A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble PPV. The company has confirmed that Sasha Banks would challenge Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women’s Title at this show. Banks earned this title opportunity once she beat Nia Jax during Monday’s Raw.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
30-Man Royal Rumble Match: R-Truth, Drew McIntyre, The New Day, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Elias, Baron Corbin
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match: Carmella, Natalya, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Ember Moon, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE has taken to their social media accounts once again in order to officially announce another three entrants into this year’s Royal Rumble event.
Joining the list of previously announced superstars for the male Royal Rumble will be Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, and the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, Dean Ambrose.
New superstars have been added to the Cruiserweight Title match at the Royal Rumble. Just last week it was revealed by 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick that Buddy Murphy would defend his Cruiserweight Title against three other Superstars in a Fatal 4-Way Match at this show. Those competitors will come from qualifying matches.
During this episode of 205 Live that was taped last Saturday at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, Kalisto defeated Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa defeated Drew Gulak in qualifying matches. Hideo Itami vs. Cedric Alexander will go down on next week’s episode.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
30-Man Royal Rumble Match:
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match:
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
A new title match set for the WWE Royal Rumble PPV has been revealed after WWE taped the New Year’s Day edition of SmackDown Live on Saturday night.
At the taping, AJ Styles defeated Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali, and Samoa Joe to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Title in the main event. He’ll challenge Daniel Bryan for it at the Royal Rumble.
WWE will make this match official next week. You can read the full spoilers for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live that was taped from Pittsburgh, PA at the PPG Paints Arena here.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
30-Man Royal Rumble Match:
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match:
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
Despite having prematurely announced a match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s championship at the Royal Rumble during Main Event, it appears that those plans may not be entirely off the table.
According to Dave Meltzer, WWE is going to have a number of meetings this week in order to “come up with a Rumble card.”
“Originally, the match [Asuka vs Lynch] was happening, but then Vince decided that he wanted to revamp the card […] when they taped Main Event it was gonna air later in the week,” he explained.
“At that time, the plan was to announce the match with Asuka and Becky Lynch on Tuesday’s SmackDown but, during that interim period, Vince decided to change his mind,” he said. “So they never announced that match on that SmackDown. Not saying that match won’t happen, but it was definitely off when that show came on.”
So it appears that the Main Event announcement for the hotly anticipated opportunity for Lynch to compete for her former title was due to a lapse of internal communication, coupled with understandable confusion stemming from a last-minute change of heart.
The fact that WWE is still holding meetings in order to finalize the Rumble card, however, means there could still be a (slim) chance the match goes ahead.
What do you think? Would you prefer to see this matchup for the championship? Do you think Becky Lynch will win the Rumble?
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble PPV. During this week’s episode of 205 Live, General Manager Drake Maverick revealed that Buddy Murphy would defend his Cruiserweight Title against three other Superstars in a Fatal 4-Way Match at this show. Those competitors will come from qualifying matches that will take place over the coming weeks.
Kalisto vs. Lio Rush, as well as Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa, will take place on next week’s episode of 205 Live while Hideo Itami vs. Cedric Alexander will go down on the January 9th episode. The winners of these matches will move onto the Royal Rumble.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
30-Man Royal Rumble Match:
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match:
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE.com has announced a major grand prize for the winning team of Mixed Match Challenge Season 2. The man and woman on the winning team will be awarded the 30th entry into their respective Royal Rumble matches. In addition, they will receive an all-expenses paid vacation to anywhere in the world.
The 2019 Royal Rumble event takes place on Sunday, January 27th from Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
WWE Mixed Match Challenge Season 2 airs Tuesday nights at 10pm ET on Facebook Watch. 10 teams are currently competing in a 14-week ’round robin’ tournament. The finals of MMC season two will take place at the upcoming TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view event on December 16th.
As of this writing, four MMC teams have 3-0 records and are far and away ahead of the other teams. The teams with undefeated records include:
– Ember Moon & Braun Strowman
– Asuka & The Miz
– Mickie James & Bobby Lashley
– Charlotte Flair & AJ Styles
Who do you think will win Mixed Match Challenge Season 2? What do you think about this high stakes grand prize?
Adam Cole recently stopped by the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast for an in-depth interview. During his appearance on the show, The Undisputed Era member spoke about surprising fans earlier this year as the number 23 entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble match at the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 pay-per-view one night after losing to Aleister Black at the NXT TakeOver: PhiladelphiaWWE Network special.
Cole’s appearance in the Royal Rumble match marked the first time he worked on the main WWE roster on a high-profile show. The reigning NXT North American Champion performed well in the match, getting the crowd on their feet in spots before ultimately being eliminated by Rey Mysterio.
Being from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is near the site of the Royal Rumble match in Philadelphia that he made his main roster debut in, made the evening a special moment for the pro wrestling veteran.
“I found out last minute about the Royal Rumble,” Cole revealed during his appearance on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. “Second of all, the first pro wrestling show that I ever went to was in that building [Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia], the first WrestleMania I ever watched was in Philly [WrestleMania XV], I trained to be a pro wrestler in Philadelphia … so many things mean that much to me coming out of Philadelphia, and to be able to make my Royal Rumble debut in Philadelphia it’s like, okay, great career Adam. That’s it.”
Adam Cole Soaks In Love From The Fans
Also during the interview, Cole spoke about taking a moment to enjoy the experience when his music hit the speakers and the WWE Universe in attendance reacted.
“I definitely made sure that I enjoyed that for what it was,” said Cole. “My favorite part was when the music hit and the people reacted and then when I came out they reacted because I was there, and then I stood there. I made sure to enjoy it as much as I could. I had the same feeling for when I debuted at NXT: TakeOver Brooklyn III when I ran in and attacked Drew McIntyre. I remember thinking, ‘God, I hope they care.’ ‘God, I hope they react in any capacity.’ This was the end of the event so I was just hoping they were really interested in what was going on. Both times they haven’t let me down. Both times have been great.”
Check out the complete Adam Cole interview from the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast at NotSam.com.
What did you think of Adam Cole’s surprise entrance in the 2018 Royal Rumble match? Sound off in the Comments section below.
WWE has announced the first five superstars for this month’s Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.
Suspiciously, the five wrestlers announced today include one who has spent the last two years retired, another who was reported as retired earlier this year, another who is running for mayor of a town in Tennessee, and yet another who was recently “DELETED”.
Daniel Bryan, Big Show, Kane, Bray Wyatt, and Braun Strowman were all announced today as taking part in the 50-person match.
Greatest Royal Rumble Lineup
Confirmed Matches for the event so far include:
Greatest Royal Rumble Match (50-Person Rumble Match)
the Miz vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe (Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match)
John Cena vs Triple H
WWE has announced that all 7 male championship main roster titles will be defended on the show.
The 619 will not be represented at WrestleMania 34.
Following a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, Rey Mysterio seemed like the perfect candidate to make a return to WWE at the biggest card of the year on April 8 in New Orleans.
Unfortunately, Mysterio says anybody who is looking for him to pop up out of nowhere will be disappointed because he recently suffered an arm injury that’s going to keep him out of action for several weeks, which will overlap WrestleMania 34.
“Unfortunately, I just suffered a torn bicep three weeks ago,” Mysterio revealed on “Below the Belt” with Brendan Schaub. “Opted not to get surgery.
“It’s a full tear but I’m just gonna kick back, do some therapy for it and hopefully I’ll be ready next month.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWk4b3RO4EA
It was natural to think that Mysterio might show up at WrestleMania 34 considering the response his appearance at Royal Rumble generated back in January.
Mysterio’s appearance at Royal Rumble was one of the biggest stories throughout the entire evening. In fact, Mysterio’s surprise entrance into the Royal Rumble generated over 14 million views for that video on YouTube. Even Ronda Rousey’s first official appearance in WWE from the same event only ended up with 3.7 million views by comparison.
“It was intense,” Mysterio said about his surprise appearance at Royal Rumble. “I didn’t know what to expect. I know the fans were excited cause you always get on social media ‘when you coming back?’ but to actually be there and live that moment. You got that butterfly sensation I always get before I step into the ring.
“Once I make that eye contact with the fans, I’m out there, I go that’s game time. Let’s go.”
Would you like to see Rey Mysterio make another run with WWE in the future? Sound off in the comments to let us know!
The upcoming 50-man “Greatest Royal Rumble” event from Saudi Arabia will be featured on the WWE Network as special programming. RAW Superstar and WrestleMania 34 headliner Roman Reigns mentioned the news on Friday morning during an appearance on Jim Norton & Sam Roberts’ Sirius XM show.
Reigns told Jim and Sam that he hopes he isn’t spoiling anything, but, “I believe it’s going to be a huge network special.”
The Greatest Royal Rumble will beheld at the King Abdullah Sports City venue, which holds approximately 62,000 people. Talent announced for the event includes John Cena, Triple H, Roman Reigns, WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
WWE is pulling out all the stops to make the event a success – with Chris Jericho and The Undertaker rumored to be appearing as well.
The Greatest Royal Rumble is being co-presented by the Saudi General Sports Authority as part of a new long-term partnership with WWE.
“The Greatest Royal Rumble will be a spectacle of historic proportions,” said Vince McMahon when the event was first announced. “Our partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority reflects a long-term commitment to present WWE’s world-class entertainment to a global audience on a grander scale than ever before.”
WWE has announced that a 50-competitor Royal Rumble will take place from Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27th. The event will be held at the King Abdullah Sports City venue, which holds approximately 62,000 people.
Talent announced for the event includes John Cena, Triple H, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and more.
WWE has yet to announce if this special event will air on the WWE Network, but this seems like the type of content perfectly suited for WWE’s streaming service.
WWE executives Vince McMahon and Triple H were in Saudi Arabia last week finalizing this new partnership. Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the Saudi General Sports, tweeted this photo last week:
03/05/2018 – RIYADH, Saudi Arabia & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Saudi General Sports Authority in partnership with WWE will present the Greatest Royal Rumble event at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27. For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble match will feature 50 WWE Superstars.
As part of this historic event, fans will see WWE Superstars John Cena™, Triple H™, Roman Reigns™, AJ Styles™, Braun Strowman™, The New Day™, Randy Orton™, Bray Wyatt™ and Shinsuke Nakamura™, among others.
Ticket and broadcast information will be available in the coming weeks. This event is part of a 10-year strategic multiplatform partnership in support of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s social and economic reform program.
“The Greatest Royal Rumble will be a spectacle of historic proportions,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Our partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority reflects a long-term commitment to present WWE’s world-class entertainment to a global audience on a grander scale than ever before.”
WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview with the Daily Star to talk about several professional wrestling topics. The sequence in which Strowman hit Lesnar with a stiff knee, and “The Beast” returned fire with a stiff punch to the jaw during their Royal Rumble match was brought up:
“Any time Brock and I are in the ring it’s very physical. You’re talking about two larger-than-life human beings who are fighting for dominance. Stuff happens. It’s a contact sport – it’s not tennis. We’re not going out there to slap a ball around, we’re going out there to beat each other up. That’s what we did.”
“The Monster Among Men” then offered his thoughts on being a part of a “dying breed” of big men in professional wrestling:
“I’m a dying breed, considering how fast-paced the sport has become with the cruiserweights and guys like AJ Styles who can go out there and do these crazy, unbelievable things.”
Strowman is currently teaming up with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in the Mixed Match Challenge. He said that the MMC gives him the ability to show another side of the Braun Strowman character, and it may just be that he’s “sweet on Alexa Bliss”:
“To be able to wind down a little bit when my body was beat up, I was fighting a little bit of a cold, was a very entertaining and refreshing segment to go out and work with. I got to show another layer of Braun Strowman the character, to show that he has a little bit of a softer side. It might be that he’s sweet on Alexa Bliss.”
You can read Strowman’s full interview with the Daily Star by clicking this link here.
– Coming off his recent appearance at Raw’s 25th Anniversary show, The Undertaker has been busy at the gym lately.
Michelle McCool posted this video tonight on Instagram of her husband performing deadlifts at their gym.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be9Si7Bhtjl/
The Undertaker was also at the gym on Wednesday as McCool posted a photo of herself with “The Deadman” while wearing Chalk Line’s Undertaker Vintage Fanimation Jacket (click the right arrow below to see it).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be6DYPRBz9b/
– Trish Stratus and Mickie James are this week’s guests on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia as the former champions talk about locking up in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match and much more. Here is the synopsis:
“This episode of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia features WWE Superstar Mickie James discussing her 20+ year career in pro wrestling, getting her start during the Attitude Era, her experience at the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble where she locked up with old foe Trish Stratus, plus her career as a musician, being honored at the Native American Music Awards, motherhood, the #metoo movement, and more! Plus, WWE HOF’er Trish Stratus returns to relive her experience at the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble!”
Garcia’s interviews with Stratus and James were conducted separately. You can listen to this episode on Podcast One or iTunes.
– WWE officials have soured on Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook Watch, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They were ‘very unhappy’ with the decline in viewership in Week 2, which for the live show, dropped about 32% from the premiere episode (from a peak of about 132,600 viewers for Week 1 to 92,000 for Week 2).
There was an even steeper live viewership drop during Week 3, which saw Braun Strowman and Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss beat Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch. The show peaked at around 62,400 viewers, a decline of 54% from the premiere episode and 32% from Week 2.
Despite the decline in live viewership, the number of total views has not dropped as much percentage-wise from Week 1. Thus far, the premiere episode has drawn 1.9 million views after 18 days (Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya), Week 2 has drawn 1.7 million views after 11 days (The Miz and Asuka vs. Big E and Carmella), and Week 3 has drawn 1.6 million views after 4 days.
– Last Sunday at the Royal Rumble event, Trish Stratus made her surprise in-ring return as the 30th and final entrant in the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble Match. The WWE Hall of Famer eliminated three competitors (Nia Jax, Mickie James, and Natalya) before getting tossed out by Sasha Banks. Stratus lasted in the match for over five minutes.
In the video below, Stratus discusses the significance of the match, the current stars she’s excited to share the ring with, and what she misses most about wrestling.
During last night’s Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble things got real between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. At one point in the match Strowman actually caught Lesnar with a stiff knee to the head.
Lesnar is probably the last person you want to let that happen against. “The Beast” gave “The Monster Amongst Men” a receipt in the form of a stiff right hand to Strowman’s jaw:
It then sounded like Lesnar said something along the lines of “slow the fu*k down.” Lesnar would go on to pin Kane for the finish and retained his Universal Championship.
It’s expected he’ll defend his Universal crown against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans this April.
As noted earlier, Jonathan Coachman has signed a new deal with WWE and will be replacing Booker T on the commentary team of Monday Night Raw starting tonight. Booker T will participate in WWE PPV Kickoff panels and will serve as an ambassador for the company. He tweeted this congratulating Coach:
Congratulations to @TheCoachrules for being back with the @WWE! Couldn’t be more happy to be back on the PPV kickoff shows with my girl @ReneeYoungWWE! Aww shucky ducky quack quack is back!!!!! #DigIt
WWE legend Mark Henry is joining the popular Busted Open radio show on Sirius XM. Henry will serve as a co-host with David LaGreca every Tuesday starting this week.
Sitting ringside last night was a moment you can’t put into words. Counting the seconds to see who’s music would hit next. Seeing the women from the past own the moment, the girls in the present collide with their inspirations & the future make an impact was MAGIC. NO LIMIT ?
Supremely proud of my better half @TheBethPhoenix last night. Showed up strong! Happy she got to be part of something that she, along with many, was instrumental in watering the seeds of until it fully bloomed last night with the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. Be proud ladies
There are moments in your life that will last with you forever! It was such an honor main eventing #RoyalRumble with 29 other incredibly talented women AND it tops the list of some of the most unforgettable moments in my life. #RoyalRumble ???? pic.twitter.com/Givdjo66Xm
What an honor the share the ring with @NiaJaxWWE …such an incredible young talent with a bright future! Phillie brought tears to my eyes and chills to my spine! Thank you @WWE for the chance to lace up those old boots. #WomensRoyalRumble
Both the RAW & SmackDown Tag Team Championships were defended tonight. AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship in a Handicap match against Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens. Brock Lesnar put his Universal Championship on the line against Kane and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat match. The road to WrestleMania also officially began as both a women’s and men’s Royal Rumble took place. The winners of the Royal Rumble matches now have a title shot at WrestleMania 34.
Here are takeaways from WWE Royal Rumble 2018:
AJ Styles Is Still WWE Champion After Controversial Finish
The Handicap match for the WWE Championship kicked off Royal Rumble 2018. AJ Styles put his title on the line against both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. If Owens & Zayn win, they will become the first ever co-WWE Champions.
The Philly crowd chanted “AJ Styles” right when the match started. AJ and Owens started off the match as Sami was on the ring apron. Owens immediately tagged in Sami and then Zayn tagged Owens back in before Styles could confront them. Owens took a kick to the midsection and then jogged across the ring to tag in Zayn.
Styles went for a roll-up but Sami kicked out. Zayn then tagged in Owens once again and Styles shouted “come on!”. AJ put himself between Owens and Zayn so that Owens couldn’t tag out. Owens proceeded to roll out of the ring, run to the corner, slide back into the ring and tag in Zayn.
AJ hit Sami with a Dropkick and Zayn once again tagged out. Owens charged at AJ and knocked him to the corner. Owens stomped on AJ for a few times and shouted “and that is why this is my show!”. Owens tagged Sami back in and he continued to beatdown AJ in the corner.
Styles battled back and hit a couple of chops but Sami responded with a Back Body Drop for a two count. Owens tagged in and launched AJ into the turnbuckle. The action spilled out of the ring and Owens launched AJ into the barricade. Back in the ring, Owens hit a Double Stomp on AJ’s chest and tagged Sami back in.
Zayn connected with a couple of jabs and taunted AJ a bit for applying a Chin Lock. AJ backed Sami into the corner but Owens tagged himself back in. AJ punched Sami off the ring apron and hit Owens with a couple of chops. Owens lifted Styles up in the electric chair and dropped him face first to the canvas for a two count.
Owens applied a Headlock but AJ broke the hold with a couple of elbows to the ribs. Owens went for the Cannonball in the corner of the ring but AJ got out of the way. Owens landed on his leg that he injured on SmackDown this past Tuesday. Owens quickly tagged Sami Zayn back in the match. AJ delivered a Hurricanrana off the top rope to Sami Zayn.
Owens tagged back in and walked directly into a Pele Kick from the WWE Champion. Owens tagged out and Sami went for the Helluva Kick but Styles was ready. AJ booted Sami in the face, went for a Moonsault off the second rope, landed on his feet and transitioned into a reverse DDT. Owens tagged back in and AJ locked in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring as Sami Zayn was knocked to the floor outside the ring.
Sami slid back into the ring just in time and broke the hold before Owens tapped out. Owens went for a roll-up but AJ kicked out. Owens charged at Styles but AJ got out of the way and Owens crashed into the ring post. Sami tagged himself back in and Owens hit a cheap shot Superkick to Styles on the ring apron. Sami planted Styles with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count.
Zayn hit AJ with a couple of chops in the corner and then perched Styles up on the top rope. AJ broke free and slammed Sami into the middle turnbuckle. Owens went for another cheap shot on the apron but AJ was ready and knocked him to the floor. AJ then connected with the Phenomenal Forearm to Sami and went for the cover but Owens broke it up at the last second.
AJ and Sami traded punches to the face. AJ got the better of the exchange and lifted Sami onto his shoulders. Sami went for the tag but couldn’t tag Owens. AJ then launched Sami out of the ring and Owens attacked AJ from behind with a Superkick. Owens went for a Pop-up Powerbomb but Styles countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Owens and Zayn approached Shane McMahon backstage. They demanded that Shane not let a referee cost them another match. Sami asked if Shane saw it and Shane replied with a big grin on his face, “yep”. Shane then walked away as Owens lost his mind.
It looks like this storyline is continuing on SmackDown. Sami and Owens have a legitimate complaint here, as Zayn clearly never tagged out. This match was more entertaining than I thought it was going to be. I figured there would be some kind of controversial finish. I’d rather it had been this than Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan arguing ringside and distracting from the match.
The Usos Easily Retained Their Titles
The Usos defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable in a 2 out of 3 falls match.
Jimmy Uso controlled the match early and hit Gable with a couple of chops in the corner. Benjamin tagged himself in and Jimmy Uso didn’t realize it. Gable hit a chop block to Jimmy’s knee and then Shelton slammed it into the ring post. Shelton targeted his attack on Jimmy’s knee and locked in a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Gable tagged in and continued to attack the knee.
Benjamin tagged back in and continued to stomp on Jimmy’s knee. Gable and Benjamin kneed Jimmy in the face and then sprinted across the ring and kneed Jey off the apron. Benjamin posed for the crowd for a moment and this allowed Jimmy some time to regroup. Jimmy connected with an Enziguri and finally tagged Jey into the match.
Gable tagged in and was immediately knocked out of the ring. Jey threw Shelton out of the ring as well and then leaped onto both of them outside the ring. The action returned to the ring and Jey climbed up to the top rope. Jey missed with the Splash but landed on his feet. Benjamin kneed Jey in the face from outside the ring and then Gable hit a Tiger Suplex for a two count.
Benjamin tagged back in and went for the tandem Powerbomb off the top. Jimmy Uso broke it up but Gable connected with a Dropkick that knocked him to the corner. Shelton then Powerbombed Jey onto Jimmy in the corner and connected with Paydirt to Jey Uso for a two count. Both Usos were thrown out of the ring and Chad Gable delivered an awesome Moonsault onto them outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Gable went to cover Jimmy Uso but the referee told him that was the wrong Uso. Gable then got hit with two Superkicks and a Splash from Jey but somehow still kicked out. Jimmy and Jey then hit a double Superkick on Chad Gable and picked up the first pinfall victory. The Usos now lead 1-0.
Benjamin got back intot he ring and launched Jey Uso into the ring post. Gable and Benjamin beatdown both Jimmy and Jey. Gable and Benjamin connected with the tandem Powerbomb to Jimmy Uso outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gable hit an overhead kick and tagged in Benjamin. Gable climbed to the top rope but Jey Uso rolled up Shelton for the victory. The Usos won the match 2-0 and are still SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
I was really looking forward to this match. Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly as good as I thought it was going to be and the ending felt random. I wanted to see Gable & Benjamin at least be built up as a legit team on SmackDown. Getting swept by The Usos doesn’t accomplish that.
The Right Superstar Won The Men’s Royal Rumble
The men’s Royal Rumble started just before the second hour of the PPV. The winner of the match will go on to get a title shot at WrestleMania 34.
#1. Aiden English came down to the entrance ramp and performed a song about Rusev Day. Rusev then came down to the ring as the first entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble. The crowd chanted “Rusev Day!” as Rusev entered the ring.
Balor and Rusev tried to eliminate each other for a bit. Balor hit Rusev with a Dropkick.
#3. Rhyno was the third Superstar in the Royal Rumble. The crowd chanted “ECW!” as he marched towards the ring. Rhyno and Rusev traded punches. Rhyno got the advantage and connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Rhyno then planted Balor with a Suplex as well. Rusev connected with a spinning kick that knocked Rhyno to the mat.
#4. Baron Corbin was the fourth entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble. Corbin leveled Rusev with a Clothesline but was slammed to the mat by Rhyno. Rhyno set up for the Gore but Corbin countered it into a Deep Six. Corbin then eliminated Rhyno. Finn Balor eliminated Baron Corbin from behind. Corbin lost it and attacked Rusev and Balor outside the ring. Security tried to restrain Corbin but it didn’t work out too well.
#5. Heath Slater was the fifth entrant in the rumble but walked right into a Clothesline from Corbin. Baron finally walked backstage as Slater, Rusev and Balor were on the floor outside the ring.
#6. Elias was the sixth entrant in the rumble and came down to the entrance ramp with his guitar. Elias strolled down the entrance ramp while strumming his guitar. He took a brief break and booted Slater in the face. Elias brought his guitar into the empty ring and stated that the countdown clock will not start until he is done giving the crowd the performance of the year. Elias’ song was interrupted by the countdown.
#7. NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas was the seventh entrant in the rumble. Almas competed in an unreal match against Johnny Gargano last night at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia and retained his NXT Championship. Almos delivered the running knees to Elias but Elias responded with a Clothesline.
#8. Bray Wyatt was the eighth entrant in the rumble. Before getting into the ring, he slammed poor Heath Slater into the barricade. Heath had still not been able to make it to the ring at this point. Bray leveled Balor with a Clothesline in the ring. The crowd chanted “Rusev Day!” as Rusev finally started to get back into the ring. Bray Wyatt wouldn’t let him and punched him off the ring apron several times.
#9. Big E drew number 9 and came down to the ring. Big E mushed some pancakes in Slater’s face before getting into the ring. Rusev and Elias teamed up and knocked Big E to the canvas.
#10. Tye Dillinger was the tenth entrant to the 2018 Royal Rumble. Dillinger didn’t make it to the ring because he was attacked by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn backstage. Sami Zayn came down the entrance ramp and threw Heath Slater into the barricade again. Sami Zayn then entered the ring.
#11. Sheamus and his mohawk were the eleventh entrant in the Royal Rumble. Sheamus threw Slater in the ring and then slid into the ring himself. Heath Slater then Clotheslined Sheamus over the top rope and eliminated him. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Sheamus was embarrassingly eliminated by Heath Slater on his birthday. Slater celebrated for a moment before being hit with a Sister Abigail by Bray Wyatt. Bray then eliminated Slater.
#12. Xavier Woods was entrant number twelve and came down to the ring and teamed up with Big E.
#13. Apollo Crews drew unlucky number thirteen. Balor battled Almas in the corner and traded chops with him. Balor then connected with a Double Stomp on Bray Wyatt in the ring.
#14. Shinsuke Nakamura entered the rumble at number fourteen. Nakamura attacked a few Superstars in the ring as the crowd sang Shinsuke’s theme for a minute. They then transitioned into a loud “Nakamura!” chant. Shinsuke draped Sami Zayn across the top rope and kneed him in the chest. Sami Zayn tumbled out of the ring and was eliminated.
#15. Cesaro was the fifteenth entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble. Cesaro hit a flurry of uppercuts to Rusev in the ring.
#16. Kofi Kingston entered at number sixteen. Apollo Crews was eliminated by Cesaro after being hit with an uppercut on the ring apron.
#17. Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was number seventeen. Mahal attacked Woods upon entering the ring and Jerry “The King” Lawler declared Mahal as his pick to win the rumble. Mahal eliminated Woods and then eliminated Big E moments later.
#18. Seth Rollins was the eighteenth entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble. Rollins planted Elias with a Slingblade and then delivered another to Finn Balor. Cesaro tried to eliminate Rollins but Seth countered and used his leg strength to launch Cesaro out of the ring to eliminate him. Kofi was thrown over the top but one of his feet landed on Woods. Big E then proved a plate of pancakes for Kofi to place his foot on. Jinder tried to block Kofi from getting back in but Woods and Big E launched Mahal over him in a ridiculous spot. Kofi then connected with a kick that sent Mahal over the top rope and Jinder was eliminated. Big and Woods threw pancakes at him. Almas then launched Kofi over the top to eliminate him.
#19. Matt Hardy was entrant number nineteen. Wyatt and Hardy started working together and eliminated Rusev. Wyatt and Hardy started trading punches. Wyatt and Hardy’s brawl caused them both to eliminate each other at the same time.
#20. John Cena was entrant number twenty. The rest of the Superstars attacked Cena once he got into the ring. Elias went for the Drift Away but Cena countered it into an Attitude Adjustment that sent Elias over the top rope and to the floor.
#21. The Hurricane was entrant number twenty-one! He faced off with Cena and was quickly eliminated. The crowd booed Cena after he eliminated Helms. The Hurricana slipped on some pancakes but recovered to pose outside the ring.
#22. Aiden English came down to the ring as entrant number twenty-two. Dueling “lets go Cena!” and “Cena sucks!” chants broke out in the crowd.
#23. Adam Cole was number twenty-three and got a great reaction from the crowd. Adam Cole competed in an awesome Extreme Rules match against Aleister Black last night at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. Finn Balor eliminated Aiden English.
#24. Randy Orton was entrant number twenty-four. Orton planted Almas with an RKO and eliminated him. Almas was in the Royal Rumble match for almost thirty minutes.
#25. Titus O’Neil was number twenty-five. Cole and Rollins tried to eliminate Nakamura but Shinsuke was able to break free.
#26. The Miz was number twenty-six in the Royal Rumble. The Miz came down to the entrance ramp with the IC Title and raised it in the air. He then handed it to Bo Dallas and sprinted to the ring. The Miz slammed Cena and Rollins to the mat and hit a series of It Kicks to both of them. Cena went for the AA but The Miz countered into a Skull Crushing Finale. Rollins connected with a Superkick to The Miz.
#27. Rey Mysterio made his return as entrant number twenty-seven. Mysterio booted Cole in the face and slung him into the middle turnbuckle. Rey Mysterio wrapped his legs around Cole and slung him out of the ring to eliminate him. Mysterio hit the 619 on The Miz.
#28. Roman Reigns was entrant twenty-eight and came down to the ring to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Reigns punched everyone in the face and then stared at The Miz. Roman leveled Miz with a Clothesline and then beat him down in the corner of the ring. Reigns eliminated Titus O’Neil. Reigns tried to eliminate The Miz but Dallas and Axel came down to the entrance ramp and saved him. Rollins hit The Miz with the Curb Stomp as Reigns Superman Punched The Miztourage off the apron. Rollins and Reigns Powerbombed The Miz over the top rope onto Axel and Dallas. Reigns then eliminated Seth Rollins and Seth made his way to the back with a smirk on his face.
#29. Goldust was entrant twenty-nine. Goldust escaped an Attitude Adjustment and hit Cena with an Atomic Drop.
#30. Dolph Ziggler was the final entrant in 2018 Royal Rumble. Dolph sprinted to the ring and leaped onto John Cena. Dolph escaped an AA and delivered a Superkick to Cena. Goldust planted Dolph with a Powerslam. Ziggler knocked Goldust to the ring apron and then Superkicked him out of the ring. Dolph hit Shinsuke with a Zig Zag and then geared up for a Superkick.
Nakamura knocked Ziggler to the ring apron and Balor connected with a forearm that knocked Ziggler out of the ring and he was eliminated.
It was now down to Reigns, Balor, Nakamura, Orton, Mysterio and Cena. Mysterio hit Reigns with a 619 and Orton planted Nakamura with an RKO. Roman Reigns hit Orton with a Superman Punch and then eliminated him. Mysterio connected with a double 619 to Reigns and Cena. Finn Balor caught Mysterio from behind and eliminated him.
It was now down to Finn Balor, Nakamura, Cena and Reigns. The four Superstars stared at each other in the ring. Cena punched Nakamura and Reigns beatdown Balor in the ring. Cena and Reigns circled each other in the ring as the crowd chanted “you both suck!”. Nakamura and Balor attacked Cena and Reigns to the delight of the crowd.
Balor and Nakamura circled each other as the crowd cheered. Nakamura draped Balor up on the top rope and kneed him in the chest. Balor didn’t fall out of the ring and knocked Nakamura to the canvas. Shinsuke got up and booted Balor in the head.
Cena and Reigns got back up and the crowd booed as they knocked Nakamura and Balor to the mat. Cena and Reigns traded punches. Cena connected with a shoulder tackle but Roman responded with a Samoan Drop. Reigns geared up for the Superman Punch but Cena avoided it and planted him in the ring. Cena went for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Balor planted him with a Slingblade. Balor Dropkicked Cena and Reigns and then hit Nakamura with a Slingblade. Shinsuke went for the Kinshasa but Balor countered it with a Double Stomp. Cena eliminated Balor from behind and the crowd booed.
The crowd chanted for Nakamura as Reigns and Cena teamed up on him. Reigns connected with a shoulder tackle on Reigns and then slammed him to the mat. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Reigns. Roman responded with a Superman Punch. Reigns booted Nakamura out of the way and geared up for a Spear. Reigns went for it but Cena caught him with an Attitude Adjustment. Shinsuke Nakamura knocked Cena to the apron and connected with a Kinshasa to eliminate him.
We were now down to Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura. The entire crowd chanted for Shinsuke as the two Superstars stared at each other in the ring. Nakamura dared Reigns to charge at him. Reigns obliged and the two Superstars traded punches. Reigns hit a Superman Punch that knocked Nakamura to the mat. Reigns tossed Nakamura over the top rope but Shinsuke caught himself on the apron. Nakamura locked in a Triangle submission on the ropes but Reigns showed off his power and lifted him back into the ring. Reigns then planted Nakamura with a Powerbomb and both Superstars fell to the canvas.
Reigns got up first and set up in the corner for a Spear. Nakamura countered it into a knee and then hit another knee off the second rope. Shinsuke went for the Kinshasa but Reigns countered it into a massive Spear. Nakamura and Reigns sprinted off the ropes and Shinsuke hit a Kinshasa. Nakamura then launched Roman Reigns over the top rope to win the 2018 Royal Rumble.
This was a very entertaining Royal Rumble match. I found the stuff with Heath Slater hilarious and the annual Kofi escaping elimination was great this year.
I was completely flipping out at the end of the match because I thought Reigns was going to win it. The right Superstar won and now we get to see AJ Styles versus Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania. I simply cannot wait to see that match. Reigns might very well wind up in a match for the Universal Championship anyway.
Jason Jordan & Seth Rollins defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Sheamus & Cesaro.
Rollins and Cesaro started off the match in the ring. Rollins hit a couple of Arm Drags and followed it up with a Back Drop. Cesaro and Sheamus took control of the match. Cesaro dragged Jordan off the apron and threw him into the ring post.
Booker T started arguing with everyone on commentary and honestly nothing he said made any sense. Doctors came down to the ring to check on Jason Jordan. Sheamus and Cesaro spent the next few minutes beating the hell out of Rollins. Booker T said Rollins was on Gilligan’s Island right now because Jordan was injured. Graves pointed out that there were a bunch of people on Gilligan’s Island.
Jordan was still lying on the floor outside the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro teamed up for a Backbreaker on Rollins. Sheamus went for the cover but Seth kicked out at two. Sheamus charged at Rollins but Seth got out of the way and Sheamus crashed into the post.
Rollins hit Cesaro with a Blockbuster off the second rope. Rollins hit a Suplex and rolled through and went for a Falcon Arrow but Cesaro escaped. Rollins then hit the Falcon Arrow anyway for a two count.
Sheamus tagged back in and battled Rollins on the top rope. Cesaro joined the party and started punching Rollins in the face. Rollins knocked them both to the canvas and followed it up with a Frog Splash onto both of them.
Jason Jordan finally made his way up the steps and tagged himself in. Jordan held his head and wobbled a bit. Jordan tagged Rollins back in and proceeded to take a seat on the steps.
Sheamus hit Rollins with a Brogue Kick. The Bar teamed up and slammed Rollins to the mat for the pinfall victory. Sheamus & Cesaro are the new RAW Tag Team Champions.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/957803993681428480
The crowd was dead for this match after the men’s Royal Rumble. This match was also predictable as everyone knew Rollins & Jordan weren’t going to stick together for long. This storyline will continue on RAW tomorrow night between Jordan and Rollins. I’d like to see The Revival built up again in RAW’s tag division.
Brock Lesnar Is Still Universal Champion
Brock Lesnar had a giant smile on his face before the match and taunted Kane before the bell rung.
Lesnar drove Kane to the corner to start off the match. Strowman hit a ridiculous Dropkick that knocked Lesnar to the mat. Strowman threw Kane out of the ring. Kane got back in the ring as Strowman and Lesnar were trading knees. Strowman caught Lesnar in the hand and Brock responded by punching him right in the face. Kane Chokeslammed Brock and then grabbed Braun’s throat.
Lesnar hit Kane with a chair. Strowman punched the chair out of Lesnar’s hand and then threw Brock out of the ring. Strowman followed him out there and launched Brock into the barricade. Strowman grabbed a couple of tables and brought them into the ring. Strowman set up a table in the corner of the ring and Kane grabbed Braun by the throat. Strowman then grabbed Kane by the throat and Chokeslammed him to the mat.
Brock hit three German Suplexes in a row but Braun shrugged them off and hit Lesnar with a Running Powerslam through a table in the ring. Strowman went for a cover but Kane broke it up. Kane then shoved Strowman to the corner and Braun awkwardly fell through the table. Kane then Chokeslammed Strowman. Lesnar hit Kane with an F5 but Strowman broke up the pinfall attempt.
Strowman then showed off insane strength and German Suplexed Lesnar and Brock fell out of the ring. Braun cleared off the German announce table but Brock lifted Braun up onto his shoulders and delivered an F5 through the table. Lesnar then flipped another announce table onto Strowman.
Kane grabbed Lesnar by the throat but Lesnar countered with an F5 through the announce table. Strowman got up and stared at Lesnar. Brock couldn’t believe it. Strowman threw Lesnar back in the ring and hit the Running Powerslam. Strowman hit another one and Kane came into the ring and blasted Strowman with a steel chair. Strowman was knocked out of the ring and Lesnar battled with Kane. Braun hopped up on the ring apron but Lesnar shoved Kane into him. Lesnar then hit an F5 to Kane for the victory.
After the match, Strowman got back into the ring and shouted at Lesnar that he never beat him.
This match went pretty much how everyone thought it would. Lesnar retained in a quick and chaotic match and Kane took the pinfall. It was a fun match, but not all that memorable. I’m looking forward to seeing a new Universal Champion in a couple of months.
The Women’s Royal Rumble Was Full Of Surprises
The first ever women’s Royal Rumble match was the main event of the PPV. Maria Menounos introduced Stephanie McMahon as the guest commentator for the match. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair came down to the ringside area for the match.
#1. Sasha Banks was the first entrant to the Royal Rumble and came down to the ring in Wonder Woman attire.
#2. Becky Lynch was the second entrant to the Royal Rumble. Becky connected with a couple of Arm Drags and then transitioned into an Arm Bar. Sasha broke free and the two Superstars connected with a double Clothesline at the same time.
#3. Sarah Logan was the third entrant in the rumble. Logan went right after Becky Lynch and stomped on her. Logan launched Sasha Banks across the ring and followed it up with a big headbutt. Logan then beatdown Becky in the corner.
#4. Mandy Rose was the fourth entrant in the rumble. Rose went right after Sasha Banks and Corey Graves declared that she was his pick to win the match.
#5. Lita was the fifth entrant of the rumble and the crowd went crazy. Lita, Sasha and Becky had a staredown in the ring. Becky and Sasha teamed up on Lita but she fought them off. Mandy attacked Lita from behind but Lita once again battled back. Mandy Rose booted Lita in the face from the ring apron and took a second to pose. Lita then booted Mandy off the apron and she was eliminated.
#6. Kairi Sane was the sixth entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble. The Mae Young Classic winner knocked Becky and Sasha to the canvas. Sane geared up in the corner and sprinted across the ring and elbowed Lita in the face. Sane leaped off the top rope and leaped onto Sarah Logan. Sane connected with a Neckbreaker to Banks and then climbed to the top and hit her awesome finisher Elbow Drop.
#7. Tamina came down to the ring as the seventh entrant and walked into a DDT from Lita. Lita then hit a Twist of Fate to Sasha Banks and then another one to Becky Lynch. Lita climbed to the top and Moonsaulted onto both Banks and Lynch. Tamina missed with a kick as the crowd chanted “you still got it!” at Lita. Lita then eliminated Tamina but Becky Lynch came up from behind and eliminated Lita.
#8. Dana Brooke came down to the ring as the number 8 entrant. Dana got in some offense and then eliminated Kairi Sane to the shock of the crowd.
#9. Torrie Wilson was the ninth entrant in the rumble and got a great reaction from the crowd. Torrie slammed Dana face first into the mat and Clotheslined Banks. Sarah Logan connected with a massive Dropkick to Torrie and then booted Dana in the face. Torrie then eliminated Dana Brooke.
#10. Sonya Deville was the number 10 entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Deville went right after Banks and beat her down in the corner. Sonya kneed Logan in the midsection and then attacked Torrie Wilson. Deville eliminated Torrie and the crowd booed. Becky attacked Deville from behind.
#11. Liv Morgan was the eleventh entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble. Liv went after Banks and slammed her face first into the mat a couple of times. Morgan and Logan tried to eliminate Sasha but she hung on to the ropes.
#12. Molly Holly made her way down to the ring as number twelve and the crowd gave her a great reaction. Molly eliminated Sarah Logan quickly and then booted Banks in the face. Molly climbed to the top rope and flipped onto Sasha Banks.
#13. Lana was the thirteenth entrant in the rumble. The crowd greeted her with Rusev Day chants. Deville and Liv Morgan teamed up to beatdown Lana. Lana connected with a slap to Deville and then tackled Liv Morgan.
#14. Michelle McCool was the fourteenth entrant in the rumble. Michelle booted Lana and then knocked Morgan to the canvas. Michelle perched Deville up on the top rope and then eliminated her. McCool then eliminated Liv Morgan but Molly Holly attacked her from behind. McCool then eliminated Molly Holly. Lana attacked McCool from behind but Michelle wound up eliminating her with ease. McCool eliminated four Superstars with ease.
#15. Ruby Riott was number fifteen and she was also almost eliminated by Michelle McCool. Sasha Banks dragged Michelle to the ring apron but didn’t eliminate her.
#16. Vickie Guerrero was number sixteen and came down to the entrance ramp while shouting “excuse me!”. Vickie got into the ring and continued shouting “excuse me!” on the microphone. Vickie said that when she speaks, all of them must listen. Everyone started staring at Vickie and Vickie tried to run away. They all teamed up to throw Vickie out of the ring to eliminate her.
#17. Carmella was number seventeen and came down to the ring with her briefcase. Vickie grabbed the briefcase and struck Carmella with it before making her way to the back.
#18. Natalya was the eighteenth entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Natalya dropped her jacket on Carmella. Carmella got back up and knocked Natalya to the floor outside the ring. Carmella finally was able to get into the ring and booted Riott in the face. Carmella drove Becky to the corner but Becky battled out and connected with a Suplex.
#19. Kelly Kelly was number nineteen in the women’s Royal Rumble. Natalya tried to eliminate Kelly Kelly but she held onto the ropes. Kelly Kelly and Michelle McCool battled in the ring. Kelly Kelly took McCool down with Headscissors and then Natalya eliminated McCool.
#20. Naomi was number twenty and came down to the ring and hit the Rear View to Kelly Kelly. Naomi then booted Sasha in the face. Becky hit a Dropkick to Naomi off the top rope. Becky then Suplexed Natalya and Carmella. Ruby Riot then eliminated Beckly Lynch from the rumble.
#21. Jacqueline was number twenty-one and got a great reaction from the crowd. Jacqueline leveled Carmella with a Clothesline and then delivered another one to Ruby Riott. Jacqueline and Natalya teamed up and tried to eliminate Kelly Kelly but she held onto the ropes.
#22. Nia Jax was number twenty-two and eliminated Jacqueline and Kelly Kelly right away. Nia then lifted Ruby above her shoulders and dropped her across the top rope. Jax shoved Riott and Ruby was eliminated. Nia knocked Naomi to the ring apron and shoved her onto the recently eliminated Superstars. Naomi hopped onto the barricade and wasn’t eliminated.
#23. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon was number twenty-three. Moon had her arm bandaged up from her battle with Shayna Baszler last night at TakeOver. Nia threw Ember across the ring as Naomi walked on the barricade. Naomi hopped onto a chair and started crawling with her hands to the steel steps. Naomi hopped onto the steps and climbed to the top rope. Naomi went for a Crossbody but Nia caught her and threw Naomi out of the ring to eliminate her.
#24. Beth Phoenix was number twenty four and the crowd greeted her with “this is awesome!” chants. Beth tried to lift up Nia but couldn’t do it. Beth then lifted her onto her shoulders but Nia broke free. Natalya got back into the ring and teamed up with Beth to attack Nia. The two knocked Nia through the second rope and out of the ring. Beth and Natalya shared a hug in the ring. Natalya then punched Beth in the face and threw her over the top rope to eliminate her. Carmella attacked Natalya from behind.
#25. Asuka was number twenty-five. Ember Moon confronted her as the crowd chanted “NXT!”. Moon delivered a one-armed Eclipse to Asuka. Asuka then quickly eliminated Ember Moon and attacked Carmella in the corner.
#26. Mickie James was number twenty-six in the women’s Royal Rumble. Mickie connected with a Neckbreaker to Banks. Mickie connected with another Neckbreaker to Natalya. Asuka tried to eliminate Carmella but Carmella held onto the ropes.
#27. Nikki Bella was number twenty-seven and came to the ring to a great reaction. She battled with Carmella for a bit and then eliminated her. Asuka attacked Nikki from behind and Sasha joined in.
#29. Bayley entered the women’s Royal Rumble match at number twenty-nine. Bayley got in some offense but Asuka attacked her from behind and knocked her to the mat.
#30. The final entrant to the women’s Royal Rumble was Trish Stratus. Trish knocked Bayley, Asuka and Sasha Banks to the mat.
Trish Stratus eliminated Mickie James but Nia Jax got into the ring and leveled her with a shoulder tackle. Everyone teamed up and attacked Nia. Jax fought them off for a bit but eventually the rest of the Superstars were able to eliminate her.
Sasha Banks eliminated her best friend Bayley and had a smile on her face in the ring. Natalya knocked Stratus to the canvas and locked in the Sharpshooter. Stratus was able to break the hold but the damage was done. Stratus knocked Natalya to the apron and then booted her in the face and Natalya fell to the floor and was eliminated.
Banks and Stratus started taunting Sasha. Trish went for a Stratusfaction but Banks caught her and eliminated her. Banks turned around and Asuka was waiting for her. The crowd chanted “Asuka is gonna kill you!” as the two stared at each other. Banks knocked Asuka to the mat and the Bella twins started stomping on Asuka.
Banks connected with a running knee to Asuka and Brie & Nikki beat her down in the corner some more. Sasha went for Double Knees on Asuka but the Bella twins caught her and threw her out of the ring to eliminate her. Banks lasted around 55 minutes in the match.
Brie and Nikki tried to eliminate Asuka but she fought them off. Asuka then delivered kicks to them both as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Asuka threw Brie to the ring apron. Nikki leveled Asuka with a shoulder tackle. Nikki slammed Asuka to the mat and then punched Brie off the ring apron to eliminate her.
Asuka shouldered Nikki in the midsection and then climbed to the top rope. Asuka connected with a Dropkick that knocked Nikki to the mat.
Nikki connected with a kick off the second rope and both Superstars fell to the mat. Nikki lifted Asuka up onto her shoulders and threw her onto the ring apron. Nikki connected with a punch but Asuka held onto the ropes. Nikki charged at Asuka but Asuka caught her and used her leg strength to drag Nikki over the top rope and to the apron. Nikki punched Asuka in the face and Asuka fell to the mat. Asuka then booted Nikki’s legs out from under her and Nikki fell to the floor and was eliminated. Asuka won the first ever women’s Royal Rumble.
Rousey got into the ring and pointed at the WrestleMania sign as the crowd chanted “holy sh**!”. Rousey tried to shake Asuka’s hand but Asuka slapped it away.
Rousey then exited the ring and shook hands with Stephanie McMahon outside the ring. Rousey waved to the crowd and walked up to the entrance ramp. It was then announced on social media that Ronda Rousey has signed a full-time contract with WWE.
UFC's Ronda Rousey has signed a full-time contract with WWE, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. pic.twitter.com/ZeGZeSnwHZ
Well, that was awesome. I’m pumped to see Ronda Rousey in WWE and I’m also glad Asuka won the first women’s Royal Rumble. The two Royal Rumble matches were great and overall the PPV was very entertaining.
Ahead of tonight’s first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match, Nikki and Brie Bella are both backstage at the Royal Rumble event at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to PWInsider.
During an episode of Total Divas that aired a few weeks ago (and filmed back in the summer), there was a tease that the twin duo could return to WWE television at this time. There was a scene where Nikki and Brie sat down with WWE Senior Director of Talent Relations Mark Carrano about their future in the company. The result of the conversation was that they would return to WWE for the Royal Rumble and be a part of storylines through WrestleMania 34 in April.
The Bella Twins’ brother JJ was also spotted in Philadelphia, which indicates they’re being filmed for Total Divas as well.
Nikki last wrestled at WrestleMania 33, where she and John Cena beat The Miz and Maryse in a Mixed Tag Team Match. After the match, Cena legitimately proposed to Bella, which she accepted. Two days later, Nikki announced via Instagram that she would be taking time off from wrestling.
Brie last wrestled in April 2016 on the WrestleMania 32 Kickoff, where she pinned Naomi in a 10-Diva Tag Team Match. After giving birth, she has said that she be open to wrestling again.
The Bella Twins were among the female legends honored by WWE last Monday on Raw 25.
– During an interview at a Make-A-Wish event last Monday at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, Stephanie McMahon said she would love to return to the ring.
“I would love to do it,” Stephanie said when asked if she would like to return to the ring. “I think anytime I have the opportunity to be physical in the ring, it’s a privilege for me. So if, you know, the storyline and our audience demands it, then, of course, I’m going to give it to them.”
The Commissioner of Monday Night Raw also discussed tonight’s Royal Rumble event, her match with Brie Bella at SummerSlam 2014, Raw 25, Ronda Rousey and more.
– Natalya, Carmella, and Bayley are guests on the latest edition of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia as they discuss the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Becky Lynch is also on the show as Lilian Garcia’s co-host. You can listen to the interview on PodcastOne or iTunes.
– Former WWE Women’s Champion Gail Kim will not compete in tonight’s first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match.
In response to fan speculation on Twitter that she could appear as a surprise entrant, Kim replied “Hell no.” She will actually be in Dallas, Texas for a Royal Rumble viewing party.
Heading to a live viewing party for #RoyalRumble tomorrow night. Excited to see the women And hoping to see the women of my generation make some surprise appearances. I’ll live tweet as I’m watching. Can’t wait!
Kim again said she won’t be in the match after a fan said he hoped to hear her first WWE theme song. She said that song was good, but hated her song during her second run with the company.
Well it won’t. Lol. Again, I’m going to a viewing party and also remember the last run I had there, they gave me some garbage generic music that sucked. That entrance song was good however. I think my fave is puppets on a string https://t.co/WS1f2jVKhv
– Saturday marked the 25-year anniversary of the passing of Andre the Giant. On the night of January 27, 1993, he died in his sleep of congestive heart failure in a hotel room in Paris, France. He was in Paris to attend his father’s funeral.
In this post on Instagram, Hulk Hogan remembers his friend.
History will be made tonight as WWE presents the 2018 edition of the Royal Rumble. In addition to 4 big championship matches, this year’s event will feature the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Here is the final card:
Triple Threat for the WWE Universal Title – Kane vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
2-on-1 Handicap Match for the WWE Title – Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles (c)
30-Man Royal Rumble Match Confirmed participants include:
John Cena, Finn Balor, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Elias, Baron Corbin, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, Aiden English, Rusev, Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods, Tye Dillinger, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz and Roman Reigns.
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match Confirmed participants include:
WWE released a video ahead of the 2018 Royal Rumble which airs on January 28th from the Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia. The feature contains superstars reviewing their time in the 2017 Royal Rumble, as well as Charlotte and Becky Lynch discussing their feelings before the first Women’s Royal Rumble.
Other highlights include Mojo Rawley and Jack Gallagher offering a unique take on commentary, discussing weapons in the rumble match, and how to enter the ring.
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch also give their prediction for the men’s rumble match, stating that Elias is the dark horse.
The most interesting and entertaining part of this video however, is how Randy Orton remembers last year’s Royal Rumble event.
On seeing Roman Reigns eliminate The Undertaker, Orton said:
“Yeah, [if] memory serves me correctly, this set up the mainevent for WrestleMania, even though I won the damn thing and if you win The Royal Rumble – you go to the mainevent of WrestleMania – this [Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker] was the mainevent of WrestleMania. So I remember that.”
Later in the video Orton re-lives his celebration after eliminating Reigns from the rumble to win the match, and explains how he was still placed behind Reigns on the match card for WrestleMania.
Opinion:
It’s such a fantastic video, and certainly one of the better promotional videos for Sunday’s Royal Rumble. It’s very easy to understand and appreciate Orton’s frustration, however I can’t see him making it to the end this year.
