Royal Rumble 2023

The build.

The 34th annual Royal Rumble comes to you from St Louis.  It is the 144th WWF PPV.

Your announcers are Michael Cole (3rd PPV) Corey Graves (5th) Wade Barrett (5th).  

Your ring announcer is Jeremy Borash.

(Dark Matches: Dark Ride Title: Dragon Lee d. Axiom

                          JD McDonaugh d. Tyler Bate

                          Jimmy Uso double countout Jey Uso)

The PPV opens on the aftermath of the Uso dark match, Jimmy and Jey brawling outside the ring, up into the stands, until they disappear onto a concourse, Jimmy and Jey - the twins spurned by Roman now in full battle over which one was the cause, this feud must continue.

Then to the clip package to open the show of past WWF Texas PPVs, ideally Steve Austin does the VO.

1989 Rumble - Houston - Hogan bodyslams Andre, Jake Roberts DDTs Bad News.  

1994 Survivor Series - San Antonio - Bret/Anvil hit the Hart Attack on Luger to take the tag belts, Diesel turns on Shawn right after Michaels wins the Triple Crown in his hometown.

1997 Rumble - San Antonio - Austin hits the Stunner on Vader, the Rock hits the Peoples Elbow on Glen Jacobs

Wrestlemania 17 - Houston - fast chain sequence with Jericho and Guerrero, the Dudleys sending Raven through a table, Austin brawling with Regal, Kurt Angle holding the WWF Title in the center of the ring as the confetti falls.

2003 Survivor Series - Dallas - Michaels superkicking Bubba Ray Dudley cold, a 4 way brawl with Eddy/Brock/Benoit/Angle

2007 Rumble - San Antonio - Booker hits the Hangover on Edge, Lashley tombstoning the Undertaker, CM Punk hits the Pepsi Plunge on Matt Hardy

Wrestlemania 25 - Houston - a chain sequence with Punk and Steamboat, Rey Mysterio rolling up MVP, Jeff submitting to Matt and leaving the territory, Jericho putting Michaels in the Sharpshooter.

Wrestlemania 32 - Dallas - Sasha Banks pins Charlotte Flair to win the Womens Title, Jericho beats Hunter in a retirement match, El Generico with the bucklebuster on Styles, AJ Styles wins the WWF Title in the Elimination Chamber.

2018 Rumble - San Antonio - Ambrose goes over his former stablemate Langston, Jericho hits the quebrada on Reigns.

2017 Survivor Series - Houston - Becky and Charlotte exchange chops, Generico brainbuster on the apron against Kalisto, Tyler Black standing atop Dean Ambrose, Lesnar and Angle nose to nose.

2020 Rumble - Houston - Iyo high spot with Kari Sane, Lesnar and Gable walking the aisle together, Styles Clash on Danielson

Wrestlemania 38 - Dallas - Stone Cold Stunner on Edge, Lesnar submitting Riddle in the Octagon, Rousey getting a submission on Ripley, Usos winning the tag belts - Cody's return - Roman holding up the WWF Title.

Fight Forever - Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch enter, they go to the announce desk to join the broadcast team for the opening tag:

1. Winners go To Mania: Horsewomen (Ripley/Baszler) d. Morgan/Bliss v. Nikki/Niven v. Shotzi/Kai

The modern womens tag belt gets launched at Mania, Fight Forever taking on the winners of this match - it's the Horsewomen; they go over strong - the other story here is Nikki split from Morgan/Bliss in the build so the feud between those teams is furthered here.  Postmatch, Fight Forever hits the ring - its noses to noses as the WM 39 banner overhead is unfurled.

2. Damian Priest (w/Solo) d. Montez Ford (w/Dawkins) 

It's the blow off to the Defiance/Street Profits program, all four guys get involved here - and it's the heels who go over strong.  This 2023 version of Defiance: Priest/Solo continues forward.    

3. Loser Leaves Town: Logan Paul d. Edge

Edge uses his old gear, his old music - the goal is to seem as much as possible like its attitude era Edge, like when IRL Jericho became Lionheart.  This should feel pretty heavy - it's not just Edge leaving the territory; he has grown up on WWF TV, and he, Christian and the Hardys are just an enormous part of the last two+decades.  Edge is the last one left, there's as many callbacks to old spots as they can fit in here - this isn't God of Carnage Edge - and Paul can do all sorts of spots - it's the younger Paul who goes over here - he humps the prone body of Edge postmatch as the page turns.  There's a long taped package marking Edge's career postmatch.  You (the reader, not the viewer) know that the counterfactual is nearing an end, the Reigns push/story of his being the dawning of a new era/closing of the GDI era should probably be viewed by you, metatextually, as a recognition of that - this is in that vein, so many years, so many matches, so many programs around the Hardys and Edge/Christian - and now, they are all gone (and all with the other promotion).

4. Rey Mysterio d. Kingston

Rey gets in his stuff - fairly quick win for the legend.  Mysterio stays ringside for his son's match.  

5. Kevin Steen d. Dominic Mysterio

Rey/Steen had a personal feud that wasn't resolved to Rey's satisfaction and although Steen is a babyface now, he's not a babyface to Rey - Rey demanded his son fight this match with honor....but Dom does not, he does his chickenshit heel gimmick, including a spot where he attempts to hide behind Rey, causing Rey to have words with Steen and Dom to take advantage of that with a cheap shot that appears momentarily as if he may get a win.  The match ends with Steen putting a submission hold on Dom - Dom reaches out to his father, who is on the floor - looking for aid in breaking the hold --- but Rey does not rulebreak, even in this moment - Steen submits Dom.  Postmatch, Rey shakes his head and walks away from his son. Dom is masked, but ideally in the ring, he can convey the disappointment; Rey's the babyface here, obviously, but his personality could generously be described as overbearing and there's a good amount of equity now built into that element of his personality built into the Dominic relationship - so, even though we probably side with Rey, we do want to see Dom fight and now cower, after all -- the truth is he is more likely to win matches if he cowers, and isn't that what matters? 

6. Chicago Street Fight: Asuka v. Iyo Sky

Asuka turned after Sky's victory over her at Survivor Series and is now a full nasty veteran heel, double color for this match, Asuka going over to even up this feud.  Pretty simple story, it's the veteran Asuka, probably the greatest women's champion in the history of the WWF, coming back after injury and a step behind her protegee/friend/former stablemate Sky - add in some optics (look how Americanized, fan friendly, etc...Sky has become, to Asuka's chagrin) and a high level of workrate and that's the program.  It's 1-1 now, you can assume this feud must continue. 

7. Ricochet (w/BWI) v. Santos Escobar (w/TSG)

Another feud comes to an end, Ricochet and Blood Warriors International going over Escobar and Twisted Sun Gods, again, all 6 men wind up involved in the match, the rules go out the window, there are ladders, there's a tablebump - Ricochet gets the fall.  BWI is Ricochet/Tozawa/Cedric Alexander, TSG is Escobar/Carrillo/Garza with Vega; most of the feud has taken place outside of PPV, but it's gone on for awhile on TV and this is the blowoff.

8. Cody Rhodes v. Chad Gable

Rhodes had just returned to the promotion, had some hot TV matches with Gable, when he was taken out of action by the Holy Roman Empire - Gable has some desperation here, not wanting to disappoint the big man - but it's Cody who gets the decisive fall.  The work is valuable here - Gable is the workrate guy with HRE, also the guy who can eat pinfalls (like Waltman in the NWO) it's Cody's first singles PPV match since returning, so the match (and the first portion of the show, as there's an intermission after) ends with Cody standing triumphant - he has not only returned to the WWF, winning the IC - but then returned from injury to come back and go over a member of the top of the card stable who put hin on the shelf,  Cody goes to the buckles - points to the WM sign -- and makes the motion signaling that he wants the title around his waist.  

Intermission - it's an in ring promo from Shawn Michaels announcing that the Clique returns tomorrow night and introduces them - Matt Riddle and the newest member - LA Knight.  Knight cuts a promo, the 3 men pose, the Clique rides again.

9. Womens Title: Bianca Belair v. Bayley

Bayley makes the big return from injury - but falls short in the all babyface match.  They hug postmatch, tough loss for Bayley, it's all respect from Belair - pushed to her limit, but she retains and will head to WM39 as the Women's Champion.

10. Tag Titles:  Dangerous Alliance (Walter/Brock Lesnar w/Heyman) d. Holy Roman Empire (McIntyre/Lashley) 

The 117th WWF tag champs is the Dangerous Alliance, Walter and his mystery partner, who turns out to be Lesnar.  Walter with Heyman first - we don't know who will come next although the working assumption is it's Rousey's return - but instead, it's Brock.

Lesnar got beaten down by HRE to close Summer Slam, Heyman led Walter to the ring to break it up - 5 months later, Lesnar returns, having once again rejoined Heyman, they are presented as a superteam and they really take it to McIntyre/Lashley, leaving them both for dead as they take the belts.  Lesnar/Heyman have not been aligned since Heyman left him to manage Walter, but upon Brock's return to the promotion a year ago, multiple segments have portrayed them as fine - Heyman then aided Brock in the aforementioned manner after Summer Slam - so, with Rousey on the shelf, knocked out by Roman (and, while Brock barely knows who anyone in the sport is, much less respects them, he obviously knows and respects Rousey, cause she's a shootfighter) Heyman makes the call and Brock shows up.  

This isn't a 50/50 match - the feeling here is MegaPowers - if Brock and Walter are on the same page, who could possibly beat them?

Rousey does return here - there's a spot where Gable makes his way to ringside - Gable's clearly going to interfere -- but right behind him down the ramp runs Rousey - and she puts Gable in a submission hold on the ramp - so the match ends with the fall going on in the ring while Gable is tapping out on the ramp.

11. IC Title: Prince Devitt d. Johnny Gargano 

Devitt's workrate run continues - he goes over Gargano in what probably is the match of the night, main event style, long finishing sequence, Devitt keeps the belt.  Just workrate here, give the people the very best match they could have.  

12. WWF Title: Roman Reigns v. Tyler Black

Roman will go to Wrestlemania 39 as WWF Champion for a year - no members of the HRE appear at any point - the show ends with Roman having demonstrated he can defend his title on his own, he hits his catchphrase postmatch and the Rumble ends with Reigns alone in the ring holding the belt aloft.  By necessity, Roman's had help throughout his reign from his stable (ideally, the help isn't viewed as determinative - this is a workrate promotion, so what you want are clean finishes, however, you do need to get over a heel stable as benefiting from numbers, so as a booking philosophy, you do pre match beatdowns, or very fast spots in the body of the match that swing momentum but don't lead to finishes) -- but here, since we're now moving to the big Mania main event - Reigns goes over clean - he's the man - he's who he says he is - he will go to WM 39 as WWF Champion for a full year.

And that's the Rumble.

Next month, part 1 of the build to Wrestlemania 39.  

Road to Royal Rumble 2023

Survivor Series 2022

(Here's the annual note - this month is the 18th anniversary of the first post.  For those of you who are longtime readers or if you just stumbled here right now, thanks for reading. As mentioned last year, there is an endpoint coming in 2025.  The planned final event is Summer Slam 2024, which will be the 150th WWF PPV.  The plan is monthly wrap ups through November and then the farewell two years from this month, the 20th anniversary. That means, if you are doing the math, that one Survivor Series remains.)

Rumble 2023 is in San Antonio.  Here's the 12 match card.

WWF Title: Roman Reigns v. Tyler Black

IC: Prince Devitt v. Johnny Gargano

Tags: Holy Roman Empire (McIntyre/Lashley) v. Dangerous Alliance (Walter/Mystery Partner)

Womens Title: Bianca Belair v. Bayley

Cody Rhodes v. Chad Gable

Ricochet (w/BWI) v. Santos Escobar (w/TSG)

Chicago Street Fight: Asuka v. Iyo Sky

Kevin Steen v. Dominic Mysterio

Rey Mysterio v. Kingston

Montez Ford (w/Dawkins) v. Damian Priest (w/Solo)

Loser Leaves Town: Edge v. Logan Paul 

Winners go To Mania: Horsewomen (Ripley/Baszler) v. Morgan/Bliss v. Nikki/Niven v. Shotzki/Kai

Reigns v. Black: This is the last of the core guys on Roman's original hit list, the guys central to his thesis of WWF being held hostage by indie workers since Punk arrived and formed GDI, leaving the promotion wide open to attack by an indie stocked rival AEW.  Roman took the belt from Zayn, beat Steen in a TV tag, kept over Styles at Survivor Series.  Remaining is Black - who Roman has the longest history with; The Shield (Black/Ambrose/Langston) had a multiple matches against the Usos (Jimmy/Jey/Roman) which set the backdrop here - and with Black the last member of the Shield remaining in the promotion, Reigns can go pretty hard about running him out of the territory.  A win and Reigns will go to Mania as WWF Champ for a full year.  Black attempts to win his 2nd WWF Title.

Devitt v. Gargano: In the prior year, the IC belt was largely contested by matches of former Bullet Club members - when Devitt won the vacant belt at Summer Slam, he pledged to open it up to all challengers, he beat Pete Dunne at Survivor Series - and from what appeared to be retirement returns Johnny Gargano to challenge him here.  Gargano was a babyface when he left and returns as one here, but with an angrier edge - we see that in a backstage moment in the build where Steen atempts to connect with him  (Gargano/Ciampa were the Dark Ride Wrestling chapter of GDI during the drama of the Steen/Zayn/Claudio/Pac version of GDI, they wound up breaking up over it and it sent both their careers on a spiral.  Steen's responsible for both Pac and Claudio leaving the promotion, Gargano and Ciampa carried the Kings of Wrestling name when both left WWE with injury) and Gargano refuses to talk to him.  The IC is a workrate belt and this is a workrate match.

Holy Roman Empire v. Dangerous Alliance: McIntyre/Lashley regained the tag titles for HRE, beating the Usos (Jimmy inadvertantly superkicked Jey, leading to the fall - in the run to the Rumble, Jey very much advertantly superkicks Jimmy in a tag match, ending the Usos team and kicking off their feud; they will brawl on TV, cut pretty vicious promos on each other - there's originally a match that is set up at the Rumble, first time ever, Jimmy v Jey singles match - but is canceled the following week when a Heyman Hustle segment gets out of control between the two of them - the decision is made that they can't be placed in a PPV match against each other - it's just too personal, you see, but they will work dark; it's Jey who emerges as the heel).   For this match, Walter relinquishes the Dark Ride Title he's held for nearly 2 years (and actually he's physically held the belt since he signed with WWF, he walked in the door, won the title, only gave it up because he had to when he chose to work a PPV against Brock, 'cause that's how it works - except he refused to hand over the belt and given Covid it wasn't possible to go to Europe to go get it - eventually there was a reunification - and he won that - Walter is the most dominant figure in Dark Ride history and has just one pinfall loss in WWF (Brock).  In the build to the Rumble, Rousey submitted Gable in a tag match - Reigns then knocked Rousey out, consussing her - and so Walter has given up his Dark Ride belt to go after the HRE - he couldn't get to Roman and Black was number one contender, so this is the next best thing.  The working assumption is Walter's partner will be a returning Rousey (she does not appear in the build, as she is the other member of the Dangerous Alliance, but Heyman is being a little cagey and the specific match is for the Dangerous Alliance, which will include Walter, to challenge for the tag titles). Walter relinquishing the Dark Ride title means a new champion needs to be crowned via Dark Ride Warfare, a "royal rumble" style match that includes pinfalls and the occasional weapon - Dragon Lee wins in his debut with the promotion to become the new Dark Ride Wrestling Champion.

Belair v. Bayley: All babyface match, Belair took the belt from Rousey at Survivor Series, Bayley returns from a long injury and gets the full video package treatment showing the surgery, the rehab, etc...

Rhodes v. Gable: Gable aided Roman in his win over Styles, but that does not cleanse him of that Rousey defeat.  Roman has Gable on notice, that he is being watched very carefully to demonstrate continued worth (Roman also tells Lashley that its his responsibility to make sure Gable demonstrates that worth) - that leads to Gable's beating his and Lashley's former stablemate Nemeth and then he and Lashley are told to hold Nemeth's arms while McIntyre chairshots him (this is Nemeth's farewell) Gable looks hard at Lashley in what should be interpreted as "why are we doing this to Nemeth" - but Lashley won't return the gaze.  Gable exits the ring following apart from the other members of HRE.

Cody has been gone since summer when he was stretchered out from HRE attack, he and Gable had excellent TV matches (think IRL Rhodes/Rollins).  He returns following a Rollins win over Lashley very late in the build, HRE (not Reigns) attacks postmatch, Walter runs in for the save - Rollins is incapactiated so it is 1 on 3 - Walter eventually is overcome - leading to a blackout.  And when the lights come on - it's Rhodes - he, Walter, Rollins do a babyface houseclean.  The next week we're told that it's Rhodes/Gable at the Rumble.

Ricochet v. Escobar: Escobar has joined Zelina/Garza/Carillo as part of Twisted Sun Gods, they have been in a feud with Blood Warriors International (Ricochet/Alexander/Tozawa) and that continues here.

Asuka v. Sky: Asuka lost to her former stablemate/protegee Sky at Survivor Series and then viciously attacked in a full heel turn - the feud escalates throughout the build, Asuka believes Sky's a sellout, and while Sky was able to win a wrestling match - she does not have the fighting spirit to win a street fight - it gets sufficiently personal in the build to justify the escalated stip.  

Steen v. Dom

Rey v. Kingston:  Rey's young masked son Dom has found a path to success, he's a chickenshit heel - Rey is just furious about this, Dom's embarrassing the family name with his brand of wrestling, Dom doesn't understand this at all - he's winning matches.  The Steen match is made and Rey demands of Dom that he, just once, will defend the family (Rey and Steen feuded as an outgrowth of Steen taking Generico's mask, Rey tried to run Steen out of the promotion, Steen was able to convince Rey he had changed, they became tag champs and Steen turned on him - even as Steen is now a babyface, he is not a babyface to Rey, and Rey tells Dom there is no dishonor in losing a fight to Steen - he is a former WWF Champion, but there is dishonor in not stepping up to that fight.  Rey/Kingston is an all babyface match (Rey is a babyface, he's Rey, just a more complex one in his veteran years than IRL)

Ford v. Priest: Street Profits are feuding with Defiance, this continues that.

Edge v. Paul: Paul continues to make videos openly contemptuous of WWF, the sport, the fans, the wrestlers - he returns on a Heyman Hustle to cut a promo on Edge (somehow he came across old Edge and Christian matches, say they were linked in comments when he challenged WWF fans to show him any wrestler that didn't suck) the bit is Paul liked that guy (younger, heel Edge who turned on the Hardys, and later fucked Lita, etc...) and was shocked to find out that guy is now this old guy, it's like Edge's dad is wrestling now.  Edge will respond - Paul's talented but too much of a dick to want around, by around, really, and it's Edge who will kick him to the curb  - the words escalate until the loser leaves town stip makes sense - as Edge is the last member of that quartet of Let Them Play young boys, who cover so much of the history of WWF, the possibility that he will leave and close so much of that chapter lends a real "is this long era of WWF ending" feel to this match.  The possibility of it should feel heavy with nostalgia.  

Women's Tag:  A womens tag title is being launched at Mania, Lynch/Flair will take on the winners of this match.  During the build, Nikki Cross turns face on Liv/Bliss and joins up with Piper Niven.  

That's your show - add Jimmy v Jey and a Dragon Lee title defense in the dark matches and you've got quite a night to kick off 2023 - it's the Royal Rumble and its coming in January.