Royal Rumble (2022)

= Royal Rumble (2022) =
The 2022 Royal Rumble was the 35th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling live event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event aired on pay-per-view (PPV) worldwide and was available to livestream through Peacock in the United States and the WWE Networkinternationally, which made it the first Royal Rumble to air on Peacock. It took place on January 29, 2022, at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Royal Rumble 	Royal Rumble 		
Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers	Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers		
Promotion 	WWE 		
Brand(s) 	RawSmackDown 		
Date 	January 29, 2022 		
City 	St. Louis, Missouri 		
Venue 	The Dome at America's Center 		
Attendance 	44,390 		
WWE Network event chronology 	WWE Network event chronology 		
{| class="wikitable" 	
{| class="wikitable" 	← Previous
Day 1	Next →
Elimination Chamber
Traditionally, the Royal Rumble matchwinner receives a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2022 event, the winners of both the men's and women's matches received a choice of which championship to challenge for at WrestleMania 38. The men could choose to challenge for either Raw's WWE Championship or SmackDown's Universal Championship, while the women had the choice between the Raw Women's Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Six matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Brock Lesnarwon the men's Royal Rumble after losing his WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley earlier in the night, becoming the first former world champion to win the eponymous match on the same night he lost the title. This also made him the ninth two-time Royal Rumble winner, first winning it in 2003, and he set a record for the longest time between Royal Rumble wins (19 years) as well as the least time spent in the match before winning it (2:30). The women's Royal Rumble was won by Ronda Rousey in her first WWE appearance since WrestleMania 35 in April 2019. In the opening bout, Seth "Freakin" Rollins defeated Universal Champion Roman Reigns by disqualification; however, as titles do not change hands by disqualification unless stipulated, Reigns retained. Notably, Jackass actor/stuntman Johnny Knoxville and reggaeton singer Bad Bunny appeared in the men's Royal Rumble and reigning Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie Jamesappeared in the women's. This was also the final WWE event for Spanish commentator Carlos Cabrera, as well as employee Shane McMahon.
== ProductionEdit ==
=== BackgroundEdit ===
The Royal Rumble is an annual gimmickevent, produced every January by WWEsince 1988. It is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views (PPV), along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, originally dubbed the "Big Four", and as of August 2021, it is considered one of the "Big Five", along with Money in the Bank. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle royal in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. The 2022 event was the 35th event in the Royal Rumble chronology and was scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 29 at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It featured wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands. In addition to airing on PPV worldwide and the WWE Network in international markets, it was the first Royal Rumble to air on Peacock after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March 2021.
The Royal Rumble match generally features 30 wrestlers and the winner traditionally earns a world championshipmatch at that year's WrestleMania. For 2022, the men and women could choose which world championship to challenge for at WrestleMania 38; the men could choose Raw's WWE Championship or SmackDown's Universal Championship, while the women could choose the Raw Women's Championship or SmackDown Women's Championship. In September 2021, NXT was rebranded as "NXT 2.0" and reverted to being WWE's developmental territory. While NXT's championships—the NXT Championship and NXT Women's Championship—were eligible choices for the Rumble winners in 2020 and 2021, they were not eligible choices for the 2022 Royal Rumble.
=== StorylinesEdit ===
The event included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
At Day 1, Brock Lesnar defeated Bobby Lashley, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Kevin Owens, and defending champion Big Ein a fatal five-way match to win Raw's WWE Championship; this was originally scheduled as a fatal four-way match, but Lesnar was added due to his scheduled match against SmackDown's Universal Champion Roman Reignsbeing canceled as Reigns tested positive for COVID-19. On the following episode of Raw, Lesnar reunited with Paul Heyman, who announced that Lesnar's first challenger for the title would be determined by a fatal four-way match between Big E, Lashley, Owens, and Rollins. Lashley won the bout to face Lesnar for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
At Day 1, Beth Phoenix appeared to aid her husband and fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Edge, when he was being attacked by Maryse while he was engaged in a match with The Miz; Edge ultimately won the match. On the following Raw, Miz and Maryse berated Edge and Phoenix, with the latter challenging Miz and Maryse to a mixed tag team match at the Royal Rumble. Miz accepted, despite Maryse's displeasure.
At Day 1, Becky Lynch defeated Liv Morgan to retain the Raw Women's Championship. On the following Raw, Morgan confronted Lynch, wanting another rematch. Bianca Belairinterrupted, also wanting a championship match due to her unsettled rivalry with Lynch that began at the 2021 SummerSlam. A brawl then ensued. Later backstage, Doudropconfronted WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville, demanding a title match herself as she was tired of Belair and Morgan always receiving opportunities. Pearce and Deville scheduled a triple threat match between Belair, Morgan, and Doudrop for the following week with the winner facing Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship at the Royal Rumble.The match was won by Doudrop, thanks to Lynch attacking Belair.
At Day 1, Jackass actor and stuntman Johnny Knoxville announced that he would be participating in the men's Royal Rumble match. On the following SmackDown, Sami Zaynencountered Knoxville backstage and claimed that Knoxville was not qualified to compete in the Royal Rumble match, nor did he earn the opportunity to be in it. After Zayn lost his match that night, Knoxville ran down to the ring and threw Zayn over the top rope. Ring announcer Mike Rome then announced that Knoxville had officially qualified for the Royal Rumble match, much to Zayn's displeasure.
On the January 7 episode of SmackDown, as Roman Reigns did not have a challenger for his Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble, WWE official Adam Pearce informed Reigns that he had selected his opponent. Reigns dismissed Pearce, stating he had already defeated everyone on the SmackDown roster. Later that night, Raw's Seth "Freakin" Rollins confronted Reigns in his locker room, laughing hysterically at Reigns, seemingly confirming he was Pearce's selection. On the January 10 episode of Raw, Rollins confirmed that he would be challenging Reigns for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble in an interbrand matchup. On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Rollins and Kevin Owens defeated The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) by disqualificationthanks to interference from Reigns, thus barring The Usos from ringside during the Universal Championship match as per the stipulation; had Rollins and Owens lost, Rollins would have forfeited his championship opportunity.
On the January 7 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair revealed 18 of the women who would be competing in the women's Royal Rumble match, including WWE Hall of Famers and veterans, and notably, reigning Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James, marking the first time WWE openly acknowledged one of Impact's championships on their canonical programming. Additionally, Flair declared that she would also participate in the match, stating that she would be the first reigning women's champion to win the Royal Rumble. While the winner traditionally earns a championship match at WrestleMania, Flair stated she would instead select her WrestleMania 38 opponent if she won.
== Event ==
== Reception ==
== Aftermath ==
ResultsEdit<tbody></tbody>No.ResultsStipulationsTimes1PFinn Bálor defeated vs. Damian Priest (c) Singles match for the WWE United States Championship12:342PThe Boss N Glow (Sasha Banks & Naomi defeated The Queen Of Beauty ( Carmella & Queen Zelina (c)Tag team match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship7:443PRicochet defeatedShinsuke Nakuama (c), Sami Zayn, Cesaro Fatal four way match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship18:564PThe Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) defeated The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) by pinfall
Tag team match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship 12:45Seth "Freakin" Rollins defeated Roman Reigns (c) by DiisqualificationSingles match for the WWE Universal Championship The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) were banned from ringside.14:25Bianca Belair won by last eliminating Ronda Rousey 30-woman Royal Rumble match for a women's championship match at WrestleMania 3859:40</tr>Becky Lynch (c) defeated Doudrop by pinfallSingles match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship13:004Brock Lesnar (c) defeated Bobby Lashley (with MVP] by pinfallSingles match for the WWE Championship10:15Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Toni StormSingles match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship5Edge and Beth Phoenix defeated The Miz and Maryse by pinfallMixed tag team match12:306Karrion Kross won by last eliminating Drew McIntyre30-man Royal Rumble match for a world championship match at WrestleMania 3851:10(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
Women's Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminationsEdit – Raw – SmackDown – Hall of Famer (HOF) – Impact Wrestling (Impact) – Free Agent – Winner
DrawEntrantBrand/StatusOrderEliminated byTimeElimination(s) 1Bianca Belair
Raw—Winner47:30 102Sasha Banks SmackDown 3 Bianca Belair 09:44 23MelinaFree Agent1Sasha Banks00:5304TaminaRaw5Natalya16:4105Kelly KellyFree Agent2Sasha Banks01:0506AliyahSmackDown 10Bianca Belair22:5007Liv MorganRaw17 Bianca Belair37:2008Queen ZelinaRaw9Rhea Ripley17:2509Dana Brooke Raw4Michelle McCool02:12010Michelle McCool Free Agent13Mickie James20:50111Sonya DevilleFree Agent7Naomi02:00112NatalyaSmackDown24Bianca Belair36:17213CameronFree Agent6Sonya Deville00:51014NaomiSmackDown11Bianca Belair07:18115CarmellaRaw8Rhea Ripley00:50016Rhea RipleyRaw26Bianca 
Belair
30:59317B Fab SmackDown28Bianca Belair15:23018IvoryHOF12Rhea Ripley00:25019Brie 
Bella
HOF22Ronda Rousey19:21220Mickie JamesImpact18Lita11:40121Alicia FoxFree Agent15Nikki Bella06:30022Nikki A.S.H.Raw20Ronda Rousey12:13123Summer RaeFree Agent14Natalya00:52024Nikki BellaHOF21Brie Bella08:40225Sarah Logan Free Agent16Brie Bella and Nikki Bella00:43026LitaHOF25Bianca Belair10:21127Mighty MollyHOF19Nikki A.S.H.00:20028 Ronda Rousey Free Agent 
29Bianca
Belair 
10:16 429ShotziSmackDown23Ronda Rousey02:56030Shayna BaszlerSmackDown27Bianca 
Belair
05:310Men's Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminations – Raw – SmackDown – Celebrity entrant – Free Agent – WinnerDrawEntrantBrand/StatusOrderEliminated byTimeElimination(s)1AJ 
Styles
Raw14Madcap Moss29:0662Shinsuke NakamuraSmackDown2AJ Styles05:5103Austin TheoryRaw11AJ Styles22:0614Robert RoodeRaw1AJ Styles00:5405Ridge HollandSmackDown12AJ Styles19:1116Montez FordRaw6Omos09:1007Damian PriestRaw7Omos11:0408Sami ZaynSmackDown4AJ Styles03:1719Johnny KnoxvilleCelebrity3Sami Zayn01:26010Angelo DawkinsRaw5Omos02:15011OmosRaw8AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Chad Gable, Dominik Mysterio, Ricochet, and Ridge Holland04:24312RicochetSmackDown9Happy Corbin04:23113Chad GableRaw13Rick Boogs08:18114Dominik 
Mysterio
Raw10Happy Corbin03:44115Happy 
Corbin
SmackDown17Drew McIntyre10:47316Dolph ZigglerRaw20Rey Mysterio and Bad Bunny20:46017SheamusSmackDown19Bad Bunny17:55018Rick BoogsSmackDown15Happy Corbin04:33119Madcap MossSmackDown16Drew McIntyre04:24120RiddleRaw27Brock Lesnar19:46221Drew McIntyreSmackDown29Brock Lesnar19:18222Kevin 
Owens
Raw22Shane McMahon11:13123Rey MysterioRaw21Otis09:05124Kofi KingstonSmackDown18Kevin Owens00:21025OtisRaw24Riddle and Randy Orton08:52126Big ESmackDown23Riddle and Randy Orton06:37027Bad BunnyCelebrity26Brock Lesnar07:41228Shane McMahonFree Agent28Brock Lesnar05:38129Randy OrtonRaw25Brock Lesnar02:21230Karrion KrossFree Agent—Winner02:325NotesReferencesExternal links