Summary

WWE held the 2026 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, with a field that included Shinsuke Nakamura, Aleister Black, Tala Tonga, Royce Keys, Rey Fenix and Johnny Gargano.

The match came down to Otis, Black, Keys and Tonga as the final four. From there, Keys eliminated Black, Tonga threw out Otis, and Keys then eliminated Tonga to win the match.

The victory came in just Keys' second televised WWE match, giving him a notable result early in his time on SmackDown.

Winner

Royce Keys won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal by last eliminating Tala Tonga after the field had been cut down to the final four.

What Royce Keys' win could mean on SmackDown

Royce Keys now has a major annual battle royal win attached to his name almost immediately, which gives SmackDown a simple way to elevate him into more weekly television focus. That stands out even more after Keys recently said he requested WWE dark matches before his SmackDown debut.

At the same time, Tala Tonga making the final two gives WWE another name from the match who can be kept strong coming out of the segment. The source does not lay out what comes next, but both men leaving the battle royal as the last two standing feels meaningful for future SmackDown follow-up.

Sources

As reported by Fightful