Royal Rumble 2023

Royal Rumble 2023 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for the Raw, SmackDown and NXT brands. It took place on January 28, 2023 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was the thirty-sixth event under the Royal Rumble chronology. The event aired on pay-per-view worldwide, along with being streamed on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally. 
==Production==
===Background===
First held in 1988, the Royal Rumble is one of WWE's biggest annual events, a part of the "Big Five" alongside WrestleMania, Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. Each Royal Rumble event features the Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which thirty competitors enter the fray at timed intervals. Participants are eliminated when they are thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. A Royal Rumble match is held for both the male and female rosters, with the winner selecting a championship of their choosing to challenge for at WrestleMania 39. 
On September 7, 2022, WWE announced that the thirty-sixth Royal Rumble event would take place on January 28, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Tickets for the event went on sale later that month on September 30. 
===Storylines===
After a feud between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight had been taking place for a number of weeks, advertisements about a "Pitch Black Match" sponsored by Mountain Dew appeared on WWE's YouTube channel. On the December 30, 2022 episode of SmackDown, following weeks of attacks on Knight that Wyatt denied carrying out, Knight challenged him to a match at the Royal Rumble, which was accepted by Wyatt. Later, it was revealed the two would face off in a Pitch Black Match. Commentator Michael Cole revealed the following week that the only known stipulations of the Pitch Black Match were anything goes with victory being achieved through pinfall or submission. 
On the January 2, 2023 episode of Raw, Bianca Belair defended the Raw Women's Championship against Alexa Bliss. However, after seeing a figure donning an Uncle Howdy mask, Bliss snapped, attacking the referee before turning her attention to Belair. Bliss would then DDT Belair onto the steel steps twice, busting her open. Two weeks later, Belair returned, declaring she would face Bliss again and again. This brought out Bliss, who mentioned the Royal Rumble Match. Belair would interrupt, announcing that Bliss could face her for the title at the event, which Bliss accepted. Later that night, the match was made official. 
In late 2020 and early 2021, Kevin Owens feuded with Universal Champion Roman Reigns, however, Owens would fail to win the title due to frequent interference from members of The Bloodline. Owens and Reigns would have their last singles encounter at the 2021 Royal Rumble, where Reigns would beat Owens in a Last Man Standing Match. On November 26, 2022, at Survivor Series, Owens was a part of the team facing off with The Bloodline in the WarGames Match. The Bloodline would emerge victorious after Sami Zayn attacked Owens, his former friend, in order to prove his loyalty to The Bloodline. Owens continued his encounters with The Bloodline, teaming up with John Cena on the December 30 episode of SmackDown to defeat Reigns and Zayn. The following week, Owens challenged Reigns to a match at the Royal Rumble. It was later confirmed that Reigns would defend the WWE Championship and Universal Championship against Owens at the event. 
==Match Preview==
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight 	Preview
Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss	Preview
Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens 	Preview
30 Woman Royal Rumble match 	Preview
30 Man Royal Rumble match 	Preview
==Results==
;
;
*Cody Rhodes won the Men's Royal Rumble match for a world championship match at WrestleMania 39 (71:42)
*Bray Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match (5:05)
*Bianca Belair (c) defeated Alexa Bliss to retain the WWE Raw Women's Championship (7:35)
*Rhea Ripley won the Women's Royal Rumble match for a women's championship match at WrestleMania 39 (61:03)
*Roman Reigns (c) (w/Paul Heyman & Sami Zayn) defeated Kevin Owens to retain the WWE Championship & WWE Universal Championship (19:15)
==Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations (Women)==
Brand
: – Raw
: – SmackDown
: – NXT
: – Free agent
: – Legend
: – Winner
Draw	Entrant 	Brand/Status	Order	Eliminated by 	Time 	Elimination(s)
1 	Rhea Ripley 	Raw 	- 	Winner 	1:01:08	7
 	Liv Morgan 	SmackDown 	29 	Rhea Ripley 	1:01:07	3
 	Dana Brooke 	Raw 	2 	Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY 	11:43 	0
 	Emma 	SmackDown 	3 	Dakota Kai 	10:12 	0
 	Shayna Baszler 	SmackDown 	6 	Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY 	13:28 	0
 	Bayley 	Raw 	13 	Liv Morgan 	27:09 	5
 	B-FAB 	SmackDown 	1 	Rhea Ripley 	0:36 	0
 	Roxanne Perez 	NXT 	4 	Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY 	4:34 	0
 	Dakota Kai 	Raw 	10 	Becky Lynch 	22:20 	5
 	IYO SKY 	Raw 	11 	Becky Lynch 	20:49 	5
 	Natalya 	SmackDown 	5 	Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY 	3:08 	0
 	Candice LeRae 	Raw 	7 	IYO SKY 	5:11 	0
 	Zoey Stark 	NXT 	16 	Sonya Deville 	26:34 	0
 	Xia Li 	SmackDown 	14 	Zelina Vega 	15:30 	0
 	Becky Lynch 	Raw 	12 	Bayley 	10:45 	2
 	Tegan Nox 	SmackDown 	8 	Asuka 	3:41 	0
 	Asuka 	Raw 	28 	Rhea Ripley 	33:15 	3
 	Piper Niven 	Raw 	25 	Raquel Rodriguez 	28:05 	2
 	Tamina 	Raw 	15 	Michelle McCool 	11:58 	0
 	Chelsea Green 	Free agent 	9 	Rhea Ripley 	0:05 	0
 	Zelina Vega 	SmackDown 	17 	Lacey Evans 	11:30 	1
 	Raquel Rodriguez	SmackDown 	26 	Rhea Ripley 	20:40 	3
 	Mia Yim 	Raw 	24 	Piper Niven 	17:44 	2
 	Lacey Evans 	SmackDown 	20 	Raquel Rodriguez 	14:05 	2
 	Michelle McCool 	Free agent 	22 	Rhea Ripley 	13:53 	2
 	Indi Hartwell 	NXT 	18 	Sonya Deville 	4:51 	0
 	Sonya Deville 	SmackDown 	21 	Asuka 	10:17 	3
 	Shotzi 	SmackDown 	23 	Mia Yim 	8:39 	1
 	Nikki Cross 	Raw 	27 	Liv Morgan 	9:16 	1
 	Nia Jax 	Free agent 	19 	Asuka, Lacey Evans, Liv Morgan, Mia Yim, Michelle McCool, Nikki Cross, Piper Niven, Raquel Rodriguez, Rhea Ripley, Shotzi & Sonya Deville	1:57 	0
==Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations (Men)==
: – Raw
: – SmackDown
: – NXT
: – Free agent
: – Legend
: – Winner
Draw	Entrant 	Brand/Status	Order	Eliminated by 	Time 	Elimination(s)
 	Gunther 	SmackDown 	29 	Cody Rhodes 	1:11:40	5
 	Sheamus 	SmackDown 	21 	Drew McIntyre & Gunther 	52:33 	3
 	The Miz 	Raw 	1 	Sheamus 	4:23 	0
 	Kofi Kingston 	SmackDown 	4 	Gunther 	14:51 	0
 	Johnny Gargano 	Raw 	14 	Dominik Mysterio & Finn Bálor 	29:57 	0
 	Xavier Woods 	SmackDown 	3 	Gunther 	10:29 	0
 	Karrion Kross 	SmackDown 	2 	Drew McIntyre 	4:11 	0
 	Chad Gable 	Raw 	7 	Brock Lesnar 	8:42 	0
 	Drew McIntyre 	SmackDown 	22 	Gunther 	39:10 	4
 	Santos Escobar 	SmackDown 	5 	Brock Lesnar 	4:56 	0
 	Angelo Dawkins 	Raw 	6 	Brock Lesnar 	2:28 	0
 	Brock Lesnar 	Free agent 	8 	Bobby Lashley 	2:28 	3
 	Bobby Lashley 	Raw 	11 	Seth "Freakin" Rollins 	7:14 	1
 	Baron Corbin 	Raw 	9 	Seth "Freakin" Rollins 	0:07 	0
 	Seth "Freakin" Rollins	Raw 	27 	Logan Paul 	37:18 	2
 	Otis 	Raw 	12 	Drew McIntyre & Sheamus 	3:08 	0
 	Rey Mysterio 	SmackDown 	10 	Did not appear 	0:00 	0
 	Dominik Mysterio 	Raw 	23 	Cody Rhodes 	25:44 	1
 	Elias 	Raw 	13 	Drew McIntyre & Sheamus 	0:39 	0
 	Finn Bálor 	Raw 	18 	Edge 	7:45 	2
 	Booker T 	NXT/HOF 	15 	Gunther 	0:42 	0
 	Damian Priest 	Raw 	17 	Edge 	4:03 	1
 	Montez Ford 	Raw 	16 	Damian Priest 	0:44 	0
 	Edge 	Raw/HOF 	19 	Finn Bálor (after elimination)	1:04 	2
 	Austin Theory 	Raw 	26 	Cody Rhodes 	15:39 	1
 	Omos 	Raw 	20 	Braun Strowman 	2:26 	0
 	Braun Strowman 	SmackDown 	24 	Cody Rhodes 	11:12 	1
 	Ricochet 	SmackDown 	25 	Austin Theory 	9:14 	0
 	Logan Paul 	Raw 	28 	Cody Rhodes 	10:57 	1
30 	Cody Rhodes 	Raw 	- 	Winner 	15:08 	5
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Michael Cole
*Corey Graves
*Pat McAfee
*Marcelo Rodríguez 
*Jerry Soto 
;Ring announcer
*Mike Rome 
*Samantha Irvin	
;Pre-show Panel
*Booker T
*Jerry Lawler
*Kayla Braxton
*Kevin Patrick
*Peter Rosenberg
;Referees
*Chad Patton
*Charles Robinson
*Dan Engler
*Danilo Anfibio
*Daphne Lashaunn
*Eddie Orengo
*Jason Ayers
*Rod Zapata
*Ryan Tran
*Shawn Bennett
==See also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*World Wrestling Entertainment/Event history
*Event gallery
*Royal Rumble
==DVD release==
* [ Royal Rumble 2023 on DVD]
==External links==
* Royal Rumble 2023 Official website
* kickoff show on WWE Network
* on WWE Network
* Royal Rumble 2023 at CAGEMATCH.net
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:2023 pay-per-view events
Category:Royal Rumble
Category:Royal Rumble 2023