The Royal Rumble is often known as the 2nd biggest Pay-Per-View of the year, followed by the first: Wrestlemania. On January 29, 2017 the event set the landscape for the Road to Wrestlemania, crowning new champions and setting obstacles on the very rocky road to the biggest event in Sports Entertainment. Now that the dust of the Rumble has settled, let's have a brief rundown of the events.
Becky Lynch vs Natalya - RW Womens Championship Match
As the first match of the night, there was a lot of pressure behind both Becky Lynch and the champion Natalya. After a week of mistrust and dirty work from a mysterious "hooded figure" all the climax came to a head during this match. The crowd was on it's feet during the first few minutes of technical work from both women. After numerous back and forths, Becky Lynch showed an aggressive fiery side after she ran Natalya's head into the steel post. Lynch snatched the brass ring and hit a top rope double leg drop on Natalya before locking in her patented disarmher. The Queen of Harts had nowhere to go and eventually tapped out to the Lass Kicker, handing over her championship to the Irish maiden. After the match, Stephanie McMahon came out to ruin Lynch's celebration as she laid down some cryptic words on both of the competitors, leading some to believe she had some information the person that had been attacking both Natalya and Becky.
Lana vs Taryn Terrell - RW Championship Match
As the 2nd championship match of the night, many thought that the outcome of this match would be similar to that of the previous championship contest. The fighting champion Taryn Terrell had been mocked by Lana and Tamina for weeks prior to the Rumble, ever since Lana became the #1 Contender. Many thought Lana's sneakiness would giver her the upperhand but Taryn's tenacity ultimately proved superior as she ended it with a surprise rollup, catching Lana off guard. Taryn barely escaped the Russian claws of Lana with her title in hand.
Dana Brooke vs Jade - Singles Match
Jade announced that her match at the Pay-Per-View would be her last match on RW television for a while on the Royal Rumble Pre-show. Her opponent Dana Brooke looked to send Jade packing in humiliation after her talk with Stephanie McMahon. Jade put up a valiant effort but succumbed to a sparkle splash from Dana for the loss. Jade was sent packing and said her goodbyes to RW on Twitter.
Peyton Royce vs Billie Kay - Singles Match
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay returned tonight and were shocked to find out that they would be facing each other. Peyton defeated her best friend with a Widows Peak out of nowhere. More to come on whether this match drove a wedge between the two.
Sasha Banks vs Nikki Bella - Singles Match
Sasha Banks made quick work of the Fearless One with her BFF's by her side. Sasha submitted Nikki with the bankstatement and looked more than ready to enter the Royal Rumble later that night.
------------------------------ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH RECAP----------------------------
As the main part of the show, the crowd was anticipating the actual Royal Rumble match since the beginning. All 25 entrants stood backstage ready for the clock to hit 0:00 every 3 minutes. One by one they ran out to the ring to compete in the biggest multi-person match of the year. We saw the return of past champions like Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes and the newest women looking to make a name for themselves like Liv Morgan and Joy Giovanni. Nikki Bella shocked the world when she was part of the final 3 people still left in the ring along with Summer Rae and Charlotte Flair. Alliances were formed and tested, but at the end of the day one woman was left standing: Charlotte Flair.
After eliminating her fellow BFF, Summer Rae, Flair stood tall as the winner of the 2017 Royal Rumble with her BFF's beside her. The Nature Girl will headline Wrestlemania and compete for one of the two major championships in RW.
Next up on the Road to Wrestlemania is the Elimination Chamber! Will Charlotte make her decision known on the show itself or will another competitor make their presence known in he demonic chamber? Watch Elimination Chamber on the RW Network to find out!
