Beth Phoenix made an impressive return during this Sunday’s Women’s Royal Rumble matchup. Unfortunately, “The Glamazon” would suffer an injury early into her Rumble appearance. This injury caused the back of her head to become bloody. As the match continued, the blood continued to flow, matting her hair and dying it red.
According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, Phoenix suffered the injury after hitting the back of her head against a ring post. Thankfully, although the damage looked bad, especially as the match drew on, it’s reportedly not a severe injury.
Phoenix appears to have cut her head while selling a punch from NXT’s Bianca Belair in the corner. She threw her head back at the moment, connecting with the ring post behind her.
“The Glamazon” entered the Women’s Rumble match at number 19. She eliminated only one person: Natalya. The two had been partnering successfully until that point. She was eliminated from the match by NXT’s Shayna Baszler. During the matchup, she would be confronted by a surprise return from her past, Santina Marella.
Phoenix’s husband, Edge, made a triumphant WWE return during the Men’s Royal Rumble matchup. Returning after retiring in 2011, Edge would manage to be one of the last remaining men in the match. He was eliminated by Roman Reigns.
WWE SmackDown Superstar Dolph Ziggler has called out WWE’s production team for missing a crucial Royal Rumble moment. Ziggler would be the first Superstar to receive a spear from Edge, who made his return during the event. Unfortunately, this moment was missed on screen as the production team cut to shots of the crowd.
Dolph Ziggler’s Disappointment
Taking to Twitter, Ziggler initially criticized the team. He asked, “who cuts away from an official in-ring return, while two opponents are running towards each other?”
He followed up with a more understanding take, acknowledging how people make mistakes. Regardless, he noted how a “very special moment was inexplicably missed” because of it.
people make mistakes, we all do & I have made tons. That being said; a very special moment was inexplicably missed. anyone got cell phone footage?
WWE has since uploaded a video titled “Unseen footage of Edge’s Royal Rumble return on WWE Network” to their YouTube channel.
Unsurprisingly, this footage showcases a different angle to Edge’s return. The video captures not only Edge’s emotional return, but also the full impact of Dolph Ziggler receiving the spear. This spear was the first the Rated-R Superstar delivered as an active in-ring competitor in 9 years.
Last night on Monday Night RAW, Edge’s former Rated-RKO tag team partner Randy Orton would brutally assault him. The attack came after Orton proposed a team reunion, before striking with an RKO. He proceeded to attack a defenseless Edge with a steel chair.
WWE United States Champion Andrade (Manuel Oropeza) has been suspended from WWE for wellness policy violation. The company announced the news Tuesday afternoon.
He was reportedly told about the suspension this Monday morning, though at the moment it’s unknown what substance the champion was tested positive for.
Andrade defended his US Championship against Humberto Carrillo in a singles match at the pre-show of last night’s Royal Rumble PPV where he retained his title.
The former NXT Champion then faced Carrillo once again in a Royal Rumble rematch on Monday’s WWE Raw. This time Andrade was disqualified from the bout due to interference from his business manager Zelina Vega.
Vega’s interference angered Humberto, who attacked Andrade after the match was over and then delivered a Hammerlock DDT on the concrete outside of the ring.
It’s believed that the angle was done to write the US Champion off of the WWE television and the company is already teasing the same on their website.
Since this is the first violation of the wellness policy for Andrade, he is expected to be suspended for a period of 30 days, before returning to WWE TV.
WWE RAW aired live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas tonight. It was the first episode of RAW following the Royal Rumble PPV.
WWE RAW Results (1/27)
Drew McIntyre def. Gallows & Anderson
Rey Mysterio def. MVP
Aleister Black def. a jobber
Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy def. Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships
Humberto Carrillo def. Andrade via DQ
Charlotte def. Asuka via DQ
Liv Morgan def. Lana
Erick Rowan def. a jobber
Here are 8 takeaways from this week’s show:
Drew McIntyre Will Face Brock Lesnar At WrestleMania
Drew McIntyre told the crowd that it feels so good to be the winner of the 2020 Royal Rumble. McIntyre announced that he is going to WrestleMania and that he wants to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship.
The crowd chanted “yes!” as McIntyre said that he was not afraid Brock. McIntyre boasted about eliminating him last night and vowed to defeat Lesnar at WrestleMania. Drew added that he wanted a fight and asked for a fight. The OC came down to the ring and Karl Anderson accepted. Luke Gallows accepted as well and it became a Handicap Match.
Match Recap: McIntyre planted Anderson with a Suplex and Gallows quickly tagged in. McIntyre leveled them both with Claymore Kicks for the quick victory. After the match, Brock Lesnar came down to the ring and hit McIntyre with an F5.
MVP returned last night at the Royal Rumble and battled Rey Mysterio tonight on RAW.
Match Recap: MVP dominated early but Rey battled back and knocked MVP to the outside. Rey connected with a Hurricanrana that sent MVP into the barricade as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Rey connected with a Senton and followed it up with a Moonsault for a two count. Mysterio went for a Crossbody but MVP caught him with a Powerslam. MVP hit an Elbow Drop as the crowd chanted “ballin!” for a near fall. Mysterio then hit the 619 and followed it up with a Splash for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: The ending sequence was very bizarre. Myserio went for the 619 but MVP got up and turned around. Mysterio hit him in the back and then MVP fell to the mat. I doubt that was planned and MVP just messed up the spot. The new RAW commentary team (Lawler, Saxton, and Phillips) covered up for it nicely by jokingly referring to it as the “6-1-Spine”.
Aleister Black Isn’t Waiting For Someone To Pick A Fight With Him Anymore
Aleister Black defeated a jobber once again tonight on RAW. After the match, Aleister Black brought up being eliminated last night in the Royal Rumble.
Black didn’t want to blame Rollins, AOP, and Buddy Murphy for the loss and wanted to own it. Aleister added that it was a mistake for asking people to come knock on his door for a fight. Aleister vowed to bring the fight to the RAW locker room from now on.
Before the match, Rollins said he was this close to winning the Royal Rumble for the second year in a row. Seth pointed out that he was eliminated by the eventual winner and claimed that the crowd will eventually stab Drew McIntyre in the back as well. Rollins boasted about eliminating Owens and Samoa Joe last night and took joy in the fact that neither of them are going on to WrestleMania. Rollins vowed to kick their asses tonight and told them to come to the ring.
Owens and Joe came to the entrance ramp with microphones in hand. Kevin told Seth that he talks too much and called him delusional. Owens called Rollins a jackass and added that he sucks. Seth told Owens to shut up and come down to the ring for a fight. Samoa Joe wondered why Rollins is all the sudden ready to fight and Owens asked if AOP is hiding under the ring. Rollins claimed that they didn’t need AOP to beat them and a camera showed Akam and Rezar standing in the locker room.
Joe called Rollins a liar and suggested that footage was recorded earlier. Rollins told Akam to say something to Owens to prove that they are actually backstage. Viking Raiders then jumped AOP backstage and a brawl broke out before WWE officials showed up. Owens and Joe then marched to the ring as RAW went to a break.
Match Recap: Owens and Joe dominated early and isolated Buddy Murphy in the corner. Buddy went for a Crossbody but Joe got out of the way and Clothesline Buddy to the outside. Owens hit Rollins with a Cannonball as Joe leveled Murphy with a Suicide Dive. Samoa Joe was forced to leave the match by the WWE medical staff following the move. Owens hit Rollins with a Frog Splash but Seth kicked out at two. Owens hit Buddy Murphy with a Swanton Bomb and went for the cover but Seth broke it up at the last moment. Kevin hit Rollins with the Stunner but Murphy capitalized on the distraction and rolled Owens up for the victory.
Andrade defended his US Title against Humberto Carrillo once again tonight on RAW. Andrade defeated Humberto last night on the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show. Zelina Vega was ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Humberto went right after Andrade to start things off. Andrade quickly battled back and stomped Humberto down in the corner of the ring. Andrade went for Double Knees but Humberto got out of the way and Andrade crashed into the turnbuckle. Carrillo connected with a Moonsault and went for the cover but Andrade kicked out at two. Humberto climbed to the top rope and hit another Moonsault but Zelina broke up the cover and the match ended in DQ.
After the match, Humberto attacked Andrade and sent him into the steel steps. Humberto ripped up the padding and exposed the concrete floor. Carrillo then hit a DDT on the concrete.
The bell ringing seems to have… shocked @Zelina_VegaWWE?
Opinion: Andrade hit Carrillo with the Hammerlock DDT on the concrete on a recent episode of RAW, so it was good to see Humberto get his revenge. However, I’m pretty tired of seeing this match and don’t really have much interest in this feud continuing. The crowd was pretty much silent until Carrillo hit Andrade with the DDT after the match. I also don’t understand why WWE would have Humberto lose last night and then have Andrade resort to a DQ to retain the following night. It doesn’t make sense to me.
RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch was interviewed backstage and bragged about her victory over Asuka last night at Royal Rumble. Lynch claimed that she was better than the rest of the women’s division and added that she would whoop Charlotte’s arse at WrestleMania if Flair challenged her.
Charlotte won the women’s Royal Rumble match last night at the PPV. She came down to the ring tonight to announce which title she will fight for at WrestleMania. Flair rolled highlights of her victory last night before the announcement. Charlotte said that she was still thinking about it and didn’t pick an opponent tonight.
Women’s Tag Team Champions Kabuki Warriors interrupted and Asuka claimed that she would have won if she was in the women’s Royal Rumble. Sane and Asuka then attacked Charlotte. Asuka then squared off against Charlotee as Kairi Sane was ringside.
Match Recap: Asuka controlled the action early and locked in a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Charlotte escaped and leveled Asuka with a Dropkick. Flair followed that up with some chops and perched Asuka up on the top turnbuckle. Sane hopped up on the ring apron and Asuka capitalized by shoving Flair to the floor. Back in the ring, Flair went for a Moonsault but Asuka got out of the way. Asuka locked in a Triangle submission but Flair countered into a Powerbomb for a near fall. Flair locked in the Figure and bridged into the Figure Eight. Kairi climbed to the top rope and hit the Insane Elbow and another match ended in a DQ. Charlotte hit her with a big boot and then the Kabuki Warriors retreated.
Liv Morgan eliminated Lana last night during the women’s Royal Rumble match. Lana then dragged Liv over the top rope to eliminate her. Lana and Liv battled tonight and Rusev & Lashley were banned from ringside.
Match Recap: Lana connected with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Liv Morgan kicked out at two. Lana applied a Headlock while shouting that she is the best wrestler in the world. Morgan escaped and hit Lana with an Enziguri to the face. Liv followed that up with a Flatliner for the pinfall victory.
Edge made his return to WWE during last night’s men’s Royal Rumble match. Edge came down to the ring at the close of this week’s RAW to address his future.
The crowd gave Edge a great reaction and chanted his name as he stood in the ring. Edge stated that the reaction he got last night and the reaction tonight means a lot to him. The crowd chanted “you still got it!” and Edge smiled and said “you are damn right I do”.
Edge brought up having to retire nine years ago and that over the years he started to feel good and asked himself if he could come back home to WWE. He added that he got in the best shape of his life at 46-years-old so he could come back and end his career on his terms.
He admitted that he has no idea how long his return is going to last but hopes the WWE Universe will join him on this ride. The crowd responded with a loud “yes!” chant. Edge stated that he knows that he is older and a little greyer, but he has grit.
Randy Orton interrupted and made his way to the ring. Orton gave Edge a hug and grabbed a microphone. Randy said that Edge was always around to help him back in the day. Orton told Edge that he was like family and welcomed him home. Orton suggested that Rated RKO got back together one more time and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Orton then hit Edge with an RKO out of nowhere and brought a steel chair into the ring. Randy bashed Edge with the chair and placed it around his neck. Orton hopped up to the second rope but opted to remove Edge’s head from the chair. Randy then got two chairs and placed Edge’s head on one of them. Orton hit Edge in the head with the chair as the crowd booed.
Opinion: The segment between Randy Orton and Edge to end the night completely saved this show. Orton’s going to get booed out of every building leading up until WrestleMania and that is awesome. Edge versus Orton will be must-see at WrestleMania because of how good this segment was. I found the rest of tonight’s show to be incredibly boring. The only other moment I had any reaction to was when Brock lesnar attacked McIntyre in the first segment of the night.
As expected, Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre has been confirmed for WrestleMania 36.
This comes after McIntyre won the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble Match at the pay-per-view event on Sunday night in Houston, Texas. In fact, with the help of Ricochet, McIntyre eliminated “The Beast” from the contest.
Now, he’ll be facing off with Lesnar for the WWE Title at the biggest event of the year for WWE.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in San Antonio, TX at the AT&T Center on the USA Network, McIntyre opened the show where he revealed which title he would be going after at Mania.
This led to him beating Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in a Handicap Match. After the contest, he was attacked by Lesnar with an F5.
This contest was expected to be confirmed and also marks the first match announced thus far for WrestleMania 36.
WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
Yesterday, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 other people lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash. Many from the pro-wrestling world have been paying tribute to the basketball legend online.
“Today is a sad reminder that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Live every single day to its fullest, each day we’re given is a blessing,” a follow-up Tweet from Hardy read.
“It’s heartbreaking. A horrific tragedy that occurred today with Kobe & his daughter. I feel horrible for his wife & other children,” another Tweet from Hardy read.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” -Kobe Bryant #KobeandGianna Praying for Kobe’s wife and family and all the loved ones of the victims’ lost.
“Sending strength and my prayers to Vanessa, the Bryant family and all of the families affected by this tragedy. Life is so precious. Hold your loved ones close to your heart always,” wrote Natalya.
“WWE is saddened by the passing of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. We extend our condolences to their family, fans and loved ones,” a WWE statement reads.
“RIP Kobe & Gianna Bryant. Whether or not you were a fan of Kobe or @Lakers, please consider donating to a cause that was important to Kobe and Gianna: development of women’s basketball programs, at any level, youth to professional. It would be a nice way to honor their memories,” wrote AEW’s Tony Khan.
Mustafa wrote:
Take a moment to realize everything could change in a moment.
Families and friends gone in a moment.
So in this moment, find the ones you love. Call them. Hug them. Forgive them. Be with them. You have this moment.
We always think we have so much time. The news about #KobeBryant is a sad reminder of how precious yet small our time here is. Condolences to his fans, friends and family.
Tell everyone in your life that you care for that you love them.
The World of Sports and Entertainment Lost A Legendary Man, Father, Husband, Son, Businessman and Philanthropist. Words cannot Undo this tragedy?? To the Family, Friends and Fans of Kobe Bryant Please know that He will ALWAYS BE WITH US!!
The viewership numbers are in for Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX from Dallas, TX at the American Airlines Center.
SmackDown averaged 2.448 million viewers, according to ShowbuzzDaily. This is down from the 2.562 viewers that the show did for last week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
The show averaged 2.470 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.580 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
WWE SmackDown Viewership
The first hour drew 2.548 million viewers while the second hour did 2.391million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.616 million viewers while the second hour did 2.544 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.70 rating in the 18-49 demos, this is down from last week’s show that did 0.80. This episode was expected to see its viewership stay steady and it did so.
Matches
Matches that took place on this show included Roman Reigns & The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) defeat Dolph Ziggler, King Corbin & Robert Roode in a six-man tag team match, Braun Strowman & Elias defeat Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura in a tag team match, and John Morrison (w/The Miz) defeats Kofi Kingston in the main event. There was also a contract signing between WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan.
WWE is expecting to see an increase in viewership for the following episode this coming Friday night as the show will be the post-show of Smackdown for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event from this past weekend.
The next episode will also feature the fallout from the Royal Rumble pay-per-view show.
Watch: Top 10 Moments from Friday Night SmackDown (1.24.20)
Royal Rumble 2020 is being praised by the fans as one of the best PPVs the company has put on in recent times and it officially marks the beginning of WrestleMania season.
Dave Meltzer talked about the event on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio and he also revealed some of the matches the company has planned for the Show Of Shows.
The main event of Royal Rumble saw Drew McIntyre winning the
men’s Battle Royal to earn the opportunity to challenge the champion of his
choice at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Not very surprisingly, the report states that the Scottish
Superstar will be picking the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar as his opponent for
WrestleMania.
On the other hand, Roman Reigns will challenge ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt for the Universal title after Wyatt defeated Daniel Bryan in a strap match at the Royal Rumble last night.
The event on Sunday night also saw the return of Edge who entered the Royal Rumble at #21 and lasted till the final 3 before being eliminated by Reigns.
Edge also formed a temporary alliance with his former tag
team partner Randy Orton during the bout but he ended up eliminating Orton from
the match.
After this, it’s being reported that Edge will be facing the Viper at the upcoming PPV which will likely be his first singles match after his comeback.
Though while these are the current planned bouts for WrestleMania, reports reveal that the original winners for Royal Rumble were different. You can check out the names who were originally supposed to win on Sunday night here.
The National Wrestling Alliance held a tournament on Friday night to declare a new NWA TV Champion. Ricky Starks won the tournament and is now the first person to hold the title in decades. (NWA Hard Times PPV Results)
Arn Anderson is statistically-speaking the greatest TV Champion in NWA history. He is a former 4x NWA/WCW TV Champion and held the title for a record 877 combined days.
On the latest episode of his Arn Show podcast, The Enforcer commented on the NWA reviving the beloved championship.
“I’m happy for those guys,” Double-A said of the NWA. “They are doing well. It’s all a byproduct of ‘hey, a new era has begun.’ Times are changing and places are popping up with old concepts as well as new talent, new style, old thought processes as far as the old things that really worked and I think one of the old things that really worked is the television title. The whole premise I think is a good idea for featuring what we do and that’s wrestle.”
Brandi Rhodes has been spiraling as of late and according to a recent video posted to her social media accounts, Cody requested that she go to a therapy session. Highlights of the session appear in the video which can be viewed below.
In the video, the therapist insinuates that the Nightmare Collective is a cult. It was also suggested in the video that Rhodes has formed the faction to deal with her fear of people not liking her. This last bit struck a chord with Brandi, who left the session shortly after.
Brandi Rhodes Goes Back To The University Of Miami
Rhodes recently returned to the University of Miami where she delivered a keynote speech on AEW. She posted the following on social media in relation to her return to the University where she did her undergrad:
“Enjoyed my short time at #NatpeMiami2020 …it was a dream realized as a model here just 8 years ago who would later become a keynote speaker at this very hotel. The only person ever in your way is YOU. That’s the story of @AEWrestling…from undesirable to undeniable!!” Brandi Tweeted.
Rhodes was not on the recent Jericho cruise due to attending the UofM event. She also has been dealing with a missing passport.
The Royal Rumble event saw Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair emerging victorious in their respective Rumble matches but latest reports reveal that these two weren’t originally supposed to win on Sunday night.
Dave Meltzer talked about the PPV on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio and revealed what the company had originally planned for the show.
According to Meltzer, former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna
Baszler was originally slated to win the Women’s Royal Rumble instead of Flair.
The men’s Royal Rumble also had a different planned winner and the original schedule called for Roman Reigns to win the bout instead of Drew McIntyre.
While Meltzer could not specify when the plans were changed,
he speculates that the changes were made earlier this month around January
14th, as the smart money betting odds shifted to Charlotte from the NXT star at
the time.
Drew McIntyre seemed to have set up a rivalry with Brock Lesnar on Sunday Night after he eliminated the Beast from the Rumble. He had talked about wanting to face Lesnar before and it’s believed that the Scottish star will pick him as his WrestleMania opponent.
On the other hand, Charlotte Flair has not given any hints on who will be her opponent for the show. You can check out a report on some of the planned WrestleMania matches after Royal Rumble here.
This weekend, Major League Wrestling presented its first episode of Fusion from the Zero Hour tapings held in Dallas earlier this month. The show featured a barbed wire match between Mance Warner and Jimmy Havoc in the main event.
The full show can be viewed in the player below:
MLW Fusion 1/25/20 Quick Results:
Drago & Puma King defeated Jordan Oliver & Kotto Brazil (Injustice) and Low Rider & Taurus (Triple Threat Tag match)
Low-Ki defeated Chandler Hopkins
Barbed Wire Match Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc
Barbed Wire Match Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc
Not since 2003 during its initial run has MLW held a barbed-wire match, but Jimmy Havoc and Mance Warner went to battle in such a fight this week. Warner would come away as the victor after an interference attempt from Priscilla Kelly didn’t go as planned.
Kelly gave Havoc a handful of powder to use but Warner caused the powder to hit Havoc in the face instead. Warner then hit a piledriver for the win.
Warner now leads the head-to-head series in MLW between the two at 3-1:
Bunkhouse Brawl 9/7/19 Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc
Falls Count Anywhere 11/9/19: Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc
Prince of Darkness Match 12/5/19 Jimmy Havoc defeated Mance Warner
Barbed Wire Match 1/11/20 Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc
Warner also won a triple threat against Bestia 666 and Havoc on the SuperFight PPV in November.
Contra Unit Has A Challenge For The Hart Foundation
Last week on Fusion, Davey Boy Smith Jr. won the 2019 Opera Cup. To kick off this week’s episode of Fusion, Contra Unit cut a promo about how what they had started with a fireball (delivered to Teddy Hart) they will finish, referring to the demise of the Hart Foundation. This brought out Davey Boy Smith Jr from the back, however, and Brian Pillman Jr. came from the stands disguised as a fan to run Contra off.
Later in the show, Contra Unit issued a challenge to Smith for a no-holds-barred match with no ring ropes and where the only way the match can end is via knockout or tapout. Smith would later accept the challenge and will face Contra Unit’s Simon Gotch in a match that will air on a later date.
Former MLW World Champion Low-Ki was in single’s competition this week. He was facing local talent Chandler Hopkins who put in a good showing for himself. The commentary team noted Hopkins has been competing in AAA as of late and has impressed Konnan. Low-Ki put the match away by countering a top rope diving attack attempt into a triangle lock. Low-Ki offered Hopkins his respect after the match.
Drago & Puma King defeated Jordan Oliver & Kotto Brazil (Injustice) and Low Rider & Taurus (Triple Threat Tag match)
Drago was able to send a message to the members of Injustice week when he picked up the pin for his team in the opener. The members of Injustice had appeared in a backstage segment with Konnan and said that nobody cares about AAA. Konnan told Myron Reed he’s got to worry about Drago and tonight, the members of Injustice will be in the ring with some top talent from AAA.
In a high-paced action-packed opener, it would be Drago who would pick up the pinfall over Low-Rider.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman was interviewed in the back by Alicia Atout. Pretty much right off the bat, MJF managed to offend Atout and then complain about Grogan’s heavy breathing behind him before talking about his match next week against Marshall Von Erich.
The Von Erichs then issued the following response to MJF, using fruit as an example of what they will do to MJF with the Iron Claw.
When asked how it feels to call herself the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble winner, Flair shared how she keeps replaying the 2019 Rumble match in her head “over and over.” Last year, she would be eliminated by “The Man” Becky Lynch, securing Lynch’s championship opportunity at WrestleMania 35.
“It’s one of those things,” Flair said. “I’m glad it happened, because sometimes you gotta fall and, I don’t know… standing there after feeling like you’ve lost your confidence being like ‘No, I’m Charlotte Flair. This is my division. And there’s only one Queen.’ I just reminded everyone again who I am.”
She continued, “I didn’t see 29 competitors out there, I saw 29 numbers. When they look at me, all they see is the Queen. […] I didn’t really have a strategy. I just went in there knowing who I am, and I’m a winner, and I’m not going to let someone else take my moment ever again.”
Turning her attention towards whom she may be challenging at WrestleMania 36, Flair teased an impending clash with the women who eliminated her from last year’s Rumble:
“Since Bayley can only beat me when I’m unconscious—if anyone remembers Money in the Bank—and…well, if I was Becky, I’d be scared.”
When asked how she intended to celebrate her victory, Flair deferred to her championship choice. She mentioned she would make tonight on Monday Night RAW.
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The Briscoe Brothers aren’t going anywhere. Mark and Jay Briscoe have revealed via Twitter that they have officially re-signed with Ring of Honor (ROH). Leaning against a pickup truck, the two discuss their contract status with ROH:
“Y’all probably don’t know this, because we don’t really talk about this type of s—. But our ROH deals are up in just a couple of months. And now everybody is wanting to know ‘what’s next?’” Jay said.
He noted how they have done it all as a team in the promotion as his brother Mark took over. Mark highlighted their notable accolades as Tag Team of the Year and Tag Team of the Decade. He then stressed how they are eleven-time tag team champions.
Briscoe Brothers Want 12
Taking his hat off to display the embroidered “11X” on the back, Jay asked his brother “What comes after 11?”
He continued, “12 is next. We Dem Boys. What the hell we look like, trying to win somebody else’s damn tag team titles? We Dem Boys, we re-signed with ROH, we ain’t going no-damn-where, so let the ass whooping’s continue to commence.”
As noted, the Briscoe Brothers have won the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships 11 times. Outside their team, Jay Briscoe is a two-time ROH World Champion. They have also won the ROH World Six-Man Championships alongside Bully Ray. The duo recently lost the ROH Tag Team Championships to Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham at Final Battle 2019.
With this re-signing, they join PJ Black, Josh Woods, Bandido and Villain Enterprises’ Marty Scurll in their decision to stay with the company.
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All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes was a recent guest on Inside the Ropes. During the interview, he reflected on seizing an opportunity to share some time with WWE Legend The Undertaker during the 2008 Royal Rumble matchup.
Cody Rhodes’ Chance
Cody recalled how, upon entering the Rumble matchup, The Undertaker was isolated in the corner with no other Superstars around him. Grabbing his chance to have some time with “The Dead Man,” Rhodes decided he was going to go after him. He proceeded to hit him as hard as he could to the back of his head, causing The Undertaker to turn and level a glare on him.
This led to a back-and-forth between the two. ‘Taker would grab Cody by the neck before being told what to do next.
“I kick him in the knee and he goes ‘dropkick me’! I get so excited, I jump up, I dropkick him and he takes a bump!” Cody said. “You can see I didn’t know what to do, the goal is to get the guy out of the match but I’m not going to pick him up, so I just stood there and then went into the corner and started fake punching someone else.”
Cody had high praise for The Undertaker, sharing how he loves everything the Legend does for the business. He noted how “Everything about this guy is about giving back. He really did not need to do that.”
WWE has made another change to the Raw commentary team. Former 205 Live announcer Vic Joseph will no longer be calling the action on Monday nights, according to reports.
Joseph was absent from The Royal Rumble PPV yesterday and
Tom Phillips along with WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry Lawler called the bouts
associated with the Red Brand.
Per PWinsider, Vic Joseph has been removed from the Raw commentary team for good. Tom Phillips will be replacing him on the show moving forward. Joseph remains with the company
It’s unknown why the former 205 Live announcer has been
removed from the position but the site is reporting that the decision was made
sometime in the past week.
This the second big change the company has made to the Raw commentary team after they shuffled the announcers for both Raw and SmackDown for the Blue Brand’s move to Fox Network last year in October
Both Michael Cole and Corey Graves who were part of the Raw
commentary team at the time were moved to SmackDown and Jerry Lawler was
brought back to do the play by play of the Red Branded Show.
Vic Joseph and Dio Maddin were moved up from 205 Live to the brand to aid Lawler and it was reported at the time that it was the Executive Director Paul Heyman’s call to bring them on the show.
WWE NXT UK United Kingdom Champion WALTER has opened up about his goals in pro wrestling. He also shared who he considers his current dream opponents.
Speaking with ESPN, WALTER revealed how his main drive is to represent professional wrestling “in the right way.” For him, this translates to spreading its message in the most “effective” way possible. He asserted that to do this, he needs to be in the top spot.
Looking back at establishing himself in that top spot, WALTER points to his recent domination in NXT UK:
“My debut for WWE in Blackpool last January at NXT UK Takeover, I think that was a good moment, because it felt like all of the things I did before paid off. From there on, things just took off.”
WALTER’s Dream Opponents
When it comes to dream matches for the big Austrian, there are plenty of Superstars fans might pair him with. For WALTER, however, two names top the list: Daniel Bryan and Cesaro.
“[…] they’ve always put on very athletic and competitive matches, they’re proper, wrestling-based opponents,” he explained. “I’ve always appreciated that and have been excited about watching them.
Although WALTER was not a part of last night’s Royal Rumble matchup, he was asked about how he would have felt if WWE offered him a spot. He felt that he couldn’t answer the question, but noted that if WWE had asked him, he would “definitely” have accepted the opportunity.
WALTER and his Imperium teammates recently defeated NXT’s Undisputed Era during Saturday’s Worlds Collide event. Unfortunately, Alexander Wolfe was knocked out during their clash. Wolfe took to Twitter after the incident to let the WWE Universe that he’s alright, thanking the officials for taking care of him.
Last night, RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre emerged victorious from the 2020 Royal Rumble matchup. The opportunity to compete at WrestleMania came down to McIntyre and Roman Reigns. After his win, he caught up with Charly Caruso backstage for a WWE.com exclusive interview.
Drew McIntyre Dedicates His Win
When asked how he felt having won the Royal Rumble for the first time, and earning his championship opportunity, an emotional McIntyre replied:
“I can’t find the words, there’s literally no words. The past 18 years, the past 12 years in America, every up, every down, every single second was worth it after that moment when I threw Roman out and I heard 40,000 people react the way they reacted, and I’m going to WrestleMania.”
He continued, “The first person that came to mind was my wife. You don’t really think about it when you’re on the road—the fans don’t—but we’re away from our family all the time. You know, they endure as much as we endure on the road, and we give so much of ourselves to the fans, and we give it willingly, this is our dream. You know, and they’re the ones holding the fort at home. So, this one’s for her, and I’m going to WrestleMania.”
McIntyre’s Choice
Drew McIntyre now has a choice as to which championship he wishes to contend for. He recently expressed his interest in facing WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. It’s worth noting that McIntyre eliminated a dominant Lesnar from last night’s Rumble after entering the fray.
“If I won the Rumble, it’s the same guy I’ve had in mind for years. I’d fight Brock Lesnar in a second,” McIntyre declared. “A lot of people on the roster genuinely wouldn’t want to get in the ring with him. They are terrified of the idea. I want to get in the ring with him. I know we could put on a heck of a spectacle and a fight.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
The journey to the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event is over and with the show in the rearview, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
With there being no title changes on Sunday’s show, the continuation of storylines that were going into the Royal Rumble will likely take place.
Drew McIntyre won the Men’s Royal Rumble Match while Charlotte Flair won the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. It should be noted that WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who was eliminated by McIntyre, is advertised for this show. It’s likely that we will get a follow up to that program and potential WrestleMania announcement.
RAW Preview
WWE holds this show in San Antonio, TX at the AT&T Center. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Liv Morgan battles Lana with Lashley and Rusev banned from ringside
Royal Rumble fallout
Which champion will Charlotte Flair select to challenge at WrestleMania 36?
The latest in the feud between Seth Rollins, AOP, & Buddy Murphy and Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens
WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds that will take place heading into the pay-per-view event in February from Saudi Arabia that has been announced.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for RAW.
Join us here later tonight for WWE RAW Live Results and our post-show RAW Takeaways feature.
On Sunday night, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) held sets of tapings for the NWA Powerrr studio show from Atlanta, Georgia.
NWA Powerrr airs every Tuesday night at 6:05pm ET on the NWA’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Here are the NWA Powerrr results, courtesy of Fightful:
NWA Powerrr Tapings Results (1/26)
Tim Storm interview is interrupted by Thomas Latimer then Danny Deals, who claims he was trying to motivate Storm with Fake Momma Storm. Deals offers him a mystery opponent. Jax Dane is introduced.
Matt Cross interview
Zicky Dice def. Ricky Starks and Matt Cross
Aron Stevens interview
Trevor Murdoch def. The Question Mark. Post-match, Question Mark and Stevens attack Murdoch.
Nick Aldis interview. Marty Scurll confronts him. Strictly Business and Brody King make an appearance, leading to a brawl.
The Bouncers turn on Eddie Kingston and align with Pope.
NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa def. Melina by countout. Kamille came out and speared Allysin Kay.
NWA Television Champion Zicky Dice def. Ricky Starks to win the title. Latimer interrupts Zicky’s post-match interview.
Interview with Aron Stevens & The Question Mark.
Caleb Conley & CW Anderson def. Zane & Dave Dawson
Interview with May Valentine and Sal Rinauro. Royce Isaacs interrupts.
NWA World Tag Team Champions Eli Drake & James Storm def. The Bouncers (Brian Milonas & Beer City Bruiser)
Interview with Marty Scurll and Brody King.
Kamille def. Maddie Max. Post-match, Kamille refuses to speak
Interview with Rock N Roll Express
Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. Aron Stevens & The Question Mark
Interviews with Melina, Allysin Kay, and Thunder Rosa.
Tim Storm def. Jax Dane. Storm gets five minutes and Danny Deals and lays him out.
Tasha Steelz d. Marti Belle and Ashley Vox
Interview with James Storm, Eli Drake, and Eddie Kingston
Nick Aldis & Thom Latimer def. Marty Scurll & Brody King
WWE put on a great show in Royal Rumble but it appears that not all stars made it out of the event unharmed as the former World Champion AJ Styles suffered an injury.
Fans had noted that AJ seemed banged up after taking a spear from Edge and it was strange that he was eliminated from the Royal Rumble match before all the members of the OC came out.
Now a report from PWinsider confirms these suspicions and it reveals that Styles suffered an injury on his left arm during the match this Sunday.
According to reports, AJ suffered the damage after he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while taking the spear from the returning Edge. While he did get back up, the former Champion was still seen holding his left arm.
A referee then communicated with the OC member on the apron and Styles was eliminated by Edge. You can check out the spot in which he seemingly suffered the injury below:
AJ Styles was talking to these fools before that suspect elimination.. Must've hurt his shoulder taking that spear from Edge #RoyalRumblepic.twitter.com/gEVontovCm
AJ Styles was attended by the medics right after his elimination and per the reports; he was seen with his arm wrapped up and with ice backstage after the incident.
So far there is no word yet on the severity of the injury so
it’s hard to say if he will be missing any time but we’ll keep you posted on
his status.
This comes after Pwinsider.com reported on Saturday that there had been no talk of Rousey being there this weekend. It was noted that if the former WWE RAW Women’s Champion was working the show then it was being well hidden by management.
WWE’s shop website just added a new Rousey t-shirt this weekend for sale, which sparked speculation.
Rousey has been on hiatus from WWE as she was last seen at WrestleMania 35 following an incredible first-year run with the company.
At the time, the belief was that she would remain with the company going forward as an ambassador due to her still having years left on her current deal.
During her time away from WWE, she joined the cast of WWE’s reality series, Total Divas, that marked season 9 of the series.
Edge made a surprise appearance at the latest pay-per-view event for WWE Royal Rumble, by returning to in-ring action.
Edge competed in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match from the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. He entered at #21 and made it to the final three but was eliminated after nearly 25-minutes.
Edge Returns
Edge’s triumphant return to WWE had been speculated for months. It all started when Edge shocked many fans by making a surprise appearance on the pre-show for WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
He did so by interrupting a segment with Elias, who was getting local heat by mocking fans in attendance and the city of Toronto. This led to Edge coming out and hitting a spear to Elias.
That SummerSlam segment was significant as it marked the first time that Edge got physical for the first time since his retirement in 2011. Months later, it was reported that the former World Champion was then spotted in Pittsburgh where WWE’s medical director, Dr. Joseph Maroon is headquartered.
Edge had previously denied the rumors suggesting that he is preparing for his comeback.
Edge is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all-time due to him winning 31 championships in WWE during his career. The former WWE Champion was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Christian in 2012.
The winner of this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match is Drew McIntyre.
Now his road to WrestleMania 36 begins, which is the biggest pay-per-view event of the year for the WWE.
As a result of beating out 29 other stars, he has earned the right to be in one of the main events of Mania and will have his choice to go after one of the top titles in the company.
Time will tell which one he decides but it will either be the Universal Title, which is held by Bray Wyatt, who successfully retained the title over title contender Daniel Bryan or WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who worked the Men’s Royal Rumble Match on this show. It should be noted that McIntyre eliminated Lesnar in this match.
McIntyre outlasted the likes of Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, and Edge in the Final Four at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in Houston, Texas.
Royal Rumble List of Entrants
Here’s a list of the entry of superstars who competed in this fan-favorite match:
Brock Lesnar
Elias
Erick Rowan
Robert Roode
John Morrison
Kofi Kingston
Rey Mysterio
Big E
Cesaro
Shelton Benjamin
Shinsuke Nakamura
MVP
Keith Lee
Braun Strowman
Ricochet
Drew McIntyre
The Miz
AJ Styles
Dolph Ziggler
Karl Anderson
Edge
Baron Corbin
Matt Riddle
Luke Gallows
Randy Orton
Roman Reigns
Kevin Owens
Aleister Black
Samoa Joe
Seth Rollins
What are your thoughts on Drew McIntyre winning this match and being placed in the main event scene at WrestleMania 36? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Match Recap: Reigns started off the match in control and sent Corbin flying into the steel steps. Roman brought Corbin in the ring and unloaded several right hands to Baron’s face in the corner. The action spilled out of the ring and Corbin tried to escape by hopping over the barricade.
Reigns followed him into the crowd and continued to beat the hell out of him with right hands to the face. Corbin battled back and Chokeslammed Roman on top of an announce table for a near fall. Reigns went for a Superman Punch but Corbin caught him and hit another Chokeslam through an announce table for a two count.
King Corbin brought Reigns through the crowd and to the production area. Reigns hit a Samoan Drop through an international announce table. Roman then hit another one through a table for a near fall. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler then attacked Reigns from behind and beat him down.
The Usos joined the party and attacked Ziggler and Roode. Jimmy Uso hit a massive Crossbody but turned around into a Sidewalk Slam from Corbin on top of a barricade. Reigns leveled Corbin with a Superman Punch and followed it up with another Superman Punch.
Roman threw Corbin in a portable toilet and flipped it over as the crowd erupted. Corbin grabbed a steel chair and threw Reigns on top of the dugout in Minute Maid Park. Reigns hit a Superman Punch and then connected with a Spear for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Reigns and King Corbin delivered a much better match that their bout at TLC tonight at the Royal Rumble PPV. I hope that this was the final match of the feud and both superstars can finally move on. Reigns and Corbin will both be in the men’s Royal Rumble match later tonight.
Below is the list of entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble match tonight.
Alexa Bliss
Bianca Belair
Molly Holly
Nikki Cross
Lana
Mercedes Martinez
Liv Morgan
Mandy Rose
Candice LeRae
Sonya Deville
Kairi Sane
Mia Yim
Dana Brooke
Tamina
Dakota Kai
Chelsea Green
Charlotte Flair
Naomi
Beth Phoenix
Toni Storm
Kelly Kelly
Sarah Logan
Natalya
Xia Li
Zelina Vega
Shotzi Blackheart
Carmella
Tegan Nox
Santina Marella
Shayna Baszler
Match Recap: Belair and Bliss started the rumble off tonight. Bliss hit Bianca with a Dropkick but Belair shrugged it off and hit a Backbreaker. Mighty Molly Holly was the 3rd entrant and got a great reaction from the crowd. Molly got in some offense as the crowd chanted “you still got it!”. Nikki Cross sprinted down the entrance ramp and hit Belair and Molly with a Clothesline. Lana was the 5th entrant and cut a promo while walking down the ramp. Lana referred to herself as the greatest superstar in the world and that she is better than the pathetic losers in the crowd.
Mercedes Martinez was #6 and marched to the ring. Liv Morgan sprinted to the ring and immediately eliminated Lana. Liv climbed to the top rope and Lana eliminated her. Liv then beat Lana down outside the ring before WWE officials separated them. Candice LeRae and Mandy Rose were the next two superstars in the match. Belair eliminated Molly Holly and Mandy Rose was thrown over the top rope but landed on Otis ringside. Sonya Deville was #10 and teamed up with Mandy in the ring.
Stop the Rumble now, you won’t be able to top this ??
Mandy and Sonya eliminated Mercedes Martinez. Kairi Sane was #11 and came down to the ring with her umbrella. Sane took out Cross and bliss with a Spear. Mia Yim was #12 and quickly hit Sane with a Neckbreaker. Belair eliminated Nikki Cross by slamming Bliss into her. Bliss hung onto Belair’s hair and saved herself from elimination. Sonya Deville accidentally hit Mandy Rose but Otis caught her. Belair then sent Deville flying onto Otis and Mandy. Deville and Rose were eliminated.
Dana Brooke was #13 and climbed to the top rope. Dana hit Yim with a Senton and followed it up with a Splash to Belair and Bliss in the corner. Belair lifted Lerae above her head and eliminated Candice for her fifth elimination of the match. Alexa Bliss eliminated Kairi Sane. Tamina entered the match at #14 and had a stare down with Bianca. Belair quickly eliminated Tamina for the sixth elimination.
Dakota Kai entered at #15 and battled with Dana Brooke as Alexa eliminated Mia Yim. Chelsea Green was #16 and quickly eliminated Dakota Kai. Alexa snuck up behind Chelsea and quickly eliminated her. Belair eliminated Dana Brooke for her seventh elimination. Bliss and Belair were the only superstars remaining and Alexa climbed to the top rope. Alexa went for Twisted Bliss but Bianca got her knees up. Both women went over the top rope and battled on the ring apron. Belair sent Alexa into the ring post and eliminated her for another elimination.
Charlotte Flair entered the match at #17. Flair hit Belair with a series of chops as the crowd chanted “woo!”. Naomi made her return at #18 and got a great reaction from the crowd. Charlotte and Naomi teamed up and hit Belair with a Suplex. WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix entered the match at #19. Naomi hit Charlotte and Beth with a Splash and then beat Flair down in the corner. Bianca hit Beth with a punch and Phoenix bounced her head on the ring post pretty hard.
Toni Storm was #20 and got a great reaction from the Houston crowd. Charlotte Flair eliminated Belair after being in the Royal Rumble for 33-minutes. Kelly Kelly was entrant #21 and hit Toni with a Hurricanrana. Beth knocked Charlotte over the top rope but Flair was able to hang on.
Sarah Logan entered at #22 and went right after Charlotte. Flair quickly eliminated Sarah with a big boot. Kelly Kelly tried to eliminate Charlotte but it backfired and Flair sent her flying over the top rope. Natalya was #23 and teamed up with Beth Phoenix. Beth was bleeding from the back of her head after bouncing it off the ring post. Beth and Natalya Powerbombed Flair to the canvas.
Xia Li entered at #24 and leveled Phoenix with a kick to the face. Zelina Vega was entrant #25 and slammed Naomi to the mat. Xia Li, Phoenix, and Natalya tried to eliminate Charlotte but she still hung on. Shotzi Blackheart was entrant #26 as Naomi avoided elimination by leaping to the barricade. Naomi scooted across the top of the barricade as the crowd chanted her name. Naomi made it to the announce table and stood there as Carmella made her entrance at #27.
Charlotte hit Carmella with the Natural Selection but turned around into a Glam Slam from Beth. Tegan Nox entered at #28 and hit Vega with a Chokeslam. Phoenix hit Nox with another Glam Slam. Santina Marella entered at #29 and tried to hug Beth. Santina broke out the cobra as Beth and Natalya surrounded him. Santina then thought better of it and eliminated himself.
Shayna Baszler was the final entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Shayna attacked Charlotte who was thrown through the ropes and sent her into the steel steps. Shayna eliminated Xia Li, Tegan Nox, Zelina Vega, and Shotzi Blackheart as Naomi made a bridge using the top of the announce table to make it back into the ring.
Baszler eliminated Carmella and Toni Storm. Baszler then quickly eliminated Naomi for her seventh elimination. Beth and Natalya attacked Baszler and hit the Hart Attack. Phoenix then turned her back on Natalya and eliminated her. Charlotte tried to sneak up and eliminate Shayna but she held onto the ropes. Baszler eliminated Beth Phoenix and sent Charlotte to the apron. Flair used her legs and locked them around Shayna’s neck. Flair sent Baszler over the top rope to win the match. Charlotte is going to WrestleMania to fight for a title.
After the match, Charlotte was interviewed in the ring as the crowd booed. Flair said she is a diamond cut to last and claimed that this is her division. Flair shouted “woo!” into the microphone to end the promo.
Opinion: I enjoyed this match up until the end. Charlotte Flair is unbelievably talented but I certainly didn’t want to see this result. It would have been nice to see someone new have a moment and earn a title shot at WrestleMania.
Bayley Retained The SmackDown Women’s Championship
Photo: WWE.com
Bayley defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Lacey Evans tonight at the PPV. Lacey’s daughter was in the crowd for the match.
Match Recap: Evans controlled the match early and Bayley faked an injury. Bayley hit Evans with a cheap shot and bounced Evans’ face off the top rope. Bayley followed it up with an Elbow Drop off the top rope and went for the cover but Evans was able to kick out at two. Bayley slowed the match down and applied a Headlock.
Lacey finally broke free and rolled up Bayley for a near fall. Evans hit a Bronco Buster and followed it up with a Dropkick to Bayley’s face. Lacey connected with a Neckbreaker and then a Standing Moonsault. Lacey went for another Moonsault but Bayley got her knees up. Bayley then rolled up Lacey and used her tights for leverage to win the match.
Opinion: The match ended a minute ago and I’ve already forgotten about it. There was zero energy from the crowd and the match simply couldn’t overcome it.
The Fiend Retained In A Great Match With Daniel Bryan
Photo: WWE.com
The Fiend defended the Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan in a Strap Match.
Match Recap: The Fiend dominated early and planted Bryan with a Powerbomb. Daniel knocked The Fiend to the outside and went for a Suicide Dive but The Fiend caught him. The Friend slammed Daniel into the barricade and beat the hell out of him with the strap. Bray hung up Bryan on the turnbuckle and hit him several more times with the strap.
The Fiend went for Sister Abigail but Bryan escaped and hit the Running Knee for a two count. Bryan hit a Crossbody outside the ring and slammed The Fiend into the ring post several times. Bryan connected with another Running Knee but The Fiend shrugged it off and absolutely leveled Daniel with a Clothesline.
Bryan battled back with a few kicks to the groin and planted The Fiend on top of the announce table with a DDT. Daniel then got some revenge and hit The Fiend several times with the strap. Back in the ring, Daniel hit The Fiend with the strap and a series of Yes Kicks.
Daniel stomped away on The Fiend’s face and started a “yes!” chant. Bryan went for the Running Knee but The Fiend countered into a Sister Abigail for a near fall. Bryan locked in the LeBell Lock in the middle of the ring while using the strap. The Fiend quickly escaped and unloaded punches to Daniel’s face.
The Fiend went for Sister Abigail but Bryan countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Daniel Bryan quickly hit another Running Knee but The Fiend kicked out at two. The Fiend locked in the Mandible Claw and slammed Bryan to the canvas for the pinfall victory. After the match, the crowd applauded Daniel Bryan as he stumbled to his feet. Bryan stumbled out of the ring and all the way up the ramp.
Opinion: I really enjoyed this match and it brought the crowd back to life after the terrible SmackDown Women’s Championship bout. Both Wyatt and Bryan beat the hell out of each other with the strap and it just added a sense of brutality that captivated me.
Bryan suggested the stipulation because he accused The Fiend of running away but at the end of the night he was the one looking lost and stumbling around. It was a pretty simple storyline but I just thought this whole feud was very well done. It’ll be interesting to see what lies next for Daniel Bryan and where he will be on the WrestleMania card. There is absolutely no reason to take the Universal Championship off of The Fiend anytime soon.
Match Recap: Asuka went for the Hip Attack but Lynch locked in the Dis-Arm-Her on the ropes. Becky broke the hold before the referee counted to five and made her way to the top rope. Lynch connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two.
Becky Lynch lifted Asuka up for a Suplex on the apron and dropped her to the floor. Lynch followed that up with an Exploder Suplex into the barricade. Back in the ring, Lynch connected with a Leg Drop off the top rope for a near fall.
Asuka hit the Hip Attack on Lynch against the ring post. Becky hung up Asuka on the ropes and hit a Rock Bottom for a two count. Lynch applied the Dis-Arm-Her but Asuka countered into the Asuka Lock. Becky reached the bottom rope but Asuka quickly hit a German Suplex.
Asuka booted Becky in the face and the referee was going to stop the match because he thought Lynch was knocked out. Becky stopped him and Asuka hit another kick to the face for a two count. Lynch hit a Reverse DDT and went for the cover but Asuka was able to kick out at the last moment. Asuka sent Becky into the referee and went to spit the green mist into her eyes but Lynch avoided it. Lynch then locked in the Dis-Arm-Her for the submission victory.
Opinion: I thought this was a very good match. Unfortunately, the crowd was either exhausted or simply waiting around for the men’s Royal Rumble and were silent during the match.
Below is the list of entrants in the men’s Royal Rumble match tonight.
Brock Lesnar
Elias
Erick Rowan
Robert Roode
John Morrison
Kofi Kingston
Rey Mysterio
Big E
Cesaro
Shelton Benjamin
Shinsuke Nakamura
MVP
Keith Lee
Braun Strowman
Ricochet
Drew McIntyre
The Miz
AJ Styles
Dolph Ziggler
Karl Anderson
Edge
King Corbin
Matt Riddle
Luke Gallows
Randy Orton
Roman Reigns
Kevin Owens
Aleister Black
Samoa Joe
Seth Rollins
Match Recap: Elias insulted Lesnar during his entrance and Brock sprinted up the ramp. Lesnar brought Elias to the ring and planted him with a German Suplex. Heyman slid the guitar into the ring and Lesnar bashed Elias before throwing him over the top rope. Rowan was #3 and was eliminated in a matter of seconds.
Robert Roode was #4 and got in a couple of punches before Lesnar leveled him with a Clothesline. Brock followed it up with an F5 and then eliminated him. John Morrison entered at #5 and immediately got eliminated via a Belly to Belly Suplex over the top rope.
Kofi Kingston entered the match at #6 and got in some offense as the crowd chanted his name. Kingston lasted the couple minutes and Rey Mysterio was #7. Mysterio got in a couple kicks before Lesnar launched Rey onto Kofi in the corner. Lesnar hit a Kingston and Rey with a couple German Suplexes before Big E made his way to the ring as #8.
Rey, Kofi, and Mysterio teamed up and attacked Lesnar. Brock battled back and quickly eliminated Big E and Mysterio. Brock then delivered an F5 to Kingston that sent him over the top rope. Cesaro came down to the ring and was promptly eliminated. I’ll be saying Cesaro deserves better until I die.
Shelton Benjamin entered at #10. Benjamin shared a hug with Heyman and Paul told him to reunite with Brock. Lesnar shook Shelton’s hand and the former college teammates shared a hug. Brock then hit Benjamin with a German Suplex and Clotheslined him over the top rope for his ninth elimination.
Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the ring and was eliminated immediately. Brock Lesnar has now eliminated ten superstars. MVP entered the match at #12 and got a great reaction from the crowd. MVP chased Heyman around the ring and then poked Lesnar in the eye. Brock shrugged it off and hit MVP with an F5. Lesnar then threw him out of the ring for his eleventh elimination.
Keith Lee entered the match at #13 and took his time getting in the ring. The crowd was hyped as Lee stepped through the ropes and had a stare down with Lesnar.
Lee leveled Lesnar with a shoulder tackle and the crowd erupted. Lee and Lesnar then hit a Clothesline at the same time and both superstars fell to the canvas. Braun Strowman marched to the ring as the 14th entrant. Braun leveled Lee with a Dropkick that knocked him out of the ring. Strowman got out of the ring and hit Keith with a shoulder tackle. Back in the ring, Braun hit Lesnar with a Clothesline. Brock got right up and hit Strowman with a German Suplex.
Brock hit Lee with a German Suplex and everyone was down. Lee and Strowman traded punches against the ropes and Brock came up from behind to eliminate both of them. Lesnar has now tied the record at 13 eliminations. Ricochet entered the match at #15 and Lesnar greeted him with a Backbreaker.
Drew McIntyre entered the match at #16 and Lesnar took off his gloves. Ricochet hit Brock with a low blow and McIntyre eliminated Brock with a massive Claymore Kick. The crowd went absolutely nuts as Lesnar tumbled over the top rope and to the floor.
McIntyre quickly threw Ricochet over the top rope to eliminate him. The Miz entered the match at #17 as McIntyre continued to stare at Lesnar. Drew leveled The Miz with a Claymore Kick and quickly eliminated him. AJ Styles entered the match at #18 as Brock exited through the crowd.
AJ locked in the Calf Crusher but McIntyre broke free and slammed Styles to the canvas. Dolph Ziggler entered at #19 and got in Drew’s face. McIntyre launched Ziggler across the ring and followed it up with a loud chop in the corner. McIntyre hit Styles with a chop as Karl Anderson entered at #20.
Anderson and Styles teamed up on McIntyre and Ziggler hit him with a Superkick. Anderson hit Ziggler with a Spinebuster and sent him to the apron. Ziggler battled back and avoided elimination. Edge made his anticipated return and entered the match at #21 and the crowd went insane.
Edge leveled Anderson and then McIntyre with a Spear as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”. Styles connected with a Pele Kick but Edge battled back and leveled him with a Spear. King Corbin entered at #22 and made his way to the ring. Edge eliminated AJ Styles as Matt Riddle entered the match at #23.
Riddle leveled Edge with the Ripcord Knee but was then eliminated by King Corbin. Luke Gallows entered the match at #24 and sent Ziggler to the apron again. Drew McIntyre then eliminated King Corbin. Randy Orton entered at #25 and went right after The OC. Orton planted Gallows and Anderson with an RKO before staring at Edge. Edge eliminated Gallows and Orton eliminated Anderson.
Orton and Edge smirked at each other and Randy told Edge he looked shredded. Roman Reigns then entered the match at #26. Roman hit Ziggler with a Spear and eliminated him. Reigns bounced Drew’s face off the top turnbuckle but McIntyre battled back with a chop to the chest.
Kevin Owens sprinted to the ring at #27. Owens went after McIntyre and beat him down in the corner. Kevin hit Reigns and Edge with a Cannonball before connecting with a Pop-Up Powerbomb to McIntyre. Owens then hit Reigns with a Stunner and another one to Orton.
Aleister Black was #28 and traded shots with Kevin Owens. Black leveled Owens with a knee to the face and did the same to Edge. Aleister hit McIntyre with Black Mass and Drew collapsed to the canvas. Samoa Joe entered at #29 and went after Aleister.
Owens hit Black with a Cannonball in the corner of the ring and then bumped into Joe. They started trading punches and Joe got the better of the exchange with an Atomic Drop. Seth Rollins was the final entrant at #30 and came down to the ring with Buddy Murphy and AOP.
Samoa Joe and Owens attacked Rollins on the ramp but the numbers game caught up to them. Rollins got into the ring and hit McIntyre with the Stomp as AOP dragged Orton out of the ring from under the bottom rope. Rollins hit Roman with the Stomp as Buddy tripped up Black. Rollins capitalized and eliminated Aleister Black.
Owens hit Rollins with the Stunner and threw him over the top rope but AOP caught him. Akam and Rezar rolled Seth back into the ring and Rollins eliminated Owens. Samoa Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch but Buddy Murphy broke it up with a boot to the head. Rollins capitalized again and eliminated Joe.
A brawl broke out as Rollins begged for his crew to come back to the ring. The brawl continued up the entrance ramp and Seth was left alone in the ring. Edge, Randy Orton, McIntyre, and Reigns then surrounded Seth. Rollins tried to team up with Roman Reigns but he wasn’t having it. Reigns hit Rollins with the Superman Punch and Orton followed it up with a Powerslam. McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick and eliminated Rollins.
Randy launched Roman into the ring post and then went after McIntyre. Orton connected with the RKO and Edge followed it up with a Spear. Edge and Orton planted Drew with a double RKO but Randy snuck up behind him. Edge saw it and Orton smirked. Edge then eliminated Randy Orton and started trash-talking with him.
It was now Edge, Reigns, and Drew McIntyre remaining in the match. Reigns and Edge traded punches in the middle of the ring. Roman leveled Edge with a Superman Punch and geared up in the corner. Reigns went for a Spear but Edge leaped over him and hit a Spear of his own. Edge sent Reigns to the apron but Roman brought him over the top rope as well.
Both superstars battled on the apron as McIntyre slowly got up. Reigns eliminated Edge and punched McIntyre in the face. Roman hit McIntyre with a Superman Punch and tried to eliminate him but Drew hung on. Roman went for a Spear but Drew McIntyre absolutely leveled him with the Claymore Kick. McIntyre then launched Roman Reigns over the top rope to win the Royal Rumble.
He fought his way back to @WWE, and now he's officially on the ROAD to #WrestleMania!
Opinion: What an incredible Royal Rumble match. That will be one that I definitely go back and watch years from now. Edge’s return was an unbelievable moment and gave everyone chills. When it was all said and done, the right man won. It is awesome to see Drew McIntyre finally get his moment and challenge for a title at WrestleMania. Overall, this year’s Royal Rumble was very entertaining and the men’s Royal Rumble match stole the show.
