WWE ROYAL RUMBLE - January 28th, 2018

Matches

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The 2018 30-Man Over-The-Top Royal Rumble Match

Thirty Superstars from Raw and SmackDown LIVE will fight for sports-entertainment immortality when the 2018 Royal Rumble Match invades the award-winning WWE Network as part of the 30th Anniversary of the winter extravaganza this Sunday with a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT. The winner of the massive melee will go on to challenge for a World Championship at WrestleMania 34.

A tradition dating back to 1988, the Royal Rumble Match starts with two participants, and new Superstars entering the ring every two minutes. This continues until all 30 Superstars have entered the bout. Elimination occurs when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope and both of his feet hit the floor. The last Superstar in the ring will be declared the victor.

So far, the following the Superstars have been announced for the gigantic match:

1) John Cena
2) Finn Bálor
3) Randy Orton
4) Shinsuke Nakamura
5) The Miz
6) Elias
7) Baron Corbin
8) “Woken” Matt Hardy
9) Bray Wyatt
10) Aiden English
11) Rusev
12) Titus O'Neil
13) Apollo Crews
14) Tye Dillinger
15) Big E
16) Kofi Kingston
17) Xavier Woods


The 30th anniversary of Royal Rumble will come to the WWE Universe from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, Jan. 28, and you can get your tickets now! Tickets start at $25 and are available at the Wells Fargo Center box office and online at www.WellsFargoCenter.com.

Don’t miss the wildly unpredictable Royal Rumble Match. Find out who will stand tall on this Sunday at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT, streaming live on the award-winning WWE Network.

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The first-ever 30-Woman Over-The-Top Royal Rumble Match

History will be made at the 30th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble when the WWE Universe witnesses the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match on Sunday, Jan. 28.

It was truly an emotional moment on the Dec. 18 edition of Monday Night Raw when Commissioner Stephanie McMahon made the monumental announcement, declaring that female WWE Superstars will compete for a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 34.

In the historic event, the same rules that apply to the Men’s Royal Rumble Match will apply to the Women’s. Thirty Superstars will enter, one at a time, at consistent intervals. An elimination occurs when a Superstar is sent over the top rope with both feet touching the floor, and the last woman standing will receive a Championship Match at WrestleMania.

With 30 spots available in the ground-breaking contest, the competition promises to be as fierce as it gets. 16 Superstars have officially declared so far including:

1) Asuka
2) Ruby Riott
3) Liv Morgan
4) Sarah Logan
5) Sasha Banks
6) Nia Jax
7) Bayley
8) Naomi
9) Natalya
10) Sonya Deville
11) Mandy Rose
12) Mickie James​
13) Tamina Snuka
14) Lana
15) Carmella
16) Becky Lynch
17) Dana Brooke
18) Alicia Fox

The cutting-edge phenomenon that is the WWE Women’s division can only be described as the Women’s Evolution, as the incredible female athletes from Raw and SmackDown LIVE have made history time and again, from the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell Match to the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match to the unprecedented Raw Women’s Championship Match in the Middle East. And now, as the established elite talent is joined by an influx of up-and-coming Superstars, the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble Match will undoubtedly be a can’t-miss contest.

Which Superstar will seize the moment and book a ticket to WrestleMania 34 for a championship match in New Orleans? Find out when the women of Raw and SmackDown LIVE make history at the Royal Rumble, streaming live on WWE Network this Sunday at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn — 2-on-1 Handicap Match for the WWE Title

There is certainly a line between honor and hubris, and WWE Champion AJ Styles is straddling it. After losing non-title singles matches to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on the Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 editions of SmackDown LIVE, respectively, thanks in large part due to interference in both bouts, The Phenomenal One took drastic action, and, in a moment of frustration, challenged his foes to a 2-on-1 Handicap Match!

SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan thought it was a brilliant idea, not only making the Handicap Match official, but announcing that the WWE Title Match would happen at Royal Rumble, much to the shock of all parties involved, including SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon.

Will Styles add to his incredible legacy by overcoming such a daunting challenge to retain the WWE Title at Royal Rumble? Or will Owens & Zayn continue to run roughshod over Team Blue by benefitting from their numbers advantage and add the WWE Championship to their arsenal?

Find out at Royal Rumble, streaming live on WWE Network this Sunday at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane (Triple Threat Match)

Demons and Monsters and Beasts, oh my!

The squared circle is certainly no stranger to the phrase “the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.” However, at the 2018 Royal Rumble, not one, not two, but three immoveable objects will be facing off when Brock Lesnar puts his Universal Championship on the line against Braun Strowman and Kane in a Triple Threat Match.

Though a knockdown drag-out showdown between Strowman and Kane on the Dec. 11 episode of Raw was meant to decide Lesnar’s pay-per-view opponent, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle should have known that the hard-hitting bout was destined to descend into all-out chaos. On the other hand, perhaps he did have such an instinct because, after the match ended without a winner, Angle can now offer the WWE Universe a colossal free-for-all pitting the three forces of nature against each other in one historic clash.

Certainly, Lesnar has earned every bit of his place of prominence by outbattling some of the biggest names of WWE to stand alone at the top of the mountain. Enter Braun Strowman, an absolutely dominant Superstar who has left a path of destruction in arenas all over the world. Moreover, when he battled The Beast for the Universal Championship at WWE No Mercy, there was no fear in his eyes nor in his actions.

However, despite The Monster Among Men’s penchant for brutality, it would be a huge mistake to discount the 320-pound-plus demon in the room. After all, Kane is the most sinister Superstar in the fray and boasts an extensive history of in-ring destruction. Nothing is off limits for Kane when it comes to getting the best of his adversaries, and the ruthless Big Red Machine will certainly be at his most sadistic while battling for the Universal Title.

The stage is now set for the three dominant monsters, but will The Devil’s Favorite Demon or The Monster Among Men have what it takes to dethrone Lesnar? Or will The Conqueror vanquish his monstrous adversaries to Suplex City? Find out at Royal Rumble, this Sunday at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT, streaming live on WWE Network!

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Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan vs. Cesaro & Sheamus

Destiny didn’t quite bring them together, but Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan are destined to be in for an incredible fight when they defend their newly-captured titles against former champions Cesaro & Sheamus at Royal Rumble.

Following the injury to Seth Rollins’ Shield brother-in-arms Dean Ambrose, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle chose his son Jason Jordan as The Architect’s new tag team partner, and perhaps no one could have predicted that the makeshift pair would immediately take down The Bar for Team Red’s tag team crowns on a special Christmas night edition of Monday Night Raw. That miraculous victory didn’t exactly go all the way in uniting Rollins and Jordan, however, as the two Superstars have somewhat struggled to gel ever since becoming champions, despite continuing to fend off The Swiss Cyborg and The Celtic Warrior.

However, with a title rematch against Cesaro & Sheamus at Royal Rumble on the horizon, can Rollins & Jordan find the rhythm they need to carry on as Raw Tag Team Champions? Or, will the trust and experience between The Swiss Cyborg and The Celtic Warrior carry them back into the championship circle?

Find out when the Raw Tag Team Titles are defended at Royal Rumble, streaming live on WWE Network this Sunday at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin (2-out-of-3-Falls Match)

Technically, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin already beat The Usos twice. To win the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, however, they’ll have to do it two more times.

The mat mavens will challenge Jimmy & Jey Uso in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Royal Rumble, bringing to a head a twisting rivalry that saw Gable & Benjamin take down The Usos in the waning months of 2017 before scratching and clawing their way past the rest of the Tag Team division to a title match on SmackDown LIVE. Despite defeating The Usos in that championship bout, Gable & Benjamin pinned the wrong Uso, leading to a restart of the match when a second referee pointed out the mistake to the primary official.

The Usos were ultimately able to retain and Gable & Benjamin called out the second referee in frustration the following week, only to get SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan instead. While The “Yes!” Man attempted to cool Gable & Benjamin’s tempers, the disappointed duo asked if they had to beat The Usos twice in one night to get the glory they deserved. Voila: A 2-out-of-3 Falls Match.

Can Gable & Benjamin go the distance and finally smash down the walls of The Uso Penitentiary? Or will Jimmy & Jey prove to be just as unbeatable in 2018 as they were in 2017? Tune into the Royal Rumble event, streaming live, this Sunday on the award-winning WWE Network at a special start time of 7 ET/5 PT to find out.

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Three explosive matches and major celebrity panelists announced for Royal Rumble Kickoff tomorrow

As if the Royal Rumble could get any bigger, WWE.com has learned that the special two-hour Royal Rumble Kickoff, beginning at 5 ET/2 PT tonight, will feature three hard-hitting showdowns, as well as expert analysis from two current World Champions and two WWE Hall of Famers!

Bobby Roode’s United States Championship Open Challenge
Royal Rumble Kickoff just became truly glorious, as newly-crowned United States Champion Bobby Roode will aim to prove himself a fighting champion from the get-go by defending his illustrious red, white and blue title in an Open Challenge. Who will emerge to face him? Will the reigning titleholder be able to best an unknown threat? Or will we see a new U.S. Champion before the Rumble even begins?

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
On the heels of a heated confrontation with D-Generation X, Scott Hall and The Bálor Club at the legendary Manhattan Center on Raw 25 Monday night, Dash & Dawson will now look to get some retribution on good brothers Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson. Don’t miss what is guaranteed to be an extremely hard-hitting match.

Kalisto, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher & Drew Gulak
The fierce combatants of WWE 205 Live will also be in action in a fast-paced Six-Man Tag Team Match that promises to ignite the WWE Universe from start to finish. Former Cruiserweight Champion Kalisto joins forces with Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik to battle TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher and the outspoken Drew Gulak.

Celebrity panelists announced
In addition to the in-ring action, Royal Rumble Kickoff will also feature a star-studded array of panel guests, including Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze and two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. “Woo!”

Don’t miss a moment of Royal Rumble Kickoff, which streams live tonight on the award-winning WWE Network at a special start time of 5 ET/2 PT and can be seen on a free stream on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.

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