As the most unstoppable force in WWE since July’s brand split, Strowman might have a better chance than anyone to win the Royal Rumble. He’s never been pinned or submitted in WWE, and only a handful of wrestlers would be able to realistically toss him over the top rope in the battle royal. There have been rumors that Strowman might face Reigns at WrestleMania 33, and they could meet in a WWE Universal Championship match since Reigns seems likely to beat Owens at the upcoming PPV.
Entering at No. 30, The Game took it upon himself to end Roman Reigns' title reign, much to the delight of fans. A win, though, was not certain as he came face-to-face with Dean Ambrose, the scrappy babyface determined to leave with the gold around his own waist.
27. 19934 of 30WWE was transitioning from one era to another by the time the 1993 Royal Rumble emanated from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.Hulkamania was no more, and Ric Flair had one foot out the door. Yet a lack of credible contenders had many thinking The Nature Boy may repeat his feat from the year before, joining Hulk Hogan as the only Superstars to that point to win two Rumble matches.Unfortunately for Flair, his dreams of winning and headlining WrestleMania were dashed when he was eliminated by rival Mr. Perfect just 18 minutes in.A lack of star power and depth led to one of the more disappointing Rumble offerings to date. Footnotes in WWE history such as Max Moon and Damien Demento received spots in the 30-man spectacular, while a Superstar of yesteryear, Bob Backlund, was given the Iron Man push, setting a record with a one-hour run.So depleted was the roster of competitors that the contest legitimately came down to the only two men who could have conceivably won and challenged Bret Hart for the WWE title at The Showcase of the Immortals: Randy Savage and the untested Yokozuna.A huge blunder on Savage's part, which saw him attempt a pin, proved to be his undoing, as the mammoth villain powered him over the top rope and won.The strange booking, which made the iconic Savage look like a bumbling fool, only helped ensure the 1993 match's spot near the bottom of this list.
Corbin made this known on January 3rd’s episode of SmackDown, during which he interrupted an argument between AJ Styles and John Cena. Cena and Corbin began to fight, and that brawl continued on January 11th’s episode, during which Cena defeated Corbin in a match.
When Cena made his big return to SmackDown Live he immediately booked himself into a title match at this show because, quite literally, he’s John Cena and he can do that. The contract is signed, and Cena’s in the process of making example out of Superstars like Baron Corbin to remind the Phenomenal One what he’s up against.
A caffeine-dependent life-form from the frozen wastes of north east Scotland. Big on football, MMA, professional wrestling, and hip-hop. Not particularly good at tennis, before you ask.
Every year, the Royal Rumble has 30 superstars face off against each other. There's always a few surprise entrants that shock the fans, like when Triple H came out for the 2016 event and won the whole thing. That got us thinking: What surprise entrants would we like to see in this year's Rumble? We went through a list of superstars of the past and present and picked out 15 stars we'd love to see at this year's event, taking place on Sunday, January 29.
The Great One's interactions with Big Show helped further their ongoing story, as did Kane's with X-Pac. By the end of the night, Rock was declared the winner, but fans had reason to believe that the interactions they had just witnessed would spill over into Raw and help advance ongoing storylines.
Greg Valentine, long a wrestler's wrestler, turned in a 44-minute performance that ended only when Hogan tossed him over the top rope. As impressive as The Hammer's showing was, though, it was not the lengthiest.
It’s being said that James’ feud with Lynch will take place over the next couple of months, however they will not have a blow-off match at WrestleMania. The belief is whoever is feuding with Nikki Bella at the time, will get the SmackDown women’s match at WrestleMania.
But for as resilient as he had proved to be over the course of his career, he could not overcome the sheer force of Undertaker, who became the first Superstar to enter the match at No. 30 and win from that spot.
The contest was the first to introduce returning legends, recruiting Mick Foley, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka to the fold. It is a booking crutch that carried into the years that followed and took opportunities from other Superstars.
2. 200429 of 30For the first time since 1992, WWE delivered a perfect Royal Rumble.A five-star affair, it featured the underdog tale of Chris Benoit, who entered the match at No. 1 at the insistence of corrupt SmackDown general manager Paul Heyman and proceeded to last through 29 other Superstars to win the match and earn a shot at the world title at WrestleMania XX.To do so, he had to withstand the challenge of an eager young star in Randy Orton at the No. 2 position. Benoit had to overcome punishing beatdowns at the hands of much larger opponents, and in the closing moments of the bout, he trapped the dominant Big Show in a guillotine choke and slowly pulled him over the top rope to ensure victory.Speaking of Orton, his path to the Rumble victory was cut off by the returning Mick Foley, who pummeled him and eliminated the intercontinental champion, setting up the next chapter of their program. A win for Kane vanished the moment his brother, The Undertaker's, theme music played over the PA system and led to his elimination.Then there was Brock Lesnar, the prior year's winner, who provided the distraction that allowed Kurt Angle to eliminate Goldberg, setting in motion the series of events that would lead to his match with Da Man two months later.So many stories came together to create a beautiful, emotional match that culminated the right way—with a win for one of wrestling's greatest workers.
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Reigns overcame a beating at the hands of The League of Nations to return late in a spot recycled from the 1999 match. Still, despite its repetitiveness, the spot was executed much better here, even if some questioned why they should cheer a guy who just took off for 20 minutes.
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Too often, the match felt bloated, with too many Superstars in the ring at once and too many on the receiving end of the Iron Man push. One man receiving that long of a stint is one thing; three is overload and an indictment on WWE Creative.
With nothing left to accomplish in NXT, it’s only a matter of time before Joe gets called up to the main roster. Much like Styles did in 2016, Joe could make his debut in the battle royal, setting up a big push for the rest of the year. If Styles is able to retain his WWE Championship until WrestleMania 33, Joe might make the perfect opponent.
Traditionally one of the most exciting bouts, even when the finish is obvious well in advance, the Rumble should never be referred to as boring. Yet in 2012, that is exactly what it was, as a lack of star power resulted in a bout that was more 'meh' than thrilling.
Over the past few months, Rollins has repeatedly failed to take down Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. At Hell in a Cell in October, Rollins had a title match against Kevin Owens, but he lost due to the interference of Chris Jericho. Rollins later had another Universal Championship match against Kevin Owens, and once again he lost because Chris Jericho interfered. Jericho’s shenanigans have gotten so out of hand that he will have to be locked in a shark cage during the Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble.
For a few weeks, Goldberg and Lesnar were the only two superstars to be announced for the Royal Rumble. But on January 2nd, The New Day announced that they will be joining the match.
Hogan's jealousy provided a distraction that allowed Flair to dump Justice and win the title, and a joyous Heenan proclaimed the night to be the best in wrestling history. As The Nature Boy stood tall with the once-vacant WWE Championship now in his hands, fans understood they had just witnessed something special and historic unfold before their eyes.
For Lesnar, it seems that the primary goal will be to get revenge on Bill Goldberg rather than to actually win the Royal Rumble, although that would be a nice bonus. Lesnar himself has not appeared on WWE programming since Survivor Series, and Heyman only showed his face in a pre-taped interview, but he looked completely devastated and is clearly invested in ensuring that Lesnar takes down Goldberg this time around.
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23. 19888 of 30The inaugural Royal Rumble match is an anomaly on this list—a 20-man contest that never understood exactly what the annual battle for supremacy would eventually become. Superstars entered at timed intervals and were eliminated in the same manner that every other competitor has been sent packing in the 29 years since. Yet there was a lack of stakes to the contest that lessened its impact.Even the years that immediately followed, where nothing but pride was up for grabs, felt more significant than the 1988 match.The conclusion, which pitted lovable babyface 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan against The One Man Gang, who had been booked dominantly to that point, was a clever bit of storytelling on the part of agent Pat Patterson. The right man went over, as Duggan eliminated Gang for the victory, but the only thing it accomplished was ensuring that Duggan would earn a place in the Hall of Fame and be the answer to a trivia question years later.
It was a legitimate surprise in the internet era. Yet there it was, in all of its glory—fans were stunned by the image of a confident Cena standing tall in the face of Triple H and Batista, among others.
The feud between Michaels and Jericho dominated the early portion of the match, while Lesnar's quest to get to WrestleMania and a showdown with Kurt Angle over the WWE title made up the finish. Unfortunately, WWE Creative failed to book a compelling middle portion, leading to a match that was never consistent enough throughout to rank among the best.
Patriotism swept over the 1991 Royal Rumble match as the United States was in the midst of Operation Desert Storm. America needed a hero and, as it had so many times before, found one in the form of Hulk Hogan.
Goldberg’s plan, then, is to win the Royal Rumble and then immediately set his sights on Kevin Owens or Roman Reigns, depending on which one of them wins the Universal Championship match that night. Goldberg would then begin the final title run of his WWE career.
12. 199819 of 30Like so many of the Rumble matches during the 1990s, the 1998 Royal Rumble match lacked an engaging middle portion. However, like some of the best, it did blend several compelling stories together to provide an entertaining match, even if the winner was a foregone conclusion.Everyone knew 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was winning the bout and headlining WrestleMania XIV.What no one knew was that the legendary Mick Foley would appear three times as three different characters and that The Rock would deliver a 50-plus-minute performance that heightened his star and set in motion a banner year for the young third-generation star.With three of the most recognizable stars of the Attitude Era, it was only fitting that one of the biggest and most successful years in WWE history began with them being spotlighted in one of WWE's premier gimmick bouts.By the time Austin stunned Rock and tossed him over the top rope to win the match, fans rejoiced because they had just witnessed a Rumble devoted to character development, the growth of hot young stars and the culmination of The Texas Rattlesnake's year of blood, sweat and tears.
7. 200724 of 30When history tells the story of the 2007 Royal Rumble match, it must recall the closing 10 minutes, which rank as the most exciting and dramatic of all time.Having disposed of Edge and Randy Orton, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels stood across the ring from each other as the fans in San Antonio rose to their feet for the showdown between two of the industry's elite. Not since 1998 had they done battle, so those in attendance and watching at home recognized the enormity of the moment.In a series of moves, reversals and near-eliminations, Undertaker and Michaels took the audience on a roller coaster of emotions. The Heartbreak Kid was the hometown hero, a product of San Antonio and the crowd's obvious favorite.But for as resilient as he had proved to be over the course of his career, he could not overcome the sheer force of Undertaker, who became the first Superstar to enter the match at No. 30 and win from that spot.
The Miz also argues that Ambrose’s win is invalid. During the match on SmackDown Live, Maryse interfered and slapped Dean Ambrose. Normally this would cause the match to end in a disqualification, but the referee decided to let it continue, and Ambrose subsequently pinned The Miz and captured the championship.
A live blog of WWE Royal Rumble will run on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app during the event, featuring text commentary, social media and short highlight clips.
One of the feuds being built up around this time is Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax. After losing her title yet again to Charlotte, Sasha came to the ring on a crutch to cut a promo. Jax interrupted and kicked the crutch away before beating her down. A week later, she destroyed an opponent who looked up to Sasha as a hero. Then she took on Bayley and lost due to Sasha's distraction. Prior to a show, as Sasha tested out how well her leg was healing, Jax appeared and annihilated her.
When Jericho revealed these plans on Monday Night Raw, Kevin Owens immediately freaked out, asking what would happen if Jericho actually wins and then has to face Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Jericho responded by saying that if they end up in a match against one another, it won’t matter who wins because they’re best friends. Owens did not seem quite as convinced.
Match 2 - Singles Match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship. Match 3 - 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match for a women's championship match at WrestleMania 37. The WWE 24/7 Title changed hands three times at tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The first title change saw Alicia Fox capture the WWE 24/7 Title from R-Truth. This came during the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match as Truth hit the ring and was pinned by Fox after some comedy. This was Fox’s first reign with the title. The 31st WWE Royal Rumble will take place on January 28, 2018. The Royal Rumble has consistently been one of the WWE’s top events, highlighted by the 30-person rumble match, which consists of wrestlers eliminating one another by tossing them over the top rope until only one remains. The 1988 Royal Rumble was the inaugural Royal Rumble professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on January 24, 1988, at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. Unlike the subsequent Royal Rumble events, this event was not shown on pay-per-view and was instead a television special shown on the USA Network.
Entering at No. 30, The Game took it upon himself to end Roman Reigns' title reign, much to the delight of fans. A win, though, was not certain as he came face-to-face with Dean Ambrose, the scrappy babyface determined to leave with the gold around his own waist.
Wwe Royal Rumble Logo
24. 19977 of 30The 1997 Royal Rumble was a match marred by a lack of roster depth, necessitating appearances from CMLL talent like Mil Mascaras, Latin Lover, Pierroth and Cibernetico, not to mention double duty from full-time stars such as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Goldust, Ahmed Johnson and Faarooq, all of whom had competed earlier in the night.That the only story worth tracking was the heated rivalry between 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and Bret Hart did not help matters.Even a wild brawl between Mankind and Terry Funk, little more than an excuse to distract referees after the eliminated Austin re-entered the squared circle and dumped Undertaker, Vader, the fake Diesel and Hart, failed to boost the profile of the lackluster match.Sure, the finish was creative, and Austin received a tremendous boost from his tainted win, but it took far too long to get to that point.Still, the image of Austin sitting atop the turnbuckle, staring at his invisible watch and waiting for the next Superstar to walk the aisle, remains one of the most badass and endearing images in Rumble history.27. 19934 of 30WWE was transitioning from one era to another by the time the 1993 Royal Rumble emanated from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.Hulkamania was no more, and Ric Flair had one foot out the door. Yet a lack of credible contenders had many thinking The Nature Boy may repeat his feat from the year before, joining Hulk Hogan as the only Superstars to that point to win two Rumble matches.Unfortunately for Flair, his dreams of winning and headlining WrestleMania were dashed when he was eliminated by rival Mr. Perfect just 18 minutes in.A lack of star power and depth led to one of the more disappointing Rumble offerings to date. Footnotes in WWE history such as Max Moon and Damien Demento received spots in the 30-man spectacular, while a Superstar of yesteryear, Bob Backlund, was given the Iron Man push, setting a record with a one-hour run.So depleted was the roster of competitors that the contest legitimately came down to the only two men who could have conceivably won and challenged Bret Hart for the WWE title at The Showcase of the Immortals: Randy Savage and the untested Yokozuna.A huge blunder on Savage's part, which saw him attempt a pin, proved to be his undoing, as the mammoth villain powered him over the top rope and won.The strange booking, which made the iconic Savage look like a bumbling fool, only helped ensure the 1993 match's spot near the bottom of this list.
Wwe Royal Rumble Youtube
Corbin made this known on January 3rd’s episode of SmackDown, during which he interrupted an argument between AJ Styles and John Cena. Cena and Corbin began to fight, and that brawl continued on January 11th’s episode, during which Cena defeated Corbin in a match.
When Cena made his big return to SmackDown Live he immediately booked himself into a title match at this show because, quite literally, he’s John Cena and he can do that. The contract is signed, and Cena’s in the process of making example out of Superstars like Baron Corbin to remind the Phenomenal One what he’s up against.
A caffeine-dependent life-form from the frozen wastes of north east Scotland. Big on football, MMA, professional wrestling, and hip-hop. Not particularly good at tennis, before you ask.
Every year, the Royal Rumble has 30 superstars face off against each other. There's always a few surprise entrants that shock the fans, like when Triple H came out for the 2016 event and won the whole thing. That got us thinking: What surprise entrants would we like to see in this year's Rumble? We went through a list of superstars of the past and present and picked out 15 stars we'd love to see at this year's event, taking place on Sunday, January 29.
The Great One's interactions with Big Show helped further their ongoing story, as did Kane's with X-Pac. By the end of the night, Rock was declared the winner, but fans had reason to believe that the interactions they had just witnessed would spill over into Raw and help advance ongoing storylines.
Greg Valentine, long a wrestler's wrestler, turned in a 44-minute performance that ended only when Hogan tossed him over the top rope. As impressive as The Hammer's showing was, though, it was not the lengthiest.
It’s being said that James’ feud with Lynch will take place over the next couple of months, however they will not have a blow-off match at WrestleMania. The belief is whoever is feuding with Nikki Bella at the time, will get the SmackDown women’s match at WrestleMania.
But for as resilient as he had proved to be over the course of his career, he could not overcome the sheer force of Undertaker, who became the first Superstar to enter the match at No. 30 and win from that spot.The contest was the first to introduce returning legends, recruiting Mick Foley, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka to the fold. It is a booking crutch that carried into the years that followed and took opportunities from other Superstars.
2. 200429 of 30For the first time since 1992, WWE delivered a perfect Royal Rumble.A five-star affair, it featured the underdog tale of Chris Benoit, who entered the match at No. 1 at the insistence of corrupt SmackDown general manager Paul Heyman and proceeded to last through 29 other Superstars to win the match and earn a shot at the world title at WrestleMania XX.To do so, he had to withstand the challenge of an eager young star in Randy Orton at the No. 2 position. Benoit had to overcome punishing beatdowns at the hands of much larger opponents, and in the closing moments of the bout, he trapped the dominant Big Show in a guillotine choke and slowly pulled him over the top rope to ensure victory.Speaking of Orton, his path to the Rumble victory was cut off by the returning Mick Foley, who pummeled him and eliminated the intercontinental champion, setting up the next chapter of their program. A win for Kane vanished the moment his brother, The Undertaker's, theme music played over the PA system and led to his elimination.Then there was Brock Lesnar, the prior year's winner, who provided the distraction that allowed Kurt Angle to eliminate Goldberg, setting in motion the series of events that would lead to his match with Da Man two months later.So many stories came together to create a beautiful, emotional match that culminated the right way—with a win for one of wrestling's greatest workers.
Open a new account with Betfair, stake at least £20 on your first Exchange bet, if it loses, get a £20 refund. 18+ onlyT&Cs apply, see site for details.
Reigns overcame a beating at the hands of The League of Nations to return late in a spot recycled from the 1999 match. Still, despite its repetitiveness, the spot was executed much better here, even if some questioned why they should cheer a guy who just took off for 20 minutes.
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Too often, the match felt bloated, with too many Superstars in the ring at once and too many on the receiving end of the Iron Man push. One man receiving that long of a stint is one thing; three is overload and an indictment on WWE Creative.
With nothing left to accomplish in NXT, it’s only a matter of time before Joe gets called up to the main roster. Much like Styles did in 2016, Joe could make his debut in the battle royal, setting up a big push for the rest of the year. If Styles is able to retain his WWE Championship until WrestleMania 33, Joe might make the perfect opponent.
Traditionally one of the most exciting bouts, even when the finish is obvious well in advance, the Rumble should never be referred to as boring. Yet in 2012, that is exactly what it was, as a lack of star power resulted in a bout that was more 'meh' than thrilling.
Over the past few months, Rollins has repeatedly failed to take down Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. At Hell in a Cell in October, Rollins had a title match against Kevin Owens, but he lost due to the interference of Chris Jericho. Rollins later had another Universal Championship match against Kevin Owens, and once again he lost because Chris Jericho interfered. Jericho’s shenanigans have gotten so out of hand that he will have to be locked in a shark cage during the Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble.
For a few weeks, Goldberg and Lesnar were the only two superstars to be announced for the Royal Rumble. But on January 2nd, The New Day announced that they will be joining the match.
Hogan's jealousy provided a distraction that allowed Flair to dump Justice and win the title, and a joyous Heenan proclaimed the night to be the best in wrestling history. As The Nature Boy stood tall with the once-vacant WWE Championship now in his hands, fans understood they had just witnessed something special and historic unfold before their eyes.
For Lesnar, it seems that the primary goal will be to get revenge on Bill Goldberg rather than to actually win the Royal Rumble, although that would be a nice bonus. Lesnar himself has not appeared on WWE programming since Survivor Series, and Heyman only showed his face in a pre-taped interview, but he looked completely devastated and is clearly invested in ensuring that Lesnar takes down Goldberg this time around.
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23. 19888 of 30The inaugural Royal Rumble match is an anomaly on this list—a 20-man contest that never understood exactly what the annual battle for supremacy would eventually become. Superstars entered at timed intervals and were eliminated in the same manner that every other competitor has been sent packing in the 29 years since. Yet there was a lack of stakes to the contest that lessened its impact.Even the years that immediately followed, where nothing but pride was up for grabs, felt more significant than the 1988 match.The conclusion, which pitted lovable babyface 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan against The One Man Gang, who had been booked dominantly to that point, was a clever bit of storytelling on the part of agent Pat Patterson. The right man went over, as Duggan eliminated Gang for the victory, but the only thing it accomplished was ensuring that Duggan would earn a place in the Hall of Fame and be the answer to a trivia question years later.
It was a legitimate surprise in the internet era. Yet there it was, in all of its glory—fans were stunned by the image of a confident Cena standing tall in the face of Triple H and Batista, among others.
The feud between Michaels and Jericho dominated the early portion of the match, while Lesnar's quest to get to WrestleMania and a showdown with Kurt Angle over the WWE title made up the finish. Unfortunately, WWE Creative failed to book a compelling middle portion, leading to a match that was never consistent enough throughout to rank among the best.
Patriotism swept over the 1991 Royal Rumble match as the United States was in the midst of Operation Desert Storm. America needed a hero and, as it had so many times before, found one in the form of Hulk Hogan.
Goldberg’s plan, then, is to win the Royal Rumble and then immediately set his sights on Kevin Owens or Roman Reigns, depending on which one of them wins the Universal Championship match that night. Goldberg would then begin the final title run of his WWE career.
12. 199819 of 30Like so many of the Rumble matches during the 1990s, the 1998 Royal Rumble match lacked an engaging middle portion. However, like some of the best, it did blend several compelling stories together to provide an entertaining match, even if the winner was a foregone conclusion.Everyone knew 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was winning the bout and headlining WrestleMania XIV.What no one knew was that the legendary Mick Foley would appear three times as three different characters and that The Rock would deliver a 50-plus-minute performance that heightened his star and set in motion a banner year for the young third-generation star.With three of the most recognizable stars of the Attitude Era, it was only fitting that one of the biggest and most successful years in WWE history began with them being spotlighted in one of WWE's premier gimmick bouts.By the time Austin stunned Rock and tossed him over the top rope to win the match, fans rejoiced because they had just witnessed a Rumble devoted to character development, the growth of hot young stars and the culmination of The Texas Rattlesnake's year of blood, sweat and tears.7. 200724 of 30When history tells the story of the 2007 Royal Rumble match, it must recall the closing 10 minutes, which rank as the most exciting and dramatic of all time.Having disposed of Edge and Randy Orton, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels stood across the ring from each other as the fans in San Antonio rose to their feet for the showdown between two of the industry's elite. Not since 1998 had they done battle, so those in attendance and watching at home recognized the enormity of the moment.In a series of moves, reversals and near-eliminations, Undertaker and Michaels took the audience on a roller coaster of emotions. The Heartbreak Kid was the hometown hero, a product of San Antonio and the crowd's obvious favorite.But for as resilient as he had proved to be over the course of his career, he could not overcome the sheer force of Undertaker, who became the first Superstar to enter the match at No. 30 and win from that spot.
The Miz also argues that Ambrose’s win is invalid. During the match on SmackDown Live, Maryse interfered and slapped Dean Ambrose. Normally this would cause the match to end in a disqualification, but the referee decided to let it continue, and Ambrose subsequently pinned The Miz and captured the championship.
A live blog of WWE Royal Rumble will run on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app during the event, featuring text commentary, social media and short highlight clips.
One of the feuds being built up around this time is Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax. After losing her title yet again to Charlotte, Sasha came to the ring on a crutch to cut a promo. Jax interrupted and kicked the crutch away before beating her down. A week later, she destroyed an opponent who looked up to Sasha as a hero. Then she took on Bayley and lost due to Sasha's distraction. Prior to a show, as Sasha tested out how well her leg was healing, Jax appeared and annihilated her.
When Jericho revealed these plans on Monday Night Raw, Kevin Owens immediately freaked out, asking what would happen if Jericho actually wins and then has to face Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Jericho responded by saying that if they end up in a match against one another, it won’t matter who wins because they’re best friends. Owens did not seem quite as convinced.