In 2026, the ring was cleared for Royal Rumble III, airing live on Friday, Jan. 23rd. This year’s event saw the return of heavyweights Cigar Coop and Halfwheel, who faced off against newcomers Developing Palates and Bob the Cigar Guy in a battle to crown the superior year-end cigar list. Maintaining the “every man for himself” format established in the previous year, the four contenders clashed across 10 rounds of blind voting, with the Dojo audience deciding each outcome. The stakes were raised yet again with the return of the “championship rounds” point multiplier. Votes increased in value by 20 percent each round from the sixth through the tenth, ensuring that the list with the strongest top-tier cigars would have the edge.
While previous Rumbles were settled by tight margins, Royal Rumble III was more about dominance. Bob the Cigar Guy entered the fray swinging, capturing an impressive six out of 10 rounds and securing the highest single-round victory of the night with 65 percent of the vote in Round 6 (Foundation’s 10 Year Anniversario). However, the night wasn’t without its shockers; Round 9 delivered a statistical anomaly never before seen in Rumble history—a three-way tie for first place. Halfwheel, Developing Palates, and Bob the Cigar Guy all deadlocked at 30 percent of the vote. Despite the chaotic finish, Bob the Cigar Guy pulled away from the pack early and never looked back, racking up a record-breaking 45 points to claim the title of Royal Rumble III Champion.
Our goal is to have a battle between each year’s champions in 2028 (after four winners have been declared). Here are the year-by-year results so far:
- Royal Rumble (2024): Cigar Snob (31 Points)
- Royal Rumble II (2025): Cigar Press (38.6 Points)
- Royal Rumble III (2026): Bob the Cigar Guy (45 Points)
ROYAL RUMBLE III CONTENDERS
ROUND 1
COTY #10 2025
ROUND 2
COTY #9 2025
ROUND 3
COTY #8 2025
ROUND 4
COTY #7 2025
ROUND 5
COTY #6 2025
ROUND 6
COTY #5 2025
ROUND 7
COTY #4 2025
ROUND 8
COTY #3 2025
ROUND 9
COTY #2 2025
ROUND 10
COTY #1 2025
STATS
Final List Rankings
Trajectory
CC
HW
DP
BTCG
Biggest Winners
Biggest Losers
Most Wins
Most Losses
The percentages of the contenders in each round may not always add up to 100 percent, with some rounds totaling a point higher or lower. This is due to the averaging process between YouTube and Facebook votes, as well as the results being rounded to the nearest whole number.
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