It was finally time for the big Royal Rumble pay-per-view event and it was only a matter of time before all of our questions were answered. Well, at least those questions concerning the Royal Rumble.
Drew Gulak, TJP, and Jack Gallagher vs Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, and Kalisto
The masked men vs the heels seem to be a formula that works. The building was filling up during this match with hardly anybody in the building during the entrances for this one.
TJP took a dropkick from the apron and Gulak was tossed outside as well. Then all three masked men hit a moonsault off the same turnbuckle on all three guys on the outside which was a nice little piece of business.
There was a spot where Lince Dorado hit a springboard double stunner on both Gulak and Gallagher followed by a leap from Gran Metalik on Gulak. TJP and Kalisto were left in the ring when Kalisto hit the Salida Del Sol for the pinfall.
Winners: Kalisto, Gran Metalik, and Lince Dorado via pinfall
Luke Gallow and Karl Anderson vs The Revival (Kickoff Show)
It was great to see The Revival in the kickoff show where they tried to get their embarrassing defeat back at Raw 25. So there might be some story there.
The Revival were the obvious heels here trying to employ some underhanded tactics from the getgo. However, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson seemed to be one step ahead of them by destroying them early on.
Dawson scored a blind tag and took Anderson out from behind. Then he focused on his leg for a bit. Wilder got the tag after they hung Anderson up in a tree of woe and he focused on Anderson’s leg. Then Dawson got the tag and got in to do more of the same to Anderson.
Dawson took a kick to the face, but Wilder got the tag and cut him off. Dawson went for a dragon screw but Karl turned it into a pin for a two count.
The Club tried for a Magic Killer after Gallows got the tag but Dawson broke up the finisher.
After a scuffle, Gallows ended up outside of the ring and took a ring post to the face. Wilder hit a chop block on the back of Anderson’s knee and scored the pinfall.
Winners: The Revival via pinfall
Bobby Roode US Open Challenge (Kickoff Show)
Roode said tonight is all about the numbers because we start with 30 and end with one just like in the US Title tourney because he was the one who won, and that one is Glorious.
But who would his opponent be?!
Mojo Rawley came out and the Philly fans booed away at WWE’s booking for the first time of the night.
Mojo was still with Roode from the gate as the crowd chanted “Mojo sucks.” But Bobby came back with a clothesline and an inverted atomic drop followed by a side Russain legsweep. Bobby almost had a Glorious DDT, but Rawly got out of it and sent Bobby to the floor.
Then Mojo steamrolled over Roode and drove him into the barricade and he landed hard. Once they returned to the ring, Mojo maintained control to wear down on Bobby.
But Roode would get control once again with a neckbreaker and land some knees into Mojo to finally hit a Blockbuster after a previous attempted had been countered. He went for the Glorious DDT but Mojo countered and planted Roode into the canvas for a two count.
Roode tried for another Glorious DDT but it was reversed again. Mojo then mounted a comeback but Rawley got his legs up in the corner and blocked Rawley’s running fist finisher. Roode grabbed Mojo and got on the second turnbuckle to hit a sloppy-looking DDT from the second turnbuckle where he landed on his feet before he landed. Anyway, Bobby Roode retains!
Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Bobby Roode via pinfall
AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (WWE Championship Handicap Match)
I love everyone in this match, but it is such a silly premise to think about having co-champions. This was such a strange program because AJ Styles wasn’t really screwed by anyone except himself where he simply proposed a match and Daniel Bryan just booked it.
Kevin immediately tagged into Zayn which was expected because he’s been nursing a back injury. Then Kevin took a tag back in. Owens tagged Sami back in without really doing anything except for messing with AJ’s head. He was working without taking any damage until a leg scissors takedown from Styles took him down. KO got out of the ring and ran around to Sami and got the tag.
Sami and Kevin kept tagging in and out letting Zayn take a little bit of punishment and then Owens would come back in to apply only offense without taking any real damage. KO hammered at AJ until he rolled outside the ring.
“Wanna play outside?!” Owens asked before launching Styles into the barricade.
They returned to the ring for a near fall and Kevin tagged Sami back in. Kevin tagged himself back in and AJ hit a few chops but Kevin came back with a face plant from a seated position on his shoulders for a two count.
I think I noticed the guy at ringside dressed as Waldo at the same moment Sami Zayn did before he looked at him and started chuckling to himself. Where’s Waldo? At the Royal Rumble.
Styles avoided a cannonball from KO and he took his first real bump of the match so he tagged Zayn back in. AJ soon took Zayn out as well and tagged Kevin back in.
Styles soon avoided a Helluva Kick and hit an inverted DDT. He countered a double team move from the Yep Movement and locked on a Calf Crusher until Zayn broke it up.
AJ cleared the ring of both heels and almost got pinned after Zayn hit a blue thunder bomb when Kevin kicked him in the back of the head. The crowd was very hot at this point but that should have been expected seeing how it’s Philly.
AJ hit a Phenomenal Forearm on Zayn but KO jumped in and broke up the pin. Zayn tried to get to the corner and tag in Kevin, but AJ grabbed him and he DID NOT TAG HIM IN. Then AJ launched Zayn over the top rope and KO jumped in for a pop-up powerbomb but AJ rolled him up for a pin and the referee counted. 1-2-3 but Kevin Owens wasn’t the legal man… let’s just assume this Yep Movement thing isn’t over just yet.
Winner: AJ Styles
KO and SZ got in Shane McMahon’s face backstage about the conclusion of the match. They asked him if he saw that and Shane-O only said, “yep” before walking off.
The Usos vs Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin (SmackDown Tag Team Titles 2 out of 3 falls match)
They started slow and each team got a tag to feel each other out. Then Gable and Benjamin powdered out of the ring to regroup. But the would soon gain an advantage however the Usos would hit double Superkicks on Gable followed by a Splash for a near fall.
The Usos would soon hit Gable multiple Superkicks to score the first pinfall.
Gable and Benjamin took the action to the outside of the ring and hit a massive double team move on Jimmy Uso leaving Jimmy by himself in the ring. Gable hit an overhead kick but Jimmy rolled Shelton up and scored the other pinfall.
Well, that was sudden.
Winners and STILL SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The Usos
The Men’s Royal Rumble
Rusev tried to dump Balor over the apron right from the beginning and he avoided elimination from the very start. The two fought on in the ring and Rusev nailed Balor with a knee to the abs followed by a dropkick from Balor.
Rhyno entered 3rd and Philly was happy to see him with plenty of “ECW” chants. Then Rusev and Rhyno went at it while Finn hid out to rest up. Rhyno started to eliminate Balor but Rusev stopped him for some strange reason before Baron Corbin came out to a sea of boos.
Baron tossed everyone around but nobody was eliminated just yet. Rhyno tried to Gore Baron but he turned it into a Deep 6 and was eliminated then Balor eliminted Baron so Corbin dragged Balor out of the ring under the bottom rope and tossed Finn against the barricade and did the same to Rusev only he got an End Of Days on the outside. He hit Balor with another backbreaker next before Heath Slater came out.
Then Baron Corbin destroyed Slater at the entrance. There were bodies laying all over the ring thanks to Baron Corbin and then Elias came out to cut a little promo and pick on his guitar.
He got in the ring during the Royal Rumble match and said the countdown clock won’t start until he gives us the performance of the year. But the clock started ticking anyway and Andrade Cien Almas came out with the NXT Championship.
Almas rallied a little bit but Elias soon slowed him down with a still clothesline. Then it was Bray Wyatt’s turn to join the fun.
This entire time Heath Slater was trying to make his way to the ring and Bray stopped to send him into the barricade. He came in and took out Elias and quickly did his strange upside down look.
Suddenly, Balor came back into the match and took the fight to Bray. Rusev still couldn’t make it back to the ring as Big E came out to pick up Heath Slater and stuff his mouth full of pancakes because, why not?
Big E took Wyatt out with a belly to belly suplex but Rusev and Elias soon took him out as the “Rusev Day” chants rang out in Philly. Then Tye Dillinger came out at #10 once again which is a fun strategy even though he never came out. Instead, they showed Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn backstage assaulting The Perfect 10.
Sheamus came out next and tossed Heath Slater in the ring but he immediately turned around and clotheslined him out of the Rumble possibly breaking Santino Marella’s record of shortest Royal Rumble appearance. Happy birthday Sheamus!
Then Bray Wyatt threw out Slater. Xavier Woods came down so he and Big E could hit some nice double teams move all over the place and as they were trying to eliminate Elias, Rusev picked up Big E to stop it so nobody was eliminated just yet.
Apollo Crew came out next to be lucky 13. Nakamura came out next and the place lost their minds as he pulled one move after another while eliminating Sami Zayn in the process.
Cesaro almost had Finn eliminated by Andrade Cien Almas saved him while the “Rusev Day” chants continued to ring out in Philly. Then Cesaro and Rusev fought back and forth in the middle of the ring.
Kofi joined the match next meaning all three members of the New Day were in the ring but Cesaro took him out with an uppercut pretty quickly and then he eliminated Apollo Crews.
Jinder Mahal came out to join his first-ever Royal Rumble match as Jerry Lawler picked Jinder to win. Woods was eliminated by Mahal and then he pulled Big E onto the apron and the two fought until he landed a kick and took out Big E too.
Seth Rollins came out and it was a battle of the slingblades against Finn Balor which Seth won. Cesaro picked Seth up but Rollins countered and sent Cesaro flying over the top rope to eliminate him too.
Kofi was eliminated by Mahal but Xavier Woods jumped under him so he landed on that. Then Big E put a plate of pancakes under him before Woods and Big E launched Kofi back in the match to eliminate Mahal. Then Big E and Woods pelted him with pancakes.
Almas hit a DDT on Kofi and sent him over the top rope on the other side. Woken Matt came out next and joined Bray Wyatt to take out Rusev as a sea of boo erupted at that booking decision.
Then Hardy and Wyatt battled over the top rope to eliminate each other.
John Cena came out next and everyone automatically beat him down. Elias tried to hit a Drift Away but Elias quickly eliminated him.
The Hurricane came out and received a huge pop. But when he tried to get a chokeslam on Cena, he was quickly tossed out of the ring where he slipped in the New Day’s pancakes. Aiden English came back but this time it was to compete instead of sing Rusev’s entrance.
Aiden took the fight to Balor who had been in the match for over 35 minutes at that point. Then Adam Cole came out as things got very serious but he was heavily taped up from his extreme rules match against Aleister Black at TakeOver on the previous night.
Balor threw Aiden English over the top rope as the match carried on. Randy Orton entered next where he hit Almas with an RKO from a sick springboard dive. Then Orton eliminated the NXT Champion with ease before taking his attention to Seth Rollins for a bit.
Apollo came out and the match continued a little bit after that before The Miz came out alongside Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas. Miz started landing It Kicks on both Cena and Nakamura but Nakamura ducked the last one followed by a Skull Crushing Finale to Cena from the A-Lister.
Mysterio received a huge pop as he took the fight to Adam Cole and eliminated him. Mysterio hit a 6-1-9 on The Miz while Orton and Nakamura fought in another corner. Roman Reigns got a huge negative reaction from the get-go which should have been expected as he immediately started taking everyone out with right hands.
Roman tossed Titus over the top rope and tried to throw The Miz over, but the Miztourage would stop him but take a Superman Punch for their troubles. Seth hit The Miz with a Blackout (curb stomp) and hit a two-man Shield powerbomb on The Miz onto Dallas and Axel.
Roman immediately turned around and threw Rollins over the top rope which brought a lot of heat before Goldust came out. Dolph Ziggler came out wearing silver and looking great after returning from after seemingly retiring while he vacated his US Title.
Cena tried to hit an AA but he nailed an AA and dumped him onto the apron. Goldust hit a powerslam on Dolph and then eliminated Goldy. Nakamura tried to jump on Dolph but he was hit with a Zig Zag. Then Nakamura flipped Ziggler onto the apron and Balor jumped over Nakamura to eliminate him.
Cena hit an AA on Finn and Shinsuke ate an RKO. Rey Mysterio sat both Roman and Cena up for a double 6-1-9 and pulled it off before Balor threw Mysterio over the top rope.
The final four were Cena, Reigns, Balor, and Nakamura. They all took a second to analyze the situation before getting down to business. Cena and Reigns took out Balor and Nakamura and took a second to talk and point to the WrestleMania sign for some reason.
Then Balor and Nakamura jumped up to take them down but not eliminate them. Balor and Nakamura squared off in the ring as the crowd went crazy. Nakamura hit a knee to Balor’s midsection which saw him on the apron but Balor fought back and the two fought on.
Finn Balor had been in the match for 55 minutes before Roman took him down with a clothesline. Now it was Cena and Roman’s turn to fight it out for a bit. Cena hit a shoulder tackle and Roman nailed a Samoan Drop. Reigns cocked his fist and prepared for Cena but he was caught and slammed down and prepared for a 5 Knuckle Shuffle but Balor hit a slingblade before he could land his signature move.
Nakamura and Finn fought on but Cena came up and eliminated Balor after he nailed a double stomp on Nakamura. A sea of “bullsh-t” chants broke out and were soon replaced by “Nakamura” chants.
Cena and Reigns ganged up on Shinsuke as the crowd booed them heavily. Roman and John fought on for a moment and Cena landed the 5 Knuckle Shuffle but Nakamura came up behind him and after Cena teased a suplex to the outside, Nakamura placed him on the apron and landed two knees to his face to take out Big Match John.
It was down to Nakamura and Roman as The King Of Strong Style looked at him and said, “come on!” Then Roman hit a Superman Punch and tossed Nakamura over the top rope but he held on.
Shinsuke hit a kick and wrapped a triangle around Roman’s arm over the top rope. But Roman picked Shinsuke up and nailed a powerbomb on the inside of the ring.
Roman went for a Spear but Nakamura hit him in the face with a knee instead and jumped on the middle turnbuckle to land another knee to the face. Nakamura geared up for a Kinshasa but Reigns countered with a Spear.
Roman picked Nakamura up but he couldn’t throw him over. Then Shinsuke Nakamura nailed a Kinshasa and tossed Roman Reigns over the top rope to win the 2018 Royal Rumble
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Royal Rumble Entry Number:
Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan vs The Bar (Raw Tag Team Title Match)
The ringside medics tended to JJ as The Bar picked Seth apart in the ring.
The Bar hit a double team move on Seth but Rollins wouldn’t stay down when he was pinned. Rollins tried to hit back with a slingblade and a blockbuster but Cesaro countered his suplex/ falcon arrow move only to get hit by a falcon arrow anyway. However, Sheamus broke up the pin.
Sheamus set up for a White Noise from the top rope but Seth fought out of it. Rollins knocked Cesaro and Sheamus down and hit a splash on both of them while Jason Jordan tried to get back to the apron. He was then tagged in but still selling his injured head so he tagged Rollins back in.
Cesaro pulled Rollins back in the ring and although he tried to fight back it was unsuccessful. The Bar soon took over Rollins and the numbers game proved too much for Seth even though he landed a knee to the face in the process.
The Bar hit their finisher and that was all she wrote.
Winners and NEW Raw Tag Team Champions: The Bar
Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman vs Kane (Universal Title Match)
Brock nailed a knee to Lesnar’s face and only pissed him off. Brock tried for an F5 on Strowman but Kane chokeslamed the Beast Incarnate.
Strowman and Kane fought for a minute but Lesnar returned with a steel chair and he smacked Braun with it a couple of times before Braun punched the chair out of his hand. Brock Lesnar nailed a stiff punch to Strowman’s head as a receipt for that knee no doubt.
Then Strowman tossed Brock over the top rope and hurled him into the barricade before pulling a table out from under the ring.
Two tables were sat up in the ring and Brock Lesnar came in the ring to fight Braun. The Monster Among Men hit a running powerslam on Lesnar through the table but Kane broke up the pin and then Kane sent Strowman through the other table.
Strowman hit Lesnar with a suplex that sent him out of the ring and he went out to throw him into the barricade. Then Strowman cleaned off the announce table. Strowman brought Lesnar over to the table but only got F5ed through it for his troubles.
Lesnar tipped the other announce table on top of Strowman and then he hit another F5 on Kane through the other announce table and it broke in slow motion. Suddenly, Braun Strowman sprung to life and attacked Brock Lesnar. They returned to the ring and Brock looked weakened. Braun hit a running powerslam but didn’t pin him like he should have. Then he hit another powerslam but Kane came in with a chair and started taking it to Strowman.
Kane put the chair down and Lesnar F5ed him on it. 1-2-3 and Brock Lesnar retained.
Winner and STILL Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
After the match was over, Braun Strowman got in the ring and he wasn’t happy. As Lesnar left Braun screamed, “you didn’t beat me!” Perhaps it will only be a matter of time before we see those two clash again when Kane won’t be around to take the pin.
The Women’s Royal Rumble
Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair were introduced next and got to sit at ringside for the match which is nice of WWE to include them somehow. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch were introduced and they got the match going. Sasha Banks’ ring attire was very Wonder Woman and there’s no doubt her husband made those special for her.
Becky and Banks fought around the ring and it was brought up that the Bank Statement or Disarmer wouldn’t do much good in a situation like this. Then Sarah Logan came in to shake things up.
Logan ran roughshod over Banks and Lynch for a bit before Mandy Rose came out. Rose picked Banks up and sat her on the top rope but The Boss fought back before taking a knee to the face from Mandy.
Then Lita came out and everyone lost their minds as they should. Becky and Sasha tried to fight Lita but she fought back and nailed them both with a double clothesline before Mandy Rose started in on the WWE Hall Of Famer.
Lita eliminated Rose as Kairi Sane entered to take everyone out including Lita who took Sane’s sick sliding clothesline followed by a diving elbow to Logan and a neckbreaker to Banks. Everyone was rooting for Sane as she hit her beautiful top rope elbow drop on Banks and got up to do the same to Lynch.
Tamina entered next and was wearing all white. Lita planted Tamina with a DDT and hit a Twist Of Fate on Banks and Becky. Then Lita got on the top rope and hit a double moonsault on both Banks and Lynch who were taking a lot of damage together. While the “you still got it” chants rose out Lita eliminated Tamina and Becky tossed Lita over the top rope.
Dana Brooke came in to eliminate Kairi Sane. Torrie Wilson showed up next to surprise us all and eliminate Dana Brooke and then Sonya Deville made her entrance.
Torrie Wilson and Deville fought and Torrie went to the apron but was knocked out of the match and onto the floor to take her out of the match as well. Then Liv Morgan made her way to the ring.
Molly Holly might have told people she needed more time to get ready for this kind of match, but that didn’t stop her from showing up. She hit a slipping dive on Banks and then Lynch hit a Becksploder on Deville.
Lana came out and received a pretty good pop as “Rusev Day” chants broke out and were very loud. She was eating it up but was soon jumped by Liv Morgan and Sonya Deville.
Michelle McCool came out to huge “Undertaker” chants and she eliminated Molly Holly, Sonya Deville, Lana, and Mandy Rose. But Ruby Riott would come out and reset the match a little bit.
Banks pulled McCool over the top rope but they fought back in the ring just in time to hear “excuse me!” Vickie Guerrero came out screaming into a microphone while they all fought in the ring. But everyone tossed Vickie over the top rope.
When Carmella came out, Vickie took her briefcase and nailed her with it.
Natalya came out next and stepped on Mella but Carmella took Nattie out before she could get in the ring and then she laid out McCool and Banks with kicks. Becky fought with Mella and Riott took a kick from Mella too.
Kelly Kelly came out and surprised everyone. Natalya eliminated Michelle McCool and then Naimi joined the match. The Glow started fast but Lynch fought back with a top rope dropkick as Nattie tried to eliminate Kelly Kelly.
Ruby tried to eliminate Lynch and it finally paid off. Jacqueline came out next and took the fight to Sasha Banks and Nattie. Then Ruby Riott got a taste as well as Kelly Kelly who resisted being eliminated until Nia Jax came out and took her out along with Jacqueline and Ruby Riott.
Jax dumped Naomi on the apron and then hit her onto a sea of women who caught her and placed The Glow on the barricade. Ember Moon came out next and the place went insane.
While Ember and Nia fought on, Naomi walked the barricade like a tightrope over to a chair which she walked with her hands to the ringsteps and re-entered the match via a top rope cross body but Nia just caught her and dumped her outside.
Suddenly Beth Phoenix came out and got in Nia’s face. She picked up Jax and Nattie came in to help her but soon turned on her former friend and tossed Beth over the top rope.
Then Asuka came out to take out Carmella and then she squared off against Ember Moon once again. Moon hit a one-armed Eclipse, but Asuka soon sent her to the floor before Mickie James came out.
James and Nattie fought on as Mella and Banks tangled in the corner. Then Nikki Bella came out to a huge pop. But as Nikki hit a spear on Nattie, the crowd chanted “John Cena sucks.” Mella hit her double knees in the corner on Nikki after landing a kick but before he did it, Mella laid down a “you can’t see me” gesture.
But Nikki soon tossed her out. Then Brie Bella came back… Bri Mode is back. “She’s out of retirement,” Stephanie McMahon said. The Bella Twins double dropkicked Nia Jax back to the floor but she still wasn’t eliminated and then Bayley came out to rally a bit.
Then the seconds ticked down to the final entrant before Trish Stratus’ music hit and she came out to a huge pop. Stratus got a moment to soak it all in and have a standoff with the Bella Twins and Nattie before she took Bayley out too and then have a face to face with Mickie James as the crowd went wild.
Nia Jax jumped Trish as soon as she eliminated Mickie James and then everyone ganged up on the Girl Who’s Not Like Most Girls. Trish and Asuka hit Nia with double kicks and then everyone else grabbed Jax and pulled her over the top rope and to the floor.
Sasha turned around and tossed Bayley over the top rope and Nattie locked Trish in a Sharpshooter. But Trish got Nattie over the top rope. Suddenly Trish squared off with Banks and after mocking The Boss, Trish was thrown over the top rope.
Banks turned around and saw Asuka standing there as the crowd chanted “Asuka’s gonna kill you.”
Banks turned on Asuka when it seemed like they were going to go for Brie in the corner but Sasha took her down. Then everyone got a chance to beat up on Asuka.
Asuka sent Brie Bella to the apron and then Nikki turned around and nailed her sister with a forearm to send her to the floor. That was very sisterly of her.
Nikki and Asuka fought on until Asuka wrapped her legs around Charlotte’s neck and dragged her over the top rope to the apron. The two fought on the apron until Asuka nailed Nikki with a kick that sent her to the floor.
Winner: Asuka
After the match, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair got in the ring with their titles and stood on either side of Asuka. They raised up their titles and the Empress Of Tomorrow looked up picturing herself battling either of those champions.
Suddenly, Joan Jet’s Bad Reputation started playing and Ronda Rousey came out. Rowdy Ronda was also wearing merchandise that will certainly be available on WWE’s shop very soon. Rousey got in the ring and simply looked up at the WrestleMania sign and pointed.
Ronda then extended her hand to Asuka but The Empress Of Tomorrow just slapped it away. Rousey smiled at her and pointed to the sign again. Then Rousey left the ring and walked around to Stephanie McMahon and the two shook hands in an awkward fashion.
Before Ronda Rousey left she pointed at the WrestleMania crowd once again before waving goodnight to the Philly crowd without saying a word. But just the fact that she made it all the way to Philly from Columbia was probably enough proof that something big was on the way.
Royal Rumble Entry Order:
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