WWE Royal Rumble Results Coverage, Reactions & Highlights for January 26, 2020

Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of the WWE Royal Rumble 2020.
That’s right folks, we’re officially on that long and winding road to WrestleMania. Honestly, even the most hardened and jaded wrestling fan loves the Rumble because it’s such a fun and unique event. And the men’s Rumble will feature and extra twist tonight as the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, will himself take part in the match from number 1. Brock has vowed to eliminate 29 other Superstars and win the whole show, but he has a lot to overcome, including Cain Velasquez, the favourite Roman Reigns, and several surprises.
As for the women’s Rumble match, we’re going to see 30 women compete for the chance to face Becky Lynch/Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship, or Bayley/Lacey Evans for the SmackDown title. The favourite for the match right now is the unannounced Shayna Baszler, who many think is destined to face Lynch at WrestleMania since dropping her NXT title. However a Ronda Rousey return would write itself. That said, I’m predicting Nia Jax to return and win, thus setting up that revenge story with Lynch.
As for the rest of tonight’s card, we have Daniel Bryan Vs. The Fiend for the Universal Championship, Andrade Vs. Humberto Carrillo for the United States Championship, Roman Reigns Vs. Baron Corbin in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, and Sheamus Vs. Shorty G.
And that’s the preview for the 2020 Royal Rumble event. The show will begin at 5 PM EST with the Kick-Off Show, and the main card will begin at 7 PM. We have a long night of fun and surprises ahead of us, so follow along on the Ringside News app, or on Twitter and Instagram. Enjoy the show!

Kick-Off Show

The Royal Rumble kick-off show The Coach welcoming us to the show, and introducing his panel of Charly Caruso, Christian, and David Otunga. Coach asks what the key is to win the Royal Rumble, and Christian says the best strategy is to stay low and don’t go near the ropes, while Otunga says forming an alliance.

Coach sends us to Renee Young, Sam Roberts, and Booker T on the ramp. Sam says this is his favourite PPV of the year because anything can happen. Roberts says to think about the legends that have won the Rumble, from Shawn Michaels to John Cena. And we see a video package all about the numbers of the Rumble; 1070 competitors have entered the Rumble; Braun Strowman holds the record for most eliminations at 13; Rey Mysterio holds the record for longest time in a Rumble at 62:12 (excluding the Greatest Royal Rumble); Santino Marella holds the record for quickest elimination at 1 second; Stone Cold Steve Austin is the only Superstar to have won the Rumble 3 times; the PPV event has been viewed more than 64,000,000 times on the WWE Network, etc.
Natalya has joined the panel and she holds the record for longest time in the women’s match at 56 minutes. Nattie says she’s already planning her win tonight. Christian asks what her plan is, if she does win, and Natalya says she would love a singles match against Bayley at WrestleMania. David Otunga asks who Nattie thinks will cause a problem and she says Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, but she also guarantees she will win.
The panel talk a little about Seth Rollins and how his partnership will possibly help him win the match tonight. They mention that there are 27 confirmed entrants for the men’s match, meaning there’s little room for surprise entrants.
Bayley is interviewed backstage and asked if she’s concerned and Lacey Evans tonight. Bayley says she has been all over the world playing the inspirational shtick, it doesn’t work. Tonight she shows Lacey her dream isn’t coming true, and she hopes her brat daughter is at ringside to watch.

Sheamus Vs. Shorty G

The match begins and there’s an odd blue lighting to everything. Sheamus shoves Chad across the ring. Gable gets up and tries to take the back but gets shrugged off like a fly. Gable grabs the arm and tries to wear Sheamus down but gets cracked with a right forearm. Shorty manages to take Sheamus down but the big man quickly gets back up and punches him into the corner.

Sheamus tries to shoulder Shorty in the corner but nobody’s home, then Short tackles Sheamus over the ropes to the floor. They get back inside and Short attempts a roll-up to no avail. Sheamus drops Shorty, then stomps on his hand over and over. Sheamus continues to attack the hand of Gable as we go to a short break.
Back from the break and Sheamus drops Gable with a forearm. Sheamus then bends the fingers back and Gable fights it. Shorty gets knocked from the ring and Sheamus attacks him on the apron with the beats of the Bodhran for a lot more than ten. Shorty falls to the floor and Sheamus goes after and beats him down.
They get back in the ring and Shorty starts fighting back and targets the left ankle of Sheamus – the one he uses for the Brogue Kick. Shorty goes up top and looks for a moonsault but Sheamus catches him. Gable counters with a tornado DDT, then goes up top and hits the moonsault for a near-fall. Sheamus hits a running knee but Gable comes back with a rolling German suplex for a two-count.
Sheamus rolls to the apron and yanks Gable’s arm down over the ropes. Sheamus gingerly climbs the top rope and dives at Gable but Shorty ducks it and grabs the ankle to apply an Ankle Lock. Sheamus kicks him off, then attempts the Brogue Kick but Gable ducks and gets him in another Ankle Lock! Sheamus kicks at him but he holds on, so Sheamus must crawl to the ropes to break the hold. G attacks Sheamus in the corner but gets kicked back. Sheamus lifts Shorty but gets rolled-up for a near-fall, then he hits the Brogue Kick and wins.

Winner: Sheamus

Back with the pre-show panel and they give another full rundown of the card. They announced that Roman Reigns Vs. Baron Corbin will open the show.

United States Championship
(C) Andrade W/Zelina Vega Vs. Humberto Carrillo

The match begins with a feeling-out proess until Andrade is knocked from the ring. Carrillo gets on the apron but Andrade swipes his feet. Carrillo kicks Andrade and climbs to the top rope but Andrade shoves him off and into the barricade.
Back in the ring and Andrad slows the pace of the match. Andrade goes to the apron and applies an armbar over the ropes until the referee forces the break. Andrade continues working over the arm in the ring. Carrillo fights back and hits a wheelbarrow arm-drag, but Andrade comes right back with a forearm to put him down.
Andrade chops Humberto against the ropes, then whips him but gets a kick in the face. Carrillo runs for a springboard arm-drag but Andrade just slams him down. Andrade grabs Humberto’s legs for a unique pin, then the arms as well, but Humberto kicks out. Carrillo flips up and over with a sunset flip but Andrade kicks out. Andrade attempts a back drop but Carrillo lands on his feet and delivers a big kick and a springboard crossbody.
Carrillo attempts a rolling moonsault but Andrade gets his knees up. Andrade kicks Humberto in the corner puts him on the apron. Andrade runs and slides but Carrillo dodges it and hits a springboard moonsault to Andrade on the floor. Carrillo gets Andrade back in the ring and they exchange a few pin attempts. Andrade hits two amigoes but Humberto lands the third.

Carrillo scales the ropes and leaps for the Asai moonsault but Andrade gets his feet up. Andrade sends Carrillo into the buckles, then hits the running knees for a near-fall. Andrade grabs Humberto for the Hammerlock DDT but gets rolled-up for a near-fall. They trade shots in the centre of the ring until Carrillo hits a superkick for a two-count.
Again both men trade shots in the ring and Andrade swings for the discus elbow but misses. Humberto gets on the top rope but Andrade delivers a kick to the head and climbs up himself. Andrade chops Humberto on the ropes but Carrillo hits a hurricanrana and crawls across the ring to pin for a near-fall. Andrade looks for a back suplex but Carrillo counters, and Andrade manages to roll him up for the win.

Winner: Andrade

We’re back with Booker, Renee, and Sam Roberts on the ramp. R-Truth walks up and says he’s entering the Rumble, right now. They try to explain that the show hasn’t even started yet. He says he doesn’t want to go back to Sioux Falls City. Truth rambles on for a while in his usual hilarious way.
Charlotte Flair is interviewed backstage and she says last year she let her emotions get the better of her. She obsessed over winning the Rumble. This year though, that won’t happen. The panel say she is the favourite to win the women’s Rumble tonight.
The panel discuss the men’s Rumble match and ponder what will happen with Brock Lesnar. They theorise on what the best strategy would be for eliminating Brock, if it even can be done. Christian says catching him at an opportune moment is really your only chance. They say perhaps someone like Walter, as surprise entrant, could catch Brock off guard tonight.
Kofi Kingston is interviewed backstage and he says he feels good. Kofi says this is the most exciting time of year and this is a one-way ticket to WrestleMania. He says this time last year he wasn’t even on that road. Tonight you can put all wins and losses aside because it’s a one way ticket. He says as for what happens if he and Big E are the last two men, you may as well ring the bell because The New Day has already won.
The panel are back one last time to give their predictions. Christian predicts Brock Lesnar and Natalya. David Otunga says he’s predicting Braun Strowman and Charlotte Flair. And that’s it for the Kick-Off Show.

The 2020 Royal Rumble opens with a video package with the most winningest Superstar in the event history, Stone Cold Steve Austin, narrating and conveying the stakes of the Royal Rumble.

Falls Count Anywhere

Roman Reigns Vs. Baron Corbin

Reigns goes after Corbin before he reaches the ring. He attacks Corbin’s throne-bearers but the King sneak attacks Roman. They fight around ringside and Roman slams Baron into the steel steps.
The action spills into the ring and Roman pounds Corbin in the corner. Corbin rolls outside and Reigns tries to pull him back in but gets cracked with a right hand. Corbin climbs over the barricade but Roman drags him back over it and hits him with an uppercut.
Reigns gets Corbin back in the ring and hits a back suplex for a two-count. Roman looks for the Superman punch but the King side-steps it and hits Deep Six for a two-count. Corbin throws Roman from the ring and slams him into the barricade. Baron grabs the steel steps and hits Roman with them. Corbin tries to slam Roman into the announce table but the big dog turns the tables.
Corbin climbs the barricade and makes his way through the crowd as Roman pursues him. They brawl through the fans until they get back to ringside. Corbin cheap-shots Roman and chokeslams him onto the German announce table for a near-fall. They slowly get up and Roman punches Reigns a few times. He looks for the Superman punch but Corbin counters and chokeslams him through an announce table for another two-count!

Corbin gets frustrated and drags Roman past the barricade and up through the crowd towards a production area. Corbin punches Roman repeatedly and poses to the boos of the fans. They reach the row of international commentators and Reigns hits a Samoan drop through one of the tables. Both men slowly get back to their feet and Roman immediately lifts Corbin and hits another Samoan drop through a table for a near-fall!
They get back up and Corbin rams Roman into some production boxes, then crawls up some steps into a technical area. Roman stalks after Corbin but Ziggler and Roode appear and attack him. Soon thereafter, Jimmy and Jey Uso appear and attacks Ziggler and Roode. All four men are brawling in the technical area, then Ziggler and Roode drag Jey Uso to the outfield area of the baseball stadium, where there are no fans, and beat him with a trash can.
Roode places a steel barricade across some production boxes and are about to slam Jey on it, when Jimmy flies off some scaffolding and crossbody’s them! Corbin appears and slams Jimmy on the barricade, then Roman appears and hits Corbin with two Superman punches that send him reeling. Roman beats Corbin over to a set of porta-potty’s and slams him into them. Roman throws Corbin into one of them and slams the door in his face. Roman drags the porta-potty and tips it over!

Roman lifts Corbin and uppercuts him as they again make their way through the crowd. They fight over to the dug-out and climb up on top of it. Roman hits a Superman punch, then runs and Spears Corbin for the win!

Winner: Roman Reigns

Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe are backstage. Owens says this is a good town for him, because he won the Intercontinental Championship here. Hopefully tonight he can elimiante Seth Rollins and win the whole thing. Joe stares at him and Owens says he touched a nerve. Joe says he did but they need to focus on the positive; when it comes to Seth Rollins, he will have his back. But if it comes down to them it’s every man for himself.

Fire & Desire are interviewed backstage. Sonya Deville says they are such a team and care so much about each other that, if it came down to the two of them, she would eliminate herself and allow Rose to win. Deville walks off and Rose looks torn.
Michael Cole mentions the terrible passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others today in a helicopter crash. We see a graphic for Kobe.

Women’s Royal Rumble

The first two entrants in this match are Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair. The bell rings and Belair immediately lifts Bliss and tries to throw her over but Alexa fights down. Belair flips over Alexa and tackles in the corner hard. Belair puts Bliss on the top rope and punches her but Alexa fights off and delivers a punch and a dropkick.
Belair swings a punch and misses. Alexa looks for a tilt-a-whirl but Belair holds her and hits backbreaker. Belair hits a handspring moonsault. The third entrant is Mighty Molly Holly! She comes to the ring and poses to a nice reaction. Holly tries to throw Belair over but she lands on the apron. The two modern women gang-up on Holly, who takes them both down with a double clothesline.

Holly takes to the top rope and hits a crossbody to bot women and poses. Molly tries to throw Belair over as the clock starts counting down. Nikki Cross is out next and Alexa looks thrilled. Cross lariats Molly, then drops Belair with a forearm. She and Alexa hits stereo splashes in the corner, then stereo chops to the chest. Bliss and Cross hug, but then Holly and Belair kick and slam them onto each other.
Cross dropkicks Molly Holly, then Belair spears Cross. Alexa catches Belair with a Sunset Bomb, then Holly hits a running neckbreaker. All four women are down as Lana is out next, dressed as Captain Marvel. Lana talks on the way to the ring, saying she’s the best Superstar in history, and that she’s better than everyone in the crowd. She says she will win the Royal Rumble for her hot husband, Bobby Lashley. Lana gets in the ring and kicks Bliss, then hits Cross with a faecbuster. Lana tries to eliminate Mighty Molly but she hangs on.
Our next entrant is Mercedes Martinez. The NXT superstar slams Nikki Cross, then hits Belair with a German suplex. Lana attacks Martinez, who hits her with a butterfly suplex. Martinez puts Lana on the apron and they brawl but she can’t get Lana out. The clock ticks down and Liv Morgan is out next…wearing something that hearkens back to Kat.
Morgan runs to the ring and immediately knocks Lana from the apron. Lana Eliminated. Lana sits on the floor and screams. Martinez lifts Liv onto the apron but she gets knocked back. Morgan climbs to the top rope but Lana jumps up and pulls her off to the floor! Liv Morgan Eliminated. Liv and Lana brawl on the floor until they’re pulled apart by referee’s.
Mandy Rose is number 8 and she’s wearing even less than Liv Morgan. Nikki Cross runs at Mandy but gets dropped with a shoulder. Rose drives a knee into Cross, then slaps her hard. Rose lifts Mandy and puts her on the apron but Nikki fights her back. Nikki gets back in the ring, runs and takes her down with a crossbody. Our next entrant is Candace LeRae, dressed like Harley Quinn.

LeRae hits Mercedes with a dropkick from the top rope, then delivers a running boot to Cross. LeRae hits a springboard crossbody to Nikki Cross, then all the women in the match are busy in the corners. Bianca Belair tosses Holly out. Might Molly Holly Eliminated. Mandy Rose is thrown over the ropes by Alexa and kicked off the apron. We think she’s been eliminated until the camera comes around and we see she has landed on Otis! Mandy stands up on Otis and smiles at him as she jumps back onto the apron.
Otis rips his shirt off and poses for the fans. The referees search for where he came from. The camera counts down and out comes Sonya Deville, who sprints to the ring and delivers big right hands to LeRae and Nikki. Deville joins Rose in attacking LeRae in the corner. Mercedes and Sonya trade shots in the ring until Rose helps Sonya drop her with a high/low. They toss her over and out. Mercedes Martinez Eliminated.
Kairi Sane is out next and she takes out both Bliss and Cross with a double spear. Kairi then catches Sonya with a hurricanrana and a running blockbuster to Rose. Sane counters Belair to hit a DDT, then hits Candace with an Alabama Slam. Mia Yim of NXT is out next and she runs to the ring and hits Sane with a neckbreaker. Eat Defeat to Nikki Cross, then Yim tries to eliminate her but can’t get her over.
Belair lifts Bliss in a military press but Cross saves her. Then Bianca puts Nikki on the apron, lifts Bliss and uses Alexa’s feet to hit Nikki and knock her off. Bianca puts Bliss on the apron and tries to knock her off but Alexa grabs her hair to hold on. Sonya Deville inadvertently hits Rose on the apron and knocks her off but Otis catches her again! Sonya is tossed onto the apron by Belair and knocked off, and she bounces into Rose and Otis. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose Eliminated.

Dana Brooke is out next and she takes to the top rope to hit a senton bomb to Mia Yim. Dana hits a springboard back elbow to Bianca Belair, then an enziguiri to Yim. Mia fights back with kicks to Brooke and then tries to throw her out but Sane stops it. Belair lifts Candace LeRae with a military press and throws her out! Candace LeRae Eliminated. Belair is now tied for most eliminations in the women’s match.
Alexa Bliss fights with Kairi Sane on the top rope until Alexa gets knocked into the ring. Bliss kicks Sane off and to the floor! Kairi Sane Eliminated. Tamina is out next and superkicks Dana Brooke. Tamina comes face-to-face with Bianca Belair and the fans get excited. They trade shots and Tamina knocks her against the ropes, runs, and gets thrown out! Tamina Eliminated.
Dakota Kai is out next and she delivers a few big kicks before resuming the corner struggles with everyone else. Chelsea Green is out next with her representative, Robert Stone. She comes in and immediately throws Dakota out. Dakota Kai Eliminated. Green stands on the bottom rope and smiles at Kai but then Alexa tosses her over! Chelsea Green Eliminated. Alexa does the same thing, standing on the bottom rope, and Dana Brooke pulls her around, kicks her, then lifts her up and tries to throw her over but Alexa fights off. Brooke is knocked out by Bianca Belair, for her seventh elimination!

For the time being we’re down to the same two that started the match, Bliss and Belair. They go at it and Alexa slams Belair. Bliss climbs up top and looks for Twisted Bliss but Bianca got the knees up. Belair lifts Alexa and tries to powerbomb her over but Alexa drags her over and they both land on the apron. Belair attacks Bliss but has her hair grabbed. They struggle until Belair uses her hair to whip Bliss into the ring post and she’s out! Alexa Bliss Eliminated.
The next entrant is Charlotte Flair, who slowly makes her way to the ring as Bianca Belair catches her breath. Flair runs at Belair and hits a backbreaker. Flair with chops to the chest and an exploder suplex. Flair kips up and runs at Belair in the corner but nobody’s home. Naomi is out next and gets a great reaction.
Naomi uses her agility and fights to a stalemate with Flair, so they agree to put Belair out. They hit her with a double suplex, then Flair chops Naomi into the corner. Beth Phoenix is number 19 and she stomps to the ring to attacks Charlotte Flair. Beth drops Naomi with a forearm, then lifts her over and onto the apron. Charlotte and Beth try to attack Naomi but gets kicked back, and Naomi hits both with a springboard crossbody.
Toni Storm is next and she attacks Naomi, then Charlotte in the corner. Flair chops Storm, and Naomi joins them in the corner. Belair climbs to the top rope and Flair turns, sees her, and kicks her off and out! Bianca Belair Eliminated. Kelly Kelly is the next surprise entrant and she hits Naomi with a Thesz Press. Kelly hits Toni Storm with a long tilt-a-whirl, followed by a stinkface. Charlotte drops Kelly with a big boot.

Beth Phoenix throws Charlotte to the apron and tries her best to get her out but can’t. Sarah Logan is number 22 and she runs to the ring. Logan tackls Flair and brawls with her in the corner. Flair throws Logan out with ease. Sarah Logan Eliminated. Kelly Kelly tries to surprise Charlotte and toss her out but gets thrown onto the apron and clobbered herself. Kelly Kelly Eliminated.
Natalya is out next and she helps Beth Phoenix, who was being ganged-up on. Beth and Nattie form an alliance and Phoenix has a lot of blood in her hair somehow. Charlotte performs ten punches in the corner on Nattie, but Beth grabs her and they hit a double powerbomb to Flair. Xia Li is the next entrant and she runs to the ring and drops Natalya with a boot, then Phoenix as well. Li counters a body slam from Flair and connects with a dropkick. Charlotte slams her into the buckles, then lifts her onto the top rope and they struggle.
Zelina Vega is out next and she seems to be dressed as Mileena from Mortal Kombat. Vega hits Naomi with a tilt-a-whirl DDT, then a hurricanrana to Phoenix, and a series of kicks to Storm and a DDT. Charlotte is triple-teamed by Li, Phoenix, and Natalya in the corner, but Naomi prevents it. The next entrant is NXT’s Shotzi Blackheart, who rolls under a clothesline from Storm and hits an enziguiri.
Naomi is knocked to the apron and Natalya hits her but she runs down the steps and leaps off onto the barricade and grabs holds like John Morrison! Naomi climbs up onto the barricade and shimmies along it to stand on the announce table. Carmella is the 27th entrant and Naomi is still standing on the announce table. Carmella hits Natalya with the Mella-Go-Round headscissors. Naomi moves onto the middle announce table as Carmella hits a bronco buster to Natalya. Flair hits Carmella with Natural Selection, but then Phoenix hits Flair with a Glam Slam. Phoenix and Nattie throw Charlotte into the ring post and she falls out of the ring to the floor.

Tegan Nox is out next and she runs to the ring and drops different people with lariats, then a senton to Phoenix, chokeslam to Vega, but gets hit with a Glam Slam from Beth. The clock ticks down to number 29 and it’s Santina Marella! Beth Phoenix looks like she’s seen a ghost! Santina comes to the ring to a huge reception and tries to high five Beth Phoenix but she isn’t reciprocating. Santina eliminated Beth during a WrestleMania battle royale to become Miss WrestleMania. Phoenix is pissed and Natalya stands at the other side of Santina, so Marella pulls out the cobra. She considers hitting one of them but, instead, hits herself and flies over and out!
Number 30 is Shayna Baszler, the two-time NXT Champion. Baszler grabs Charlotte at ringside and slams her into the steel steps. Baszler gets into the ring and drops Natalya, then Phoenix, and throws Xia Li out. Xia Li Eliminated. Baszler grabs Tegan Nox and throws her out as well. Tegan Nox Eliminated. Baszler then lifts Vega and applies the Kirifuda Clutch on the apron until she just drops. Zelina Vega Eliminated.
Shotzi tries to toss Baszler out but Shayna uses her feet to drag her over and out. Shotzi Blackheart Eliminated. Naomi, finally, grabs the lid of the announce table and uses it as a bridge from the table to the steps to run across and re-enter the match. Meanwhile, Baszler just lifted and tossed Carmella out. Carmella Eliminated. Shayna grabs Toni and tosses her out. Toni Storm Eliminated.
Naomi comes off the top rope but Shayna ducks it. Naomi tries to give her a hip attack but Baszler catches her and dumps her over the ropes. Naomi Eliminated. That’s Baszler’s seventh elimination, matching Bianca Belair’s record from earlier tonight. Baszler is left in the ring with Nattie and Beth Phoenix, and Flair is still on the outside. Shayna attacks them both but gets caught with a Hart Attack. Beth then throws Nattie out! Natalya Eliminated.
Beth attacks Shayna and tries to throw her out but Baszler turns the tables. Charlotte comes back and tries to eliminate both but they both land on the apron. Baszler rolls back inside and unties her hair. She comes face-to-face with Flair and Charlotte looks scared. They pace around each other for a minute, but Phoenix grabs Flair and drags her over the ropes but she lands on the apron. Baszler tosses Beth out. Beth Phoenix Eliminated. Baszler sees Flair hanging on, so she runs over. Charlotte grabs Baszler with her feet and pulls her out!

Winner: Charlotte Flair

King Corbin cuts a promo backstage and says Roman Reigns can’t beat him without his henchmen. But in the Rumble he won’t have any henchmen to hide behind.

SmackDown Women’s Championship

(C) Bayley Vs. Lacey Evans

This title match gets underway following introductions, and they lock-up with Lacey tossing Bayley across the ring. Another toss from Lacey and a cover for one. Bayley kicks Lacey and tries to unlace the turnbuckle but the referee stops her. Lacey sweeps Bayley’s legs, then the Champion feigns a knee injury and won’t let Evans continue.
Bayley sucker punches Evans then drops her face-first onto the buckles. Bayley climbs up top and hits the big Macho Elbow Drop for a near-fall. Bayley applies a sleeper to Evans, then hits a suplex for a one-count. Evans fights back and hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors but Bayley goes right back to the sleeper.
Evans slams Bayley into the buckles but gets caught with a lariat. Evans punches Bayley but gets dropped with a high elbow. Lacey trips Bayley so she falls into the buckles. Evans rolls-up Bayley for a two-count, then dodges a crossbody from the Champion. Lacey builds a head of steam with clotheslines and a running knee. Evans hits a rope-assisted bronco buster, followed by a flying dropkick into the corner.
Bayley rolls to the outside and Evans leaps over at her but Bayley moves. Bayley tosses Lacey into the barricade right by her husband and daughter. Bayley grabs her and throws her into the barricade again. They get back in the ring and Evans fires back, hits a standing moonsault. Lacey climbs to the middle rope and looks for the springboard moonsault but Bayley gets her knees up. Bayley pins and holds the tights for the win!

Winner: bAYLEY

WWE Universal Championship

Strap Match

(C) The Fiend Vs. Daniel Bryan

The bell rings after the referee has attached both men to the 23ft strap. Wyatt attacks Bryan right away but Daniel turns the tables and starst delivering punches in the corner. The Fiend powerbombs Bryan with aplomb, before whipping his back with the leather strap. He hits him with the strap again and again, then headbutts him.
The Fiend whips Bryan into the ropes but eats a kick. Bryan then sidesteps Wyatt, sending him to the floor. Bryan tries for a short suicide dive but Wyatt sends him into the barricade in mid-air. The Fiend throws Bryan into the ring post, then whips him again with the belt and Bryan’s back is turning bright red. A whip to the chest from Wyatt, then another, and back into the ring.
The Fiend puts Bryan on the top rope and whips his back again. Bryan’s arm is bleeding. The Fiend hangs Bryan in the tree of woe and whips his chest/stomach with the belt until he falls to the mat. The Fiend hits a Urinage to Bryan, before going to the corner and hanging upside down. He goes to life Bryan but eats a few kicks. Wyatt grabs Bryan and tries to hit Sister Abigail but Bryan counters it and hits the running knee, but Wyatt kicks out!

Bryan suckers The Fiend over the ropes, then climbs to the top rope and dives onto him at ringside. Bryan gets the strap either side of the ring post, so he can pull Wyatt into the post over and over. Bryan then hits a running knee of the apron that sends The Fiend into the barricade, but Wyatt bounces right back with a lariat that flips Bryan inside out. More slaps of the belt by Wyatt.
The Fiend clears the German announce table and puts Bryan on it. He stands over him but Bryan low-blows him. Bryan kicks him a few times before hitting a DDT on the table! Bryan grabs the strap and whips The Fiend with it over and over as the fans chant “Yes!” Bryan gets The Fiend back in the ring and hits him with a missile dropkick.
Bryan kips-up and delivers the Yes Kicks, intermittent with strap lashes. The Fiend sits right back up and asks for more, so Bryan lashes him with the belt in the face, then kicks him again. Bryan delivers kicks to the head while holding his arms, then takes to the corner and rallies a Yes! chant. Bryan runs for the knee but gets caught with a gnarly Sister Abigail…but kicks out!
The Fiend looks shocked. The Fiend whips Bryan with the belt again and lifts Bryan, who slaps him. Wyatt slaps Bryan back. Bryan climbs onto the top rope and The Fiend grabs him with a Mandible Claw, but Bryan turns it into an armbar over the ropes. The Fiend drags Bryan back into the centre of the ring with the claw…but Bryan counters with the LeBell Lock and uses the strap across the face of The Fiend to crank it in. The Fiend turns Bryan over and delivers clubbing right hands.

Again Wyatt uses the belt to whip Bryan. He lifts him up and looks for Sister Abigail but Bryan rolls him up for a near-fall. They separate and Bryan hits another running knee but The Fiend kicks out! Bryan gets fired-up and the fans chant, but The Fiend just hops up like nothing happened. Bryan and The Fiend just stare at each other. Bryan whips him with the belt in the chest a few times but Wyatt no sells it. The Fiend applies the Mandible Claw and Bryan kicks him a few times, so he lifts Bryan and slams him while holding the Claw to win.

Winner: The Fiend

The Fiend takes his title after the match and disappears. The lights come up and officials come to check on Bryan. We see the many welts on his back. Bryan struggles to his feet and the fans give him an ovation. Bryan has a hard time walking to the back, stumbling and falling but he refuses help.

The next WWE PPV will be Super Showdown from Saudi Arabia. So no Elimination Chamber?

Raw Women’s Championship

(C) Becky Lynch Vs. Asuka W/Kairi Sane

The match begins with a feeling-out process of reversals and holds. Lynch hits a shoulder tackle and Asuka rolls to the floor. Becky tries to baseball slide Asuka but gets caught and kicked. Asuka gets back in the ring and tries to hip attack Lynch but misses and Becky applies an armbar over the ropes. Becky hits a dropkick fro the top rope for a two-count.
Becky tosses Asuka to the apron but the Empress stunners Becky on the middle rope. Asuka kicks Becky in the face a few times but Lynch fires back with forearms. Asuka comes back with a dropkick from the middle rope and scores a two-count. Becky counters Asuka with double knees to the back, then hits a bulldog and a running dropkick.
They fight onto the apron and Asuka looks to German suplex off to the floor, but Lynch holds the ropes. Becky hits Asuka with a front-suplex from the apron to the floor! Becky goes after Asuka and sends her into the barricade, then back into the ring. Lynch hits a leg drop from the middle rope for a near-fall.
Asuka catches Becky with a backslide for two, then hits a knee to the face. Asuka unloads a series of strikes and hits a sit-out slam, the name of which I can’t remember. Becky rolls to the apron and Asuka goes after. They brawl until Asuka hits her with a hip attack into the ring post. Asuka runs Becky along the apron into the buckles.

Asuka pulls Becky up by the corner but Lynch hangs her up on the ropes, kicks her head, then hits a Rock Bottom from the middle rope for a near-fall. Becky went to the middle rope and jumped at Asuka but got caught with a facebreaker. Asuka applies an armbar to Becky but Lynch turns it over to attempt a pin. Asuka kicks out and applies the Asuka Lock but Becky gets a foot on the bottom rope.
Asuka delivers a series of kicks to Becky’s head and the referee stops Asuka to check on Lynch. He is about to tell the referee to stop it when Becky grabs his leg and makes him stop. Asuka kicks Becky over and over and scores a near-fall. Asuka attempts the Asuka Lock but Becky counters and tries to set-up the Dis-Arm-Her but can’t get it, so she hits a reverse DDT for a two-count.
Becky and Asuka climb to their feet at the same time and Asuka shoves Becky into the referee. She looks to hit the poison mist but Becky kicks her in the gut and she spews it up into the air. Becky then applies the Dis-Arm-Her and Asuka taps.

Winner: Becky Lynch

Becky holds her title up and stares at Asuka after the match. The Empress is covered in green mist that she hit herself with.

The Street Profits are backstage and Ford runs down what’s happened so far. They say they don’t want the smoke that The Fiend is bringing. They get excited about the Royal Rumble match up next, and Dawkins improvises some theme musics to suggest who the winners might be.
Michael Cole announces that two spots have opened up for this match because Rusev and Bobby Lashley got into a brawl earlier today and they’re not medically cleared. That means there are five unknown spots. Brock is out first, obviously, and his first opponent is Elias. On his way to the ring, Elias says Houston has a problem because there is gorilla in the ring and his fat zookeeper. He sings a song about Brock and the Champion gets pissed and runs at him on the ramp.

Men’s Royal Rumble

Brock chases Elias into the ring and tackles him to the mat before delivering hammer blows to the head. Brock forces Elias to the corner and delivers multiple shoulders, then hits a German suplex. Brock asks for Elias’ guitar, which he then breaks over the back of Elias. Brock tosses him out. Elias Eliminated.
The next entrant is Erick Rowan, who brings his animal box to the ring with him. Rowan gets into the ring and elbows Brock but gets clotheslined right back out. Erick Rowan Eliminated. Rowan grabs his box and walks around the ring to leave through the crowd. Heyman gloats around ringside with the WWE Championship. Robert Roode is number four and he gets into the ring and delivers a few right hands to Brock before being whipped to the corner. Roode kicks Brock back but gets clobbered with a lariat, then hit with an F5 and thrown out. Robert Roode Eliminated.

John Morrison is out next victim and he tries to kick Brock but gets kicked back himself. Brock grabs Morritosn and belly-to-belly’s him over the ropes and out. John Morrison Eliminated. Number six is Kofi Kingston, who Brock defeated for the WWE Championship in about 4 seconds. Kofi ducks Brock and unloads a series of shots before being lifted and drilled into the corner. The fans chant for Kofi. Brock hits a German suplex, then lifts Kofi and slams him into the buckles. The timer ticks down and out comes Rey Mysterio, who also has some beef with Brock.
Rey kicks Brock and hits a dropkick to the knee, but Brock shoves Rey down. Brock whips Rey into Kofi in the corner, then whips both and clotheslines them. Brock German suplexes Rey, then hits Kofi with one. Big E is out next and he checks on Kofi and Rey, who have both rolled from the ring. All three men get into the ring together and attack Brock. He shoves them away but Kofi hits Trouble In Paradise. Big E hits The Big Ending. And Rey hits the 619! Big E delivers a tackle in the corner, then Rey looks to hit Poetry in Motion but Brock flicks him over and out! Rey Mysterio Eliminated.
Kofi looked to run off Big E’s back but Brock swatted him in mid-air like a fly. Brock then clotheslined Big E over and out. Big E Eliminated. Lesnar stands over Kofi and lifts him up for an F5 to the floor. Kofi Kingston Eliminated. That’s seven eliminations for Brock. Cesaro is the next entrant and he runs to the ring. Cesaro ducks a lariat and delivers European uppercuts. Lesnar with a suplex, then a clotheslines him over and out. Cesaro Eliminated.

Next out is a legit friend of Brock’s and a man who can apparently outwrestle Brock, Shelton Benjamin. The man comes to the ring and hugs Heyman, then gets into the ring and Brock gives him some respect. They hug and seem to form an alliance…until Brock hits him with a German suplex and clotheslines him out. Shelton Benjamin Eliminated.
Shinsuke Nakamura is next, along with Sami Zayn, but the latter turns and walks to the back. Nakamura unloads some forearms and knees on Brock, and catches him with an enziguiri. He looks for Kinshasa but Brock picks him up and tosses him over. Shinsuke Nakamura Eliminated. This is the first time anyone has ever eliminated ten people in a row. Number 11 however, is MVP, dressed as Black Panther!
MVP comes to the ring and Brock is dancing along to the music. MVP follows Heyman around the ring but Brock drags him into the ring. MVP hits some right hands a throat chop, but gets picked-up and F5’d. And MVP is over and out. MVP Eliminated. Keith Lee of NXT is next and Brock looks amazed! This is cool. Lee gets in the ring and stares at Lesnar, who comes up to him. They share a staredown as the fans “bask in his glory”. Brock delivers a knee, and tries to tackle Lee but he doesn’t fall. Keith then drops Lesnar with a shoulder, a tackle in the corner, then both men take each other out with stereo clotheslines.

Braun Strowman is number 14 and Lesnar is starting to look worried. Strowman tackles Brock in the corner, then Lee, then Brock, then dropkicks Lee, who rolls under the ropes. Strowman runs around the ring and tackles Lee, then gets back inside and lariats Brock. Strowman lifts Brock but Lesnar climbs down and hits  a German suplex. Then one to Lee, one to Strowman, and another to Lee. Strowman and Lee are first to their feet and they go blow-for-blow until Brock throws them both out. Keith Lee & Braun Strowman Eliminated.
Ricochet is up next and he hits Brock with a springboard crossbody…but gets caught and hit with a backbreaker. Lesnar hits a German suplex, and kicks Ricochet in the corner as the clock ticks down. Drew McIntyre is next and he doesn’t look phased by Lesnar at all. McIntyre gets on the apron and enters the ring to stand with Brock. The Champion takes his gloves off but Ricochet low-blows him from behind and McIntyre hits a Claymore Kick to put him out!!! The arena goes wild!

Ricochet hits Drew with a springboard dropkick. Ricochet with a standing moonsault but McIntyre grabs hold of him, stands up, and throws him over and out. Ricochet Eliminated. The Miz is out next. McIntyre and Brocj are just staring daggers at each other. Miz tries to sucker McIntyre but gets hit with a Future Shock DDT. Claymore Kick and out you go. The Miz Eliminated.
Brock finally gets to his feet and he’s still staring at McIntyre. The fans sing “goodbye” to Lesnar as he departs through the crowd. AJ styles is the next entrant, and he goes after Drew with hands. McIntyre puts AJ on the apron and Styles attempts the Phenomenal Forearm but McIntyre dodges it. McIntyre hits a shoulder tackle, then lifts Styles up but AJ counters into the Calf Crusher. Dolph Ziggler is number 19 and he talks trash to Drew, allowing Styles to chop block the Scotsman.
Dolph and AJ team on McIntyre until Ziggler cheap-shots AJ. McIntyre tosses Ziggler across the ring, then chops him in the corner. Drew is attempting to eliminate Styles when Karl Anderson’s number comes up and he saves Styles. Drew clocks Drew with a superkick, then all three men try to throw him out until Styles kicks Ziggler for some reason. Anderson and Dolph fight around the ropes, while AJ brawls with McIntyre.

And here he is. Edge. Holy hell. The Rated R-Superstar is indeed back. Edge is in incredible shape and takes his sweet time coming to the ring, hopefully not blowing his adrenaline. Ziggler, Styles, and more look flabbergasted, just like the crowd. Edge gets into the ring and Spears Ziggler, only for the camera to pan away, Edge spears Anderson, then McIntyre. Edge then comes face-to-face with AJ and the crowd are going bananas. They trade shots and Styles hits a Pele kick, but then Edge hits a Spear!
Corbin gets in the ring and hits a chokeslam backbreaker on Anderson. McIntyre turns Ziggler inside out with a chop. Corbin punches Edge down in the corner. Edge then eliminates Styles from the match. AJ Styles Eliminated. NXT’s resident Bro, Matt Riddle, is the next entrant. Riddle kicks away at everyone he nears, before hitting Edge with a Ripcord Knee. Corbin then grabs Riddle by the hair and unceremoniously eliminates him. Matt Riddle Eliminated.
Corbin helps Ziggler up and waves goodbye to Riddle. Luke Gallows is the next entrant and he comes in to help Anderson and Styles. Corbin hits Edge with a Deep Six then poses…only for McIntyre to eliminate him! King Corbin Eliminated. Gallows and Anderson grab Edge and hit the Magic Killer. They stand over him and wait for the next competitor. Luckily for Edge, it’s a former tag team partner. Orton gets in the ring and gives Gallows and Anderson RKO’s. Rated-RKO then reunite to eliminate Gallows and Anderson with clotheslines. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson Eliminated.
Orton and Edge smile at each other and Randy compliments his physique. Roman Reigns is next and he gets a fair amount of boos. Reigns gets into the ring and clocks everyone with uppercuts, then Spears Ziggler and tosses him out. Dolph Ziggler Eliminated. Reigns attacks Drew but the Scotsman turns the tables and slams him into the buckles. The next entrant is Kevin Owens and he attacks McIntyre, then Orton and everyone is down in corners. Owens hits Edge and Roman with cannonballs, then a pop-up powerbomb to Drew and a Stunner to Roman. Orton stalks Owens but then he too gets Stunned.
Aleister Black is next and he exchanges with Owens, before dropping him with a knee. Edge looks for a spear but Black knees him as well. McIntyre attempts a Claymore Kick but gets caught with Black Mass. Number 29 is Samoa Joe, and he comes down to a great reaction. Joe and Black trade shots with Joe dropping Black with a kick. Joe clobbers Black in the corner with a step-up kick, and Owens hits him with a cannonball. Joe and Owens come face-to-face and start throwing hands. Joe drops KO with a kick.

The number 30 slot goes to Seth Rollins, flanked by Buddy Murphy, Akam, and Rezar. Rollins slowly makes his way to the ring. Owens and Joe go under the bottom rope and brawl on the ramp. AOP, Rollins, and Murphy pull Edge and Orton from the ring and beat them on the outside. Rollins gets in the ring and hits McIntyre with The Stomp, then one for Roman. Rollins lifts Roman but Black kicks him in the back.
Black drops Rollins, then looks for a springboard but Murphy pulls the ropes. Rollins hits The Stomp and throws Black out. Aleister Black Eliminated. Owens hits Rollins with the Stunner and tosses him out…but he’s caught by Akam and Rezar and rolled back in. Rollins then tosses Owens out. Kevin Owens Eliminated. Joe immediately grabs Rollins from behind with a Coquida Clutch but Murphy attacks Joe from behind and Rollins tips him over the ropes. Samoa Joe Eliminated.
Seth Rollins loses his posse as AOP, Murphy, Owens, Black, and Joe brawl around ringside and to the back. Edge and Randy return to the fray and Seth is surrounded – with McIntyre and Reigns on the other sides. Rollins tries to calm everyone down and pleads to Roman for help, even extending his fist, but Roman Superman punches him. Edge grabs Seth and throws him into a powerslam from Orton. Claymore from Drew and out he goes. Seth Rollins Eliminated.
We are down to the final four: Roman Reigns, Edge, Randy Orton, and Drew McIntyre. The Scotsman is the only one no to have won this match. Rated RKO team up and go after Reigns and Roman. Orton sends Roman into the ring post, then hits a backbreaker. Orton punches Drew but eats a Glasgow Kiss. Orton hits McIntyre with an RKO, then Edge hits a Spear. Orton and Edge lift McIntyre and hit a double RKO. Orton stalks Edge but Edge catches him, so Orotn just shrugs.
Edge throws Orton over as they’re agreeing to work together again. Randy Orton Eliminated. Edge stares at Reigns, who comes face-to-face with him, then they tee off. Reigns hits Orton with an uppercut, followed by a Superman punch. Roman readies for the Spear but Edge leap frogs him and hits a Spear of his own! Edge throws him over but Roman lands on the apron. Edge hits the ropes and tries to Spear Roman but nobody’s home. Reigns kicks Edge and drags him onto the apron. They trade shots and teeter on the edge until Roman eliminates him. Edge Eliminated.
Reigns gets back in the ring and drops Drew with a Superman punch. Roman tries to throw Drew out but he holds onto the ropes. Roman wants to hit a Spear but instead he gets hit with a Claymore Kick! Drew lifts Roman and throws him out!

Winner: Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre is the winner of the 2020 Royal Rumble. The Scotsman will go on to WrestleMania to face (almost certainly) Brock Lesnar. Drew looks emotional as he poses on the ropes and points at the WrestleMania sign.

And that’s it for WWE Royal Rumble 2020. We’ll see you tomorrow night for WWE Raw. Until then, safe travels!