Stephanie McMahon welcomes us to the Royal Rumble! She says it’s the biggest Rumble in history.
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Lots of returns planned for this match including Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch. We’ll see if all that materializes. IOY Sky is out first and the second entrant is Liv Morgan. Third is Roxanne Perez and fourth is Lyra Valkyria. Nothing of importance has happened yet. Michael Cole with a weird line, perhaps a subtle jab at Corey Graves calling Wade Barrett the “best color man” in the game right now or something like that. IOY hanging on for dear life as entrant #5 – Chelsea Green – emerges. She takes forever to get to the ring as the commentators remind us that she only lasted five seconds last year. Chelsea throws everyone over the top and celebrates but nobody actually hits the floor and then they all join forces and beat her up.
Entrant #6 is B-Fab. Nobody has been eliminated yet and most of the girls are just sitting around. They have a little ticker at the bottom of the screen showing how many wrestlers are active, how many wrestlers have been eliminated and what entrant we are on. Entrant #7 is Ivy Nile. Nile hit a cool double suplex on Perez and Green at the same time. Entrant #8 is Zoey Stark. Entrant #9 is Lash Legend of NXT, she sprints down. She cleans house on everyone in the ring but still no eliminations…until…Chelsea eliminates B-Fab! Entrant #10 is our first big star in Bianca Belair, a former winner. Bianca with a cool spot climbing to the second rope and punching away by stacking four or five ladies in the corner. Bianca with a Gorilla press on IOY as Entrant #11, Shayna Baszler, hustles down. Ivy Nile eliminates Lyra Valkyria as we welcome Entrant #12, Bayley, who won this match last year. She goes eye-to-eye with Sky but both of them are attacked by the others and nothing comes of it. Entrant #13 comes out next and it’s Sonya Deville, joining her stablemates Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler. The trio immediately begin to work together. Chelsea somehow slips outside and sits next to the announce table, saying she is taking a time out.
Maxxine Dupri is Entrant #14. Pure Fusion Collective stand and wait for her. Dupri goes to work on some other wrestlers as PFC stands in the corner. They then confront of her but the other Bayley, Bianca and IYO all come in for the save. Dupri eliminates Ivy but then Pure Fusion Collective eliminate Maxxine as she celebrates. Entrant #15 is revealed as Naomi. So for those keeping count, 15 women have entered, 4 eliminated and numbers 1, 2 and 3 are still in there. Naomi and Bianca team up and eliminate Zoey Stark while Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler are all eliminated within seconds so PFC is gone. Entrant #16 is NXT’s Jaida Parker. Chelsea eliminates Lash Legend which brings us to Entrant #17, Piper Niven. Chelsea pleads with her to hurry up. Piper then accidentally eliminates Chelsea when Bianca moved out of the way. Entrant #18 is Natalya. She runs through some women and almost eliminates IYO and then Roxanne Perez. We get a countdown for Entrant #19 and it’s Jordynne Grace, formerly of TNA. She gets a great ovation. Grace predictability is allowed a good amount of offense and eliminates Jaida Parker. She then hits a Death Valley Driver on Piper Niven in an incredible display of strength. Naomi and Grace embrace, paying homage to their friendship from TNA.
Entrant #20 is out next and it’s Michin, who comes out to barely any reaction at all. Let’s see who is still there: Bianca, Bayley, Naomi, Piper, Jordynne, IYO, Liv, Nattie, Michin, and I’m missing someone, oh I think Roxanne. Bianca almost eliminated by Natalya. Entrant #21 is a returning Alexa Bliss to a massive ovation! The commentators take a dig at the “dirtsheets” saying the internet said she wasn’t coming back. Bliss and Bayley go at it and Bliss shows off her moves and eats up the crowd reaction. Entrant #22 is Zelina Vega. There’s 12 ladies in there right now, 10 have been eliminated and next up will be #23, who is revealed as Candice LeRae. IYO and Liv as the first and second entrants are still hanging in there. Entrant #24 is NXT’s Stephanie Vaquer. I believe there is a match-high 14 competitors active in the ring right now. Entrant #25 is Hall of Famer Trish Stratus in her old school attire. Stratus goes immediately after Natalya before turning her attention to Jordynne Grace. Piper then sends Trish flying with a shoulder block. Entrant #26 is next up and it’s Raquel Rodriguez; Liv Morgan finally gets her reinforcement. The two team up and Liv hits the Codebreaker to eliminate Natalya. Morgan then eliminates Bliss as the crowd boos. Naomi and Bianca then attack Liv and Raquel as the countdown to Entrant #27 is upon us. It is none other than Charlotte Flair, who gets pyro. The Queen parades down to the ring as everyone in the audience stands and watches. She cleans house with her patented Flair chops on pretty much everyone. Flair then eliminates Michin and heads to the top where she hits a high cross body. Vaquer and Grace then hold Charlotte up in a vertical suplex but she counters it into a double DDT. Charlotte then eliminates Piper.
As Raquel and Liv take down Charlotte, Entrant #28 is revealed as the reigning NXT Women’s Champion, Giulia. She locks eyes with and then goes at it with IYO Sky. They knock each other down as the count stands at 14 women in, 14 eliminated, two women left. Giulia eliminates Jordynne Grace but when she turns around, Stephanie Vaquer is there. They decide to team up and Roxanne joins them in an NXT vs. WWE battle. Entrant #29 is Nia Jax. She immediately eliminates Zelina Vega. Candice LeRae is eliminated. Trish goes after Nia but is eventually caught by Nia and eliminated. Entrant #30 is revealed as Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. She gets a good ovation. She stares down with Nia and before long, all the ladies circle around Jax. But she sends them all flying. IYO and Liv have set the record for the longest time in the Rumble, eclipsing Bayley’s mark. Vaquer and IYO both barely escape getting eliminated and soon they are joined by five other ladies. Nia Jax then sneaks up and pretty much eliminates them all. Jax then eliminates Liv. Six women left – Nikki, Jax, Bayley, Charlotte, Giulia and Roxanne. Giulia eliminated. Bayley is eliminated by Nikki Bella and then Jax eliminates Nikki. Down to three – Charlotte, Nia and Roxanne. Jax has Roxanne up and is close to getting her out but Charlotte sneaks up from behind and throws Nia out. Charlotte then lands a kick to eliminate Roxanne and win the Royal Rumble. WINNER: Charlotte Flair.
We see Big E promoting Slim Jim.
Three legends are shown: Godfather, Mickie James and Kurt Angle, who is with his daughter – an amateur wrestler who has Kurt’s medals with him.
Drew McIntyre is shown pacing backstage as is Sami Zayn.
We see Marcus Freeman, the head coach of Notre Dame’s football team and Stephen Amell.
Backstage, we see the Motor City Machine Guns as well as DIY getting ready for their two-out-of-three falls match. A video package highlighting the feud is shown.
WWE Tag Team Championship Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match
DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Good action until both Ciampa and Sabin both down and they go to make the tag out. Sabin takes out to Shelly but Gargano pulls his hand away before Ciampa can tag out. Shelly thinks Gargano is the legal man, but it’s still Ciampa. Gargano sends Shelly into a high knee from Ciampa and they get a three count for the first fall.
Motor City Machine Guns hit a Skull and Bones on Gargano to get the second fall so we are tied.
MCMG has Ciampa hung up in the corner and send Gargano into him. They then hit a Powerbomb Blockbuster on Ciampa but Gargano saves the pin. Gargano then accidentally hits Ciampa and the MCMG are double teaming him while someone in a black outfit comes out and distracts the ref. Then on the other side of the ring, Angelo Dawkins stands on the apron and nails . Ciampa and Gargano then team up and hit a running knee and super kick on Sabin to get the three count and the win. WINNERS: DIY (Gargano & Ciampa)
After the match, Dawkins and Montez Ford (who was the other guy) attack DIY with the crutch and grab the belts and pose with them before leaving. Michael Cole says Ford and Dawkins want to win the belts from Gargano and Ciampa.
They show a bunch of different stuff before the next match, including Pat McAfee highlights. A new Alexa Bliss t-shirt is available and they show more legends: Ron Simmons (aka Farooq), Rick Steiner and Rob Van Dam. RVD gets a great reaction from the fans.
Some celebrities are shown: Belal Muhammad, UFC Welterweight Champion and John Mellencamp, the Grammy Award Winning Singer and Songwriter.
We see a video package going over the feud between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens.
WWE Undisputed Title Ladder Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens
Before the match, refs take both the Winged Eagle belt and Cody’s WWE title and suspend it above the ring. They are already outside where Owens slams Cody right through a ladder that is set up near the ramp. Owens uses one of the rungs as a weapon on Rhodes. As KO is looking under the ring, Cody ambushes him and then sends him outside in the crowd and the two fight out there. Back near the ring, Owens pulls out a ladder from under the ring and props it up on the apron before sending Cody flying over it. Back inside, Owens sets up a ladder and heads up but Cody runs in and stops him. Owens sends Rhodes back to the outside and tries again but Cody intercepts again. Cody throws Owens into the ladder, toppling it over. KO bangs Cody’s head off the announce table a couple of times and then takes the top off it and slams it on Rhodes. He goes back under and pulls out another ladder as the fans chant for tables.
Kevin Owens sets the ladder across the ring apron and announce table but Rhodes fights back and sends him into the steps. Cody rolls into the ring and sets the ladder up in the center of the ring but Owens brings in a smaller ladder and uses it on Rhodes, laying him out. KO climbs up the small ladder and acts like he’s going to jump off it but he abandons that. Cody fights back and uses the little ladder on Owens and heads up the big ladder to retrieve the belts. Owens uses the little ladder and knocks Cody off and slams it into his elbow and then his mid-section. He then side slams Cody onto the small ladder. Cody heads to the top and gets to the belt but he hangs there as Owens pulls him away from the ladder so Cody kinda dangles in the air. Owens then powerbombs him off the ladder.
Later on, Cody breaks off a rung and uses it on Owens like a baseball bat but Owens also uses it on him, whacking Cody in the head and choking him out with it. KO sends Rhodes into the ladder set up, knocking it over. Kevin then uses that little ladder again, throwing it into Cody. KO goes and gets another ladder from under the ring. He sets it up across the bottom ropes, hoists Cody up but Rhodes slips out. KO tries to nail a package piledriver on Cody onto a ladder but Rhodes reverses it and back body drops him onto it instead. That looked painful. With Owens down, Rhodes tries to make it up the ladder but KO struggles up and powerbombs him onto the ladder he had previously set up across the lower ropes. Owens sets up a ladder on the middle ropes and across to the ladder in the middle. Cody tries to suplex Owens from the turnbuckle area onto it but KO reverses it and hits a Fisherman’s Buster onto the bridged ladder. This was a brutal spot and it brings out officials and GM Nick Aldis to check on the wrestlers. Sami Zayn also comes out looking concerned for both men.
Both guys up and on the outside, Kevin Owens is busted open as Cody targets it, punching him relentlessly in the face. Owens saves himself with a low blow and tries a package pikedriver on a ladder bridged between the ring apron and the announce table but seconds later, Rhodes demolishes him with an Alabama Slam. Cody then runs into the ring and climbs the ladder and grabs the belts as the bell rings. WINNER: Cody Rhodes
A bloodied Kevin Owens is still down and out, being attended to by medical staff, officials and Sami Zayn is there as well. Cody looks like he’s leaving but comes back and poses on the announce table over Kevin Owens who is now sitting up.
They announce that WWE Evolve will be premiering on March 5 on Tubi and each week, there will be a new episode.
We see more celebrities: Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, actor O’Shea Jacksn Jr and streamer Kai Cenat.
We see Big E and Joe Tessitore on the Royal Rumble panel. They talk about Cody retaining his title and the upcoming men’s Royal Rumble match.
We then see some clips of past Royal Rumbles and they share some stats on the winners and this year’s match that will see men like John Cena and Roman Reigns compete for the first time in years.
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Rey Mysterio got #1 and right on cue, Penta is #2! They jaw at each other as the crowd cheers. They end up shaking hands before getting it on. They almost eliminate each other immediately. Penta then almost gets tossed out in a very close call, almost looked both feet touched. If they dont show us a replay, probably means both feet inadvertently touched. Mysterio then slips in the corner as #3 comes out and it’s Chad Gable. Rey and Penta work together before #4 comes out and it’s Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo and Chad then team up on Penta before turning their attention to Mysterio. Hayes then turns on Gable and tries to eliminate him but is unsuccessful. Countdown to #5 and out comes Santos Escobar. He hits Mysterio with a 619 but is confronted by Penta who nails him with the Mexican Destroyer. Mysterio then follows it up with the 619 of his own on Escobar. Gable tries to get all four guys out but they hang on and then gang up on him.
Entrant #6 is Otis. He tries the Worm on Escobar but Gable runs in and tries to snap on an Ankle Lock. The two brawl in the middle of the ring. Otis slaps him but Gable returns with a German Suplex but Otis bounces back up and raises Gable in a Torture Rack. Entrant #7 is IC Champion Bron Breakker. He greets Hayes with a massive spear and eliminates him. Frankensteiner on Chad Gable. He lays out the others and then tosses Escobar over the top. Five guys left and Number #8 comes and it’s Alpha Academy member Akira Tozawa. As he’s pumping himself up, Carmelo Hayes levels him from behind seemingly injuring him. GM Adam Pearce waves in medical staff and they take away Tozawa. In the back, we see Pearce and HHH say someone has to replace him. They send out IShowSpeed in his place. He helps Breakker eliminate Otis but then Breakker blindsides him with another huge Spear. Breakker Gorilla presses him and throws him out onto Otis who catches him and then tosses him onto the announce table, officially eliminating him. Entrant #9 is Sheamus. He goes after Gable and then Penta and Mysterio.
Entrant #10 is Jimmy Uso. Uso heads right to the top and goes after Gable, Sheamus and then Mysterio. He hits a Corkscrew Moonsault on Penta. Entrant #11 is Andrade. Sheamus, Mysterio and I think Gable trying to eliminate Breakker Next up is #12 and it’s Jacob Fatu. Predictably he comes in and beats up everyone. He hits a Double Samoan drop on Penta and Mysterio. He then eliminates Gable and Mysterio before sending Andrade out too. When he turns around, Bron Breakker sizes him up as Entrant #13 – Ludwig Kaiser – runs down. Kaiser is immediately eliminated by Penta. Next up is #14 and it’s The Miz. Miz gets in some offense but then runs into Jacob Fatu and almost gets eliminated. Fatu catches him in mid-air with a Samoan Drop as we see #15, TNA Champion Joe Hendry emerges with his belt in tow to a great reaction. Hendry takes out Miz, Penta and Uso. Everyone is laid out except Hendry and Sheamus. Hendry then turns around and is shoulder blocked by Fatu. Competitor #16 is out next and it’s the OTC, Roman Reigns, who is important enough to get pyro. Immediate spear to Miz and sends him over the top. Sheamus also eliminated as Hendry steps up but is also nailed with a Spear and eliminated, making it three eliminations for Roman. He stares across at Breakker and run the ropes and it’s Bron who hits the spear. But Roman gets up and tosses Breakker over the top, eliminating him. Roman, Jimmy, Jacob Fatu and Penta are the four remaining. As Jimmy is helping Roman up, Jacob nails Uso and eliminates him, leaving Roman and Jacob staring across the ring at each other. Penta is just laying in the corner. They trade punches before Reigns hits a spear as #17 is ready to come down – Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre and Reigns jaw at each other and Drew says he’s been waiting for this moment. They trade shots but Jacob blindsides Roman. Now McIntyre and Jacob stare at each other but decide to double-team Roman instead. Entrant #18 is Finn Balor to barely any reaction. Balor and McIntyre double team Reigns but Penta and Finn go off on their own for a bit. Everyone is going after everyone now with Fatu choking out McIntyre. Penta and Roman working together. Entrant #19 is US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. He goes after Reigns first and then Penta. Balor and Fatu work over Penta while McIntyre and Nakamura focus on Roman. Penta hits a Mexican Destroyer on Jacob but then is eliminated by Balor. Entrant #20 is out next and it’s Jey Uso. Six guys are in the ring – Reigns, Nakamura, Fatu, McIntyre, Balor and Jey Uso. Nakamura is eliminated by Uso as we count down to Entrant #21. It’s a returning AJ Styles, who also gets pyro. Styles takes out pretty much everyone one by one but then turns around to face Jacob Fatu. They start punching away at each other but Fatu hits him a big back body drop. Entrant #22 is Braun Strowman, who marches down headed straight for Jacob Fatu. The two big men circle each other and Braun gets the better of it. Strowman then picks up Jacob and just throws him right out. Jacob then throws an announce table char into the ring. A bunch of wrestlers then team up on Strowman as #23 is headed to the ring.
John Cena’s music hits and he comes out to a big reaction. He eliminates Strowman by pulling down the rope and then tosses Balor with the Attitude Adjustment. Meanwhile, Roman deliver a Spear on McIntyre and it’s just him and Cena standing as #24 – CM Punk – is out next. Styles, Uso, McIntyre are laying around as Cena, Reigns and Punk take three sides of the ring and I know what’s happening next. #25 counts down and yep, it’s Seth Rollins. Rollins goes after Punk and Reigns and Cena duke it out in another corner. McIntyre helps out Seth leaving Uso and Styles to duke it out. They mix it up a bit as we count down to #26 with Dominik Mysterio out to a chorus of boos. Dom with a frog splash to Cena and he tries to suplex Roman but Reigns grabs him and hits a Samoan Drop. Entrant #27 is Sami Zayn and goes after McIntyre and Rollins with Helluva Kicks. He then trades punches with Punk before getting the better of him. Entrant #28 is revealed as Damian Priest. Priest goes through each of the wrestlers in the ring but Dom hits him from behind but then runs into a huge chokeslam and then Priest throws him over the top. Number #29, LA Knight, runs out next as we have ten wrestlers active: Knight, Reigns, McIntyre, Rollins, Punk, Cena, Styles, Uso, Priest and Zayn.
Sami eliminated as the final entrant is ready to come down. It’s Logan Paul and the fans don’t seem happy, showering him with boos. Drew McIntyre gets eliminated by Damian Priest. Punk, Styles and Knight all take turns on Paul. As Knight tries to push him off, Logan jumps from the apron to the announce table, technically still in the match. Priest gets eliminated. Styes then eliminates LA Knight. Logan then navigates himself to the barricade and jumps onto the steps. He then blindsides Styles and eliminates him. We have six left – Reigns, Cena, Uso, Rollins, Paul and Punk. We got Paul vs. Reigns, Punk vs. Rollins and Cena vs. Uso in three corners. They all disperse and start hitting their finishers. Rollins with a couple stomps leaving only him and Rollins standing. They start punching each other in the middle of the ring and miss some of their signature moves. Rollins then off the rope but almost gets eliminated. As the two teeter on the ropes, CM Punk sneaks up from behind and eliminates them both. Punk looks down at the two and Logan Paul sneaks up and takes out Punk. We are down to Logan, Cena and Uso. Outside of the ring, Rollins head stomps Reigns and then Punk and him brawl. Rollins goes after Heyman but then runs back at Roman and stomps his head onto the steps. Punk and Rollins then resume their fight but officials break it up and send Seth to the back. Punk then walks over a fallen Reigns and mumbles something to Heyman before leaving.
As we the attention goes back into the ring and on the match, Logan Paul and Jey Uso size each other up. They trade blows. Uso then runs at Cena but Cena counters and then stacks the two of them up and hits them with an elbow. Cena then picks both of them up, as Uso slithers off and kicks Paul off. Cena then clotheslines Paul over the top, leaving only himself and Uso. As the crowd looks on and cheers, Cena takes it all in. Fans chanting “Let’s Go Cena” as Uso and Cena exchange right hands. Cena momentarily grabs the upperhand and hits a couple of shoulder tackles. He sets up Uso and executes the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Uso catches him with a kick and tries to throw him over the ropes. Cena ducks a clothesline but runs into a Spear. Uso tries to throw Cena out but Cena counters and thinks he’s thrown Jey out. The two punch at each other on the ring apron, teetering on the edge of elimination. Uso with a Superkick as Cena barely hangs on. However, he then walks into what appears to be an Attitude Adjustment but sneaks out of it, and pushes Cena off the mat and onto the floor. Cena and Uso embrace after the match. WINNER: Jey Uso.
That was a shocker.
