AngryMarks.com :: Pro Wrestling & Mixed Martial Arts News, Podcasts and Entertainment

Date: 01/27	6:30 PM
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It's finally time for the official start for the Road to WrestleMania; it's time for the ROYAL RUMBLE! The Rock makes his in-turn return since WrestleMania last year as he challenges CM Punk for the WWE Championship, Alberto Del Rio defends his World Heavyweight Championship against former champ Big Show in a Last Man Standing Match, the Tag Team Titles are on the line as well, and of course the Royal Rumble match itself! Who will win the epic annual match and go on to the main event of WrestleMania 29? Tune in to find out! Join us in the AngryMarks chat as well for all of the discussion.

The Royal Rumble PPV will start with the pre-show starting at 7:30 PM ET. Antonio Cesaro defends his United States Championship against The Miz. The pre-show airs for free on WWE.com, Facebook.com, YouTube.com and now for the first time it can be viewed on the WWE App as well!

7:30 PM: Matt Striker and Tony Dawson are the commentators for the pre-show.

7:33 PM: Josh Mathews interviews Big Show next, but first we get clips from SmackDown three weeks ago when Alberto Del Rio beat him in a Last Man Standing Match to win the World Title from the giant. Big Show cuts him off and asks why that footage was shown. He says Josh has no answer for him and neither does Del Rio, then he adds nobody has what it takes to beat him. (At this point, the feed freezes on all accounts.)

7:38 PM: Next we get the video footage of Royal Rumble: By the Numbers.

* United States Championship: Antonio Cesaro {C} vs. The Miz

The champ coms out at 7:41 followed by the challenger one minute later. We go back to Raw two weeks ago when Miz and Ric Flair had a confronation with Cesaro and Flair allowed Miz to utilize the figure-4 leglock. The bell dings and Miz gets an early cover for a 1-count. Miz puts him in a side headlock but Cesaro reverses it and hits a shoulder block. Miz tries for a hiptoss, blocked, back elbow for 1, inside cradle for 2, then he does a headlock takeover. Cesaro backs him into the ropes and punches him in the gut, puts him back in a headlock, then CATCHES HIM OFF A LEAPFROG COUNTING INTO A TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER FOR 2!! Miz battles out of a surfboard stretch but Cesaro plants him with a Michinoku driver for a near-fall. he gives him a European uppercut and puts his foot on him to covers for 2. Cesaro hits the dead-lift gutwrench for another near-fall. Miz kicks him in the leg, but then Cesaro hits a high backbreaker for another 2-count then does a jumping double stomp and kicks him in the back. Miz fights out of the stretch again and hits the backbreaker into a neckbreaker to get a break. He goes on offense and hits the corner clothesline, then Cesaro clips him in the leg coming off the top rope. Miz rolls him up for a near-fall and hobbles around the ring. Cesaro kicks him off the figure-4 attempt and he ends up out the ring. Cesaro pulls him into the steel on the side of the apron, throws him back in, hits the Neutralizer for 3 to retain his title. WINNER and STILL U.S. Champion: ANTONIO CESARO.

Next we get a video package hyping up the WWE Championship match of CM Punk vs. The Rock.

8:00 PM: It's time for the ROYAL RUMBLE PPV! It's the 26th year of the Royal Rumble extravaganza. Tonight they are in the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 15,103 fans are in attendance for this annual event.

The Big Show comes out first and we get clips from SmackDown three weeks ago when Del Rio won the World Title from him in a Last Man Standing Match. Next we see a clip of SmackDown two days ago where Big Show tipped the announce table on Del Rio. Backstage, Ricardo Rodriguez is talking to Del Rio worried about his fate in the match tonight. Del Rio tells him not to worry, then they walk up to BRET HART! Bret gives him some advice and wishes him luck against Show. Ricardo marks out for Hart, and Hart gives him his signature sunglasses so Ricardo marks out even more. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL are shown on commentary, then we see that the Spanish Announce Team is there as well. Ricardo Rodriguez finally comes out to introduce champion at 8:10 PM.

* World Heavyweight Championship - Last Man Standing Match: Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio {C}

Big Show goes on the attack right at the bell with punches, a headbutt and a big chop. Del Rio fights back with kicks to the leg but gets knocked down with a shoulder block. The referee starts counting and ADR is up at 3. Show body slams him hard, the ref counts again and the champ is up at 5. Del Rio slaps him on the chest in a corner, Del Rio kicks him in the face, punches him, but Show swats him on the chest in mid-air as he came off the second turnbuckle. Show squishes him in a corner, but then Del Rio dropkicks him in the knee and does a running kick to the head. Del Rio gives him a superkick, Show tries for a powerbomb but Del Rio counters with a hurricanrana then hits a seated senton off the top rope. Big Show gets up at 7 as the crowd chants for tables. Alberto connects with an enziguiri to the shoulder, punches him on the arm, Show counters the Cross Armbreaker by picking up and dropping him on his back. Del Rio gets to his feet outside the ring by the count of 7.

Big Show SLAPS him on HARD the chest and throws him back in the ring. He grabs a steel chair, steps in the ring and Del Rio dropkicks him. Del Rio whacks him on the back and gut with the chair and the crowd chants "SÍ SÍ SÍ" with every chair shot. Big Show catches him coming off the top rope with a massive CHOKE SLAM! Del Rio pulls himself up by the count of 9 but then falls back down and out the ring. Big Show orders the ref to count him down until the count of 4, then he body slams him on the floor - Del Rio is up at 7. DEL RIO WITH A LOW BLOW KICK TO THE GROIN AND A SUPERKICK! Big Show is up at 9 and fights back with a headbutt and throws him into the lighting at the entrance area. He whips him into the set, misses a sidekick, picks up a fluorescent light bulb and hits him in the back, then he sets up a TABLE and the crowd cheers for it. Show slaps him on the chest, climbs the set, picks Del Rio up by the hair with one arm, grabs him by the throat, then TOSSES DEL RIO DOWN OVER TEN FEET IN THE AIR WITH A HUGE CHOKE SLAM THROUGH THE TABLE! DEL RIO IS BACK UP TO HIS FEET AT 9!

Big Show takes the champ back to ringside, kicks him in the chest, Del Rio is up at 7, Show puts him back in the ring, cocks the fist, Del Rio is up on his feet but falls back down and out the ring to avoid the KO punch. Show picks up the top half of the steel steps, tosses it but misses him, Ricardo hits him in the back, Big Show tosses him into the barricade, then Del Rio avoids a spear from Big Show and the challenger crashes through the ring barrier! Show is up at 9, Del Rio gets another chair and wallops him on the back over and over. He puts Show's arm over the steps and WHACKS THE ARM with the chair! Del Rio blasts him in the face with a fire extinguisher, they end up back in the ring and he applies the CROSS ARMBREAKER! RICARDO PUTS DUCT TAPE AROUND BIG SHOW'S FEET! ("Duct tape?! Are you serious?! Really?! DUCT TAPE!?") BIG SHOW CAN'T MOVE! 3... 4... HIS ARM'S HURTING! 6... 7... 8... HE'S STILL DOWN BY THE COUNT OF 10! WINNER and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: ALBERTO DEL RIO!

After a Slim Jim commercial, Matt Striker interviews Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Big E Langston. Ziggler calls Vickie Guerrero bitter, jaded, and pathetic. He says he chooses #1 because "that's exactly what I am." Striker tries to bring up the stat of the #1 spot in the Rumble but AJ cuts him off. She gets in his face asking Matt if he doesn't think he can do it. He asks how fast can he run in 5 seconds as Big E steps up to him. Big E takes the microphone immitating an interviewer asking what Ziggler will do when we wins the Rumble, and Ziggler says he will be the longest lasting man in the Rumble, win the WWE Title and World Title then unify them. "Show... off."

Antonio Cesaro gives a promo saying that the past three Royal Rumble winners are non-Americans and says he will be another one. The Prime Time Players that if they win that means #MillionsOfDollars. Randy Orton says in the Rumble there are no friends, and that's just the way he likes it. He needs it and he's gonna take it. John Cena is next and know that he has a target on his back so says "Rumble, young man, Rumble." Wade Barrett says for the first time ever the Intercontinental Champion will win the match because nobody can stop the Barrett Barrage. Sheamus is up now and says the Brogue Kick will lead him to victory for the second year in a row. "If need be, I've got 29 Brogues for 29 superstars. As far as I'm concerned, it's the Royal Rumble and the time for talking is over. Tonight, it's time to fight!" Ryback: "Who says I'm not the Best in the World? I'm not the World's Largest Athlete. I sure as hell don't eat Fruity Pebbles. I'm not gonna have a pint after the match. Every 90 seconds a new superstar enters the fight. I say feed, me, more. Another superstar. Feed, me, more. Another superstar. Feed, me, more!"

We get a clip of the earlier United States Championship match where The Miz injured his right knee during the match and Cesaro retained his title. Speaking of titles, Team Rhodes Scholars is out next for their shot at the tag titles!

* Tag Team Championship: Team Rhodes Scholars vs. Team Hell No {C}

Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan start out the match for their respective teams. The crowd chants "Co-dy's Must-ache!" already. Bryan catches Cody's leg in air and does the bow-and-arrow surfboard stretch. Kane tags in and does a running dropkick for 2. He uppercuts him in a corner, Cody ducks a clothesline and dropkicks him in the leg. Sandow tags in and Kane body slams him then hits an elbow drop for 2. Bryan tags in, Kane whips Bryan at him for the running dropkick in the corner. He kicks Sandow in the chest repeatedly, then Kane tags in (all the while JBL rants about Cole and King hugging on Raw). Both Rhodes and Sandow get sent out the ring, then Bryan hits both with a suicide dive. Cody lowers the ropes on Bryan for Sandow to gain the advantage. Sandow rams his back into the edge of the ring apron, Cody tags in to stomp on him, body slams him then applies a half Boston crab. Bryan counters with a roll-up for 2, Sandow tags in and hits the Russian legsweep and the Elbow of Disdain elbow drop for a couple of 2-counts. He maintains the offense, Rhodes tags in, keeps the offense going, Bryan comes back with a flying kick and both men are down. Sandow tags in, grabs Bryan to prevent him from making the tag, Rhodes is tagged back in and puts him in an over-the-shouder backbreaker. Bryan releases Cody's grip, gets caught and hits a DDT and both men are down again.

Kane gets the hot tag, Sandow does too, he avoids the Choke Slam, Kane uppercuts him, clotheslines him in opposite corners twice and hits the sidewalk slam for 2. Kane climbs the turnbuckle, Sandow cuts him off, Kane sends him off, Sandow ducks the clothesline and hits a jumping/twisting neckbreaker for 2. Kane grabs both men for Choke Slams, Bryan blind-tags himself in, Rhodes Scholars double suplex Kane, Sandow covers but the ref tells him he's not the legal man. Bryan hits a front missile dropkick to Sandow! CHOKE SLAM to Rhodes! NO LOCK to Sandow and he taps! WINNERS and STILL Tag Team Champions: TEAM HELL NO.

After a commercial for the WWE Elimination Chamber PPV, we get the video of Royal Rumble: By the Numbers.

Kane and Daniel Bryan are celebrating their victory gloating that they are still the champions. Vickie Guerrero shows up and gives them their entry numbers in the Royal Rumble. Bryan show Kane the number he got, asks him to show him his number, and Kane says NO! Bryan: "No? What do you mean no? It's the rules! I show you mine, you show me yours!" Kane: "Trust me, you would feel very inadequate." Kane says it's bad strategy to reveal your number before a Royal Rumble match to anybody and walks away laughing while Bryan pouts.

After a commercial for Raw Roulette tomorrow night, we get clips of the Royal Rumble Fan Fest. One wrestler from NXT got a tournament to enter this Rumble match, Bo Dallas. DX reunited there, nWo as well, there was a Montreal Screwjob booth with HBK and Bret Hart, they were doing appearances for Be-A-Star, and more.

* 30-Man ROYAL RUMBLE Match 

DOLPH ZIGGLER IS #1. Out comes Dolph Ziggler at #1 alongside AJ Lee and Big E Langston. AJ gives Dolph a good luck kiss before she and Big E head to the back and Ziggler heads to the ring alone. "I stand before you all alone in the spotlight exactly where I belong. And tonight when this Royal Rumble match comes to a close, it's gonna be exactly the same - me standing in the middle of this ring all by myself as the WINNER of the Royal Rumble match! And I don't even care who #2 is, so just send him out already."

Who is #2? CHRIS JERICHO IS #2! The crowd is going NUTS and so is the chat room! "Y2J! Y2J!" They lock up and Jericho gets a side headlock and hits a shoulder block. Jericho gets tossed over but lands on the apron and hits an axe handle from the top rope. He clotheslines Ziggler over the ropes but he lands on the apron. They battle it out over the turnbuckle and Y2J superplexes him back in. CODY RHODES IS #3. Jericho clotheslines Cody twice as soon as he gets in and chops him in a corner. Ziggler and Rhodes gang up on Y2J and try to toss him over but he fights them off. Rhodes catches him for the kick to the gut on the ropes (a la Hardcore Holly) but then Jericho puts him in the Liontamer! Ziggler attacks him from behind and catapults him under the bottom rope. KOFI KINGSTON IS #4. Kofi hits Rhodes with a springboard chop, dropkicks him, 10-punch in a corner, ducks a clothesline from Ziggler, Ziggler ducks Trouble in Paradise, Kofi bounces back off the ropes, tosses Dolph over but he lands on the apron. Cody tries to throw Kofi over, Jericho tries to toss him over from behind and all men are back in the ring safely. Ziggler and Kingston battle it out while Cody gives Jericho a jawbreaker. SANTINO MARELLA IS #5. Santino pushes everybody over the top rope one-by-one but they all hang on and land on the apron. Santino is ecstatic... until he realizes they're not eliminated. They all get back in and surround Marella, he cals time-out to take out the Cobra, HITS THE COBRA ON KINGSTON! Jericho chops him, Ziggler superkicks him, then Cody throws him out of the ring. (Santino Marella is eliminated.) The first four men continue to battle it out, try to throw each other out, and they all remain in the ring.

DREW McINTYRE IS #6. Drew attacks everybody and boots Kofi in the face. He tries to throw him over, then Jericho tries to throw them both over. On the other side, Ziggler fights Cody off to get back in from the apron. Ziggler dropkicks Jericho, throws him over the ropes, Jericho dangles from the middle rope but pulls himself back in. TITUS O'NEIL IS #7. Titus rushes the ring, hits shoulder tackles, gets teamed up on by Rhodes and Kingston, then he clotheslines them both. He gives Kofi a backbreaker and tosses him aside. Jericho lowers the ropes on McIntyre then does the triangle dropkick to knock him off the apron. (Drew McIntyre is eliminated.) Ziggler tries to toss out Jericho but he blocks it, then Ziggler does the same when Titus tries to throw him over. The crowd chants for Y2J again. GOLDUST IS #8. Cody can't believe it!! The two brothers duke it out until Ziggler breaks it up. Rhodes does the drop-down uppercut to Ziggler, then Goldust does the same to his brother. Goldust throws Cody over the ropes but he hangs on. They continue to fight it out as Titus has Jericho teetering on the ropes. DAVID OTUNGA IS #9. Otunga rushes the ring and hits Goldust with a spinning back elbow. He stomps Jericho down in a corner, clotheslines him and chokes him with his boot. Cody and Goldust work together on Titus and they toss him out but he hangs on, then Cody tries to toss Goldust out to no avail. HEATH SLATER IS #10. Slater goes to work on Otunga in a corner, then he punches Kingston down. The ring is filling up with superstars and the action is all over the place. Ziggler hangs on in a corner, same as Cody Rhodes. Both Ziggler and Jericho have lasted 15 minutes so far.

SHEAMUS IS #11. Sheamus hits people with double axe hammers, hits Ziggler and Otunga with the Irish Curse, then hits Slater and Jericho with steamrollers. He traps Titus in the ropes and clubs him on the chest, Otunga breaks it up, so Sheamus throws Otunga into Titus! (Titus O'Neil is eliminated.) Sheamus clubs Otunga in the chest ten times and sends him out with the BROGUE KICK! (David Otunga is eliminated.) Slater and Rhodes gang up on Sheamus now. TENSAI IS #12. Tensai goes right after Sheamus. He fights off other superstars. Tensai goes back to Sheamus, and Jericho jumps on Tensai's back as everybody joins in. Slater holds on from the apron to stay in the match, Ziggler too. BRODUS CLAY IS #13. Clay dances before getting in the ring, he clubs Jericho down and works on him in a corner. Ziggler is again hanging on the apron. Cody blocks a bulldog from Goldust by pushing him off, Goldust tosses him up and over but Cody lands on the apron, Cody brings him over so now both men are on the apron, Goldust clotheslines Cody back into the ring, then Cody whips him into the ringpost sending him out! (Goldust is eliminated.) REY MYSTERIO IS #14. Mysterio comes in and kicks Ziggler in the head after rolling through a sunset flip. He hits him with a 619, hits Jericho with a 619 and also hits the body splash from the top rope. Both Ziggler and Jericho have now been in at the 20-minute mark by this point. Cody takes Rey down and Slater stomps on him. Sheamus tries to toss Tensai over but Tensai blocks it. DARREN YOUNG IS #15. Young gets in and joins everybody in tossing out Brodus. (Brodus Clay is eliminated.) Kofi hangs onto the ropes and sends Tensai out! (Tensai is eliminated.) Dolph pushes Kofi off the apron and he lands on Tensai's back! Tensai puts him on the announce table and Kofi kicks him in the head. Kofi stands on the announce table trying to figure out how to get back into the ring. He asks for JBL's chair, so JBL tells him SURE because he wants to see how he can do it.

BO DALLAS IS #16. Here comes the winner of the NXT tournament to enter the Rumble. Meanwhile, Kingston uses JBL's chair as a pogo stick and MAKES IT BACK TO THE RING! He lowers the ropes on Darren Young as well! (Darren Young is eliminated.) Cody hits Kofi with the Beautiful Disaster kick officially eliminating him. All that effort for nothing. (Kofi Kingston is eliminated.) Sheamus tries to toss out Cody but Rhodes hangs on. Bo Dallas gives Jericho a bulldog in the background. THE GODFATHER IS #17! The Godfather is another surprise entrant! The action in the ring stops as he pimp-walks his way to the ring, then Ziggler dropkicks him immediately back out! (The Godfather is eliminated.) Jericho body slams Dallas and hits a diving kneedrop. WADE BARRETT IS #18. The Intercontinental Champion enters the Rumble attacking everybody with his Barrett Barrage. He catches Sheamus with the Winds of Change sideslam, tosses him onto the apron and tries to eliminate him to no avail. Mysterio kicks Ziggler in the head, then Cody dropkicks Mysterio. JOHN CENA IS #19. Cena does a head count as everybody waits for him in the ring, he rushes the ring and gets beat down immediately. Cena fights them all off and tosses Slater out! (Heath Slater is eliminated.) ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT SENDS CODY OUT THE RING! (Cody Rhodes is eliminated.) Cena tries to do the same to Jercho but he holds on to the ropes and Ziggler attacks him. Bo Dallas is battling Cena in a corner and tries to lift him over but Cena headbutts him. DAMIEN SANDOW IS #20. Sandow stomps on Bo Dallas immediately in the corner. Barrett puts Rey in the electric chair, they both over the ropes but they hang on, Barrett gets back in and kicks Rey off the apron. (Rey Mysterio is eliminated.) Sheamus beats Barrett down in a corner, Jericho tiredly falls while attempting the Walls of Jericho on Cena, Barrett is teetering from Sheamus, Cena kicks him off, but then Y2J successfully puts Cena in the Walls of Jericho!

DANIEL BRYAN IS #21. Bryan kicks Sandow in the chest repeatedly, then he kicks Ziggler in the chest repeatedly, then he does the same to Barrett! Bryan connects with the head kick to Wade, tries to toss Jericho out, Sheamus comes in for the assist, Jericho hands on and pulls himself back in. The duel chants for Cena start up again by the crowd as he fights is way back in after Sandow tried to push him over. Cena tries to lift Barrett over but fails. ANTONIO CESARO IS #22. The chaos ensues as the ring fills up with superstars. Cesaro gives European uppercuts to Bryan and Sheamus. Barrett avoids the Attitude Adjustment and back kicks Cena in the gut. THE GREAT KHALI IS #23. Khali chops and headbutts superstars as he steps into the ring. Cesaro tries to eliminate Sheamus but he hangs on. Khali slaps Bo Dallas hard on the chest. KANE IS #24. Kane attacks Ziggler, tosses him over, but he lands on the apron. Sheamus is working on Sandow in a corner. Khali still stands tall with headbutts to both Team Hell No. Sheamus is nearly over the ropes but he hangs on and rolls back in as Cesaro gives Bo Dallas a European uppercut. ZACK RYDER IS #25. ROUGH RYDER TO ZIGGLER! Team Hell No team up to eliminate Khali. (Great Khali is eliminated.) Bryan tosses Kane out! (Kane is eliminated.) Cesaro tosses Bryan over the ropes and hits him with a forearm smash to knock him off and into Kane's arms! Bryan tells Kane to put him back in the ring, Kane says NO, and drops him! (Daniel Bryan is eliminated.)

RANDY ORTON IS #26. Orton is on fire with clotheslines to Cesaro and Sheamus, and powerslams to Ziggler and Ryder. Orton gives Bo Dallas a European uppercut, tosses him over the ropes but he hangs on. Orton pulls Ziggler and Dallas into the ring through the ropes, then hits the hangman DDT to Ziggler AND Dallas! RKO to Ryder, and Orton tosses him out! (Zack Ryder is eliminated.) Cesaro and Barrett double team Orton in a corner. JINDER MAHAL IS #27. Mahal gets in and attacks Sheamus right away. Cesaro dead-lifts Cena, tries to toss him over, but Cena hangs on and tosses Cesaro out! (Antonio Cesaro is eliminated.) Everybody pairs off and continues fighting each other. Cena catapults Ziggler over the ropes but he lands on the apron and gets back in. Sheamus blocks a hiptoss and clotheslines Barrett. THE MIZ IS #28. Miz meets Cesaro on the entranceway and they brawl. They get separated and Miz limps into the ring as Cole mentions he twisted his ankle in their match earlier. Miz and Cena pair up to beat Ziggler down in a corner. Sheamus puts Mahal on the ropes and does a running kneelift to send him to the floor. (Jinder Mahal is eliminated.) Miz hits Cena with the backbreaker and neckbreaker combo. Sheamus is hanging on for life on the apron. Orton is trying to send Ziggler out. SIN CARA IS #29. Sin Cara returns from knee injury! He kicks Ziggler and Miz in the head from the apron before getting in the ring. He works on Sandow in a corner. Barrett picks Bo Dallas up for Wasteland, puts him on the apron, but then Dallas pulls him over and out! (Wade Barrett is eliminated.) Sandow is almost over by Sheamus, and Jericho almost goes over too. BARRETT RUND DOWN AND PULLS BO DALLAS OUT BY THE HAIR THEN HITS HIM WITH THE BULL HAMMER! (Bo Dallas is eliminated.)

RYBACK IS #30. Here comes the final entrant! Ryback pushes men down with ease, then tosses Sandow out. (Sandow is eliminated.) Sin Cara tries to do some offense but Ryback swats him away and tosses him out with a gorilla press right onto Sandow. (Sin Cara is eliminted.) Miz tries to eliminate Ryback but he gets tossed out too. (Miz is eliminated.) We're now down to six men. CODEBREAKER TO RYBACK! Jericho knocks Cena down with a back elbow and hits the Lionsault! He throws Sheamus over and hits the triangle dropkick but Sheamus still lands on the apron. Jericho clotheslines Orton, then hits a CODEBREAKER TO ZIGGLER! Ziggler grabs the ropes, he tosses Jericho over then superkicks him in the head! (Chris Jericho is eliminated.)

Orton and Sheamus circle the ring and fight it out. Orton clotheslines him and Ziggler, then sidesteps Ryback sending him shoulder-first into the ringpost. RKO TO ZIGGLER! RKO TO CENA! Orton ducks the Brogue Kick then hits the RKO TO SHEAMUS! Orton looks at Ryback and pulls him in for the HANGMAN DDT TO RYBACK! Orton looks to RKO him but Ryback blocks it and he clotheslines Orton out the ring! (Randy Orton is eliminated.) Ryback avoids the Attitude Adjustment, pushes Cena off, Ziggler hits a jumping DDT to Cena! Sheamus hits Ryback with the double axe hammer, Ziggler tries to DDT Sheamus but he gets put on the apron, BROGUE KICK TO ZIGGLER! (Dolph Ziggler is eliminated.) 

It's now down to Sheamus, John Cena and Ryback. Both Sheamus and Cena team up on Ryback and give him a double suplex. They square off with each other next and duke it out. Cena hits two shoulder tackles, spinning sideslam, You Can't See Me, Ryback surprises Cena with the MEAT HOOK LARIAT! Sheamus blocks Shell Shocked and hits White Noise! Sheamus calls for the Brogue Kick and RYBACK COUNTERS AND POWERSLAMS HIM OUT!! (Sheamus is eliminated.)

We're down to the final two men - CENA and RYBACK! "FEED, ME, MORE! FEED, ME, MORE!" "You Can't See Me!" Cena strikes first, but Ryback gives Cena a spinebuster. Cena countes the Meat Hook clothesline with a drop toehold and applies the STF! Ryback passes out from the submission! Cena lifts Ryback's limp body up and sets him atop the turnbuckle, but then Ryback wakes up and lands on him with a Thesz Press. He slams Cena's head on the mat, picks him up onto his shoulders, Cena slips off and shoves Ryback out the ring! (Ryback is eliminated!)

 WINNER of the 2013 Royal Rumble: JOHN CENA!

We get the video montage highlight the feud for the WWE Championship. Next, Josh Mathews interviews THE ROCK. Josh tries to bring up The Shield but Rock stops him. The Rock: "FINALLY, The Rock has come back to Phoenix!" Rock talks about his years and his passion. He brings up the fact his mom with stricken with cancer but she is there tonight to watch him (and she is shown on camera). Rock mentions CM Punk saying the fans don't count, but The Rock says they count to him. He is inspired by their support and streteches his hand out to say they together will "end 434 days of misery." He says tonight they will become one when he beats CM Punk. "IF YA SMELLLLLL, WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'!"

CM Punk comes out with Paul Heyman at 10:13 PM. The Rock comes out at 10:16 PM. The Rock hasn't challenged for the WWE Championship in 10 years - one full decade. We get the official title match introductions at 10:18 PM. The bell dings at 10:20 PM and here we go!

* WWE Championship: CM Punk {C} vs. The Rock

Fists are flying! Both men wallop wach other with right hands, Rock comes out the corner with a clothesline. Punk blocks the Rock Bottom but gets clotheslined out the ring. Punk goes out to follow him and Punk kicks him, but then Rock slams his head on the barricade and punches him down. Rock starts to take apart the Spanish Announce Table, Punk stops him and throws him back in then puts the top back on the table. The crowd starts a dueling chant for both men. Punk and Rock go at it outside the ring again, Heyman gets in a cheap shot, Rock walks after him and Punk clotheslines him. He teases taking apart the announce table but then suplexes Rock onto the barricade instead. He gievs Rock a snapmare and applies a body scissors. The crowd does a dueing chant of "Boots to Asses!" and "Knees to Faces!"

Punk knees him in the gut and puts him in another submission hold to work the midsection. Rock knees his way out, fights back, inverted atomic drop, then Punk hits a calf kick. The champ gloats before punching Rock in the gut and clubbing him on the chest. Punk suplexes Rock onto the top rope and covers for 2. Punk back kicks Rock in the gut, knees him in the ribs and the ref pushes him back. Heyman attacks Rock behind the ref's back. Punk connects with a triangle dropkick sending him out the ring and hits a flying clothesline from the top rope to Rock on the floor. Rock goes on offense attacking Punk's leg since it might've been tweaked, but Rock ends up out the ring again and Punk hits him with a suicide dive. Punk throws him back in the ring, gets on the apron, but then Rock avoids the springboard clothesline.

The Rock goes on offense working on Punk's left knee and hits a side Russian legsweep for 1. Punk blocks the Rock Bottom, Rock blocks the GTS, Punk rolls through the Sharpshooter and applies the ANACONDA VICE! Rock counters with a rollup for 2, punches him and plants him with a DDT. Rock is up first, Punk counters the Rock Bottom with a crucifix, but Rock rolls through that for the Sharpshooter! Punk escapes the hold, but Rock clotheslines him out the ring. Rock takes apart the Spanish Announce Table, slams Punk's face on it, puts him on the table, but then Punk kicks him in the back of the head. Punk pulls Rock up and calls for the GTS, Rock counters but the table breaks before he can hit the Rock Bottom. The Rock is holding his knee but rolls back in the ring to break the count. ROCK BOTTOM ON THE FLOOR! The referee starts his count, Rock throws Punk in the ring, rolls in and covers for 2.9!

Punk kicks Rock in the head and both men are down. They both get up at the count of 9, trade punches, the crowd is split 50/50. Rock hits the flying clothesline and plants him with the SPINEBUSTER! The Rock is going for the People's Elbow but the lights go out! Michael Cole says it's The Shield triple powerbombed Rock through the announce table. The lights come on and ROCK IS PUT THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE. Referee Mike Chioda is limping, Cole is complaining that The Shield attacked him, CM Punk rolls Punk back into the ring, he makes the cover, 1... 2... 3! WINNER and STILL WWE CHAMPION: CM PUNK!

HERE COMES THE WWE CHAIRMAN, VINCE McMAHON! McMahon: "Seems to me CM Punk, your celebration is over. I told you if The Shield got involved in your matchup, you will be stripped of your championship. I know we couldn't see The Shield, but we are not stupid. CM Punk, it is my duty as Chairman of The Board, to strip you..." Rock: "No no no no no no. We ain't ending this night like that. You don't take it from him. I am~! Restart the match NOW!"McMahon: "YOU HEARD THE MAN, RESTART THE MATCH!"

* WWE Championship: CM Punk {C} vs. The Rock (Match Restarted)

Rock is back in the ring and Punk stomps on him in the corner at the bell. Punk hits the high knee and does a short-arm clothesline. He climbs the turnbuckle, hits the top rope elbow drop and gets a near-fall. Punk is signaling for the GTS, Rock slips off, hits the SPINEBUSTER, THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW CONNECTS! 1-2-3! WINNER and NEW WWE CHAMPION: THE ROCK!

The Rock wins the WWE Championship after ten long years. CM Punk loses the WWE Championship after 434 long days. We are on the long Road to WrestleMania. And I've had a long day. Good night!