WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-19
Results courtesy of
PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's report).
KICK-OFF SHOW
(1) BOBBY ROODE & CHAD GABLE vs. REZAR & SCOTT DAWSON (W/Drake Maverick)
WINNERS: Roode & Gable in 6:00 when Gable pinned Dawson.
(2) RUSEV (w/Lana) vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA – U.S. Title match
WINNER: Nakamura in 11:00 to capture the U.S. Title.
(3) BUDDY MURPHY vs. HIDEO ITAMI vs. AKIRA TOZAWA vs. KALISTO – Cruiserweight Title match
WINNER: Murphy in 12:00 to retain his title.
MAIN SHOW
(1) ASUKA vs. BECKY LYNCH – Smackdown Title match
Lynch came out first. Then Asuka came out with the floating masks on the screen, so “augmented reality” is back for this event. They threw to the Spanish announce team on camera to do their introductions. After formal ring introductions, they locked up in a test of strength. The screen noted #RoyalRumble was already the no. 1 trend on Twitter worldwide. Becky yelled, “Fight me. Fight me!” after nocking Asuka down. Asuka smiled and took her up on it. Becky, though, fended off Asuka’s attack with a punch and uppercut. Asuka fired back with kicks and scored an early one count. Lynch kicked Asuka off the ring apron at 3:00 and then rammed her into the ring apron at ringside. The ref was counting them, so Becky reset the count. Asuka dragged Becky right back to the floor and threw Becky into the ring apron. Back in the ring Becky took over and applied an armbar. Asuka cried out in agony. Asuka came back to surprise Becky with an Asuka Lock while Becky was tied up in the ropes. Becky avoided a charging Asuka, who went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Becky then applied a Disarm Her in the turnbuckles, so she also had to break within five. When Becky leaped off the top rope, Asuka kneed her out of mid-air.
Asuka landed a flying hip attack at 8:00 for a two count. Asuka leaped off the top rope, but Becky moved and then took Asuka down with a urinage for a near fall. Becky sat in shock, then moved in toward Asuka. Asuka was playing possum and surprised her with an armbar which shifted into an Asuka Lock attempt. Becky rolled to the bottom rope to force a break at 11:00. They took it to the ring apron and maneuvered to try to get the advantage. Asuka ended up leaping off the ring apron in a fisherman’s suplex position and landed with a twisting neckbreaker. Both were slow to get up. Asuka got up first and entered the ring. Becky just barely beat the count. Asuka surprised Becky with a running kick for a near fall. They stood and exchanged blows mid-ring. Asuka won the battle with a spin wheel kick for another near fall. Becky came back with a Becksploder Suplex off the second rope for a near fall.
Becky leaped off the top rope at 18:00 with a legdrop, but Asuka moved and applied an Asuka Lock then shifted quickly into a Disarm Her, but Becky escaped and applied an Asuka Lock. They rolled around on the mat and Asuka rolled out of it and leveraged Becky down for a two count. Becky then countered Asuka seconds later with a Disarm Her. Asuka reached for the bottom rope, but instead schoolgirled Becky for a two count. Becky rolled through for a two count. Asuka took Becky down instantly with another Asuka Lock attempt. Becky rolled, and then Asuka turned into a bridge with a choke and Becky tapped out. Graves said this isn’t how Becky saw this night going for her and she has to be more disappointed than any other time in her career.
WINNER: Asuka in 19:00 to retain the Smackdown Title. (***1/2)
Really good match. Strong win for Asuka that cements her in the top tier of the entire Women’s Division rather than a “bridge” to get the belt onto someone else quickly.
(2) THE BAR (Sheamus & Cezaro) vs. MIZ & SHANE MCMAHON
Miz hugged his father at ringside before the match, the reason this match is happening. Miz wore a shirt that aid “Miz & Mac.” Shane wore a shirt that said, “Shane-O-Mac.” (Who is a better teammate based on that?)
Shane speared Sheamus at the bell, a proper response given what The Bar did to him and Miz last week on Smackdown. Shane tagged in Miz who went after Cesaro. He scored an early one count after a sunset flip. Sheamus held Miz in their corner as Cesaro took a shot at him, giving the heel duo their first advantage of the match. Shane ran in. The ref scolded him and sent him back to his corner. Byron said Shane can be emotional and hot-headed. Sheamus knocked Shane off the ring apron. Miz then took it to Sheamus with a barrage of kicks.
The Bar double-teamed Miz at ringside, but before they could slam him on the Spanish announce table, Shane made the save. Shane put Cesaro on the announce table. Cesaro stayed there with way too little of a beating. Miz held Cesaro down, although Cesaro easily could have moved. Shane climbed to the top rope. Sheamus saved Cesaro and threw Miz into the ring. Shane still leaped off the top and hit Sheamus with a clothesline. Cesaro then charged at Shane and took him down with a running uppercut. Cesaro threw Sheamus back into the ring, then threw Shane into the barricade at ringside. In the ring, The Bar double chokeslammed Miz for a two count at 7:00.
They settled into an extended isolation of Miz. Miz eventually jaw-jacked Sheamus and hot-tagged Shane. Shane blocked a Sheamus attempt at a Brogue Kick and landed a flying back elbow. He danced before landing a DDT on Sheamus for a two count. He stomped away at Sheamus in the corner. Cesaro tagged himself in, though, and went at Shane. Shane knocked out Cesaro with a back elbow. Cesaro and Sheamus were both leaning in the corner. Shane went for a Coast to Coast, but Cesaro stood and caught Shane and slammed him. Cesaro then gave Shane a Cesaro Swing. The crowd cheered as it got past ten revolutions. Shane, though, reached up and went for a triangle on Cesaro. So much for the Cesaro Swing being damaging. Cesaro powered up Shane, but Shane held onto the triangle. Cesaro faded. Sheamus landed a flying knee drop onto Shane to break it up. Miz made the save with a running boot. Sheamus got the better of Miz at ringside with a clothesline. Cesaro and Sheamus hit a double-team White Noise for a believable near fall.
Cesaro held Shane up for a Brogue Kick. Miz entered the ring and shoved Cesaro into the path. Miz then it the Skull Crushing Finale. Shane landed a Shooting Star Press for the win. Miz celebrated with his dad at ringside. Shane joined them. Miz hugged Dana Warrior at ringside too.
WINNERS: Shane & Miz in 13:00 to capture the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. (**1/2)
About what you’d expect for this. Solid action, although some of the more complex spots where Cesaro and Sheamus had to sell were quite the stretch. No signs of any dissension or a crack in the joyful union that is the Besties.
(3) RONDA ROUSEY vs. SASHA BANKS – Raw Title match
Sasha was cheered during formal ring introductions. Rousey got a mixed response, mostly boos. They had an intense face-to-face to close out ring entrances. The bell rang and Ronda blocked a Sasha slam. Ronda went for an armdrag, but Sasha countered with her own armdrag. She gloated a bit. Rousey imitated Sasha in mocking fashion after her first offensive move. Rousey went into a series of unreleased suplexes next, a la Eddie Guerrero. Sasha countered after two. They reversed each other. Sasha stood and slapped Rousey. Rousey kicked her to the floor. Ronda directed a side elbow at Sasha’s head, but Sasha moved and Rousey’s arm hit the post. Sasha then dove through the ropes onto Ronda. Back in the ring Sasha made a cover, but Rousey kicked out at one.
Sasha got in some methodical sustained offense. Rousey avoided a flying knee in the corner by Sasha. She then lifted Sasha onto her shoulders and set up her Piper’s Pit, but Sasha countered and took Ronda down into an armbar. She torqued her arm as Rousey struggled to escape. Fans were excited. Rousey rolled out of it eventually, but Banks just rolled Rousey into a Bank Statement. Rousey reached for the bottom rope, but Sasha instead let go. Rousey then caught Banks with a Piper’s Pit to break Sasha’s momentum. Rousey shook out her arm, then applied a submission hold in the ropes. She broke before five. Sasha sold on the mat as Rousey climbed back to the top rope, still shaking out her arm. Sasha got up and knocked Rousey off balance. Rousey fended her off. Sasha kneed Rousey and then executed a superplex. She mounted Rousey and pressed on her shoulders to get a two count. She immediately went back to an armbar on Rousey. Rousey powered out and twisted and slammed Sasha for a two count.
Rousey judo threw Sasha hard three times and then set up an armbar, but Sasha kicked Rousey out of the ring to the floor. Rousey applied an armbar at ringside and Sasha tapped, but it didn’t count. Sasha threw Banks into the ring. They exchanged wild swings. Rousey got the better of Sasha in the corner, then whipped her to the mat. Ronda sold her arm still being sore, though. Rousey landed a flying knee for a two count. Rousey went for a gut-wrench, but Sasha blocked it and threw Rousey into the lower turnbuckle. Sasha kicked Rousey’s arm, then leaped onto Rousey’s back. Rousey tossed her over her back, but Sasha countered and applied a Bank Statement mid-ring. Sasha wrapped a strap from her attire around Rousey’s mouth as she applied it. Rousey almost reached the bottom rope, so Sasha pulled her back into a pin position for a two count. Banks then applied a Fujiwara armbar mid-ring. Rousey cried in pain, but then spun out of it and gut-wrenched Sasha into a sideslam. Rousey then lifted Banks onto her shoulder and landed a Piper’s Pit for the three count.
WINNER: Rousey in 14:00 to retain the Raw Title. (***3/4)
That was a blast. Just non-stop moves and countermoves with dramatic near falls and near tapout situations. Rousey’s best performance to date. Because Rousey has been kept so strong, and Sasha held her own for the entire match, I don’t she loses much in being pinned here.