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The 2022 edition of WWE's Royal Rumble is in the history books now. The Premium Live Event aired last Saturday from The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. With it completed, the Road to WrestleMania 38 has officially begun.
The Royal Rumble is one of the most exciting nights of the year for pro wrestling fans. This year, as with most, there were major surprises, twists, nostalgia, and entertainment all over the show. But while all this was going on, there were a lot happening backstage as well.
Let's take a look at 10 behind-the-scenes photos from WWE's Royal Rumble 2022 and check out what was going on behind the curtains. Be sure to comment down below and let us know your thoughts on these candid scenes!
#10 The Man with her man and the Swiss Superman
One of the real-life power couples in WWE right now is Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, both of whom had major matches at this year's Rumble. Becky Lynch successfully defended her RAW Women's Championship against Doudrop and now looks ahead to a showdown with Lita at Elimination Chamber. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins challenged Universal Champion Roman Reigns, and while he won the match by disqualification, the title didn't change hands.
In this photo, Lynch and Rollins can be seen backstage at the Rumble with Cesaro. Many fans were hoping to see The Swiss Superman in the Men's Rumble match, but he was unfortunately not involved.
#9 Royal Rumble winner having some fun backstage
The 2022 Royal Rumble saw the return of Ronda Rousey to WWE after nearly three years away. The Baddest Woman on the Planet was a surprise entrant and the eventual winner of the Women's Rumble match
In the picture above, she can be seen backstage having some fun with the crew of Jackass, who were there to support Johnny Knoxville as he competed in this year's Men's Rumble as a special celebrity guest. Knoxville collaborated with WWE to promote his upcoming film and engaged in a brief storyline feud with Sami Zayn.
#8 It's a New Day, yes it is!
Kofi Kingston is a Royal Rumble legend in his own way. Each time he enters the event's titular match, fans get to witness an extraordinary display of athleticism as he does something innovative to save himself from getting eliminated.
Unfortunately, his Rumble spot didn't go as planned this year. Kofi miscalculated a leap to the barricade shortly after entering, resulting in his early elimination.
In the picture above, Kingston can be seen backstage with one half of the WWE Hall of Fame tag team, the Bella Twins. Nikki and Brie Bella competed in this year's Women's Rumble match as surprise entrants after retiring from active competition in March 2019.
#7 The Phenom was backstage at the Rumble!
Though he didn't appear in front of fans, The Undertaker was backstage at the Royal Rumble this year. Rumors of his presence were already making the rounds ahead of the show and were confirmed by the above picture. Here he is seen with his wife Michelle McCool, who competed in the Women's Rumble match.
It is unkown whether The Undertaker was there just to support his wife or if WWE called him in for some other project. He could have been there to film more content for the WWE Network, or just to catch up with old friends and get back into the mix.
#6 The Beast Incarnate preparing to unleash himself
Brock Lesnar's Royal Rumble was a roller-coaster ride. First he defended his WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley in a dream match, dropping the title to the All Mighty after interference from Roman Reigns. Lesnar had the last laugh, however, as he entered the Men's Rumble match as a surprise entrant at #30 and quickly destroyed the field to gain the victory.
In the picture above, The Beast Incarnate can be seen getting ready for his match at the event. Lesnar announced on RAW this week that he'll be challenging Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38. He is also set to compete for the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match later this month.
#5 Riddle having some fun
Speaking of the Elimination Chamber, another star set to compete for the WWE Championship in the infamous match is Riddle. The Original Bro has been one half of a popular tag team with Randy Orton on RAW over the past year. However, the two have now lost their tag titles and could be on their way to breaking up.
In the above picture, Riddle can be seen riding his scooter at the arena ahead of the Royal Rumble. Riddle had a decent outing in the Men's Rumble match, surviving until the final four before getting eliminated by eventual winner Brock Lesnar.
#4 The Mysterios with a Rumble surprise
One of the more suprising entrants in the Men's Royal Rumble match was singer and rap artist Bad Bunny. He made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 37 last year and impressed fans with his performance. Even in the Rumble match this year, he put on a great show before getting eliminated by Brock Lesnar.
In the above picture, Bunny can be seen with Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik backstage at the event. WWE also shared a behind-the-scenes video on social media of Mysterio giving his mask to Bad Bunny as a sign of respect and appreciation after the match.
#3 Whose side are you actually on, Paul?
Paul Heyman walked into this year's Royal Rumble as the Advocate of WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. However, he walked out of the show as the Special Counsel to Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
In this photo, Heyman can be seen in a production area backstage at the Premium Live Event. Fans were shocked (but not that shocked) to see him turn on Lesnar and return to The Tribal Chief mere weeks after Reigns fired him.
#2 Two legends of the industry
The Women's Royal Rumble match saw several legends return to WWE. One of the biggest names already announced for the match was WWE Hall of Famer Lita. The Extreme Diva had not competed in the ring since October 2018, so fans were excited to see her.
Here Lita can be seen chatting with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, who was part of the Royal Rumble pre-show panel. The four-time Women's Champion is still in great shape, as can be seen above. While Lita was not able to win the Rumble, she is set to challenge Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship at Elimination Chamber later this month.
#1 The Tribal Chief reigned supreme
Roman Reigns had one of the biggest matches of his record title reign at the Royal Rumble. He defended the Universal Championship against former Shield brother Seth Rollins, who left no stone unturned in his pyschological assault on the Tribal Chief. Reigns lost his cool and ended up getting himself disqualified, but he is still the champion.
In the above picture, Reigns can be seen backstage at the show with his Universal Championship title. The photo seems to have been taken just minutes before his opening match against Rollins.
