For 31 years, the Royal Rumble has been a WWE institution. The event is best known for the eponymous match, in which 30 superstars enter the arena and the winner gets a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. This Royal Rumble was particularly special because it also included the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match.
If you missed the event live, we’ve recapped the five biggest moments.
The Top 5 Moments from the 2018 ‘Royal Rumble’
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1 OF 5
1 of 5
Courtesy WWE.com
AJ Styles Keeps His Championship Despite Handicap
Going into the WWE Championship match, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were pretty confident that their 2-on-1 handicap meant they had victory in the bag. Of course, The Phenomenal One proved them wrong, landing an impressive Pele kick on Owens and eventually pinning him for the win.
2 of 5
Courtesy WWE.com
Shinsuke Nakamura Survives the Rumble
The self-proclaimed ‘King of Strong Style,” Shinsuke Nakamura, has had a huge fan following since joining Smackdown last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a ton of successes to follow up on his popularity—until this week. Coming in on the historically unlucky No.14 spot in the Rumble, Nakamura bested WWE mainstays like John Cena, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns to eventually come out on top. His reward? A championship match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania.
3 of 5
Courtesy WWE.com
Brock Lesnar Reigns Supreme
The Universal Champion match between Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and Kane was—to the surprise of absolutely no one—a brutal showdown, with chairs, tables, and the steel stairs all being used in the match. Lesnar eventually won by landing an F-5 on Kane, but Strowman made it clear that he’s not done with Lesnar just yet.
4 of 5
Courtesy WWE.com
Asuka Continues Her Victory Streak
The first-ever women’s Royal Rumble was the final match of the night, and it was as unpredictable as many hoped. Several of the entrants included beloved past superstars like Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix, and Michelle McCool, in addition to NXT champion Ember Moon. However, Asuka, the former undefeated NXT champion and current Raw superstar, steamrolled through the competition, winning a chance to fight either Raw champion Alexa Bliss or Smackdown champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
5 of 5
Courtesy WWE.com
Ronda Rousey Debuts
Just when everyone thought the night was over, the biggest surprise of the event occured when Ronda Rousey entered the ring to make her long-rumored WWE contract official. While she didn’t actually speak, Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania sign, so one can only imagine what will happen when the big event happens this April in New Orleans.
Going into the WWE Championship match, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were pretty confident that their 2-on-1 handicap meant they had victory in the bag. Of course, The Phenomenal One proved them wrong, landing an impressive Pele kick on Owens and eventually pinning him for the win.
Shinsuke Nakamura Survives the Rumble
The self-proclaimed ‘King of Strong Style,” Shinsuke Nakamura, has had a huge fan following since joining Smackdown last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a ton of successes to follow up on his popularity—until this week. Coming in on the historically unlucky No.14 spot in the Rumble, Nakamura bested WWE mainstays like John Cena, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns to eventually come out on top. His reward? A championship match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania.
Brock Lesnar Reigns Supreme
The Universal Champion match between Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and Kane was—to the surprise of absolutely no one—a brutal showdown, with chairs, tables, and the steel stairs all being used in the match. Lesnar eventually won by landing an F-5 on Kane, but Strowman made it clear that he’s not done with Lesnar just yet.
Asuka Continues Her Victory Streak
The first-ever women’s Royal Rumble was the final match of the night, and it was as unpredictable as many hoped. Several of the entrants included beloved past superstars like Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix, and Michelle McCool, in addition to NXT champion Ember Moon. However, Asuka, the former undefeated NXT champion and current Raw superstar, steamrolled through the competition, winning a chance to fight either Raw champion Alexa Bliss or Smackdown champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
Ronda Rousey Debuts
Just when everyone thought the night was over, the biggest surprise of the event occured when Ronda Rousey entered the ring to make her long-rumored WWE contract official. While she didn’t actually speak, Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania sign, so one can only imagine what will happen when the big event happens this April in New Orleans.
