Royal Rumble (2023)
Updated: 12/10/2025, 11:34:52 AM Wikipedia source
The 2023 Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 36th annual Royal Rumble and took place on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the Alamodome's 30th-anniversary celebration, held for wrestlers from all three of WWE's brand divisions. It was the fourth Royal Rumble event to be held in San Antonio after the 1997, 2007, and 2017 events and the third to take place at the Alamodome, following 1997 and 2017. It was also WWE's first event to be livestreamed on Binge in Australia following the merger of the WWE Network under Binge in the country. The event is based around the Royal Rumble match and the winner traditionally receives a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2023 event, only the women's match winner received a choice of which world championship to challenge for at WrestleMania 39 in Inglewood, California. Due to Raw's WWE Championship and SmackDown's Universal Championship being held and defended together as the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, the men's winner received a match for the tandem titles, while the women had their choice between the Raw or SmackDown Women's Championship. While the Royal Rumble match is typically the main event of the card, this was the seventh Royal Rumble event in which the match was not the main event, after 1988, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2006, and 2013. It was also the first Royal Rumble event where the eponymous match opened the show. Five matches were contested on the card. In the main event, Roman Reigns defeated Kevin Owens to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. For the Royal Rumble matches, Raw's Rhea Ripley won the women's match, becoming the first woman to win the match from the number one spot as well as setting the record for longest time spent in the women's Rumble at 1:01:08 (which was broken in 2024 by Bayley at 1:03:03), while Raw's Cody Rhodes won the men's in the opening match by last eliminating #1 entrant Gunther, who also set the record for longest time spent in a men's 30-man Rumble at 1:11:40 and the second man to draw #1 and emerge as runner-up. In another prominent match, Bray Wyatt, in his first televised match since WrestleMania 37 in April 2021, defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black match in a cross-promotion with Mountain Dew. This would also be Wyatt's final televised match as he contracted COVID-19 the following month, which exacerbated a heart issue and he died of a heart attack in August. The event also saw the return of color commentator Pat McAfee, who joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary, Cody Rhodes, Edge, Beth Phoenix, Asuka, Chelsea Green and Nia Jax made returns, and Logan Paul made his first Royal Rumble appearance. Former WWE wrestler Michelle McCool also made an appearance in the women's Royal Rumble match, while WWE Hall of Famer and NXT commentator Booker T appeared in the men's.
Infobox
Tables
| Role: | Name: |
| English commentators | Michael Cole |
| Corey Graves | |
| Pat McAfee | |
| Spanish commentators | Marcelo Rodriguez |
| Jerry Soto | |
| Ring announcers | Mike Rome (Raw/Men's Royal Rumble match) |
| Samantha Irvin (SmackDown/Women's Royal Rumble match) | |
| Singer | Hardy |
| Referees | Danilo Anfibio |
| Jason Ayers | |
| Shawn Bennett | |
| Dan Engler | |
| Daphanie LaShaunn | |
| Eddie Orengo | |
| Chad Patton | |
| Charles Robinson | |
| Ryan Tran | |
| Rod Zapata | |
| Pre-show panel | Kayla Braxton |
| Kevin Patrick | |
| Peter Rosenberg | |
| Booker T | |
| Jerry Lawler |
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||
| 1 | Cody Rhodes won by last eliminating Gunther | 30-man Royal Rumble match for an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 39 | 1:11:40 | ||
| 2 | Bray Wyatt defeated LA Knight by pinfall | Mountain Dew Pitch Black match | 5:05 | ||
| 3 | Bianca Belair (c) defeated Alexa Bliss by pinfall | Singles match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship | 7:35 | ||
| 4 | Rhea Ripley won by last eliminating Liv Morgan | 30-woman Royal Rumble match for a World Championship match at WrestleMania 39 | 1:01:08 | ||
| 5 | Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn) defeated Kevin Owens by pinfall | Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship | 19:15 | ||
| (c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
| |||||
| Draw | Entrant | Brand/Status | Order | Eliminated by | Time | Elimination(s) |
| 1 | Gunther | SmackDown | 29 | Cody Rhodes | 1:11:40 | 5 |
| 2 | Sheamus | SmackDown | 21 | Gunther | 52:33 | 3 |
| 3 | The Miz | Raw | 1 | Sheamus | 04:23 | 0 |
| 4 | Kofi Kingston | SmackDown | 4 | Gunther | 14:51 | 0 |
| 5 | Johnny Gargano | Raw | 14 | Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor | 29:57 | 0 |
| 6 | Xavier Woods | SmackDown | 3 | Gunther | 10:29 | 0 |
| 7 | Karrion Kross | SmackDown | 2 | Drew McIntyre | 04:11 | 0 |
| 8 | Chad Gable | Raw | 7 | Brock Lesnar | 08:42 | 0 |
| 9 | Drew McIntyre | SmackDown | 22 | Gunther | 39:10 | 4 |
| 10 | Santos Escobar | SmackDown | 5 | Brock Lesnar | 04:56 | 0 |
| 11 | Angelo Dawkins | Raw | 6 | Brock Lesnar | 02:28 | 0 |
| 12 | Brock Lesnar | Unaffiliated | 8 | Bobby Lashley | 02:28 | 3 |
| 13 | Bobby Lashley | Raw | 11 | Seth "Freakin" Rollins | 07:14 | 1 |
| 14 | Baron Corbin | Raw | 9 | Seth "Freakin" Rollins | 00:07 | 0 |
| 15 | Seth "Freakin" Rollins | Raw | 27 | Logan Paul | 37:18 | 2 |
| 16 | Otis | Raw | 12 | Drew McIntyre and Sheamus | 03:08 | 0 |
| 17 | Rey Mysterio | SmackDown | 10 | Unable to compete | 00:00 | 0 |
| 18 | Dominik Mysterio | Raw | 23 | Cody Rhodes | 25:44 | 1 |
| 19 | Elias | Raw | 13 | Drew McIntyre and Sheamus | 00:39 | 0 |
| 20 | Finn Bálor | Raw | 18 | Edge | 07:45 | 2 |
| 21 | Booker T | NXT (HOF) | 15 | Gunther | 00:42 | 0 |
| 22 | Damian Priest | Raw | 17 | Edge | 04:03 | 1 |
| 23 | Montez Ford | Raw | 16 | Damian Priest | 00:44 | 0 |
| 24 | Edge | Raw (HOF) | 19 | Finn Bálor | 01:04 | 2 |
| 25 | Austin Theory | Raw | 26 | Cody Rhodes | 15:39 | 1 |
| 26 | Omos | Raw | 20 | Braun Strowman | 02:26 | 0 |
| 27 | Braun Strowman | SmackDown | 24 | Cody Rhodes | 11:12 | 1 |
| 28 | Ricochet | SmackDown | 25 | Austin Theory | 09:14 | 0 |
| 29 | Logan Paul | Unaffiliated | 28 | Cody Rhodes | 10:57 | 1 |
| 30 | Cody Rhodes | Raw | — | Winner | 15:08 | 5 |
| Draw | Entrant | Brand/Status | Order | Eliminated by | Time | Elimination(s) |
| 1 | Rhea Ripley | Raw | — | Winner | 1:01:08 | 7 |
| 2 | Liv Morgan | SmackDown | 29 | Rhea Ripley | 1:01:08 | 3 |
| 3 | Dana Brooke | Raw | 2 | Damage CTRL | 11:43 | 0 |
| 4 | Emma | SmackDown | 3 | Dakota Kai | 10:12 | 0 |
| 5 | Shayna Baszler | SmackDown | 6 | Damage CTRL | 13:28 | 0 |
| 6 | Bayley | Raw | 13 | Liv Morgan | 27:09 | 5 |
| 7 | B-Fab | SmackDown | 1 | Rhea Ripley | 00:36 | 0 |
| 8 | Roxanne Perez | NXT | 4 | Damage CTRL | 04:34 | 0 |
| 9 | Dakota Kai | Raw | 10 | Becky Lynch | 22:20 | 5 |
| 10 | Iyo Sky | Raw | 11 | Becky Lynch | 20:49 | 5 |
| 11 | Natalya | SmackDown | 5 | Damage CTRL | 03:08 | 0 |
| 12 | Candice LeRae | Raw | 7 | Iyo Sky | 05:11 | 0 |
| 13 | Zoey Stark | NXT | 16 | Sonya Deville | 26:34 | 0 |
| 14 | Xia Li | SmackDown | 14 | Zelina Vega | 15:30 | 0 |
| 15 | Becky Lynch | Raw | 12 | Bayley | 10:45 | 2 |
| 16 | Tegan Nox | SmackDown | 8 | Asuka | 03:41 | 0 |
| 17 | Asuka | Raw | 28 | Rhea Ripley | 33:15 | 3 |
| 18 | Piper Niven | Raw | 25 | Raquel Rodriguez | 28:05 | 2 |
| 19 | Tamina | Raw | 15 | Michelle McCool | 11:58 | 0 |
| 20 | Chelsea Green | Unbranded | 9 | Rhea Ripley | 00:05 | 0 |
| 21 | Zelina Vega | SmackDown | 17 | Lacey Evans | 11:30 | 1 |
| 22 | Raquel Rodriguez | SmackDown | 26 | Rhea Ripley | 20:40 | 3 |
| 23 | Mia Yim | Raw | 24 | Piper Niven | 17:44 | 2 |
| 24 | Lacey Evans | SmackDown | 20 | Raquel Rodriguez | 14:05 | 2 |
| 25 | Michelle McCool | Unaffiliated | 22 | Rhea Ripley | 13:53 | 2 |
| 26 | Indi Hartwell | NXT | 18 | Sonya Deville | 04:51 | 0 |
| 27 | Sonya Deville | SmackDown | 21 | Asuka | 10:17 | 3 |
| 28 | Shotzi | SmackDown | 23 | Mia Yim | 08:39 | 1 |
| 29 | Nikki Cross | Raw | 27 | Liv Morgan | 09:16 | 1 |
| 30 | Nia Jax | Unaffiliated | 19 | 11 women | 01:57 | 0 |
References
- WWE lists the men's Royal Rumble match as lasting 1:11:40, although Pro Wrestling Dot Net lists the match as being 1:11:
- Gunther set a new record for longest time spent in a quoted "traditional" 30-man Royal Rumble match, at 1:11:40; the rec
- Rey Mysterio was legitimately injured during a match on SmackDown a day earlier. In storyline, Mysterio was implicitly a
- Finn Bálor was already eliminated when he eliminated Edge.
- WWE lists the women's Royal Rumble match as lasting 1:01:08, although Pro Wrestling Dot Net lists the match as being 1:0
- Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky comprise a group known as Damage CTRL, and the three collectively scored the elimination
- 11 women combined to eliminate Nia Jax - Asuka, Lacey Evans, Liv Morgan, Mia Yim, Michelle McCool, Nikki Cross, Piper Ni
- Wrestlenomicshttps://wrestlenomics.com/2023/03/13/wwe-royal-rumble-2023s-record-setting-ticket-sales-and-inflated-attendance-tabulation/
- Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition
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- SportsProhttps://www.sportspromedia.com/news/wwe-network-streaming-binge-foxtel-tv-rights-australia-kayo/
- Wrestling Observer Figure Four Onlinehttps://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/country-music-star-hardy-to-perform-at-wwe-royal-rumble
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- Fightfulhttps://www.fightful.com/wrestling/la-knight-every-indication-i-ve-been-given-pitch-black-match-street-fight-kind-dark
- Pro Wrestling Dot Nethttps://prowrestling.net/site/2022/11/26/wwe-survivor-series-wargames-results-powells-review-of-the-bloodline-vs-drew-mcintyre-kevin-owens-and-the-brawling-brutes-in-a-wargames-match-bianca-belair-becky-lynch-asuka-alexa-bliss-and/
- Pro Wrestling Dot Nethttps://prowrestling.net/site/2021/01/31/wwe-royal-rumble-results-powells-live-review-of-the-royal-rumble-matches-drew-mcintyre-vs-goldberg-for-the-wwe-championship-roman-reigns-vs-kevin-owens-in-a-last-man-standing-match-for-the-wwe/
- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/01/06/1-6-wwe-smackdown-results-kellers-report-on-usos-vs-mcintyre-sheamus-ricochet-vs-top-dolla-charlotte-flair-appears-as-new-champion/
- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2022/12/12/12-12-wwe-monday-night-raw-results-kellers-report-on-seth-rollins-vs-bobby-lashley-for-u-s-title-bayley-vs-bliss-lerae-vs-sky/
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- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/01/16/1-16-wwe-monday-night-raw-results-kellers-report-on-seth-vs-ziggler-vs-lashley-vs-corbin-vs-balor-vs-miz-for-shot-at-theorys-u-s-title-at-raw-30/
- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/01/09/1-9-wwe-monday-night-raw-results-kellers-report-on-latest-royal-rumble-development-bliss-explains-her-actions/
- Pro Wrestling Dot Nethttps://prowrestling.net/site/2023/01/28/wwe-royal-rumble-results-powells-live-review-of-the-royal-rumble-matches-roman-reigns-vs-kevin-owens-for-the-undisputed-wwe-universal-championship-bianca-belair-vs-alexa-bliss-for-the-raw-women/
- Fightfulhttps://www.fightful.com/wrestling/bray-wyatt-passes-away-age-36
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- IWNerdhttps://www.iwnerd.com/dave-meltzer-star-ratings-wwe-royal-rumble-2023/
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- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/01/28/1-28-wwe-royal-rumble-ple-report-kellers-detailed-results-and-analysis-including-reigns-vs-owens-pitch-black-match-belair-vs-bliss/
- Pro Wrestling Torchhttps://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/01/28/leclairs-wwe-royal-rumble-2023-report-alt-perspective-detailed-coverage-of-mens-and-womens-rumble-matches-reigns-vs-owens-more/
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- "I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got COVID that exacerbated a heart issues. There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away"https://x.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1694865077621359086
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- WWEhttps://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2023/bianca-belair-vs-alexa-bliss-results
- WWEhttps://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2023/womens-royal-rumble-match-results
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- WWEhttps://x.com/WWE/status/1619681770621771776
- Wrestling Observer Figure Four Onlinehttps://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/rey-mysterio-injured-on-wwe-smackdown-pulled-from-royal-rumble