WWE Royal Rumble Spoilers, Recap, and Reactions

If you’re like us, the new year doesn’t actually begin until WWE uncorks the Royal Rumble. With that said, happy 2018!

As expected, Sunday’s Rumble was a breeding ground for rumors as names like Ronda Rousey, EC3, Ricochet, Trish Stratus, Dave Batista, The Undertaker, Lita, Bobby Lashley, Nikki Bella and Daniel Bryan all were entertained as surprise entrants.

How many of these names would make the splash in Philadelphia?

Not only that, but this pay-per-view had 4 championship matches. Did WWE decide to keep the status quo or give us a WrestleMania infused shake-up?

We will have every result matched with some pseudo-intellectual commentary as soon as the show ends.

Check back after the Rumble!

WWE Championship Match Ends in Controversy

After a gusty effort, AJ Styles pinned Kevin Owens to retain his WWE Championship. But it wasn’t without a dose of controversy.

The trio of SmackDown starts kept a torrid pace that lent itself to some creative spots.  But the high-speed action may have contributed to an ending Owen and Zayn have already started complaining about. 

In the final moments, Zayn just missed tagging in Owens before Styles tossed Sami out of the ring. Owens illegally hopped in the ring anyway, and before he could deliver a Pop Up Powerbomb, Styles stole a pin via roll up. 

Owens and Zayn’s problems continued when they made their plea to Shane McMahon who was happy to deny their claims – even though he acknowledged the evidence. From here, expect Owens and Zayn to double down on their vendetta against Shane. 

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match

The Usos just swept Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin to stay atop SmackDown’s tag team division. 

It’s probably not a good sign for Gable and Benjamin to get shut out in a 2/3 falls match, but that’s exactly what happened. There wasn’t too much to this contest other than the babyface crowd reaction the Usos continue to collect. 

There was thought that because Jey Uso was recently busted for a DUI that WWE would punish he and his brother by removing their titles at the Rumble. That obviously proved to be fan fiction as it now looks like the Usos will carry that belts to Mania. 

Men’s Royal Rumble

NXT has had a lot of promising talent make the move to WWE’s main roster. But perhaps no one arrived in WWE with a more compelling potential than Shinsuke Nakamura. And he just got his first WWE moment – winning the Royal Rumble.

Entering from the #14 spot, Nakamura battled his way to the final four consisting of himself, John Cena, Finn Balor, and Roman Reigns. However, it was Nakamura and The Big Dog who were the final combatants. 

With the Philadelphia crowd begging for his victory, Nakamura eliminated Reigns to a boom of elation. In true Shinksuska style, he celebrated like a mad man.

After his career-altering win, Nakamura told Rene Youg that wants AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 – a match that could shut down the internet.

As fun as Nakamura’s win was, here’s a list of surprise entrants from the show that had the crowd ready to melt.

– The Hurricane

– Dolph Ziggler

– Rey Mysterio

– NXT’s Champion Andrade Almas 

– Adam Cole

RAW Tag Team Championship Match

Woe is he who follows Shinsuke Nakamura. 

After the King of Strong Style’s electric Rumble victory, the Philadelphia crowd was sapped of energy. So when Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan defended their RAW Tag Team Championship against the Bar, fans just couldn’t muster the strength to care. 

But, that didn’t stop The Bar from becoming new RAW Tag Team Champions.

While Jason Jordan milked an injury, Seth Rollins had to fend off the wolves. It didn’t take long for Cesaro and Sheamus to pick apart Rollins and steal his title.

Rollins will likely be furious with Jordan at RAW on Monday and this may set an up future match between them. 

WWE Universal Championship Match

Somehow, with a barrage of table spots and animalistic carnage that National Geographic wouldn’t air, WWE’s Universal Championship match was a snoozer.

Kane, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar certainly trade their best to give the crowd an exciting show, but Philadelphia wasn’t buying it. After an F-5 through a table, Brock Lesnar pinned Kane to retain his big red belt. 

With Nakamura already setting his sights on AJ Styles, this means that we are all but guaranteed to get Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 34. 

Women’s Royal Rumble

 Asuka unprecedented career continues to rack up accolades: she is the first ever winner of the Women’s Royal Rumble.

We’re still writing this one up but here are some of the highlights:

Not only did we see history, but we saw loads of great comebacks: Nikki and Brie Bella, Trish Stratus, Lita, Kelly Kelly, Torri Wilson, Michele McCool, Jacqueline and Molly Holly all delighted the crowd with surprised entrances.