With the 2022 Royal Rumble being a lackluster show, fans had high expectations coming into this one. A significant improvement from its predecessor, WWE Royal Rumble 2023 certainly had its moments. With big wins and storyline twists, the event gave fans something to remember.
First and foremost, we saw Pat McAfee make his return to the commentary desk. The fight card opened with the Men’s Royal Rumble followed by LA Knight vs. Bray Wyatt, Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss, the Women’s Royal Rumble, and finally, Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens.
With everything said and done, most of the results were quite predictable and played out as expected. Barring a few mishaps, there were some good unexpected appearances and some moments of pure brilliance. As such, let’s take a look at everything that went down at WWE Royal Rumble 2023.
Men’s Royal Rumble results
This year’s men’s match was not too big with surprises, yet, it made up for it in other ways. For the most part, this year’s men’s match was a decent Rumble. Although the winner was predictable, the eliminations made sense and were expected for the most part.
Key highlights include: Sheamus and Johnny Gargano eliminating The Miz, Brock Lesnar getting eliminated within three minutes, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre working together, and finally, Logan Paul and Ricochet’s insane mid-air collision. We also witnessed some botches, with Kofi Kingston trying to save himself and Dominik Mysterio’s terrible attempt at trying to be like his dad.
In the end, the final four competitors left were Logan Paul, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Gunther. Firstly, Paul eliminated Rollins in a shocking moment. Thereafter, Rhodes threw Paul out. Enduring a series of strikes from Gunther, The American Nightmare was finally able to toss him out and claim victory.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
LA Knight vs. Bray Wyatt
First things first, Bray Wyatt’s entrance was amazing! Although the black paint around his eyes was an interesting touch, his walkouts never cease to amaze us. Moreover, this was the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match. As such, the ring had a glow-in-the-dark Mountain Dew logo in the middle.
Similarly, the ropes and Knight’s gear were also neon yellow, meant to appear clearly in the dark. On the other hand, Bray Wyatt was sporting a menacing body paint that only showed under black light. Surprisingly, the fight went everywhere with weapons thrown into the mix and no usual rules.
An interesting and colorful concept, which was followed by an eerie ending. After Wyatt locked in Sister Abigail and finished the fight, he decided he wanted to beat up LA Knight some more. The ensuing scuffle came to an end with Uncle Howdy jumping onto LA Knight and disappearing into the flames.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women’s Championship)
Alexa Bliss made her entrance first, with the WWE airing a video highlighting her feud with Bianca Belair, and putting a focus on Uncle Howdy. Thankfully, as soon as the bell dropped, both women fully went at each other. Their rivalry has been fierce up to this point, and neither fighter was willing to give the other an inch.
Bliss dominated the opening few minutes before Belair turned the tide with a suplex. Although the fight was quite back and forth, there was no big ‘it’ factor or a magic moment in this fight. As such, Belair closed out the fight and will keep her championship title, for now.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Women’s Royal Rumble results
Unlike the men’s rumble, the women’s rumble this time around had more surprises. Due to fewer participants announced ahead of time, it left a bit of mystery as to who could turn up to the scrap. However, the action and the quality of the women’s rumble were similar to the men’s.
Key highlights include: Dana Brooke making her appearance, meaning that she has now been in every single women’s rumble. Moreover, debutante Chelsea Green getting eliminated in record time. We also had Michelle McCool make a ‘cool’ entrance, simply jumping out of the crowd and revealing her gear.
In the end, the final four competitors were Rhea Ripley, Nikki Cross, Asuka, and Liv Morgan. Nikki was the first one out followed by Asuka soon after. Thus, we were left with Ripley and Morgan, who were the first two women to enter. Eventually, Rhea was able to take Morgan out to win the whole thing. Predictable, yet fitting.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens
Coming to the final event of the night. The Tribal Chief and Kevin Owens went at it with KO giving Reigns a run for his money early on. However, it was only a matter of time before the champ gained the upper hand and began commanding the ring.
Kevin Owens almost closed out the fight, but the referee was unconscious to make the count. Sami Zayn, who made the walk and was ringside for Reigns, tried to help by throwing in a chair. Unfortunately, he did more harm than good with Owens almost capitalizing with a stunner. Eventually, Roman Reigns was able to close out the match with a third and final spear to seal the deal.
The most surprising part was Zayn’s betrayal after the fight. The Honorary Uce used the chair given to him by Reigns and hit him in the back, much to the shock of everyone. Zayn’s actions were met with a swift head kick by Jimmy Uso. Further, Jimmy, Reigns, and Solo beat up Zayn a little more before taking their leave.
Winner: Roman Reigns
What was your favorite moment of the WWE Royal Rumble 2023? Did you enjoy it more than the previous one? Do you think certain things could’ve been done better? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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