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The Bloodline showed up at the WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Show and Roman Reigns asked Sami Zayn why he disobeyed his orders last night at SmackDown. Jey Uso stepped up and said that he asked Sami after Adam Pearce kicked the Usos out of the arena.
Roman said that he wanted to focus on today's show and that he wanted the Usos to stay backstage and Sami to be ringside with him at the Royal Rumble. Pat McAfee was back and we headed for the first match of the night shortly after.
WWE Royal Rumble Results (January 28, 2023): Royal Rumble Match
Gunther came in at the #1 spot and Sheamus was in at #2. They started the match off before being joined by The Miz. Kofi Kingston was in at #4 followed by Johnny Gargano.
Sheamus eliminated The Miz before Xavier Woods joined the match. Karrion Kross and Chad Gable were entries #7 and #8, followed by Drew McIntyre at #9. Drew eliminated Kross before Santos Escobar came in at #10.
Angelo Dawkins was in next, followed by Brock Lesnar at #12. Brock eliminated Escobar, Dawkins, and Gable right away before Bobby Lashley joined the match. Lashley eliminated Lesnar before Baron Corbin made his way out, only to eat an F5 from Lesnar at ringside.
Seth Rollins was in next and eliminated Corbin before Otis joined the match as well. Rey Mysterio was next but didn't make his way out, while Seth Rollins eliminated Bobby Lashley.
Dominik Mysterio was in at #18 and came out wearing one of Rey's masks. Otis was eliminated next while Elias joined the ring. Elias smashed his guitar on Gunther before Drew and Sheamus eliminated him.
Finn Balor came in at #20 and helped Dom eliminate Gargano. Booker T was back and in the ring at #21, but Gunther eliminated him after the legend hit the Spinaroonie.
Damian Priest was in next, followed by Montez Ford, who was eliminated shortly after by Damian. Edge made his return at #24 and hit a spear on Dom before eliminating both Priest and Balor. Balor and Priest then got back on the apron and with the help of Dominik, dragged Edge out of the ring to eliminate him.
Theory was in next before Edge continued to fight Judgment Day on the outside. Rhea Ripley and Beth Phoenix showed up, and the latter got a spear in before Omos joined the ring at #26.
Omos got some big moves in the ring before Braun Strowman came in and eliminated him. Ricochet was in at #28 before Drew and Sheamus almost eliminated Strowman.
Gunther eliminated Drew and Sheamus before Logan Paul came back at #29. All the superstars in the ring went after Paul and tried to take him out, but he fought his way back to the middle of the ring.
Cody Rhodes was the last one in at #30 and got the Cody Cutter and Cross Rhodes before eliminating Dominik. Strowman was eliminated by Rhodes before Theory did the same to Ricochet.
Seth Rollins and Cody eliminated Theory, and it was only Gunther, Rhodes, and Rollins left in the ring. Cody and Rollins teamed up against Gunther before Logan Paul returned since he was not yet eliminated.
Logan Paul eliminated Rollins and Cody eliminated Logan before it was only Gunther and Rhodes left. Gunther went after Cody's injured pecs before they both climbed up to the corner, and Gunther took him down in the ring.
Cody got the Cody Cutter before Gunther got a powerbomb. Cody got the Cross Rhodes before eliminating Gunther and picking up the win at the Royal Rumble! Cody Rhodes is going to WrestleMania!
Result: Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble
Grade: A
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight - Pitch Black match at WWE Royal Rumble
The light went out after the bell was rung, and there was blacklight or UV lights, and it was rather hard to see as the match kicked off.
Wyatt went outside early on and cleared the announcers' desk, but Knight countered the drop and sent Wyatt through as UV reactive paint spilled out from inside the desk.
Knight got a kendo stick and beat Wyatt with it before taking the Sister Abigail. Wyatt went for the quick pin and picked up the win.
Result: Bray Wyatt def. LA Knight at Royal Rumble
Wyatt went after Knight post-match, but Knight tried to run and defended himself with the kendo stick.
Wyatt got the Mandible Claw on the ramp and took Knight down before Uncle Howdy showed up on a ledge and hit a dive on Knight through the stage before the place burst into flames.
Grade: B
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Alexa Bliss - RAW Women's Championship match at WWE Royal Rumble
Belair took Bliss into the corner for a beatdown before the latter locked in a bow and arrow submission in the middle of the ring. Bianca broke out and got a suplex before trying for a moonsault, but Alexa got her knees up.
Bianca went for a second moonsault and got it before Bliss blocked the KOD. Alexa blocked a powerbomb and reversed it into a DDT for a near fall. Bianca came back with the KOD and picked up the easy win.
Result: Bianca Belair def. Alexa Bliss to retain the RAW Women's Championship at Royal Rumble
An Uncle Howdy/Bray Wyatt video played after the match asking if Alexa felt 'in charge' and Bliss looked scared as the show moved on.
Grade: B
Women's Royal Rumble Match
Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan were the first ones in, and Dana Brooke returned at #3. Dana got a superplex on Liv before Emma came in at #4, followed by Shayna Baszler at #5.
Bayley was in at #6, followed by B-Fab at #7. Ripley eliminated B-Fab right away before NXT Women's Champ Roxanne Perez came out at #8. Dakota Kai came in next followed by Io Sky at #9 and #10.
Damage CTRL eliminated Dana Brooke, Roxanne Perez, and Emma before Natalya made her return at #11. Candice LeRae was in at #12, while Damage CTRL eliminated Shayna and Natalya.
Zoey Stark from NXT came in at #13, followed by Xia Li at #14. Candice LeRae was eliminated before Becky Lynch came in at #15. Becky faced off with Damage CTRL at ringside before Tegan Nox entered at #16.
Asuka made her return at #17 and eliminated Tegan Nox before Piper Niven (formerly Doudrop) came in at #18. Tamina came in at #19 before Chelsea Green was back at #20 and was sent out right away, setting a new record for the Women's Royal Rumble.
Becky came back and eliminated Io and Dakota before Bayley eliminated Becky. Liv Morgan eliminated Bayley and a brawl kicked off at ringside between Damage CTRL and Lynch.
Zelina Vega came out next dressed as Juri from Street Fighter and eliminated Xia Li. Raquel Rodriguez entered at #22, followed by Michin at #23. Lacey Evans was in next at #24, followed by Michelle McCool at #25.
McCool eliminated Tamina before Indi Hartwell from NXT was in at #26. Sonya Deville was in at #27 and eliminated Zoey Stark before Lacey Evans eliminated Zelina Vega at the Royal Rumble.
Shotzi entered the Rumble at #28 before Deville eliminated Indi Hartwell. Nikki Cross came in at #29, followed by the return of Nia Jax at #30. All the superstars went after Nia before she took them all down and faced off with Raquel Rodriguez.
Ripley got a riptide on Jax before the crowd eliminated Jax together. Raquel eliminated Lacey before Asuka caught her in an armbar. Deville and McCool were eliminated followed by Shotzi and Michin.
Rodriguez eliminated Piper Niven before Rhea eliminated Raquel. Cross was eliminated before Asuka got the green mist on Liv. Asuka was eliminated and Ripley and Liv remained.
Ripley sent Liv outside off the apron and picked up the win all the way from the #1 entry!
Result: Rhea Ripley won the Women's Royal Rumble
Grade: A
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens - Undisputed Universal Championship match at WWE Royal Rumble
Owens got a takedown and hit the senton early on before Reigns fled the ring. Owens followed him out and sent him into the barricades. Back in the ring, Reigns got an uranage before setting him up on the ropes for a drive-by.
Roman got a big powerbomb before KO dodged the Superman punch. Reigns got it on the second try before missing the spear. Owens got the Swanton Bomb for a near fall before Reigns dodged a moonsault and got the spear.
KO tried for a stunner, but Reigns pushed him into the referee, taking the official out. Owens got a powerbomb and would have gotten the win, but the ref was down. KO took a low blow before Reigns asked Sami to get a chair.
Sami hesitated but followed through, but the delay let KO hit a stunner for a near fall. Reigns got the spear before KO left the ring and Sami told him to stay down.
Reigns speared KO through the barricades before smashing his head on the steel steps twice. Back in the ring, Reigns got another spear before picking up the win.
Result: Roman Reigns def. Kevin Owens to retain the Undisputed Universal Championship at Royal Rumble
After the match, Reigns asked the Usos to beat down Owens, and they did so and hit the 1D before getting a chair and setting it up around KO's neck. Solo Sikoa hit a hip attack, and the Usos hit superkicks after handcuffing KO to the ropes.
Roman was about to hit KO with the chair again, but Sami stopped him. Roman handed the chair to Sami and asked him to hit KO before Zayn hit Roman instead. Jimmy and Solo beat Zayn down, and Jey was in tears and walked away from the ring.
Reigns, Jimmy, and Solo beat Zayn down and left him in the ring as the Royal Rumble came to a close.
Grade: A+
Show rating: A
We got some huge returns at Royal Rumble, including Booker T, Nia Jax, Cody Rhodes, Michelle McCool, and Piper Niven, among others, while Uncle Howdy sent a cryptic message to Alexa Bliss.
