Revolution Pro Wrestling has confirmed that the main event for May 11th’s Epic Encounter show will now be for the British Heavyweight Championship. Reigning Champion Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Sabre Jr has part of the company’s Wrestlecon show in New Orleans over Wrestlemania weekend to capture the prestigious UK Title.
Ishii will not be the only New Japan Pro Wrestling star making his way to York Hall on May 11th, NEVER Openweight Champion and Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki will be defending his Rev Pro Undisputed Tag Team Titles alongside Suzuki-Gun member Zack Sabre Jr against CCK’s Chris Brookes and Travis Banks. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will also be in action when he faces El Phantasmo and Jeff Cobb will be teaming with Matt Riddle to face Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis.
The card for the event is now as follows:
Fred Yehi vs. Josh Bodom
El Phantasmo vs. Will Ospreay
Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Title Match – Kurtis Chapman (c) vs. David Starr
Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. The Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matthew Riddle)
Rev Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Title Match – Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.) (c) vs. CCK (Chris Brookes & Travis Banks)
Just in case you were wondering The Undisputed British Heavyweight title will be on the line when these two men meet for a second time on Friday May 11th
Ring of Honor has announced more stars for their upcoming ‘Honor United’ tour across the United Kingdom in May.
Joining the already confirmed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions EVIL and SANADA of Los Ingobernables de Japon will be these Ring of Honor Champions:
ROH World Champion Dalton Castle
ROH World Television Champion Silas Young
ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoes
First-ever Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai
ROH has also confirmed that the Women of Honor will be heading overseas as part of the three date tour. Tenille Dashwood, Brandi Rhodes and Kelly Klein will be joining inaugural Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai.
Other already confirmed Ring of Honor Stars include “The American Nightmare” Cody, Jay Lethal, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), Adam Page, Bully Ray, The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Vinny Marseglia and TK O’Ryan), Punishment Martinez, Kenny King and Shane Taylor.
The three dates for the tour are as follows and tickets are available to purchase via the official ROH website.
May 24, 2018 — Edinburgh Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland, 7:30 p.m. local time
May 26, 2018 — Crystal Palace Sports Centre, London, England, 6 p.m. local time
May 27, 2018 — The Doncaster Dome, Doncaster, England, 6 p.m. local time
The UK wrestling scene was hit with the news earlier this week that World of Sport would officially be returning for a 10-part series. The tapings for these shows are scheduled to take place May 10th/11th/12th from EPIC Studios in Norwich, England.
Several of the UK’s top stars have reacted to the news that ITV are bringing back the once hugely popular series. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay asked “Wouldn’tit be interesting if they could Elevate the product and show the nation the true evolution of British Wrestling. Wonder how or better yet who could do that…???”
Several names have already been rumored regarding the potential stars that will be making their way to the new ITV show, including the first ever PROGRESS Champion Nathan Cruz, El Ligero, Mark Haskins and Alex Cupid. One name that likely will not be returning to the series is Zack Gibson, who recently appeared as part of WWE’s Wrestlemania Axxess shows and is slated to be signing with the WWE UK roster at some point in the near future. Gibson did appear on the one-off New Year’s Eve special that aired back in 2016 in a match against El Ligero.
So @WOSWrestlingITV is coming back as a series. Wouldn’t it be interesting if they could Elevate the product and show the nation the true evolution of British Wrestling.
Wonder how or better yet who could do that…???
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) April 25, 2018
Ronda Rousey had a pretty impactful pro wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34 but prior to commencing a pro wrestling career, she had to suffer from 2 dominating UFC loses.
In previous interviews, Rousey had opened up about her losses and the effect they had on her. During a recent Q&A session with Hollywood director Peter Berg at the Wild Card West boxing gym, she once again talked about her UFC defeats.
Ronda said that she did a whole lot of crying after her undefeated streak broke but claimed that time is a great teacher and best things have come from the worst things:
“I did a whole lot of crying, isolating myself, (husband Travis Browne) held me and let me cry and it lasted two years, I couldn’t have done it alone. I had to learn from experience. From the worst things, the best things have come as a result. Time is a great teacher. It’s that belief that time passes, even bad times.”
Ronda Rousey had a 12 fight undefeated streak before it was broken by Holly Holm at UFC 193 via knockout in the second round.
Her second loss came at the hands of Amanda Nunes via TKO in the first round and after this defeat; she left UFC and joined WWE for building a career in Pro Wrestling.
Westwide Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) has announced that PROGRESS ATLAS Champion and member of the Ringkampf stable WALTER will be challenging Ilja Dragunov for the wXw Unified World Championship in the main event of Superstars of Wrestling on May 5th.
If you’ve never heard of WALTER then he is certainly a performer that should be on your radar. The Austrian powerhouse has been dominating the Tag and Heavyweight divisions in wXw, PROGRESS and PWG over the past couple of years and he is now being slated as a future WWE/NXT signee (even if he denies any sort of negotiations). The de-facto leader of the Ringkampf stable (alongside Timothy Thatcher and previously NXT roster member Axel Dieter Jr) has a ton of potential on the world stage and has already garnered critical praise from the likes of Dave Meltzer, who gave his PWG All-Star Weekend bout against Zack Sabre Jr from October 2017 a 5 star rating.
This announcement just adds extra spice to an already impressive card featuring the likes of Tenille Dashwood challenging Toni Storm for the wXw Women’s Championship and ROH legend Christopher Daniels taking on Bobby Guns for the wXw Shotgun Title. WWE legend Billy Gunn, former ROH World Champion Jay Lethal and 16 Carat Gold winner Absolute Andy will also be in action.
Less than 10 tickets remain for this incredibly stacked card which takes place in Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen next weekend. You can watch the show later that week via the wXw Now On Demand service, further information can be found via the tweet below or through wXw’s official website.
3 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight and former 1 time IWGP Junior Tag Team Champion Kota Ibushi recently spoke to Tokyo Sports in Japan to discuss a variety of topics surrounding the Bullet Club, his role in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Cody Rhodes and more.
Ibushi has become embroiled in a Bullet Club ‘civil war’ alongside his ‘Golden Lovers’ tag team partner Kenny Omega. The pair have been feuding against Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page and at times The Young Bucks. When discussing the storyline Kota stated: “I don’t know why the Bullet Club members have to fight each other. I want it to end. It doesn’t interest me at all, I just don’t want to be caught up in it anymore.”
Ibushi also went on to say that he does not “want to bring backstage drama into the ring. I want to wrestle in the ring, and have the stories develop and amaze people there and there alone. Even as I tag (in the Golden Lovers) I want to make a mark, show results on my own. Ibushi also commented on the man who calls himself the defacto leader of the Bullet Club; Cody Rhodes. “I liked my match with Cody (at Wrestle Kingdom). I like him as a wrestler; to just have a normal match, I’m looking forward to it. Win or lose, I want this to be the end of all this, put it behind us and move on.”
Credit to Chris Charlton @reasonjp for the translation.
https://t.co/x4esZmhU2m Ibushi ‘I don’t know why the Bullet Club members have to fight each other. I want it to end. It doesn’t interest me at all, I just don’t want to be caught up in it anymore’ #njdontaku
DEFIANT Wrestling will be presenting their latest PPV offering ‘No Regrets’ tonight from 7pm UK time (2pm Eastern, 11am Pacific) emanating from England’s Newcastle-upon-Tyne. DEFIANT GM and former WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett/Stu Bennett will be on hand for proceedings and has promised a night of incredible action.
The card is now complete and all of DEFIANT’s Championships will be on the line, here is how the card stacks up:
30-Person #1 Contenders Rumble Match
Austin Aries vs Rampage (Defiant Championship)
Millie McKenzie vs Kay Lee Ray – Last Woman Standing (Women’s Championship)
Travis Banks vs Walter (Internet Championship)
Mark Haskins & Jimmy Havoc vs Aussie Open (Tag Championship)
Martin Kirby vs No Fun Dunne
The ‘No Regrets’ PPV will be available to purchase via the FITE App for $14.99 or on DEFIANT’s own Access DEFIANT On Demand streaming service. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial right now if you head over to this page.
Access Defiant costs just $8.99 per month and features the entirety of the WCPW back catalogue, including the Pro Wrestling World Cup, WCPW True Legacy featuring Kurt Angle vs Cody Rhodes, Stacked ’17 featuring Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll and much more.
New Japan Pro Wrestling announced back in March that they will be returning to the United States for another ‘G1 Special’ event on July 7th.
The legendary Cow Palace in San Francisco, California will be hosting the event, the venue can potentially hold up to 13,000+ which would be a huge step up from the 2,300 fans in attendance for last year’s G1 Specials at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. Last year’s event saw the crowning of the first ever IWGP United States Champion as part of a two night tournament, this was eventually won by ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega. Whether NJPW will be holding another tournament centered around the US title and current holder Jay White remains to be seen.
New Japan has now released the ticket information and pricing for the event, which you can find below or via NJPW1972.com:
TICKETS ON SALE:
Tuesday May 01, 10AM (US Pacific time)
A lot was at stake for WWE to upset Saudi Officials for anything at the Greatest Royal Rumble event and it appears to be the reason why Sami Zayn missed the show.
WWE flew in every possible superstar for last night’s mega Live Event so the revelation that Sami Zayn will not be a part of the show was very surprising for the fans.
The statement company released on the matter saying that they are “committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs” didn’t clear things either.
Now after a new report from Pro Wrestling Sheet has come out, it appears that the sole reason behind it was that the company officials didn’t want to upset Saudi Government for anything.
According to the site, Sami wasn’t a part of the event due to the same reasons why there were no Women’s matches on the card for the Greatest Royal Rumble -to respect the local culture in Saudi Arabia
Wrestling Observer further reports that the backstage interview of Zayn following this week’s Raw as seen below, was supposed to be the storyline explanation for his absence but the company decided to release the above-mentioned statement after the story picked up.
For those who don’t know, Sami is a superstar of Syrian descent. It’s believed that the company kept him away from the event due to Syria’s strained diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, which could have upset Government Officials if Zayn had competed at the Live Event.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s heel turn at WrestleMania 34 was seen as the start of a long-lasting feud between him and AJ Styles so their match at the Greatest Royal Rumble was expected to be just a stop on their rivalry instead of being a culminating bout.
Now WWE has confirmed that their match at the show was not the last encounter we’ll see between the two by announcing a rematch for the upcoming Backlash PPV next month.
The match between Nakamura and Styles at last night’s show ended in a double count-out after AJ speared the Japanese star onto the announcer’s table and they both kept brawling outside as the referee counted to ten.
Though the duo didn’t stop fighting even after the bell rang and the segment ended with the WWE Champion delivering a phenomenal forearm to the former NXT Star onto to the ringside floor.
After the show went off air, WWE announced on their website that the Phenomenal One will once again defend his title against the former NXT Champion at the upcoming dual branded PPV.
Following the announcement, here is the updated Backlash match card:
WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz
Raw Women’s Championship: Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
WWE Backlash will take place on May 6, 2018, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble aired live on April 27th from the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Here are 10 takeaways from the special event:
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium is ready. Are you?
Triple H battled John Cena to kickoff the Greatest Royal Rumble event. Triple H made his entrance first and got an awesome reaction from the crowd. Green strobe lights lit up the arena as Triple H marched down the ramp with a bottle of water. Triple H posed on the entrance ramp and spit the water in the air as the crowd erupted.
John Cena made his entrance to a tremendously positive reaction from the crowd. Dozens of children lined the entrance ramp and Cena high-fived them all as he came down the entrance ramp. Fireworks went off as Cena slid into the ring. Triple H was shown staring in the sky and relishing the moment as Cena posed in the ring.
The bell rang as Cena and Triple H circled each other in the ring. The two legends locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Triple H shoved Cena to the mat and had a giant smirk on his face while doing it. Some “Cena sucks!” started up in Jeddah as the two locked up once again. Cena shoved Triple H on his ass and did the “you can’t see” taunt as the crowd cheered.
Both Superstars stared at each other as the energy from the crowd reigned down upon the ring. Cena and Triple H locked up once again in a battle of strength. Triple H got the advantage and pushed Cena to his knees. Cena powered back to his feet, but Triple H booted him in his crotch and then shoulder tackled him to the canvas.
Triple H then did the “you can’t see me” taunt and whipped Cena to the ropes. Cena exploded with a shoulder tackle of his own. Triple H hopped right back up and bounced Cena’s face off the top turnbuckle. Triple H then punched Cena in the face and the crowd started to boo him. Triple H did Cena’s taunt once again, Cena snuck up behind him for a roll-up for a two count. Triple H connected with a Clothesline for another two count.
Triple H launched Cena into the turnbuckle and John crumbled to the canvas. Triple H did it once again and started strutting in the ring. Triple H took his sweet time going over to Cena in the corner and then punched him in the face. Cena battled back with a couple of jabs, but Triple H quickly locked in a Sleeper Hold in the middle of the ring. Cena broke free and connected with a couple of shoulder tackles. Triple H bounced back with another Clothesline and Cena and his jean shorts splatted on the mat.
Cena got back up and traded fists to the face with Triple H. Triple H bounced Cena’s temple of his knee and went for the cover, but Cena was able to get his shoulder up at the last second. Triple H went for the Pedigree but Cena countered and slammed Triple H to the mat. Cena raised his hand in the air and went for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Triple H got back up and connected with a Back Body Drop. Triple H did the “suck it!” taunt and went for the cover but Cena powered out at two.
Cena threw Triple H to the corner and The Game went flying over the top rope and crashed on the floor outside the ring. John slammed Triple H shoulder-first into the ring post and then rolled Triple H back into the ring. Cena scaled the turnbuckle and went for a Dropkick, but Triple H countered into a Spinebuster/ Powerbomb for another two count.
Both Superstars got back up and traded punches for the face. Cena tripped up Triple H and locked in the STF in the center of the ring. Triple H shrieked in agony as he slowly crawled towards the ropes. Triple H wound up booting Cena away and then planted him with a Spinebuster for a two count.
Triple H brought Cena to the corner and hopped up to the second rope to deliver some punches to the face as the crowd counted along. Cena escaped at four and this time connected with the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena followed it up with the Attitude Adjustment, but Triple H kicked out at two. Cena went for another AA, but The Game countered into a Pedigree. Triple H went for the cover, but Big Match John kicked out at two. Triple H countered another AA into a roll-up for a two count.
Cena quickly locked in the STF once again in the middle of the ring. Triple H reversed into a Crossface and bent Cena’s face back in the middle of the ring. Cena showed off his power and lifted Triple H onto his shoulders. Cena connected with an Attitude Adjustment, a slingshot into the turnbuckle and a third Attitude Adjustment for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Cena grabbed a microphone and said that it was an honor to be a part of an event like this. Cena added that regardless of what is going on in his life, he was not going to miss this event for the world. Cena thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for allowing him to be a part of something so special. Cena told the crowd to enjoy the rest of the night and high-fived fans as he made his way up the ramp.
Opinion: This was a great way to start the Greatest Royal Rumble. The crowd absolutely loved seeing two legends of the industry battle in the ring. If you have been watching WWE for a long time, you have seen this match a bunch of times and nothing really special happened in the ring here. However, the appreciation from the crowd was great to see and their energy made this match much better than it would have been if it occured on an episode of RAW or at a PPV in the states.
Cedric Alexander Retained The Cruiserweight Championship
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Cedric Alexander defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto tonight at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Kalisto started up a “Lucha” chant before the two Superstars locked up to start off the match. Kalisto walked on his hands and planted Alexander with a Hurricanrana.
Kalisto knocked Cedric out of the ring and then flipped onto him. The action returned to the ring for a moment, but Alexander booted him out of the ring. Alexander sprinted across the ring and flipped onto Kalisto on the outside. Back in the ring, Cedric went for a cover but Kalisto kicked out at one.
Alexander connected with a beautiful Dropkick for a two count. Alexander then applied a Bear Hug in the middle of the ring. Kalisto tried to escape, but Alexander wouldn’t let go and slammed him back down to the canvas while maintaining the Bear Hug.
Kalisto escaped with an Arm Drag and followed it up with a boot to face. Kalisto connected with a springboard Crossbody and followed it up with a Tornado DDT for a two count. Kaliso elbowed Alexander in the jaw, but Cedric responded with a Michonuku Driver for two. Kalisto battled back with a kick to the face and Alexander looked rattled while perched up on the top turnbuckle. Kalisto went for a Hurricanrana, but Alexander blocked it. Kalisto headbutted Alexander and connected with an awesome Spanish Fly for a two count.
Alexander and Kalisto traded shots in the center of the ring. Alexander went for the Lumbar Check, but Kalisto countered into a Hurricanrana into the corner. Kalisto then went for the Salida del Sol, but Cedric was ready for it and countered into the Lumbar Check for the pinfall victory. Cedric Alexander is still the Cruiserweight Champion.
Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt Won The Vacant RAW Tag Titles
Sheamus & Cesaro faced Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt for the vacant RAW Tag Team Championships tonight at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Matt Hardy started off Cesaro the match by trading “delete!” and “The Bar!” taunts. Hardy connected with a shoulder tackle and tagged in Bray Wyatt.
Bray ran into a boot to the face in the corner and Sheamus tagged in. Sheamus stomped on Bray in the corner and followed it up with a knee to the face. Wyatt responded with a Clothesline and tagged Hardy back in. Matt and Bray connected with a Leg Drop and a Senton on Sheamus. Bray Wyatt and Hardy then gave themselves a round of applause and the Jeddah crowd joined in on the fun.
Matt planted Sheamus with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Sheamus blocked the Twist of Fate, and Cesaro connected with a cheap shot to Hardy as the ref was distracted. Sheamus shoved Hardy out of the ring and Cesaro hit another cheap shot. Sheamus brought Matt back into the ring and applied a Headlock.
Cesaro tagged in and continued the beatdown of Hardy. Sheamus got back in the match and dropped a knee onto Hardy’s chest for a two count. Sheamus quickly applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Hardy. Matt broke the hold with a Jaw Breaker, but Cesaro tagged in and planted him with a Gutwrench Suplex for two.
Sheamus tagged in and connected with an elbow to the face for another two count. Hardy finally was able to battle back and planted Sheamus with a Side Effect. Wyatt and Cesaro tagged in and Bray knocked Cesaro to the mat with a Clothesline. Wyatt knocked Sheamus off the apron and leveled Cesaro with a Crossbody for a two count.
Sheamus tagged in and connected with the White Noise. Matt Hardy ran into the ring and broke up the cover and then planted Cesaro with a Twist of Fate. Bray Wyatt planted Sheamus with the Sister Abigail and then tagged in Hardy. Bray lifted Sheamus up and Hardy planted him with the Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory. Matt and Bray are the new RAW Tag Team Champions. Sheamus & Cesaro will now join the SmackDown roster after WWE’s Superstar Shakeup.
Opinion: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will certainly be interesting as the new tag champs. It was pretty obvious that The Bar wasn’t going to win the titles back after they have already been announced for SmackDown’s roster. RAW’s tag division has been poor as of late, hopefully Hardy & Wyatt can bring it back to life.
Jeff Hardy Is Still The United States Champion
Jeff Hardy defended the United States Championship against Jinder Mahal at Greatest Royal Rumble. Hardy started off the match with a Dropkick that sent Mahal out of the ring. Jeff connected with a leaping Clothesline off the barricade. Jinder rolled into the ring as Hardy hopped up on the ring apron.
Sunil Singh grabbed Jeff’s leg and Jinder capitalized with a punch to the face. Mahal connected with a series of knees to Hardy’s midsection and then stomped on him in the corner a couple of times. Mahal launched Jeff into the turnbuckle and Hardy fell to the mat. Mahal brought him back to his feet, only to drop him back down with a Neckbreaker for a two count.
Jinder knocked Jeff back down and then taunted the crowd as they booed him. Jinder went for a Gutbuster, but Hardy countered into a Leg Drop for a two count. Hardy barely connected with a Whisper in the Wind for a two count.
Jeff connected with a Dropkick in the corner and then dragged Mahal back to the middle of the ring. Sunil hopped on the ring apron again and Mahal tried to hit the Khallas, but Hardy blocked it. Jeff then hit the Twist of Fate and followed it up with the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory. Jeff Hardy is still the United States Champion.
Opinion: The crowd really wasn’t into this match and it is hard to blame them. Hardy and Mahal have zero chemistry in the ring. Every single Mahal match is pretty much the same. I just find him remarkably boring and I’m glad that Jeff Hardy retained. That means that Hardy will face Orton at WWE Backlash and we will be spared of yet another Orton vs. Mahal match.
The Bludgeon Brothers Dominated The Usos Again
The Bludgeon Brothers defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The Usos tonight at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. The Bludgeon Brothers have absolutely dominated Jimmy & Jey on recent episodes on SmackDown. However, this past Tuesday things changed when Naomi distracted Harper & Rowan on the entrance ramp. This allowed Jimmy to defeat Rowan and The Usos picked up some momentum heading into this title match.
Harper and Rowan started off the match in control and took turns beating down Jey Uso. Rowan connected with a Backbreaker and followed it up with a Splash for a two count. Harper tagged in and went for a big boot, but Jey ducked and Harper tumbled out of the ring.
Jimmy tagged in and connected with a Crossbody outside the ring. Jimmy then delivered another Crossbody to Rowan outside the ring. Back in the ring, Jimmy hit a third Crossbody off the top onto Harper for a one count. Jimmy connected with a spin kick, but Harper got right back up and elbowed Jimmy in the face.
Jey tagged in and The Usos teamed up on him in the corner. Jimmy tagged back in and The Usos hit both Harper and Rowan with Superkicks. Jey connected with a Splash off the top rope for a two count.
Rowan dragged Jimmy out of the ring and booted him in the face. Rowan then tagged in and Harper slapped him in the face to fire him up. Harper and Rowan then Powerbombed Jimmy Uso for the pinfall victory. The Bludgeon Brothers retained the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Opinion: This match was much better than their bout at WrestleMania 34. The Bludgeon Brothers remain dominant and it will be interesting to see who steps up on SmackDown to try and rip the titles away from them. I’m looking forward to SAnitY showing up soon on the blue brand and causing Chaos. I think a match between SAnitY and The Bludgeon Brothers would be an absolute war and I hope we get to see it soon.
Seth Rollins Escaped With The Intercontinental Championship
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter
Seth Rollins put his Intercontinental Championship on the line in a Ladder Match against Samoa Joe, The Miz & Finn Balor at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble.
Joe beatdown Rollins in the corner to start off the match as Balor connected with a Dropkick to The Miz. Joe connected with an Enziguri to Balor and then ran into a boot from Rollins. Seth connected with a double Blockbuster off the second rope to The Miz and Samoa Joe.
Rollins and Balor battled in the middle of the ring. Seth Dropkicked Finn out of the ring and followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Rollins connected with another Suicide Dive to The Miz and then grabbed a ladder from under the ring. Samoa Joe and The Miz grabbed the ladder and a tug of war broke out. The Miz and Rollins teamed up to slam Joe into the ring apron. Finn then flipped from the ring onto Rollins and The Miz.
Joe bashed Finn with the ladder and made his way into the ring. Joe set up the ladder under the IC Ttle, but Rollins interrupted with a chop and the ladder fell to the canvas. Joe tripped Seth up and Rollins fell face-first into the ladder on the mat. Joe chopped Finn across the chest and then headbutted him.
Balor knocked Joe on top of the ladder and followed it up with a Double Stomp that sent Joe rolling out of the ring. Finn set up the ladder and started climbing towards the belt. The Miz dragged him down and booted him in the face. Miz made his way up the ladder but Rollins brought him back down and slammed him to the ladder. Seth Clotheslined Miz out of the ring and then glanced at the title suspended above the ring.
Rollins and Balor battled on top of the ladder. The Miz and Samoa Joe got back into the ring and shoved the ladder and Seth & Finn crashed to the floor outside the ring. The Miz tried to form an alliance with Joe. Joe shook Miz’s hand and then decked him with a shoulder tackle.
Joe set up the ladder in the corner, but it fell back to the mat when he walked away. Joe improvised and connected with a Body Slam on top of the ladder. Joe successfully set up the ladder in the corner this time and launched Rollins into it. Joe then bashed the ladder on Miz’s chest and The Miz rolled out of the ring.
Balor hit a Slingblade and Dropkicked Joe into the ladder in the corner. The ladder fell on top of Joe and Balor climbed up the turnbuckle. Both The Miz and Rollins joined him as Joe got back up. Joe struck The Miz with the ladder and then Powerbombed Rollins as Seth connected with a Superplex to Balor at the same time.
The Miz got back into the ring and connected with the Skull Crushing Finale on Joe on top of the ladder. Joe rolled out of the ring and The Miz was all alone in the ring with the ladder. The Miz set up the ladder under the title and started climbing. Rollins sprinted into the ring and met The Miz on the ladder with a punch to the face. The Miz shoved Seth off the ladder, but Balor quickly hopped on the ladder and traded shots with Miz.
The Miz dragged Balor to the mat and planted him with a Neckbreaker. Rollins climbed up the ladder, but The Miz regrouped and shoved the ladder over. The Miz then planted Rollins with a DDT and picked up the ladder. Miz bashed Rollins in the midsection with the ladder and then hit Balor in the face with it.
Finn knocked The Miz on top of the ladder in the middle of the ring and connected with the Coup de Grace. Balor set up the ladder under the belt and made his way up. Samoa Joe got back into the ring and dragged him down. Balor connected with an overhead kick that knocked Joe to the canvas.
Balor started climbing again, but Joe dragged him back down and locked in the Coquina Clutch. Finn escaped and delivered a Double Stomp to Joe’s chest. Up the ladder Finn went again as the crowd cheered him on. Joe brought him back down and planted him with a Uranage.
Joe made his way up the ladder, but Finn was able to get up and shove it over. Joe bounced neck-first on the top rope and crashed to the floor outside the ring. Finn made his way to the top of the ladder and was inches away from becoming the new Intercontinental Champion. Seth Rollins leaped from the top rope to the top of the ladder and ripped the title down to remain the Intercontinental Champion. Finn Balor put his head in hands in disbelief on top of the ladder as Rollins laid on the canvas with the title.
Opinion: I loved the finish to this match. The entire match was very entertaining, but the way it ended was perfect. Both The Miz and Samoa Joe are now on SmackDown as a result of the Superstar Shake-Up, so it wouldn’t have made sense for them to win the match. It is refreshing to see someone besides The Miz hold the IC Title. Seth is one of the best performers in the business and there are a bunch of feuds I’d like to see him have on RAW as the Intercontinental Champion.
Styles vs. Nakamura Ended In A Double Count-Out
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter
AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship against Shinsuka Nakamura tonight at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 to retain the title. After the match, Nakamura hit Styles with a low blow and followed it up with a Kinshasa outside the ring. Nakamura has hit several low blows on Styles on recent episodes of SmackDown as the rivalry has become personal. Nakamura has refused to comment on his actions and has instead elected to say “no speak English” when questioned.
Shinsuke started off the match in control and focused his attack on AJ’s arm. AJ countered and started stretching out Nakamura’s arm as well. Shinsuke escaped and rolled out of the ring to regroup as the crowd booed. Nakamura paced around the ring before finally sliding back in.
AJ and Shinsuke locked up in the middle of the ring. Styles got the advantage and applied a Headlock. Nakamura shoved AJ to the ropes and the referee broke up the hold. Nakamura placed his head on AJ’s chest and waved his arms to taunt him. Nakamura stood in the middle of the ring and shouted “come on!”. Styles obliged and planted Nakamura with a Dropkick.
Nakamura connected with a boot to AJ’s knee and then stomped on him on the ring apron. Shinsuke rolled out of the ring, smiled and then kneed Styles in the face. Nakamura leaped off the ring apron and hit another knee to the back of Styles’ neck. Nakamura rolled AJ back into the ring and went for a cover but AJ kicked out at one. Nakamura knocked AJ to the corner for Good Vibrations and then hit another knee to the face for a two count.
Shinsuke applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Styles. AJ battled to his feet and connected with elbows to the ribs to break the hold. AJ planted Nakamura with a Facebuster and both Superstars fell to the mat as the crowd started cheering.
Styles hit Nakamura with a forearm to the face and then delivered another one in the corner. AJ lifted Nakamura onto his shoulders and dropped him neck-first across his knee for a two count. The crowd was on their feet and waving their arms back and forth as Styles remained in control. Shinsuke missed with a kick, but quickly recovered and connected with a kick to the face. Nakamura remained on the attack with a couple knees to the face and then slammed Styles to the mat.
Shinsuke geared up in the corner and went for the Kinshasa but Styles countered into roll-up for two. Styles then locked in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring and Nakamura screamed in agony.
Nakamura rolled through and reached the bottom rope to escape the Calf Crusher. Shinsuke connected with a kick to the side of AJ’s head and then draped Styles across the top rope. Shinsuke connected with a running knee to the midsection for a two count. Nakamura grabbed his knee in pain from the Calf Crusher as he made his way back to his feet.
Shinsuke perched AJ up on the top turnbuckle and then joined him up there. AJ slid between Shinsuke’s legs and then dragged him down and Nakamura fell face-first into the top turnbuckle.
Both Superstars got back up and traded punches in the middle of the ring. AJ hit a flurry of elbows and Nakamura dropped to the mat. Nakamura got back up and hit a series of jabs and then transitioned into an Arm Bar in the center of the ring. Styles escaped and connected with the Pele Kick.
Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Nakamura ducked and AJ almost struck the referee. While the ref’s back was turned, Nakamura delivered a low blow to Styles for a two count.
Nakamura geared up in the corner again and went for the Kinshasa, but AJ was ready and hit a forearm to the face that sent Shinsuke out of the ring. AJ followed him and tackled Nakamura over the announce table beside the ring. AJ punched Nakamura in the face and then threw Shinsuke into the barricade. The referee called for the bell as both Superstars were counted out. The crowd booed at the result as AJ continued his attack. Styles sprinted at Nakamura and Clotheslined Nakamura over the barricade.
AJ grabbed a steel chair and struck Shinsuke in the back with it. AJ then connected with a Phenomenal Forearm to Nakamura outside the ring. Styles’ music hit and AJ rolled back into the ring with the WWE Championship. AJ raised the title in the middle of the ring as the crowd cheered.
Opinion: I thought tonight’s match was much better than the one at WrestleMania 34. The finish to this match absolutely sucked, but it makes sense for this feud to continue. Styles versus Nakamura needs to headline a PPV soon and they need to tear the house down.
The Undertaker Buried Rusev
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Rusev faced The Undertaker in a Casket Match at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Aiden English accompanied Rusev down to the ring. The crowd erupted when The Undertaker’s music hit. Fire shot up from the stage as The Undertaker emerged from the smoke. Taker made his way down the ramp as cell phone lights illuminated the arena. The Undertaker stopped at the casket outside the ring for a moment before getting into the ring.
The bell rang as The Undertaker looked at the casket as it was opened. Rusev rolled out of the ring out of fear as Aiden English tried to motivate him. Rusev slowly got back into the ring for a moment, only to roll out once again. The Undertaker had seen enough and followed him out there. Taker connected with a punch and brought Rusev back to the ring.
Rusev beatdown The Undertaker in the corner and posed in the ring. That wound up costing him as Taker regrouped and blasted Rusev in the face with a punch. The Undertaker followed it up with a shoulder tackle and then walked across the top rope and dropped a shot across the neck of Rusev.
The Undertaker rolled Rusev on top of the casket and Rusev freaked out. Rusev retreated to the entrance ramp as English assured Rusev that he was fine. The Undertaker charged at Rusev outside the ring, but Rusev was ready and threw him into the barricade. Taker shrugged it off and launched Rusev into the barricade.
The Undertaker slammed Rusev’s head into the announce table and then set him up on the ring apron. The Undertaker connected with a Leg Drop across Rusev’s throat and then rolled him back into the ring. The casket was opened as Undertaker rolled him into it. Aiden English got in the way and prevented the casket door from being closed. English retreated up the entrance ramp as The Undertaker slowly walked towards him. Rusev rolled out of the casket and the action returned to the ring.
Rusev brought The Undertaker to the corner and connected with a few shoulders to the ribs. Undertaker and Rusev then traded shots in the ring as the crowd cheered when Undertaker connected. The Undertaker hit a massive punch to the face and Rusev collapsed to the canvas. The Undertaker delivered a headbutt, but Rusev battled back with a spin kick that knocked The Undertaker down.
Rusev applied the Accolade in the middle of the ring as the crowd cheered on The Undertaker. Rusev let go of the hold and stomped on Undertaker’s back. Rusev asked for the casket to be opened, but didn’t realize that The Undertaker sat up behind him. Undertaker grabbed Rusev by the throat and planted him with a Chokeslam.
The Undertaker threw Rusev into the casket but Aiden English hopped into the ring. The Undertaker connected with a Chokeslam to English and followed it up with a Tombstone Pilediver. Undertaker then rolled English into the casket with Rusev and closed the lid to win the match. The Undertaker then posed in the ring as fireworks went off all around him. The Undertaker then raised his fist on the top of the entrance ramp before heading backstage.
Opinion: Well, this match was pretty much what everyone expected. Rusev got in some offense, but The Undertaker won the match easily. There was nothing special about this match at all, other than getting to see The Undertaker perform in the ring.
Brock Lesnar Is Still The Universal Champion
Brock Lesnar defended his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns tonight in a Steel Cage Match at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Lesnar defeated Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34. Paul Heyman grabbed the microphone to introduce his client, Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar connected with two German Suplexes to start off the match. Brock then hit a third German Suplex and stood over Reigns as he slowly made his way back to his feet. Lesnar then hit a fourth German Suplex and stood over Reigns once again.
Brock waited for Reigns to get up and then planted him with an F5 as the crowd cheered. Lesnar laughed and went for another F5, but Reigns escaped and hit three Superman Punches in a row. Reigns geared up in the corner and went for a Spear, but Lesnar caught him. Reigns escaped up to the top of the cage, but Lesnar caught up to him and grabbed Roman by chest protecter. Lesnar punched Reigns to the canvas and then Brock climbed to the top of the cage. Roman got up and grabbed Lesnar by the legs to drag him down. Reigns then planted Lesnar with a Powerbomb off the top rope.
Samoa Joe was shown backstage watching the match. Joe will face Roman Reigns at WWE Backlash. Roman connected with a Spear and then followed it up with another one. Reigns bounced off the rope and delivered a third Spear to Brock Lesnar. Reigns went for the cover but Lesnar kicked out at two. Reigns called for the cage door to be opened and made his way towards it. Paul Heyman slammed the door into Reigns’ face and then Lesnar hit a second F5 for a two count.
Heyman slid a steel chair into the ring as Lesnar took his gloves off. Brock went to hit Roman with the chair, but Reigns quickly got up and connected with a fourth Spear for another two count. Roman struck Lesnar in the back a few times with the steel chair. Roman hit another Superman Punch and then geared up for another Spear. Reigns connected with a fifth Spear through the cage and both Superstars fell to the floor outside the ring. It was then announced that Brock Lesnar hit the floor first after being Speared through the cage. Thus, Brock Lesnar is still the Universal Champion.
Opinion: At this point, I have no interest in seeing Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar again. This match did nothing for me at all, but it looks like this feud will continue to the end of time.
Braun Strowman Won The Royal Rumble Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
50 Superstars competed in a Royal Rumble match tonight at WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble event.
#1. Daniel Bryan was the first entrant in the match.
#2. Dolph Ziggler entered the match second and locked up with Daniel Bryan in the middle of the ring. Ziggler brought Bryan to the corner and connected with a right hand. Dolph tried to eliminate Bryan, but Daniel was able to hang on to the top rope.
#3. Sin Cara was the third entrant and joined Ziggler and Bryan in the ring. Sin Cara connected with a Moonsault onto both Bryan and Ziggler. Sin Cara planted Ziggler with a Powerbomb and then hit a Crossbody to Bryan. Sin Cara followed it up with a Swanton Bomb to Bryan. Dolph hit a Superkick to Sin Cara and then Clotheslined him over the top rope. Sin Cara was the first Superstar eliminated.
#4. Curtis Axel was the fourth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Axel stomped on Bryan in the corner and then walked into a couple of jabs from Ziggler.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was the fifth entrant in the match. Henry immediately lifted Axel over the top rope and to the ring apron. Henry then hit Axel with a headbutt to eliminate him.
#6. Mike Kanellis entered the match at number six. Henry waited for Kanellis as he made his way down the ramp. Mike got into the ring and was immediately eliminated by a Clothesline from Mark Henry.
#7. Hiroki Sumi was the seventh entrant. Sumi got into the ring and had a stare down with Mark Henry. Mark Henry quickly eliminated Sumi, but then Bryan and Ziggler eliminated Mark Henry from behind.
#8. Viktor entered the match at number eight and was quickly eliminated by Daniel Bryan.
#9. Kofi Kingston was up next and he tried to eliminate Bryan immediately. Daniel escaped and booted Kofi in the chest.
#10. Tony Nese entered the match and connected with a flurry of kicks to Kofi Kingston. Nese tried to eliminate Kofi, but Kingston escaped and knocked Nese to the canvas. Bryan delivered an uppercut to Nese as Ziggler stomped on Kofi in the corner.
#11. Dash Wilder entered the match and went after Tony Nese. Wilder then connected with a Clothesline to Bryan.
#12. Hornswoggle was the twelfth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Hornswoggle helped Bryan eliminate Dash Wilder.
Hornswoggle lifted Kofi Kingston onto his shoulders and planted him with a Samoan Drop. Hornswoggle climbed up the turnbuckle, but Ziggler greeted him with a Superkick. Hornswoggle bit Ziggler in the hand but Nese booted him in the face and Hornswoggle was eliminated.
#13. Primo entered the match and botched a springboard attempt and tripped to the canvas. Kofi planted Bryan with a Tornado DDT.
#14. Xavier Woods joined the party and celebrated with Kofi Kingston in the ring. Kofi wound up on Woods’ back on the ring apron as Primo tried to pry Xavier’s fingers off the ropes. Woods climbed to the top with Kofi on his back and Kingston leaped and connected with a Crossbody onto Ziggler and Bryan. Tony Nese tried to dance with Woods and Kingston in the ring. That didn’t work out too well for him as they tossed him over the top rope to eliminate him.
#15. Bo Dallas was the fifteenth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Bryan planted Kingston with a Suplex in the middle of the ring as Bo stomped on Woods in the corner.
#16. Kurt Angle came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Angle quickly eliminated Bo Dallas and Primo. Ziggler then hit a Superkick to Kurt Angle. Dolph charged at Angle but Kurt caught him and launched him over the top with a Belly to Belly Suplex.
#17. Scott Dawson entered the match and and beatdown Angle in the corner.
#18. Goldust entered the match at number eighteen. Goldust threw Woods over the top rope, but Xavier was able to hang onto the bottom rope and saved himself on the ring apron. Daniel Bryan connected with a flying knee off the top rope to Kofi Kingston.
#19. Konnor came down to the ring and went after Kofi in the corner. Woods saved his partner and the two teamed up on Konnor.
#20. The twentieth Superstar to enter the Royal Rumble match was Elias. Elias strummed his guitar and cut a promo while walking down the entrance ramp. Elias asked the crowd to shut their mouths as he slid into the ring. Elias eliminated Woods, Kingston and Konnor at the same time.
#21. Luke Gallows ran down the ramp as Bryan and Kurt Angle battled in the ring. Bryan connected with the Yes Kicks, but Angle caught his last kick and went for the Ankle Lock. Bryan escaped, but Angle planted him with an Angle Slam. Elias then eliminated Kurt Angle from behind.
#22. Rhyno was up next and he went after Dawson in the corner of the ring.
#23. Drew Gulak sprinted down the ramp and immediately attacked Daniel Bryan. Gulak and Dawson traded chops in the middle of the ring. Gulak got the upper-hand and tried to eliminate him in the corner of the ring.
#24. Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery in NXT marched to the ring and beatdown Dawson in the corner. Knight knocked Elias on his ass and then tried to Suplex Gulak, but Drew countered into a Sleeper Hold. Knight shrugged him off and eliminated Gulak over the top rope.
#25. Bobby Roode entered his first Royal Rumble match and quickly planted Dawson with a Spinebuster. Roode hit a Blockbuster on Elias and then eliminated Goldust with a Dropkick. Bobby connected with an Atomic Drop to Dawson and then eliminated him.
#26. Fandango jogged down the ramp and delivered a couple of chops to Tucker Knight. Elias escaped elimination and rolled back into the ring.
#27. Chad Gable entered the match and planted Fandango with an Arm Drag. Gable lifted Knight onto his shoulders and dropped him to the canvas. Bryan and Gable then traded shots.
#28. Rey Mysterio was up next and got an awesome reaction from the crowd. Mysterio eliminated Luke Gallows with a Hurricanrana. Mysterio planted Gable with a DDT and then battled Elias in the corner.
#29. Mojo Rawley sprinted to the ring and immediately eliminated Fandango.
#30. Tyler Breeze had a conversation with Fandango on the entrance ramp before getting into the ring. Mojo blasted Breeze off the apron, but Fandango caught him. Breeze got back on the apron and Mojo quickly shoved him to the floor to eliminate him.
#31. Big E brought pancakes into the ring and started throwing them at Tucker Knight. Big E locked in the Abdominal Stretch, but Knight escaped. Big E planted Knight with the Big Ending and then eliminated him. Big E threw a couple of pancakes at Knight while he was laying on the floor.
#32. Karl Anderson entered the match and battled with Daniel Bryan. Anderson planted Roode with a Spinebuster and then posed in the ring. Big E decked him with a Clothesline and then threw him over the top rope. Anderson hung on and got back into the ring.
#33. Apollo Crews was the next Superstar in the match and went right after Gable. Crews connected with a standing Moonsault to Gable and then eliminated him.
#34. Roderick Strong from Undisputed Era in NXT came down to the ring and started chopping everyone in sight. Strong planted Roode with a Backbreaker and then delivered an awesome one to Mysterio. Roderick then eliminated Rhyno with a knee to the face.
#35. Randy Orton was the next entrant and the crowd erupted when his music hit. Orton leveled Mojo and Crews with a Clothesline. Orton hit Anderson with a Powerslam and then connected with a ridiculous RKO to Apollo. Orton eliminated Anderson, Mojo Rawley and Apollo Crews.
#36. Heath Slater entered the match and beatdown Elias in the corner. Slater tried to eliminate him but Elias was able to hang on.
#37. Babatunde from NXT joined the party and towered over everyone in the ring. Babatunde leveled Roode with a shoulder tackle and then stomped on Bryan in the corner.
#38. Baron Corbin came down to the ring and planted Rey Mysterio with the Deep Six. Corbin leveled Strong with a Clothesline and then Chokeslammed Roode over the top rope to eliminate him. Corbin then launched Strong over the top rope and Roderick was eliminated.
#39. Titus O’Neil tried to slide into the ring and tripped on the entrance ramp and went tumbling under the ring in an incredibly embarrassing/hilarious moment.
#40. Dan Matha from NXT was next up and went after Rey Mysterio in the corner. Cole, Graves and Saxton couldn’t stop laughing as WWE rolled countless replays of Titus tripping on the entrance ramp.
#41. Braun Strowman entered the match and quickly eliminated Babatunde and Dan Matha. Strowman then eliminated Big and Heath Slater.
#42. Tye Dillinger came down to the ring and joined everyone in trying to eliminate Strowman. Braun escaped and eliminated Titus O’Neil and Tye Dillinger. Orton connected with a Dropkick to Strowman and Mysterio followed it up with a 619. Orton hit Strowman with an RKO as Baron Corbin eliminated Rey Mysterio. Orton eliminated Corbin and then Elias eliminated Orton.
#43. Curt Hawkins was next up and he was eliminated with ease by Braun Strowman. Elias threw Strowman into the ring post a couple of times and then stomped on him in the corner.
#44. Bobby Lashley entered the match and posed next to the trophy on the entrance ramp as fireworks went off behind him. Lashley decked Elias with a Clothesline and then eliminated him. Bryan got back into the ring and connected with Dropkicks to Strowman and Lashley in the corner.
#45. The Great Khali was next and the giant made his way down the ramp to a great reaction from the crowd. Khali hit Lashey, Bryan and Strowman with a chop. Lashley and Strowman then teamed up and eliminated Khali. Strowman and Lashley then connected with Clotheslines and both Superstars fell to the canvas.
#46. Kevin Owens marched down to the ring and delivered a Cannonball to Strowman and Lashley. Bryan booted Owens in the face and sent him to the ring apron. Owens got back in the ring and planted Bryan with a Pop-Up Powerbomb.
#47. Shane McMahon entered the match and went after Kevin Owens. Shane hit an elbow to the face and then delivered a couple of punches. Shane stomped on Lashley in the corner, but Owens got back up and attacked Shane from behind. Shane planted Owens with a DDT and then danced around the ring. Shane and Bryan teamed up and hit Owens with a bunch of Yes Kicks.
#48. Shelton Benjamin went right after Shane McMahon and unloaded a flurry of punches to Shane. Benjamin leveled Bryan with a shoulder tackle and then kneed Lashley in the face. Owens shouted that everyone needed to team up and eliminate Strowman.
#49. Big Cass came down the ramp as Daniel Bryan waited for him in the ring. Cass will face Bryan at WWE Backlash. Big Cass beatdown Bryan and then delivered a big boot Strowman. Shane McMahon climbed to the top rope and hit the Coast 2 Coast Dropkick to Strowman.
Jericho paused on the entrance ramp as Owens shouted at him to go away. Jericho connected with a Lionsault on Owens and then Dropkicked Cass on the ring apron. Jericho connected with a Codebreaker to Benjamin and then eliminated. Chris Jericho shrugged and locked in the Walls of Jericho on Kevin Owens in the middle of the ring.
Big Cass broke it up with a boot to Jericho’s face. Lashley connected with a Brainbuster to Big Cass. Bryan delivered a German Suplex to Owens and then went back to the Yes Kicks in the corner. Daniel followed it up with a couple Dropkicks and then shouted at Shane to go for the Coast 2 Coast again. Strowman hopped up on the apron and grabbed Shane by the throat. Strowman then Chokeslammed Strowman through the announce table.
Strowman eliminated Lashley, Jericho and Owens. Bryan and Strowman traded shots. Bryan tried to get Braun over the top rope but Braun escaped. Big Cass booted Bryan in the face and then eliminated him. Cass taunted Bryan after he threw him over the top rope.
It was now down to Big Cass and Braun Strowman. Big Cass unloaded a couple of punches and tried to Clothesline Braun over the top but Strowman held on. Cass went for a boot but Braun caught him and crotched him on the top rope. Braun then ran into Cass and knocked him to the floor to win the Greatest Royal Rumble match.
Opinion: The 50-man Royal Rumble match was very entertaining. It was long as hell, but it had some awesome moments. Braun Strowman picked up the victory and I have absolutely no problem with that. Big Cass eliminating Daniel Bryan also makes sense, as the two will battle at WWE Backlash. Overall, WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a solid show. There were definitely a few matches on the card that didn’t deliver, but for the most part I was entertained. My main complaint is that this show was long as hell. The crowd didn’t have much energy left in towards the end of the event.
What did you think of WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2018? Let us know in the comments below.
50 Superstars competed in a Royal Rumble match tonight at WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble event.
#1. Daniel Bryan was the first entrant in the match.
#2. Dolph Ziggler entered the match second and locked up with Daniel Bryan in the middle of the ring. Ziggler brought Bryan to the corner and connected with a right hand. Dolph tried to eliminate Bryan, but Daniel was able to hang on to the top rope.
#3. Sin Cara was the third entrant and joined Ziggler and Bryan in the ring. Sin Cara connected with a Moonsault onto both Bryan and Ziggler. Sin Cara planted Ziggler with a Powerbomb and then hit a Crossbody to Bryan. Sin Cara followed it up with a Swanton Bomb to Bryan. Dolph hit a Superkick to Sin Cara and then Clotheslined him over the top rope. Sin Cara was the first Superstar eliminated.
#4. Curtis Axel was the fourth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Axel stomped on Bryan in the corner and then walked into a couple of jabs from Ziggler.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was the fifth entrant in the match. Henry immediately lifted Axel over the top rope and to the ring apron. Henry then hit Axel with a headbutt to eliminate him.
#6. Mike Kanellis entered the match at number six. Henry waited for Kanellis as he made his way down the ramp. Mike got into the ring and was immediately eliminated by a Clothesline from Mark Henry.
#7. Hiroki Sumi was the seventh entrant. Sumi got into the ring and had a stare down with Mark Henry. Mark Henry quickly eliminated Sumi, but then Bryan and Ziggler eliminated Mark Henry from behind.
#8. Viktor entered the match at number eight and was quickly eliminated by Daniel Bryan.
#9. Kofi Kingston was up next and he tried to eliminate Bryan immediately. Daniel escaped and booted Kofi in the chest.
#10. Tony Nese entered the match and connected with a flurry of kicks to Kofi Kingston. Nese tried to eliminate Kofi, but Kingston escaped and knocked Nese to the canvas. Bryan delivered an uppercut to Nese as Ziggler stomped on Kofi in the corner.
#11. Dash Wilder entered the match and went after Tony Nese. Wilder then connected with a Clothesline to Bryan.
#12. Hornswoggle was the twelfth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Hornswoggle helped Bryan eliminate Dash Wilder.
Hornswoggle lifted Kofi Kingston onto his shoulders and planted him with a Samoan Drop. Hornswoggle climbed up the turnbuckle, but Ziggler greeted him with a Superkick. Hornswoggle bit Ziggler in the hand but Nese booted him in the face and Hornswoggle was eliminated.
#13. Primo entered the match and botched a springboard attempt and tripped to the canvas. Kofi planted Bryan with a Tornado DDT.
#14. Xavier Woods joined the party and celebrated with Kofi Kingston in the ring. Kofi wound up on Woods’ back on the ring apron as Primo tried to pry Xavier’s fingers off the ropes. Woods climbed to the top with Kofi on his back and Kingston leaped and connected with a Crossbody onto Ziggler and Bryan. Tony Nese tried to dance with Woods and Kingston in the ring. That didn’t work out too well for him as they tossed him over the top rope to eliminate him.
#15. Bo Dallas was the fifteenth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Bryan planted Kingston with a Suplex in the middle of the ring as Bo stomped on Woods in the corner.
#16. Kurt Angle came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Angle quickly eliminated Bo Dallas and Primo. Ziggler then hit a Superkick to Kurt Angle. Dolph charged at Angle but Kurt caught him and launched him over the top with a Belly to Belly Suplex.
#17. Scott Dawson entered the match and and beatdown Angle in the corner.
#18. Goldust entered the match at number eighteen. Goldust threw Woods over the top rope, but Xavier was able to hang onto the bottom rope and saved himself on the ring apron. Daniel Bryan connected with a flying knee off the top rope to Kofi Kingston.
#19. Konnor came down to the ring and went after Kofi in the corner. Woods saved his partner and the two teamed up on Konnor.
#20. The twentieth Superstar to enter the Royal Rumble match was Elias. Elias strummed his guitar and cut a promo while walking down the entrance ramp. Elias asked the crowd to shut their mouths as he slid into the ring. Elias eliminated Woods, Kingston and Konnor at the same time.
#21. Luke Gallows ran down the ramp as Bryan and Kurt Angle battled in the ring. Bryan connected with the Yes Kicks, but Angle caught his last kick and went for the Ankle Lock. Bryan escaped, but Angle planted him with an Angle Slam. Elias then eliminated Kurt Angle from behind.
#22. Rhyno was up next and he went after Dawson in the corner of the ring.
#23. Drew Gulak sprinted down the ramp and immediately attacked Daniel Bryan. Gulak and Dawson traded chops in the middle of the ring. Gulak got the upper-hand and tried to eliminate him in the corner of the ring.
#24. Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery in NXT marched to the ring and beatdown Dawson in the corner. Knight knocked Elias on his ass and then tried to Suplex Gulak, but Drew countered into a Sleeper Hold. Knight shrugged him off and eliminated Gulak over the top rope.
#25. Bobby Roode entered his first Royal Rumble match and quickly planted Dawson with a Spinebuster. Roode hit a Blockbuster on Elias and then eliminated Goldust with a Dropkick. Bobby connected with an Atomic Drop to Dawson and then eliminated him.
#26. Fandango jogged down the ramp and delivered a couple of chops to Tucker Knight. Elias escaped elimination and rolled back into the ring.
#27. Chad Gable entered the match and planted Fandango with an Arm Drag. Gable lifted Knight onto his shoulders and dropped him to the canvas. Bryan and Gable then traded shots.
#28. Rey Mysterio was up next and got an awesome reaction from the crowd. Mysterio eliminated Luke Gallows with a Hurricanrana. Mysterio planted Gable with a DDT and then battled Elias in the corner.
#29. Mojo Rawley sprinted to the ring and immediately eliminated Fandango.
#30. Tyler Breeze had a conversation with Fandango on the entrance ramp before getting into the ring. Mojo blasted Breeze off the apron, but Fandango caught him. Breeze got back on the apron and Mojo quickly shoved him to the floor to eliminate him.
#31. Big E brought pancakes into the ring and started throwing them at Tucker Knight. Big E locked in the Abdominal Stretch, but Knight escaped. Big E planted Knight with the Big Ending and then eliminated him. Big E threw a couple of pancakes at Knight while he was laying on the floor.
#32. Karl Anderson entered the match and battled with Daniel Bryan. Anderson planted Roode with a Spinebuster and then posed in the ring. Big E decked him with a Clothesline and then threw him over the top rope. Anderson hung on and got back into the ring.
#33. Apollo Crews was the next Superstar in the match and went right after Gable. Crews connected with a standing Moonsault to Gable and then eliminated him.
#34. Roderick Strong from Undisputed Era in NXT came down to the ring and started chopping everyone in sight. Strong planted Roode with a Backbreaker and then delivered an awesome one to Mysterio. Roderick then eliminated Rhyno with a knee to the face.
#35. Randy Orton was the next entrant and the crowd erupted when his music hit. Orton leveled Mojo and Crews with a Clothesline. Orton hit Anderson with a Powerslam and then connected with a ridiculous RKO to Apollo. Orton eliminated Anderson, Mojo Rawley and Apollo Crews.
#36. Heath Slater entered the match and beatdown Elias in the corner. Slater tried to eliminate him but Elias was able to hang on.
#37. Babatunde from NXT joined the party and towered over everyone in the ring. Babatunde leveled Roode with a shoulder tackle and then stomped on Bryan in the corner.
#38. Baron Corbin came down to the ring and planted Rey Mysterio with the Deep Six. Corbin leveled Strong with a Clothesline and then Chokeslammed Roode over the top rope to eliminate him. Corbin then launched Strong over the top rope and Roderick was eliminated.
#39. Titus O’Neil tried to slide into the ring and tripped on the entrance ramp and went tumbling under the ring in an incredibly embarrassing/hilarious moment.
#40. Dan Matha from NXT was next up and went after Rey Mysterio in the corner. Cole, Graves and Saxton couldn’t stop laughing as WWE rolled countless replays of Titus tripping on the entrance ramp.
#41. Braun Strowman entered the match and quickly eliminated Babatunde and Dan Matha. Strowman then eliminated Big and Heath Slater.
#42. Tye Dillinger came down to the ring and joined everyone in trying to eliminate Strowman. Braun escaped and eliminated Titus O’Neil and Tye Dillinger. Orton connected with a Dropkick to Strowman and Mysterio followed it up with a 619. Orton hit Strowman with an RKO as Baron Corbin eliminated Rey Mysterio. Orton eliminated Corbin and then Elias eliminated Orton.
#43. Curt Hawkins was next up and he was eliminated with ease by Braun Strowman. Elias threw Strowman into the ring post a couple of times and then stomped on him in the corner.
#44. Bobby Lashley entered the match and posed next to the trophy on the entrance ramp as fireworks went off behind him. Lashley decked Elias with a Clothesline and then eliminated him. Bryan got back into the ring and connected with Dropkicks to Strowman and Lashley in the corner.
#45. The Great Khali was next and the giant made his way down the ramp to a great reaction from the crowd. Khali hit Lashey, Bryan and Strowman with a chop. Lashley and Strowman then teamed up and eliminated Khali. Strowman and Lashley then connected with Clotheslines and both Superstars fell to the canvas.
#46. Kevin Owens marched down to the ring and delivered a Cannonball to Strowman and Lashley. Bryan booted Owens in the face and sent him to the ring apron. Owens got back in the ring and planted Bryan with a Pop-Up Powerbomb.
#47. Shane McMahon entered the match and went after Kevin Owens. Shane hit an elbow to the face and then delivered a couple of punches. Shane stomped on Lashley in the corner, but Owens got back up and attacked Shane from behind. Shane planted Owens with a DDT and then danced around the ring. Shane and Bryan teamed up and hit Owens with a bunch of Yes Kicks.
#48. Shelton Benjamin went right after Shane McMahon and unloaded a flurry of punches to Shane. Benjamin leveled Bryan with a shoulder tackle and then kneed Lashley in the face. Owens shouted that everyone needed to team up and eliminate Strowman.
#49. Big Cass came down the ramp as Daniel Bryan waited for him in the ring. Cass will face Bryan at WWE Backlash. Big Cass beatdown Bryan and then delivered a big boot Strowman. Shane McMahon climbed to the top rope and hit the Coast 2 Coast Dropkick to Strowman.
Jericho paused on the entrance ramp as Owens shouted at him to go away. Jericho connected with a Lionsault on Owens and then Dropkicked Cass on the ring apron. Jericho connected with a Codebreaker to Benjamin and then eliminated. Chris Jericho shrugged and locked in the Walls of Jericho on Kevin Owens in the middle of the ring.
Big Cass broke it up with a boot to Jericho’s face. Lashley connected with a Brainbuster to Big Cass. Bryan delivered a German Suplex to Owens and then went back to the Yes Kicks in the corner. Daniel followed it up with a couple Dropkicks and then shouted at Shane to go for the Coast 2 Coast again. Strowman hopped up on the apron and grabbed Shane by the throat. Strowman then Chokeslammed Strowman through the announce table.
Strowman eliminated Lashley, Jericho and Owens. Bryan and Strowman traded shots. Bryan tried to get Braun over the top rope but Braun escaped. Big Cass booted Bryan in the face and then eliminated him. Cass taunted Bryan after he threw him over the top rope.
It was now down to Big Cass and Braun Strowman. Big Cass unloaded a couple of punches and tried to Clothesline Braun over the top but Strowman held on. Cass went for a boot but Braun caught him and crotched him on the top rope. Braun then ran into Cass and knocked him to the floor to win the Greatest Royal Rumble match.
Brock Lesnar defended his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns tonight in a Steel Cage Match at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Lesnar defeated Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34. Paul Heyman grabbed the microphone to introduce his client, Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar connected with two German Suplexes to start off the match. Brock then hit a third German Suplex and stood over Reigns as he slowly made his way back to his feet. Lesnar then hit a fourth German Suplex and stood over Reigns once again.
Brock waited for Reigns to get up and then planted him with an F5 as the crowd cheered. Lesnar laughed and went for another F5, but Reigns escaped and hit three Superman Punches in a row. Reigns geared up in the corner and went for a Spear, but Lesnar caught him. Reigns escaped up to the top of the cage, but Lesnar caught up to him and grabbed Roman by chest protecter. Lesnar punched Reigns to the canvas and then Brock climbed to the top of the cage. Roman got up and grabbed Lesnar by the legs to drag him down. Reigns then planted Lesnar with a Powerbomb off the top rope.
Samoa Joe was shown backstage watching the match. Joe will face Roman Reigns at WWE Backlash. Roman connected with a Spear and then followed it up with another one. Reigns bounced off the rope and delivered a third Spear to Brock Lesnar. Reigns went for the cover but Lesnar kicked out at two. Reigns called for the cage door to be opened and made his way towards it. Paul Heyman slammed the door into Reigns’ face and then Lesnar hit a second F5 for a two count.
Heyman slid a steel chair into the ring as Lesnar took his gloves off. Brock went to hit Roman with the chair, but Reigns quickly got up and connected with a fourth Spear for another two count. Roman struck Lesnar in the back a few times with the steel chair. Roman hit another Superman Punch and then geared up for another Spear. Reigns connected with a fifth Spear through the cage and both Superstars fell to the floor outside the ring. It was then announced that Brock Lesnar hit the floor first after being Speared through the cage. Thus, Brock Lesnar is still the Universal Champion.
Sheamus & Cesaro faced Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt for the vacant RAW Tag Team Championships tonight at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble. Matt Hardy started off Cesaro the match by trading “delete!” and “The Bar!” taunts. Hardy connected with a shoulder tackle and tagged in Bray Wyatt.
Bray ran into a boot to the face in the corner and Sheamus tagged in. Sheamus stomped on Bray in the corner and followed it up with a knee to the face. Wyatt responded with a Clothesline and tagged Hardy back in. Matt and Bray connected with a Leg Drop and a Senton on Sheamus. Bray Wyatt and Hardy then gave themselves a round of applause and the Jeddah crowd joined in on the fun.
Matt planted Sheamus with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Sheamus blocked the Twist of Fate, and Cesaro connected with a cheap shot to Hardy as the ref was distracted. Sheamus shoved Hardy out of the ring and Cesaro hit another cheap shot. Sheamus brought Matt back into the ring and applied a Headlock.
Cesaro tagged in and continued the beatdown of Hardy. Sheamus got back in the match and dropped a knee onto Hardy’s chest for a two count. Sheamus quickly applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Hardy. Matt broke the hold with a Jaw Breaker, but Cesaro tagged in and planted him with a Gutwrench Suplex for two.
Sheamus tagged in and connected with an elbow to the face for another two count. Hardy finally was able to battle back and planted Sheamus with a Side Effect. Wyatt and Cesaro tagged in and Bray knocked Cesaro to the mat with a Clothesline. Wyatt knocked Sheamus off the apron and leveled Cesaro with a Crossbody for a two count.
Sheamus tagged in and connected with the White Noise. Matt Hardy ran into the ring and broke up the cover and then planted Cesaro with a Twist of Fate. Bray Wyatt planted Sheamus with the Sister Abigail and then tagged in Hardy. Bray lifted Sheamus up and Hardy planted him with the Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory. Matt and Bray are the new RAW Tag Team Champions. Sheamus & Cesaro will now join the SmackDown roster after WWE’s Superstar Shakeup.
Major League Wrestling returns to beIN SPORTS tonight for Week 2 of the promotion’s new weekly 1-hour series, FUSION. MLW sent in the following preview for tonight’s broadcast – we’ll have a full recap of the show up tomorrow (Saturday).
In this week’s Major League Wrestling: FUSION main event, Jimmy Havoc and World Heavyweight Champion Shane “Swerve” Strickland continue their rivalry in a match that has huge implications for the future of both grapplers.
In addition to Swerve vs. Havoc, legendary manager and promoter Colonel Robert Parker makes his return to national television on beIN SPORTS as the Stud Stable’s Dirty Blondes square off with Team TBD, made up of Jason Cade and Jimmy Yuta.
Salina de la Renta — the impresaria of Promociones Dorado — is back with another incredible matchup as remarkable rudo Garza, Jr. faces off with terrific técnico in the 22-year old Ultimo Ninja.
Will Havoc Sweep Swerve?
Jimmy Havoc owns two victories over Shane “Swerve” Strickland in MLW competition. Among those two victories was a brutal death match encounter back in January at MLW: Zero Hour. That match ended with a victorious Havoc raising the hand of Strickland in a show of respect.
But Havoc is anything but predictable. Does the aforementioned respect carry over to this week’s Major League Wrestling: FUSION main event? Does Havoc run his winning streak to three over Swerve? Will the momentum of Strickland’s recent World Heavyweight Championship victory lead him to his first MLW win over England’s Most Dangerous Man? If Havoc goes 3-0 will matchmakers sign a World Title Fight between the two?
Don’t miss this encounter that will major implications on the title landscape in Major League Wrestling!
Stud Stable Creating Tag Team Turmoil?
The Dirty Blondes cost Team TBD a victory recently and tensions are running high for Jimmy Yuta and Jason Cade, who are looking to avenge that loss.
The Dirty Blondes will have Colonel Robert Parker in their corner. The leader of the Stud Stable has never shied away from bending the rules. Will Parker be the difference in this hotly-contested tag team encounter? Or will the young team of Yuta and Cade improve their stock in the tag team division.
High-Flying Luchadores In Action
Salina de la Renta, the impresaria of Promociones Dorado, represents the best grapplers in all of Latin America. Friday night, she will bring an action-packed, high-flying, high-impact lucha libre matchup to MLW: FUSION.
And it’s another family affair. One week after brothers Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix faced off in the MLW: Fusion main event, cousins Garza Jr. and Ultimo Ninja square off. Which of these luchadores will make the biggest impression league officials and de la Renta in this battle?
But That’s Not All!
In addition to the amazing in-ring action, top ranked wrestler MVP will make an appearance on this week’s show. The baller from the 305 and master of the Drive By and the Playmaker will assess his upcoming main event matchup with the crazed Worldwide Desperado Sami Callihan. You’ll also see UFC fighter “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, who will demonstrate his unique approach to MMA and professional wrestling.
As part of beIN SPORTS #FridayNightFury lineup, MLW airs to a nationwide audience every Friday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. MLW: FUSION on beIN Sports is available on all major carriers, including DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, Comcast, Sling, Roku, Fubo TV and more. MLW fans can also stream beIN SPORTS using the beIN Connect app for wireless devices.
Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Friday. Set a reminder. Set your DVR. But, whatever you do … don’t miss this action-packed episode of Major League Wrestling: FUSION.
Learn more about how to watch Major League Wrestling: Check out www.MLW.com/fusion for more information!
WWE’s first-ever Greatest Royal Rumble aired live from the King Abdullah Sports City’s King Abdullah International Stadium, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Kickoff Show:
– The Greatest Royal Rumble Kickoff Show is hosted by Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawyer and Booker T. They talk about how hot it is outside in Saudi Arabia today, and they start running down the card, which will start with Triple H vs. John Cena.
– After we go through some promotional videos for today’s matches, Jim Ross joins the Kickoff Show panel for his input and predictions.
– AJ Styles joins via live video feed to answer some questions from the panel and promote his match against Shinsuke Nakamura tonight.
– We go to more promotional videos, now hyping up AJ vs. Nakamura, Brock vs. Reigns, and Cena vs. Triple H.
– It’s getting dark outside in Saudi Arabia as the sun sets and the arena lights come on. The Kickoff Show panel thanks us for joining them and sends us to the Greatest Royal Rumble, starting now.
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble results:
– We go to the King Abdullah International Stadium where the Saudi Arabian national anthem and the American national anthem play. We see the Greatest Royal Rumble “ever” intro video, and an incredible fireworks display to open up the show. Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton welcome us to the show. Graves mentions that this show is part of Saudi Arabia’s “2030” plan towards diversity. Triple H’s music hits with the green lasers and we have our first match of the night.
– Triple H vs. John Cena: There’s another big fireworks display above the stadium as Cena hits the ring. Triple H is shown on camera shaking hands with kids at ringside. The opening bell sounds and Cena and Triple H start off with some tests of strength. Triple H drops Cena and mocks his “you can’t see me” taunt. Cena tries to mount some offense but Triple H controls the pace for several moments. Triple H puts Cena in a sleeper, until Cena fights free and fires back with some running shoulder blocks. Cena looks for the AA but Triple H grabs the ropes to block it. Cena connects with a back suplex, then looks for a Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Triple H blocks it. Triple H mocks Cena again, and they brawl back and forth. Cena fires up and looks for a dropkick off the top, but Triple H side-steps him and slams Cena down out of the air. Triple H pins for a two count, and both men are down now. Triple H and Cena trade right hands in the middle of the ring now until Cena trips him and locks in the STF. Triple H fights out, but Cena drops him again for a two count and Cena can’t believe it. After some back and forth, Cena finally hits the AA on Triple H for the three count.
Winner: John Cena
– After the match, Cena gets on the mic and thanks Saudi Arabia for their unmatched hospitality. Cena says he wouldn’t miss this for anything, and thanks them for letting him be a part of something so special.
– Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto: Cedric and Kalisto trade moves early on to a stalemate. Kalisto hits a hurricanrana on Cedric, then sends the Champion out to the ringside floor. Kalisto hits a springboard suicide dive on Cedric, then takes things back in the ring. Cole points out on commentary that there’s a different setup at ringside today because that area is reserved for the Saudi Royal Family. Cedric fires up and hits a big dropkick to the head of the challenger. Kalisto hits a kick to the head of his own, and then a headscissor takedown and a tornado DDT. Cedric comes back with a Michinoku Driver for a two count. Cedric goes up top but Kalisto stops him with a kick to the head. They fight on the turnbuckle until Kalisto hits a Spanish Fly. They trade strikes in the middle of the ring now until Cedric stuns Kalisto with an elbow to the head. Kalisto botches a hurricanrana, and Cedric comes back with the Lumbar Check for the three count.
Winner & still Cruiserweight Champion: Cedric Alexander
– Cedric celebrates with his Title belt as we go to replays.
– RAW Tag Team Championships: The Bar (c) vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt: Matt and Bray start off strong, but The Bar starts trading frequent tags and double teaming Bray. Bray fires back with a lariat then tags in Matt to double team Sheamus. Matt follows up with a splash on Sheamus in the corner and a neckbreaker for a two count. Cesaro gets the tag and starts taking control over Matt. Matt gets the tag and starts cleaning house. Sheamus misses a big boot on Bray, and Bray connects with the Sister Abigail on Sheamus. Matt tags in now and they do the double team Twist of Fate on Sheamus for the three count after a fairly short match.
Winners & new RAW Tag Team Champions: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
– Matt and Bray celebrate with their new RAW Tag Title belts after the match. Bray drops to his knees while Matt runs around in circles with his belt in the air.
– We see a video package looking at Jinder Mahal’s time on RAW so far, and the lead-up to his match with Jeff Hardy tonight.
– WWE U.S. Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal: Sunil Singh is out to do Jinder’s ring introduction and be in his corner. Jinder starst off strong and backs Jeff into the corner with strikes. Jeff comes back with a shot on Jinder on the apron, and then Jeff gets distracted by Sunil Singh, which leads to Jinder hitting a cheap shot on Jeff. Jinder repeatedly drops knees on Jeff Hardy on the mat now as he wears down the U.S. Champion. Jinder follows up with a neckbreaker and a flying knee for a two count. Jinder tries to keep Hardy grounded, but Jeff fights his way up to his feet. Jinder looks for a gutbuster and misses, which leads to Hardy hitting an inverted atomic drop and a leg drop for a pin attempt. Jeff looks for the Twist of Fate, but Jinder shoves him away. Jeff goes up top for the Whisper In the Wind and misses, but Jinder sells it and Hardy pins for two. Jeff whips Jinder into the corner and hits a dropkick, then he looks for the Swanton Bomb. Sunil gets on the apron for the distraction, which leads to Jinder attacking from behind. Jeff escapes the Khallas and hits the Twist of Fate. Jeff goes up top and hits the Swanton Bomb for the three count.
Winner & still U.S. Champion: Jeff Hardy
– We go to replays as Jeff holds his U.S. Title in the air and celebrates his win.
– We see a Make-A-Wish Foundation commercial with John Cena talking about the organization and what they do.
– Byron Saxton is now back at the Kickoff Show panel table with Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Booker T. They talk about the atmosphere here tonight, and what’s still to come. Byron introduces a video package about the Saudi Prince who organized the event, featuring interviews from people in various Saudi government departments. They talk about women now being able to drive in Saudi Arabia, and one woman interviewed cries about how happy she is to be in Saudi Arabia.
– Chris Jericho is backstage for an interview promoting the 50-man Royal Rumble later. Jericho notes that WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry is in the Rumble, and he repeatedly calls interviewer Mike Rome by the wrong name. Jericho tells “Tom” that he’s made the list for telling him his wrong name. Jericho also adds the camera man and Ed Koskey to his infamous list.
– Back to the panel table with Byron, Lawler, J.R. and Booker, and they discuss some of the big names back in WWE for tonight’s Greatest Royal Rumble.
– Daniel Bryan does an interview backstage about the privileged of being back in the ring and now being in the largest Royal Rumble match in WWE history. Byron Saxton sends us back to ringside for more matches now.
– SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (c): Jey and Rowan start off, and Rowan drops Uso with a big dropkick. Harper tags in now and continues the beating on Jey. Rowan is back in now for a pump-handle backbreaker on Jey, and then a running splash for a two count. Harper and Rowan now take turns beating on Jey, until Jey dodges a couple of shots and tags in Jimmy. Jimmy hits a suicide dive on Harper, and then one on Rowan on the other side of the ring. Back in the ring, Jimmy boots HArper in the head and then hits a flying cross body for a one count. Uso hits another kick to the head and Harper is down. Uso hits the running butt bump in the corner, but then Harper comes back with a splash of his own. Harper looks for a powerbomb, but Jimmy escapes and tags in Jey. The Usos double team Harper with kicks to the head. They hit double superkicks on Rowan and Harper, then Jey hits the Uso splash off the top for a two count on Harper. Jimmy and Jey both go up top now, but Rowan yanks one of them down and boots him in the head, and Harper takes the other Uso down. Harper and Rowan double team Jimmy now with a splash and a powerbomb for the three count.
Winners & still SmackDown Tag Team Champions: the Bludgeon Brothers
– Harper and Rowan celebrate with the blue Tag Title belts on the corners. We go to replays as The Usos recover from the beating.
– We see a video package looking at the history of ladder matches in WWE and promoting the upcoming Intercontinental Title match.
– Intercontinental Championship: The Miz vs. Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor: The opening bell sounds and all four men start going at it. Balor hits a double Blockbuster early on onto oe and Miz. Rollins sends Balor outside and then hits a suicide dive on him. Rollins slides in the ring and then flies right back out, this time with a suicide dive on Miz. Joe grabs the ladder and hits Rollins with it, then starts double teaming him with Miz. Balor comes out and hits a suicide dive on to Joe and Miz. Back in the ring, Rollins and Joe go at it with strikes until Joe drops Rollins face-first into a ladder laying on the mat. Joe takes Balor in to the corner and lays into him with chops and headbutts. Balor drops Joe onto the ladder, and then Miz runs in and boots Balor in the face. Miz starts climbing the ladder, but Rollins pulls him down and slams Miz’s face into the ladder. Rollins and Balor now fight over the ladder, until Joe and Miz run in and shove them off the ladder. Joe now turns on Miz and shoulder-blocks him down. Joe sets up the ladder in the corner and goes to throw Finn into it, but the ladder falls down, so Joe suplexes Finn onto the ladder instead. Joe picks up the ladder and uses it as a weapon now to send The Miz falling out of the ring. Balor now fires up and dropkicks Joe into a ladder in the corner. The ladder falls on top of Joe, and Balor goes up top. Rollins runs up and grabs Balor in the superplex position, then Joe powerbombs Rollins down for the powerbomb-superplex combo. Joe grabs another ladder from ringside and throws it in the ring. Miz runs up behind Joe and his the Skull Crushing Finale on Joe ontop of the ladder. The Miz fights off Rollins and then hits a reverse DDT on Balor. Rollins runs back in and Miz plants him with a DDT too.
The Miz grabs a ladder as a weapon now and starts dropping anyone who comes near him. Balor manages to drop Miz, and then lays him on top of a ladder on the mat. Balor goes up top for the Coup De Grace and connects on Miz. Joe runs in now and exchanges strikes with Balor. Balor drops Joe with a kick to the head, then he starts climbing towards the belt. Joe stops him and puts Balor in the Coquina Clutch. Balor escapes and stomps on Joe, then Balor starts climbing again. Balor has fought off Joe and Miz, but now Rollins comes flying off the top rope onto the other side of the ladder. Rollins quickly climbs up the ladder and reaches up and grabs the Intercontinental Title before Balor can. Balor is in disbelief at how quickly Rollins grabbed the Title belt, as Rollins is declared winner.
Winner & still Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins
– After the match, Balor is bleeding from above his right eye. Rollins celebrates with the IC Title belt as Balor still looks like he still can’t believe what happened.
– Michael Cole introduces a video package looking at WWE’s tryouts in Saudi Arabia, featuring Mojo Rawley and Triple H. Mike Rome is in the ring now to introduce four of the men who tried out, Nassar, Hussein, Monsoour, and Fisal. They briefly talk about their dream of being in WWE and they say hope to represent their country as the first WWE Superstars from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ariya Daivari and Shawn Daivari come out to interrupt. The Daivaris get some heat with the crowd and they insult the Saudi athletes. Ariya says real athletes come from the strongest nation in the world: Iran. Shawn then insults the Saudi athletes as well. They shove one of the Saudi trainees, and he shoves Ariya back. The other trainee kicks Shawn in the head, and another one hits a powerslam on him. They throw Shawn out of the ring and he retreats up the ramp with Ariya. The trainees pose for the crowd, and then we go to some ads for WWE Network programming.
– We see a video package looking at the rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura leading up to tonight’s rematch for the WWE Title.
– WWE Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles (c): AJ gets some fireworks above the stadium for his entrance. The opening bell sounds and the two men trade holds until Nakamura slides outside for a breather. Back in the ring, Nakamura hits a knee to the midsection, and AJ answers with a dropkick. AJ takes Nakamura into the corner and hits him with chops and kicks. Nakamura answers with some kicks of his own then stomps on AJs head. Nakamura hits some knees to the head then chokes AJ in the corner. AJ escapes a slam attempt and hits a facebuster on Nakamura. AJ fires up and hits some kicks and a running forearm to the face. AJ hits a splash in the corner, and then a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker. Nakamura starts fighting back and hits a knee to the body for a one count. AJ drops Nakamura’s face on the turnbuckle and they start exchanging strikes now. Nakamura looks for an armbar, but AJ escapes and hits the Pele kick. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Nakamura ducks. AJ almost crashes into the referee but he stops, and Nakamura low-blows AJ from behind. The ref didn’t see it, and Nakamura now takes control of the match. Nakamura looks for the Kinshasa, but AJ blocks it with a punch to the face. AJ and Nakamura fight out to ringside, and AJ spears Nakamura onto the Saudi announce table. AJ and Nakamura continues to fight around ringside, and the referee counts to ten, making this one a double count-out.
Winner: Double count-out
– AJ beats Nakamura down all over ringside, and then clotheslines him into the timekeeper’s area. AJ hits Nakamura with a chair, and then hits a Phenomenal Forearm from inside the ring out to Nakamura on the ringside floor. AJ holds up his WWE Title belt before leaving.
– Aiden English comes out and sings about this being The Undertaker’s final day, and he introduces Rusev.
– Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev: The opening bell sounds and Rusev rolls outside early on. The Undertaker chases down Rusev at ringside and they fight back into the ring. The Undertaker walks the top rope and nails Rusev wih the Old School early on. The Undertaker throws Rusev out of the ring over the casket, and Rusev takes a breather on the ramp with English. Rusev pulls Undertaker out of the ring and starts brawling with the Dead Man at ringside. Undertaker fights back and whips Rusev into the fan barricade, and then slams his head on the announce table. Undertaker lays Rusev on the ring apron and hits a running leg drop on him. Undertaker calls for the casket to be opened and he rolls Rusev into it, but English blocks the lid from being closed. The Undertaker gets distracted by English, and Rusev rolls back into the ring. Undertaker gets back in the ring and Rusev drops him with a kick to the head. Rusev lays into Undertaker with strikes in the corner now. The Undertaker fights out of the corner and drops Rusev with a right hand. The Undertaker picks up Rusev and hits a headbutt, but he allows Rusev some time to recover. Rusev comes back with a spinning heel kick and then some elbow drops. Rusev puts Taker in the Accolade, and Taker appears to be out. Rusev releases the hold and walks over to the casket, and then Undertaker sits right up. Undertaker looks for a chokeslam, but Rusev escapes and they start trading punches. Undertaker ducks a clothesline and hits a chokeslam. Undertaker throws Rusev in the casket and goes to close it, but English distracts him. Undertaker chokeslams Aiden, then hits a Tombstone on him. Taker throws English in the casket too and closes the lid for the win.
Winner: The Undertaker
– We go to replays, and then The Undertaker poses under the black lights and there’s a massive fireworks display inside and outside the stadium. Taker looks at the casket and then heads back up the ramp.
– Michael Cole introduces a video package looking at the history between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, and then the steel cage lowers from the ceiling.
– WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns: Reigns gets a big fireworks display for his entrance, and Brock has some pyro inside he area for his. Paul Heyman does Brock’s ring introduction. The opening bell sounds, and Reigns and Lesnar circle each other. Reigns looks for a Superman punch early on, but Lesnar side-steps it and suplexes Reigns down. Brock follows up with two more German suplexes. Brock follows up with an F-5 on Reigns. Brock takes a breather and then goes for another F-5, but Reigns escapes this one. Reigns hits a couple Superman punches, but he misses the spear. Reigns starts climbing the cage, but Lesnar grabs him and pulls him down. They fight on the top rope now until Lesnar elbows Reigns down. Lesnar climbs the cage until Reigns grabs him and pulls him down. Reigns gets under Lesnar in the corner and powerbombs Lesnar down. Samoa Joe is shown backstage watching on a monitor. Reigns throws Lesnar into the cage wall a few times, and Lesnar is down. Reigns follows up with a spear, and then a second spear. Reigns runs the ropes and hits a third spear. Reigns pins and Brock gets the shoulder up at 2.
Reigns goes to walk out the cage door, but Heyman runs by and slams it in Reigns’ face. Lesnar grabs Reigns and hits the F-5 for a two count. Heyman throws a steel chair in the ring; Brock takes his gloves off and picks up the chair. Lesnar goes to swing the chair, but Reigns stops him with a spear for a two count. Reigns has the steel chair now and smashes it across Lesnar’s back a few times. Reigns looks for the Superman punch and he connects with it. Reigns hits a spear on Lesnar up against the cage wall, and they crash right through the cage wall down to the ringside floor. Lesnar hit the floor first, and he is declared the winner.
Winner & still Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
– Heyman takes the Universal Title belt from the ref and helps Lesnar to his feet at ringside. We go to replays and see Lesnar hitting the floor hard after the spear through the cage. The announcers say the rules are usually that both feet have to hit the ground, but the referees decided that Lesnar’s back hitting the ground first was good enough. Heyman helps Lesnar walk back up the ramp as Reigns slowly recovers at ringside.
– 50-Man Royal Rumble: Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler are #1 and #2 in the first-ever 50-man Royal Rumble match. Ziggler starts off strong with a dropkick, and then Sin Cara enters at #3. Cara hits the ring and hits a springboard moonsault on both Bryan and Ziggler. Cara follows up with a swanton bomb on Bryan, but then Ziggler eliminates Cara. Curtis Axel is in at #4 and starts brawling with Ziggler and Bryan. Entry #5 is Mark Henry and he starts going at it with Axel. Henry drops Axel on the apron and then headbutts him down to the floor for the elimination. Entry #6 is Mike Kanellis, and Mark Henry immediately clotheslines him outside for the elimination as soon as Mike gets in the ring. Mark starts fighting with Bryan in the corner now, then he goes at it with Ziggler. Entry #7 is sumo wrestler Hiroki Sumi. Sumi and Henry come face to face and have a test of strength, then Mark immediately eliminates Sumi. Ziggler and Bryan run up behind Henry and eliminate him too. Viktor is in at #8 and he starts brawling with Ziggler. Viktor hits a flying knee to the face off the middle rope, then a running elbow on Ziggler. Bryan eliminates Viktor, then starts trading strikes with Ziggler. Kofi Kingston is in at #9 and he immediately hits a rolling thunder double clothesline on Ziggler and Bryan. Kofi tries to eliminate Bryan but doesn’t have any luck as Bryan catches him with a kick to the face.
Tony Nese is in at #10 and he immediately starts going at it with Kofi. Dash Wilder is in at #11 and he immediately hits a big backbreaker on Nese. Hornswoggle is in at #12 and he helps eliminate Dash Wilder. Hornswoggle hits sweet shin music on Kofi and then a Samoan drop. Hornswoggle goes up top, but Ziggler stops him with a kick to the face. Ziggler tries to eliminate Hornswoggle but he bites Ziggler’s hand. Nese knees Hornswoggle in the face to eliminate him, and the Primo enters at #13. Entry #14 is Xavier Woods, who comes in and gives Kofi some backup. Woods and Kingston start dancing with Nese and then eliminate him. Entry #15 is Bo Dallas who hits the ring and starts fighting with Kofi and Xavier. Kurt Angle enters at #16.
Kurt hits the ring and hands out German suplexes to anyone who comes near him. Kurt eliminates Dallas and Primo, then Ziggler superkicks Kurt. Ziggler charges at Kurt, but Kurt catches him and eliminates him with a belly to belly overhead suplex to the outside. Scott Dawson is in at #17, and Goldust enters at #18. Bryan hits a flying knee of the middle rope on Kofi, and then Goldust tries to eliminate Bryan but doesn’t have any luck. Konnor comes in at #19 and joins the fight. Kofi tries to take-down Kurt, but Kurt drops him and grinds him into the mat. Elias enters at #20 and has the crowd do his “walk with Elias” catch phrase. Elias runs in an eliminates Kofi, Xavier and Konnor all at once. Luke Gallows is in at #21 and he starts going at it with Dawson. On the other side of the ring, Kurt and Daniel go at it back and forth until Kurt hits the Angle Slam. Kurt takes the shoulder straps down, but then Elias eliminates Kurt from behind. Gallows starts booting people in the face, and then Rhyno comes in at #22.
Drew Gulak is out next at #23, and Tucker Knight is out at #24. Tucker starts dropping people until Gulak gets him in a sleeper. Tucker throws Gulak outside for the elimination. Bobby Roode is in at #25 and hits a spinebuster on Dawson. Roode hits a blockbuster off the middle rope on Elias, then he starts fighting with Goldust. Roode eliminates Goldust and then Dawson. Fandango is in next at #26and he starts fighting with Tucker. Chad Gable is in at #27. Gable drops Tucker and then starts fighting with Daniel Bryan in the corner. Rey Mysterio is in next at #28 and he eliminates Gallows with a hurricanrana. Rey looks for the 619 on Roode, but Fandango intercepts and kicks Rey. Fandango throws Rey at Gable, and Rey hits a tornado DDT on Gable. Mojo Rawley is in at #29 and he eliminates Fandango.
Entry #30 is Tyler Breeze. Breeze tries to eliminate Mojo, but Mojo eliminates Breeze instead. Tucker hits a Thez Press on Gable, then Bryan grabs Tucker and lays into him with kicks. Big E is entry #31 and he hits the Big Ending on Tucker before throwing him outside for the elimination. Karl Anderson enters at #32 and he starts going at it with Daniel Bryan. Anderson hits a spinebuster on Roode, then Big E shuts him down with a clothesline. Rey connects with a 619 on Roode in the ring. Apollo Crews is in at #33 and he hits a standing moonsault on Gable then eliminates him.
Roderick Strong is in at #34 and he hits backbreakers on Roode, Anderson and Rey. Strong eliminates Rhyno next with a flying knee to the face. Randy Orton is in at #35 to a big pop from the crowd. Crews looks for a moonsault on Orton, but Orton catches him in an RKO in mid-air. Orton eliminates Anderson, Mojo, and Crews. Heath Slater is in at #36 as Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan go at it in the corner. Slater hits the ring and drops people with kicks and knees to the face. Babatunde is in at #37 and he starts dropping everyone in his path. Baron Corbin is in at #38. Corbin pulls Elias under the bottom rope and throws him into the ring steps. Corbin gets in the ring now and starts fighting with Rey until he hits the Deep Six on him. Corbin eliminates Roode and Strong, then he starts fighting with Babatunde. Titus O’Neil is in at #39. Titus trips on his way in the ring and falls right under the ring. Titus finally gets in the ring, as the announcers laugh at Titus’ fall. Dan Matha is in at #40.
Braun Strowman is in at #41. Braun and Babatunde come face to face and Strowman eliminates him. Strowman eliminates Dan next, then Heath, and he kicks down anyone who comes near him. Tye Dillinger is in at #42. Everyone in the ring now is trying to eliminate Strowman, but they don’t have any luck. Strowman eliminates Titus and Tye. Orton dropkicks Strowman, which leds to Rey hitting hte 619 on Strowman. Orton then hits an RKO on Strowman. Corbin eliminates Rey, then Orton eliminates Corbin. Elias comes from behind and eliminates Orton. Strowman chokeslams Elias down, and then Curt Hawkins comes in at #43. Hawkins tries to run away up the ramp, but Braun catches him and hauls him back to the ring. Braun drops Daniel and Elias at ringside, then he gets back in the ring and eliminates Hawkins.
Bobby Lashley comes out at #44 and gets some fireworks for his entrane. Lashley works over Elias now and looks for a suplex, but Elias stops it with a knee to the face. Lashley tosses Elias down to the mat, then eliminates him. Strowman and LAshley now go at it inC the ring, exchanging big strikes. Daniel Bryan runs in and starts hitting both of them with running dropkicks. The Great Khali is in at #45. Khali drops Daniel and Bobby, then Strowman hits Khali from behind. Strowman and Lashley team up to eliminate Khali. Lashley and Strowan clothesline each other down. Daniel Bryan’s chest is extremely red from chops. Kevin Owens is in at #46 and he starts hitting cannonball splashes on everyone in the corners.
Owens and Bryan start going at it and Owens hits a Pop Up Powerbomb. Shane McMahon is in at #47. Shane goes at it with Kevin and hits a flying elbow to the face. Shane boots Kevin in the face and hits a DDT. Shane and Daniel come face to face now. Daniel Bryan’s bicep is also very red from strikes. Daniel and Shane take turns kicking Owens now. Shelton Benjamin is in at #48. Shelton spears Shane and starts pummeling on him. Shelton tackles Bryan next, then hits a spinning heel kick on Shane. Shelton hits a knee to the face of Lashley, then Strowman slams Shelton down. Kevin tries to convince the other wrestlers to join him in taking out Strowman. Strowman fights them all off as Big Cass enters at #49.
Cass goes right after Bryan, then boots Strowman in the face. Shelton and Lashley follow up with strikes on Strowman, then Shane goes up top an hits the coast to coast dropkick on Strowman. Lashley takes out Shelton in the corner, and then Cass slams Lashley down. Chris Jericho comes out at #50 and gets a big pop. Jericho hits the ring and immediately starts brawling with Owens. Jericho hits the Lionsault on Owens, then a springboard dropkick on Cass. Jericho hits the Codebreaker on Shelton and eliminates him. Jericho puts Owens in the Walls of Jericho, then Big Cass boots Jericho in the face. Lashley goes for his stalling vertical suplex on Cass, but Cass can’t stay straight up and Lashley drops him into a brainbuster. Bryan hits some dropkicks on Owens in the corner. Shane goes up top, but Strowman throws Shane off the top rope down through the table at ringside for the elimination.
Lashley looks for a cross body on Strowman, but Strowman catches him and throws him outside. Strowman eliminates Jericho next, then Bryan tries to eliminate Strowman. Cass boots Bryan in the face then eliminates him. Cass talks trash to Bryan on the floor, then turns around into Strowman. Cass and Strowman trade punches and clotheslines until Strowman crotches Cass on the top rope then bumps him off for the elimination.
Winner: Braun Strowman
– We go to replays as Strowman celebrates his win. Vince McMahon and someone from the Saudi government are in the ring to present Strowman with the trophy and the green Title belt. A massive fireworks display goes off inside and outside the arena as music plays and Strowman stands tall in the ring. Michael Cole thanks us for watching as the Greatest Royal Rumble goes off the air.
Impact Wrestling aired the first episode from their most recent set of TV tapings last night. The promotion has remained in Orlando’s Impact Zone this week following their most recent Redemption PPV. The show opened with Austin Aries addressing the Impact roster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHzQFiTEhfk
Austin Aries Addressed Impact Wrestling Roster
After losing the Impact World Championship to Pentagon on Sunday, Austin Aries addressed the Impact locker room in the opening segment.
Aries, with his arm and a banana in a sling, claimed he was still the promotion’s World Champion as he still holds the Grand Championship and whatever belt he holds is the most important in the company.
He also mentioned that he is not a guy who makes excuses but if he was he’d point out that he wrestled 2 challengers instead of just one. This was mentioned a few times.
Brian Cage defeated Trevor Lee
Cage continues to roll over his opponents on Impact.
At Redemption, Cage also picked up a victory in the 6-way match.
It might not be long until the Machine finds himself in title contention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sURSXE6NH0
Eddie Edwards Has Been Driven To the Brink
At Redemption, Edwards was so preoccupied with getting revenge on Sami Callihan he didn’t notice his wife was standing behind him. As Edwards swung the cane behind him it clipped his wife. She had to be taken to hospital.
Edwards was shown entering the arena. Tommy Dreamer attempted to tell him to go to the hospital and be with his wife but his comments fell on deaf ears.
Edwards challenged OVE to come out (which they do) but as he’s fighting them off, a video airs on the screen. Sami Callihan is shown in Alisha Edwards’ hospital room and tells her “he just wants to talk” before the screen cuts out.
The classic match of the week featured the Steiner Brothers against Team 3D.
DJZ, who suffered a serious injury in Mexico last year, was featured in a vignette. The X-Division star talked about how difficult it was to return from the injury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFENlK9-i0I
Moose defeated Braxton Sutter
After the match, Moose cut a promo referring to himself as Mr. Impact Wrestling. He said he’s going to be the one to take the title from Pentagon.
Sutter announced on Twitter yesterday he’s leaving the promotion.
While Matt Sydal was being interviewed in the back, cameras cut to a shot of someone unconscious on the ground. It might have been Jimmy Jacobs but it was hard to tell. Jacobs and Kongo Kong have a rivalry building with Johnny Impact.
A segment featuring Santana and Ortiz from LAX was shown. They were wondeirng where Konnan was and why Homicide hasn’t been answering his phone. They decide to focus on getting the tag titles back first, however.
Allie beat Lucha Royalty in a good match to defend her title. It’s a little surprising they beat Taya with little build-up, however.
After the match, a flock of undead brides ominously walked a coffin to ringside.
Su Yung blindsided Allie and looked to shove her in the coffin.
The lights went out and Rosemary made the save for Allie.
The lights went out again and Su Yung was gone.
Eddie Edwards Attacked Sami Callihan
Edwards arrived at the hospital and attacked Sami Callihan in his hospital room.
Josh Matthews later revealed on commentary that Edwards had been arrested. Callis was not surprised by this.
Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championships Eli Drake & Scott Steiner (c) defeated LAX
Steiner cut a promo before the match saying Konnan missed Redemption because he was at Taco Bell.
After picking up the win in the tag match, Eli Drake cut a promo mentioning he still has the briefcase which contains a contract for a World Title shot.
Austin Aries came out and referred to his Grand Championship as the real world’s title. Pentagon then came out and a fight broke out between Aries & Pentagon against Drake and Steiner.
After Pentagon and Aries cleared the ring, Aries handed the Impact World Championship belt to Pentagon but continued to hold on after Pentagon grabbed it. They stared each other down and then Aries left Pentagon in the ring to close the show.
According to WWE, there are only 23 officially announced participants in today’s Greatest Royal Rumble match. This leaves 27 entrants still to be named (math credit: Scott Steiner).
Here are the officially announced participants:
Daniel Bryan
Braun Strowman
Kurt Angle
Shane McMahon
Chris Jericho
Mark Henry
Rey Mysterio
Elias
Kevin Owens
The Great Khali
Bobby Roode
Baron Corbin
Big E
Kofi Kingston
Xavier Woods
Apollo Crews
Shelton Benjamin
Sin Cara
Chad Gable
Goldust
Titus O’Neil
Mojo Rawley
Dolph Ziggler
There are 24 wrestlers competing on the card but not in the Rumble match itself. Additionally, Hornswoggle and Shawn Daivari have been spotted in Saudi Arabia. Even if all of those names are in the Rumble match as well, it still leaves one spot open. This could be covered by Sunil Singh who presumably has travelled to Jeddah in order to be in Jinder Mahal’s corner for his match against Jeff Hardy.
Jerry Lawler insinuated on his podcast that he would like to be included in the match. He also mentioned he is on WWE’s “No Touch” list as well, however. This fact makes it unlikely he is included in the Rumble today.
Other members of WWE’s extended roster, backstage producers/agents, commentators, and even Vince McMahon himself could possibly be entrants today.
Final Lineup For Today’s Greatest Royal Rumble
John Cena vs Triple H
Casket Match
the Undertaker vs Rusev
Universal Championship Match Steel Cage
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns
WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Match Ladder Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe vs The Miz
United States Championship Match
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Jinder Mahal
Raw Tag Team Championships
The Bar vs Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Smackdown Tag Team Championships
the Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs the Usos
Cruiserweight Championship
Cedric Alexander (c) vs Kalisto
It’s safe to say that Ronda Rousey had one of the most impressive wrestling debuts ever. Her first wrestling match was at the grandest stage possible and it was praised by the majority of the fans.
Just recently Jim Ross had commented on Ronda’s first match, saying that her debut was the most impactful he has witnessed and now Triple H has also made similar comments.
The Game recently gave an interview to NewsHub and talking about the former UFC Star, he said that he can’t think of a more meaningful professional wrestling debut in the history:
“I can’t think of a more meaningful, more successful and more impactful professional wrestling debut of anybody in history. She woke a lot of people up and made them realize that Ronda Rousey wants to be a WWE superstar for a long time to come.”
Continuing on the topic, The former World Champion claimed that Rousey is a machine when it comes to training and said that he has no doubt that she will be great at this.
During the interview, Triple H also talked about his upcoming match with John Cena saying that this bout needs no buildup and more. You can check out his full interview here.
Triple H is set to face John Cena at the Greatest Royal Rumble event later today.
Impact Wrestling Star Braxton Sutter has announced his departure from the company. He revealed the news via the following tweet, while also thanking them for giving him his first wrestling contract:
Word is that Sutter asked for his release from the company and his wish was granted after the latest round of TV tapings. His bookings from the latest tapings also indicated that he was on his way out of the company.
Braxton first appeared for Impact Wrestling 3 years ago during the One Night Only event X-Travaganza 2015. While he never won any championships in the promotion, his departure is still considered a loss for the company as he did a great job promoting Impact whenever he was given a chance.
Tyler Breeze On The Unselfishness Of The Miz
Tyler Breeze and his partner Fandango were recently guests on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness podcast where they talked about a number of wrestling related topics.
While talking about the A-Lister, the Miz, Breeze explained him to be one of the most unselfish guys and gave the example of the WrestleMania 32 Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
“Man, Miz, by far, one of the most unselfish guys. he kind of proved that (at) was WrestleMania when he was standing up on a ladder and he let Zack Ryder climb up and shove him off to win the IC title. A lot of guys would have a problem with that, and Miz did it with a smile on his face, so that’s kind of cool and kind of rare in our business.”
Apart from this, Breezango also talked about the recent Superstar Shakeup, the stacked Tag Team Division of SmackDown Live and a possible feud with the revival.
The unfortunate news of Bruno Sammartino’s death was revealed last week, however, at that time not much details about The Legend’s passing were available.
In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, his various medical conditions were discussed in details, and it also reveals the cause of his death.
According to the Newsletter, the 82-year-old died after multiple organ failure due to heart issues. The heart issues date back to the time when Bruno was only 12 years old and it got damaged when he suffered rheumatic fever.
In recent years, the Hall Of Famer was having issues with his leg due to the damage that was done to his body during his wrestling days. A few years ago he also found out that one of his valves weren’t functioning well.
In normal conditions, the people suffering from similar heart issues as the former Champion are not expected to live past 60 years. However, Sammartino’s dedication to training compensated for his damaged heart and it’s believed to have added years to his life.
This once again shows that Bruno Sammartino was an inspiration not only inside but outside of the ring as well and losing him is probably the greatest loss of the pro wrestling industry till now.
On the eve Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event, video has surfaces of various WWE executives and Superstars having a celebratory dinner.
Among those in attendance at the dinner were Vince and Shane McMahon, Triple H, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Mark Henry, Rusev, the Great Khali and Dolph Ziggler.
Legendary wrestling broadcaster Tony Schiavone has signed a multi-year deal with Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Schiavone’s voice has been the backdrop for some of the biggest moments in the history of our sport. After taking a hiatus from wrestling since the demise of WCW, Schiavone resurfaced in 2017 via MLW. In addition to his weekly “What Happened When” podcast on the MLW Radio Network along with Conrad Thompson, Shiavone returned to the broadcasting both last fall with the reboot of Major League Wrestling.
Along with Rich Bocchini, Schiavone calls the action each week on MLW’s new weekly 1-hour series, FUSION. The show premiered last week to critical acclaim. Click here to check out our recap of Episode 1.
“I am grateful to MLW for the opportunity to call matches again and am excited about the chance to watch and hopefully help the careers of many young wrestlers grow,” Schiavone said in a press release. “This sport has always been my home.”
MLW CEO Court Bauer said, “For three decades, Tony has been one the most prominent voices calling the action. His work is the soundtrack that fans grew up listening to and today we are thrilled to know he will continue in this high visibility role for years to come. Tony’s standards, historical knowledge of the sport and enthusiasm for sharing the backstories of the wrestlers who enter the ring enriches the broadcast experience for the MLW and beIN SPORTS audience.”
Hear Tony Schiavone and his broadcast partner Rich Bocchini each and every Friday night at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Major League Wrestling: FUSION on beIN SPORTS.
Former NXT Champion and current SmackDown Live star Samoa Joe recently did an interview with The National to promote tomorrow’s WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. The Destroyer first opened up about competing in Saudi Arabia for the first time in his career:
“It is going to my first time in Saudi Arabia and I am over the moon and excited about it. To have the chance to experience a new place and a new culture first hand is always a great opportunity.”
He also discussed his heated feud with Brock Lesnar last year and why he doesn’t fear the former UFC heavyweight champion:
“I watched grown men tap dance around Brock Lesnar because they are scared of him. There is an edict in the company that Brock Lesnar is a thing to be feared at all times and all this. I fear no man. I don’t believe in and respect anyone who fears other men. You know, Brock Lesnar is like everybody else in the world.
“You go out, you smash him in the face, get in the grill. You have to get up close and personal with Brock Lesnar. If you are going up against a monster you better be a monster yourself. You have to have a monstrous fury in your heart because that is what it is going to take to beat that guy. I am not done with Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar knows that. He knows I am not scared of him.”
You can ready Joe’s full interview with The National by clicking this link here.
