 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Keys outlasted more than 25 competitors to claim the trophy traditionally seen as a springboard for midcard elevation.
Keys, a relative newcomer to WWE’s main roster, entered as one of only two televised entrants alongside Hendry, whose popularity with fans made him an early focal point. Aleister Black dominated the early and middle portions of the match, eliminating Hendry, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ilja Dragunov, and Akira Tozawa before reaching the final four. There, Keys turned the tide by hitting a spinebuster on Black, then watched as Talla Tonga eliminated Otis before Keys dispatched Tonga to secure the win.
The Andre the Giant Battle Royal has historically served as a visibility boost for rising talent, though its predictive value for sustained pushes remains inconsistent. Last year’s winner, Carmelo Hayes, did not appear on the WrestleMania 42 card despite holding the trophy, raising questions about how much weight WWE assigns to the accomplishment. Hayes’ absence — noted by Cageside Seats as particularly conspicuous given he had no other match that weekend — underscores the volatility of using the battle royal as a barometer for future booking.
Meanwhile, the rest of the SmackDown card leaned heavily into WrestleMania 42’s final promotional push. Randy Orton confronted Cody Rhodes in a emotionally charged promo that resonated with the audience until he brought in Pat McAfee, a move Yahoo Sports described as undermining Orton’s legacy and derailing an otherwise effective segment. Rhodes’ subsequent attempt to reset the tone was undercut by a surprise CM Punk appearance that, while welcomed, felt more like a Hall of Fame rehearsal than a meaningful narrative development.
The tag team division saw continuity, with Damian Priest and R-Truth retaining their titles over Kofi Kingston and Grayson Waller using an innovative Flapjack/Flatliner maneuver. In the women’s division, Tiffany Stratton advanced as the No. 1 contender for the Women’s United States Title by defeating Jordynne Grace, while Rhea Ripley confronted Jade Cargill ahead of their title match at WrestleMania.
Jacob Fatu, following a brutal attack by Drew McIntyre the previous week, vowed to “bury The Scottish Warrior” at the upcoming event, adding a personal vendetta to the already stacked card. The MFTs too secured a chaotic victory over The Wyatt Sicks in an eight-man tag team street fight that spilled into the ringside area, featuring weapons, interference, and a Samoan Spike from Solo Sikoa on Uncle Howdy.
While the battle royal victory positions Keys for potential momentum, WWE’s recent handling of similar accolades suggests caution. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal has produced both breakthroughs and dead ends — Cesaro’s 2014 win led to a sustained main-event trajectory, while Mojo Rawley’s back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018 yielded minimal long-term gain. Whether Keys can convert this moment into a lasting push will depend on how WWE follows up in the weeks after WrestleMania 42, a period often critical for determining whether a trophy win translates into meaningful opportunity.
How the Andre the Giant Battle Royal winner’s trajectory has varied in recent years
Past winners of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal have experienced sharply divergent paths, making it difficult to predict the impact of Keys’ victory. Bronson Reed’s 2021 win preceded a steady rise that included a NXT Championship reign and consistent main-roster usage. In contrast, Madcap Moss’s 2022 victory was followed by minimal television time and a eventual release from the company. The inconsistency reflects WWE’s tendency to use the match as a one-night spectacle rather than a guaranteed stepping stone, leaving winners like Keys vulnerable to being forgotten once the trophy is posed with.
Why Joe Hendry’s entrance mattered more than his performance in the match
Although Joe Hendry did not win the battle royal, his televised entrance became one of the night’s most talked-about moments, highlighting WWE’s continued reliance on nostalgic appeal and character-driven pops to carry segments. Hendry, known for his electrifying NXT entrance music and crowd interaction, drew a strong reaction despite limited in-ring time — a dynamic that underscores how WWE often uses high-energy performers to generate instant crowd engagement, even when they are not positioned for victory. His presence served as a distraction that allowed Aleister Black to build momentum unchallenged in the early going, indirectly shaping the match’s outcome.
What does winning the Andre the Giant Battle Royal typically lead to in WWE?
There is no guaranteed outcome — while some winners like Cesaro and Jey Uso used the victory as a catalyst for increased exposure, others like Mojo Rawley and Madcap Moss saw little lasting impact on their careers.
Was Carmelo Hayes’ absence from WrestleMania 42 notable?
Yes — Hayes won the 2023 Andre the Giant Battle Royal but did not compete on either night of WrestleMania 42, despite having no other scheduled match that weekend, which raised questions about how WWE values the accomplishment.
Did Joe Hendry eliminate anyone in the battle royal?
No — Hendry was eliminated early by Aleister Black, who went on to dominate much of the match before being eliminated by Royce Keys in the final four.
