WWE Royal Rumble
January 28, 2023
Alamodome
San Antonio, TX
*Shinsuke Nakamura d. Solo Sikoa by Pinfall to Win the United States Title
Despite both Shinsuke Nakamura and Solo Sikoa competing in the Royal Rumble match later on in the night (the latter of which the only Bloodline representative in the match, per the orders of the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns), they were also set to face each other in a rematch for the United States Championship to kick off the show. Sikoa, who was undefeated in singles competition heading into this match, had won the title from Nakamura in December, leading to this rematch. It was a back and forth affair with the Bloodline's Enforcer matching strikes with the King of Strong Style. However the match would take a turn right before the end, when Sikoa uncharacteristically climbed to the top rope for a high risk move. Nakamura would kick Solo in the leg, causing him to fall from the top and land awkwardly on his knee and ankle in the ring. Solo would be writhing in pain, and Nakamura took quick advantage, hitting a Boma Ye and getting the pinfall on Solo to regain the US Title. After the match though, medical staff had to come to the ring to help Solo to the back, bracing his leg and taking him out on a stretcher as Roman and the Usos (minus Sami Zayn, who had been ordered to stay home by an increasingly paranoid Reigns) left their luxury box to check on the Enforcer.
*Rhea Ripley Won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
The women's Royal Rumble started off with a bang, as two of the odds on favorites in Rhea Ripley and Asuka started off the match at numbers 1 and 2 respectively. With a mix of current stars, NXT standouts and legends in the mix, it appeared that the match could have any number of winners. The match dynamic was also changed when Nia Jax surprised everyone by returning to the WWE at number 30, but the remaining stars all gained up on Jax and the Irresistible Force was fully eliminated by Ripley, who had survived all the way to the end. In the end the Queen of the Judgment Day would last to the final two against the 2022 winner, Liv Morgan, a replay of the final two from the year before. Unlike the year before though, Ripley would be the one who eliminated Morgan from the match, running the table from the #1 spot and punching her ticket to Wrestlemania 39.
*Uncle Howdy w/Bray Wyatt d. Austin Theory by Pinfall
Since turning his back on his mentor, The Miz, at Survivor Series, Austin Theory had been crowing on WWE television that he had broken the veteran and that he was the future of WWE, not washed up "gimmicks from 10 years ago." During a match against Bo Dallas on Raw, Theory raised the ire of both he and Bray Wyatt with his bragging, leading to Dallas' alter-ego, Uncle Howdy, to make an appearance and challenge Theory to a match at the Rumble. Despite Theory's athleticism, he had no idea how to handle the general spookiness of the Wyatts, leading to Uncle Howdy hitting Sister Abigail on Theory to pick up the win. Meanwhile backstage, doctors told WWE official Adam Pearce that Solo Sikoa wouldn't be able to compete in the Rumble that night. Pearce asked the Wiseman, Paul Heyman, if one of the Usos could compete, but Heyman said on behalf of the Tribal Chief, that Pearce would have to find "someone else" to fill the spot.
*Imperium [Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser] d. The Street Profits [Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
Another byproduct of the Miz and Theory breaking up as a tag team was the World Tag Team Titles being vacated. A tournament was held in the month of December to crown new champions, which was won by Gunther's cohorts in Imperium over former champions The Street Profits. This would lead to a rematch of the tournament final at the Royal Rumble for the tag titles. Despite their experience as a team, the Profits found themselves somewhat on the wrong page communication wise, allowing Kaiser to eventually get the win on Montez Ford with a rollup from behind while holding the tights. After the match, Dawkins and Ford nearly came to blows, while surprisingly MVP watched in the backstage area, shaking his head.
*Becky Lynch d. Ronda Rousey & Bianca Belair by Pinfall to Win the Women's World Championship
Ronda Rousey was set to defend the Women's World Championship against her two chief rivals from throughout the fall, former champions Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair. Without her Baddest Woman on the Planet tag team partner, Shayna Baszler, at ringside, Rousey was at a disadvantage in the triple threat format. Still she tried to rely on the continued enmity between rivals Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch to try and survive, and almost managed to get a win when Belair was trapped in an Armbar, but the referee was distracted by Lynch when Belair actually tapped out. Ronda then came back and attacked Lynch, but Big Time Becks caught Rousey with a Manhandle Slam and then scored the pinfall on the champion to pick up the win.
*Sami Zayn Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match
One of the big stories of the Men's Royal Rumble match was the return of Cody Rhodes, who hadn't been seen on WWE television since Hell in a Cell the previous June, when he had suffered a completely torn pectoral muscle prior to his Cell match with Seth Rollins. As the luck of the draw would have it, Rhodes and Rollins were the first two entrants into the men's rumble this year, allowing their feud to continue unabated throughout the men's rumble match. Other big stories saw Intercontinental Champion Gunther eliminate Brock Lesnar in a surprise, as well as the first ever Rumble appearance by a retiring Great Muta. Rey Mysterio was also advertised to make his return, only for his spot to be taken by his wayward son Dominik, who flagrantly displayed Mysterio's mask that he had stolen from him during a Christmas home invasion angle. Solo Sikoa was originally supposed to be in the number 30 spot, however had to withdraw due to the knee injury he suffered in the opening match of the night. The person Adam Pearce found to replace Sikoa was fellow Bloodline member Sami Zayn, which shocked Roman Reigns in his luxury box. Zayn had been instructed by Reigns not to even be at the event in San Antonio and to stay at the hotel and wait for them. The final four of the event would come down to Zayn, Nakamura, Rollins and Rhodes, the latter two having survived all the way to the end of the match. Seth would shockingly end Rhodes' attempt to main event Wrestlemania, but would fall victim to defeat himself as Zayn hit Rollins with a Helluva Kick to win the Royal Rumble match. Zayn then celebrated and looked up somewhat warily at the luxury box where Roman and the Usos simply sat and watched in silence to close the show.
Women's Royal Rumble Participants
1. Rhea Ripley
2. Asuka
3. Michelle McCool
4. Indi Hartwell
5. Alexa Bliss
- Michelle McCool Eliminated #1 by Alexa Bliss
6. Kayden Carter
7. Wendy Choo
- Indi Hartwell Eliminated #2 by Rhea Ripley
- Wendy Choo Eliminated #3 by Rhea Ripley
8. Beth Phoenix
9. Dakota Kai
10. Lyra Valkyria
- Alexa Bliss Eliminated #4 by Dakota Kai
11. Katana Chance
12. Io Shirai
- Katana Chance Eliminated #5 by Asuka
- Kayden Carter Elinimated #6 by Rhea Ripley
13. Alba Fyre
14. Lita
15. Piper Niven
- Beth Phoenix Eliminated #7 by Piper Niven
16. Bayley
- Asuka Eliminated #8 by Bayley
17. Isla Dawn
18. Shotzi Blackhart
19. Trish Stratus
- Dakota Kai Eliminated #9 by Trish Stratus
- Lita Eliminated #10 by Bayley
20. Liv Morgan
- Lyra Valkyria Eliminated #11 by Rhea Ripley
21. Candace LeRae
22. Tiffany Stratton
- Io Shirai Eliminated #12 by Liv Morgan
23. Roxanne Perez
24. Shayna Baszler
- Isla Dawn Eliminated #13 by Shayna Baszler
- Alba Fyre Eliminated #14 by Rhea Ripley
25. Natalya
26. Chelsea Green
- Chelsea Green Eliminated #15 by Roxanne Perez
27. Raquel Rodriguez
- Piper Niven Eliminated #16 by Liv Morgan
28. Zoey Stark
29. Zelina Vega
- Candace LeRae Eliminated #17 by Roxanne Perez
30. Nia Jax
- Zelina Vega Eliminated #18 by Nia Jax
- Natalya Eliminated #19 by Nia Jax
- Nia Jax Eliminated #20 by Rhea Ripley
- Trish Stratus Eliminated #21 by Bayley
- Bayley Eliminated #22 by Liv Morgan
- Shotzi Blackhart Eliminated #23 by Shayna Baszler
- Zoey Stark Eliminated #24 by Raquel Rodriguez
- Roxanne Perez Eliminated #25 by Tiffany Stratton
- Tiffany Stratton Eliminated #26 by Piper Niven
- Shayna Baszler Eliminated #27 by Rhea Ripley
- Piper Niven Eliminated #28 by Liv Morgan
- Liv Morgan Eliminated #29 by Rhea Ripley
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Men's Royal Rumble Participants
1. Seth Rollins
2. Cody Rhodes
3. LA Knight
4. Kofi Kingston
5. Johnny Gargano
6. Chad Gable
- Chad Gable Eliminated #1 by Seth Rollins
- LA Knight Eliminated #2 by Cody Rhodes
7. Omos
- Kofi Kingston Eliminated #3 by Omos
8. Brock Lesnar
- Omos Eliminated #4 by Brock Lesnar
9. Maniac Moss
10. Dijak
- Johnny Gargano Eliminated #5 by Brock Lesnar
11. Gunther
12. Santos Escobar
13. Finn Balor
- Brock Lesnar Eliminated #6 by Gunther
14. Lucky Corbin
15. The Great Muta
- Santos Escobar Eliminated #7 by Finn Balor
- Maniac Moss Eliminated #8 by Cody Rhodes
16. Pete Dunne
17. Xavier Woods
- Xavier Woods Eliminated #9 by The Great Muta
- The Great Muta Eliminated #10 by Seth Rollins
18. Drew McIntyre
- Lucky Corbin Eliminated #11 by Drew McIntyre
19. Otis
20. Damian Priest
21. Dominik Mysterio (Impersonating Rey Mysterio)
- Dijak Eliminated #12 by Drew McIntyre
- Drew McIntyre Eliminated #13 by Damian Priest
22. Bobby Lashley
- Pete Dunne Eliminated #14 by Gunther
23. Sheamus
24. The Miz
25. Tomasso Ciampa
- Otis Eliminated #15 by Bobby Lashley
- Bobby Lashley Eliminated #16 by Finn Balor
26. Ricochet
27. Logan Paul
28. Bronson Reed
- Tomasso Ciampa Eliminated #17 by Gunther
- Gunther Eliminated #18 by Sheamus
29. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Ricochet Eliminated #19 by Logan Paul
- Logan Paul Eliminated #20 by Seth Rollins
30. Sami Zayn (Substitute for Solo Sikoa)
- Dominik Mysterio Eliminated #21 by Sami Zayn
- Bronson Reed Eliminated #22 by Cody Rhodes
- Sheamus Eliminated #23 by The Miz
- The Miz Eliminated #24 by Damian Priest
- Damian Priest Eliminated #25 by Cody Rhodes
- Finn Balor Eliminated #26 by Shinsuke Nakamura
- Cody Rhodes Eliminated #27 by Seth Rollins
- Shinsuke Nakamura Eliminated #28 by Sami Zayn
- Seth Rollins Eliminated #29 by Sami Zayn
Winner: Sami Zayn
