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The 2017 Royal Rumble was the 30th annual
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
and
livestreaming Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but n ...
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of ev ...
produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on January 29, 2017, at the
Alamodome The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...
in
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. This was the second Royal Rumble to be held in the Alamodome, after
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
, and the fourth to be held in the state of Texas, after the
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
, 1997, and
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
events. Traditionally, the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
winner receives a world championship match at that year's
WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
. However, due to the brand split that was reintroduced in July 2016, the winner received a match for their respective brand's world championship at WrestleMania 33, either Raw's
WWE Universal Championship The WWE Universal Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two world titles for WWE's main roster, a ...
or SmackDown's
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
. The
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
was the 2017 Royal Rumble match, which was won by SmackDown's
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
, who last eliminated Raw's
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
. This made Orton the seventh multiple Royal Rumble winner. Seven other matches were contested at the event, including three on the Kickoff pre-show. One of the more notable matches saw
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
defeat
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
to capture his record 13th WWE Championship and his 16th overall world championship, tying
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
's official record. Also on the undercard, Kevin Owens retained the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a
no disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
,
Charlotte Flair Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive. She is a second-genera ...
retained the
Raw Women's Championship The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along ...
against Bayley, and Neville defeated
Rich Swann Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cha ...
to win Raw's WWE Cruiserweight Championship. It was also the last time that only the men's Royal Rumble match took place as the women's Royal Rumble match was introduced the following year.


Production


Background

The
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
is an annual
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
(PPV) and
WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television t ...
event, produced every January by WWE since 1988. It is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views, along with
WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
, SummerSlam, and
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, dubbed the "Big Four". It is named after the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
, a modified battle royal in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. The 2017 event was the 30th event in the Royal Rumble chronology and was scheduled to be held on January 29, 2017, at the
Alamodome The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...
in
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. It was the first Royal Rumble to occur under the second
brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use thi ...
introduced in July 2016, which split the roster between the Raw and SmackDown brands, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform, thus the 2017 event included wrestlers from both brands. The Royal Rumble match generally features 30 wrestlers and the winner traditionally earns a
world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
match at that year's WrestleMania. As a result of the reintroduction of the brand extension, the winner of the 2017 Royal Rumble match earned a match for their brand's top championship at WrestleMania 33: Raw's
WWE Universal Championship The WWE Universal Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two world titles for WWE's main roster, a ...
or SmackDown's
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
. This made it the first Royal Rumble to feature the Universal Championship, following its introduction on Raw in July 2016 after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to SmackDown and was renamed to the WWE Championship. This was subsequently also the first time in which two world championships were eligible to be challenged for by the winner of the titular match since the 2013 event.


Storylines

The card featured eight matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes,
villains A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character ...
, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands. Storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, ''
Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show ...
'', ''
SmackDown Live ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', and ''
205 Live ''WWE 205 Live'' is an American professional wrestling streaming television program that was produced by WWE. It premiered on November 29, 2016, and ended on February 11, 2022. The show originally aired exclusively on the WWE Network until March ...
'', the latter of which is cruiserweight-exclusive. After defeating
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
in his first match in 12 years, Goldberg declared himself the first entrant in the Royal Rumble match on the November 21, 2016 episode of ''Raw''. The next week, Lesnar's manager
Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...
stated that Lesnar would also compete in the Royal Rumble as he "has something to prove", having been "humiliated" by Goldberg. Over the following weeks, The New Day ( Big E, Kofi Kingston, and
Xavier Woods Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-half of the current NXT Tag ...
),
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
,
Braun Strowman Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Braun Strowman. In WWE, he is a one-time U ...
,
Baron Corbin Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin. Pestock is a former off ...
,
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
, Intercontinental Champion
Dean Ambrose Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wres ...
,
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
,
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
, and Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro
and or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar, and computing * Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a boolea ...
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European i ...
announced their participation in the match. On the January 16, 2017, episode of ''Raw'', Titus O'Neil challenged The New Day for one of their spots. Big E accepted the challenge and defeated O'Neil.
Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fo ...
,
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
, Luke Harper, and
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
also announced themselves as participants in the Royal Rumble.
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
had confirmed his entry via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
on January 9, but lost his spot to
Sami Zayn Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to jo ...
on the January 23 episode of ''Raw'', after a distraction by
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
's music. Later in the night,
Big Cass William Morrissey (born August 16, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He currently performs in All Elite Wrestling, where he is a member of The Firm, under the ring name Big Bill. He is also known for his tenures with WWE (where he per ...
and Rusev announced their participation in the match. On the January 24 episode of ''SmackDown'', Mojo Rawley won a 10-man battle royal to qualify for the match. The remaining eight spots were revealed at the event during the match. At Roadblock: End of the Line on December 18, 2016, Kevin Owens retained the WWE Universal Championship against United States Champion
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
after Chris Jericho attacked Owens with a ''Codebreaker'', giving Owens the win by disqualification. After the match, Jericho, who lost to Seth Rollins earlier that night, revealed he planned the disqualification so that Owens would win and retain the title. Reigns and Rollins attacked both Owens and Jericho by performing Double Powerbombs on both men through broadcast tables. The next night on ''Raw'', Raw General Manager
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for m ...
interrupted Jericho and Owens celebrating, announcing that Reigns would get a rematch against Owens for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble, and Jericho would be suspended above the ring inside of a
shark cage Shark cage diving is underwater diving or snorkeling where the observer remains inside a protective cage designed to prevent sharks from making contact with the divers. Shark cage diving is used for scientific observation, underwater cinematograph ...
to ensure that he would not interfere in the match. Foley threatened that if Jericho does not enter the cage, he would be fired. Both were then put into a tag team match against Reigns and Rollins. The latter two won by disqualification after Braun Strowman came out and attacked them. The following week, Reigns retained the United States Championship against Owens after Rollins attacked an interfering Jericho. The following week, Reigns again retained the United States Championship, this time against Jericho. Owens was banned from ringside during the match as a result of losing to Rollins earlier that night. The following week, Reigns again defended the United States Title, this time in a handicap match against both Jericho and Owens. After Jericho and Owens double-teamed Reigns, Jericho scored the pinfall to become the United States Champion. The next week, after the opening segment involving Owens, Jericho, Reigns, Rollins, Strowman (who had faced Rollins in previous weeks), Sami Zayn (who attacked Strowman during his recent matches), and Brock Lesnar ended in a brawl, a six-man tag team match was scheduled for the main event, with Owens, Jericho, and Strowman winning against Reigns, Rollins, and Zayn. After the match, Owens powerbombed Reigns through a broadcast table. On the final ''Raw'' before Royal Rumble, Reigns faced Jericho in a rematch for the United States Championship, but Jericho was disqualified when Owens interfered, attacking Reigns. Owens and Jericho attempted to put Reigns in the shark cage, but Reigns retaliated and locked Owens in it, had it lifted above the ring, and then performed a "Superman Punch" and a spear on Jericho. Afterwards, it was announced that the match at Royal Rumble would be a
no disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 4, 2016,
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
retained the then-WWE World Championship against Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. On the December 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', Dolph Ziggler defeated Ambrose, The Miz, and Luke Harper in a four-way elimination match to earn a match for the renamed WWE Championship on the December 27 episode. On the December 20 episode, however, Baron Corbin confronted Ziggler, calling him undeserving of a title shot and stated that Ziggler only won because he was not there. The two then had a match with Ziggler's title shot on the line, but it ended in a double count-out. Styles then attacked both Ziggler and Corbin with a chair. SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan then scheduled a triple threat for the WWE Championship between the three for the December 27 episode. That episode,
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
returned from a near three-month hiatus and challenged the winner for the title at Royal Rumble. After Styles retained the WWE Championship, Cena came out, looking ready to fight, but instead congratulated him with a handshake. Cena and Styles had a contract signing on the January 3, 2017 episode. They were interrupted by Corbin, who claimed that he would win the Royal Rumble match and face the WWE Champion at WrestleMania. As Cena prepared to fight Corbin, Styles attacked Cena. Cena then defeated Corbin the following week. On the January 17 episode, Styles faced The Miz with Cena on commentary. The match ended in a no contest after Styles attacked Cena. A brawl ensued and Cena delivered an "Attitude Adjustment" to both The Miz and Styles. At Roadblock: End of the Line,
Charlotte Flair Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive. She is a second-genera ...
defeated
Sasha Banks Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks. Banks previously wrestled on ...
in overtime of a 30-minute Iron Man match to win her fourth
Raw Women's Championship The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along ...
, as well as ending their long feud. On the following ''Raw'', Banks, in a knee brace and on a crutch, came to the ring to congratulate Flair but instead was attacked by Nia Jax. Later, Flair came out and declared herself to be the greatest female wrestler of all time, but Bayley interrupted Flair, reminding her that Bayley had beaten her twice on previous occasions. Bayley then pinned Flair in an impromptu non-title match. However, as replays showed that Charlotte had her shoulder up before the three count, Charlotte faced Bayley in another non-title match the following week, but this time with Dana Brooke as guest referee, who gave a fast three count to give Flair the victory. On the January 2, 2017, episode of ''Raw'', Bayley defeated Nia Jax due to a distraction by Sasha Banks to become the number one contender for the Raw Women's Championship at Royal Rumble. Backstage the following week, Flair and Jax attacked Bayley and Banks and later defeated them in a tag team match. On January 23, after a confrontation between the two, Sasha was scheduled to face Nia on the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show. At Roadblock: End of the Line,
Rich Swann Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cha ...
retained the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in a
triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
against T. J. Perkins and
The Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
. After the match, Neville appeared and attacked both Swann and Perkins, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
. The following night on ''Raw'', Neville stated his intention to take out the entire cruiserweight division, and proclaimed himself to be "King of the Cruiserweights". Swann questioned Neville's actions, but was then attacked by Neville and Kendrick, who sided with Neville. Perkins tried to help Swann, but was overpowered by Neville. The next night on ''205 Live'', Neville and Kendrick defeated Perkins and Swann in a tag team match. The following ''Raw'', after Neville defeated Perkins, he challenged Swann to a match for the following ''205 Live''. Later, after Swann defeated Ariya Daivari, he accepted the challenge, but was immediately attacked by Neville. On ''205 Live'', Neville defeated Swann in a non-title match, and proceeded to attack Swann again. On the January 9, 2017 episode of ''Raw'', after defeating Lince Dorado, Neville proceeded to attack Dorado more until Swann came to his aid and fended off Neville. On the following ''205 Live'', after Swann defeated Tony Nese, Swann called out Neville, but Neville refused to face Swann unless it was for the Cruiserweight Championship. Swann then accepted Neville's challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble. The following ''Raw'', Neville attacked Swann before his match with Nese, and Nese joined Neville in the attack. At Roadblock: End of the Line, Cesaro and Sheamus defeated The New Day's Big E and Kofi Kingston to become the new Raw Tag Team Champions, as well as ending New Day's record-long reign. The following night on ''Raw'', Mick Foley congratulated Cesaro and Sheamus and presented them with a new set of championship belts. The New Day also congratulated them, but were interrupted by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Big E and Kingston then teamed with Cesaro and Sheamus to defeat Gallows and Anderson and The Shining Stars. The following week, The New Day (Kingston and Xavier Woods) invoked their rematch clause for the championship, but were unsuccessful. Cesaro and Sheamus then began a rivalry with Gallows and Anderson. On the January 2 episode of ''Raw'',
Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980), better known by the ring name Karl Anderson, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), ...
defeated Cesaro. The following week, Sheamus defeated Luke Gallows. On the January 16 episode, Cesaro and Sheamus defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Gallows and Anderson. After the first referee was accidentally knocked out by Sheamus, another referee came out and called the winning pinfall for Gallows and Anderson. However, the original referee reversed the decision and made it a disqualification win for Gallows and Anderson, thus Cesaro and Sheamus retained the titles. A match between the two teams for the titles with two referees was scheduled for the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs,
Alexa Bliss Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was a ...
defeated
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter name ...
in a
tables match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to win the SmackDown Women's Championship. Subsequently, Bliss avoided a rematch against Lynch but lost a non-title match against "newcomer" La Luchadora, who made the champion submit to the ''Dis-arm-her'' and then unmasked as Lynch. Over the next few weeks, an unknown villainess dressed as La Luchadora began to aid Bliss in matches against Lynch, including her successful title defense in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
in the main event of the January 17, 2017 episode of ''SmackDown'', where La Luchadora was unmasked as the returning
Mickie James Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Country music, country singer. She is currently signed to Impact Wrestling. She has also had tenures in WWE a ...
. The following week, James explained that she became forgotten due to the Women's Revolution; Lynch then came out, but was ambushed by Bliss.
Nikki Bella Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace (born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Bella, is an American professional wrestler and television personality. She is currently signed to WWE as an ambassador. In 2007, Bella signed with WWE an ...
and Natalya had entered a heated feud after
Carmella Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Carmella DeCesare, a playmate for ''Playboy'' magazine * Carmella Flöck, a courier for the Austrian Resistance during the Anschluss of 1938–1945. * Carmella Sab ...
had claimed that Natalya had attacked Bella at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
in order to take her place in her match. After denying the accusations at first, Natalya admitted to the attack on the December 20 episode of ''SmackDown'', revealing pent up jealousy of the Bella Twins, resulting in brawls between the two in the following weeks. One of these brawls, on the January 24 episode, resulted in a match between Natalya and
Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
being canceled. Naomi, left without an opponent, then issued an open challenge. Bliss came out, not to accept the challenge, but to insult Naomi. A six-woman tag team match was then scheduled for the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show, putting Lynch, Bella, and Naomi against Bliss, James, and Natalya.


Event


Pre-show

During the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, and Naomi faced SmackDown Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and Natalya. Naomi performed a split-legged moonsault on Bliss to win the match. Next, Cesaro and Sheamus defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson with two referees assigned to the match. Anderson pinned Cesaro with a roll-up whilst holding his tights to win the title. After that, Nia Jax faced Sasha Banks. Jax performed a pop-up Samoan drop on Banks for the win.


Preliminary matches

The actual pay-per-view opened with Charlotte Flair defending the Raw Women's Championship against Bayley. In the end, Charlotte performed a Natural Selection on Bayley onto the ring apron and pinned her to retain the title. Next, Kevin Owens defended the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a No-Disqualification match, with United States Champion Chris Jericho suspended above the ring in a shark cage. Outside the ring, Owens performed a frog splash on Reigns through a table and scored a near-fall. Jericho threw a pair of brass knuckles to Owens, which Owens used to perform a Superman Punch on Reigns for a near-fall. As Owens attempted a powerbomb through a chair, Reigns countered into a Samoan Drop through the chair on Owens for a near-fall. Reigns performed a Superman punch on Owens for a near-fall. Reigns attempted a Spear but Owens countered into a stunner on Reigns for a near-fall. Reigns performed a Superman punch on Owens, causing Owens to fall through chairs stacked outside the ring, which was followed by a powerbomb through an announce table to Owens. Braun Strowman interfered, attacking Reigns with a chokeslam onto an announce table and a running powerslam through a table positioned in the corner. Owens pinned Reigns to retain the title. After that, Rich Swann defended the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Neville. Neville forced Swann to submit to the Rings of Saturn to win the title. In the fourth match, AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against John Cena. Cena performed an Attitude Adjustment on Styles for a near-fall. Styles performed a Phenomenal Forearm on Cena for a near-fall. A trade of reversals of Styles' Calf Crusher and Cena's STF followed. Styles applied the STF on Cena but Cena escaped and applied the figure-four leglock on Styles, which Styles turned into a cross armbreaker but Cena escaped. Styles performed a Styles Clash on Cena for a near-fall. Cena performed a Super Attitude Adjustment on Styles for a near-fall. Cena attempted another Attitude Adjustment, but Styles countered and performed a Styles Clash. Instead of going for a cover, Styles attempted a Phenomenal Forearm, but Cena countered into a third Attitude Adjustment, which was immediately followed by a fourth Attitude Adjustment on Styles to win the title for his record thirteenth WWE Championship. With this win, Cena tied Ric Flair's record of 16 recognized world championship reigns. However, the authenticity of this supposed record-tying has been called into question.
Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
has stated that Flair is at minimum a 19-time world champion, writing "to me, the debate on Flair is whether he's a 19-time champion or a 20-time champion, but you can very much argue any number from 19 minimum to 23 maximum. In this day and age where the Internet is full of this information, it's kind of hard to cling to the 16 number, although "16" is the WWE mythology and it's hard to change from something they've pushed for so long",


Main event

The main event was the traditional 30-man Royal Rumble match with the winner earning a world championship match at WrestleMania 33. Big Cass and Chris Jericho began the match as the first and second entrants, respectively. Jack Gallagher, who was the fifth entrant, used his umbrella to attack
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
, but was eliminated by Henry. The seventh entrant, Braun Strowman, scored the most eliminations with seven, eliminating Cass, Kalisto, Mojo Rawley, Mark Henry, Big Show, NXT's surprise entrant Tye Dillinger, and James Ellsworth. Baron Corbin, the thirteenth entrant, eventually eliminated Strowman. Wyatt family members Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, and Luke Harper entered as the twenty-first, twenty-third, and twenty-fifth entrants, respectively. Wyatt tried to maintain peace between his family, but Harper attacked Wyatt and Orton. Brock Lesnar entered as the twenty-sixth entrant, executed F5s on Orton and The Miz, and eliminated Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose (the twelfth entrant), Dolph Ziggler (the twenty-fourth entrant), and Enzo Amore (the twenty-seventh entrant). Goldberg entered as the twenty-eighth entrant, quickly eliminated Lesnar after delivering a spear, and then eliminated Rusev and Harper. The Undertaker entered as the twenty-ninth entrant, eliminating Baron Corbin, Goldberg, The Miz, and Sami Zayn, however, he was eliminated by Roman Reigns, the thirtieth entrant. Jericho, Wyatt, Orton, and Reigns were the final four. Reigns eliminated Jericho by executing a Superman Punch to knock Jericho off the top rope, and after Wyatt attempted Sister Abigail on Reigns, Reigns countered into a Superman Punch and eliminated Wyatt. As Reigns attempted a Spear on Orton, Orton countered into an "RKO" and eliminated Reigns to win the match, earning himself a match for his brand's WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33. As a result of his win, Orton became a two-time Rumble winner (the first being in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
), and the seventh wrestler to win multiple Rumbles.


Aftermath


Raw

The following night on ''Raw'', Braun Strowman revealed that he had helped Kevin Owens retain the WWE Universal Championship because of his dislike for Roman Reigns and because Owens had promised him a title shot. Owens denied this before Strowman showed footage confirming his claim. Raw General Manager Mick Foley then scheduled the match, which ended in no contest when Reigns interfered and attacked Strowman. Chris Jericho also faced Sami Zayn in a non-title match and lost. The following week, Strowman was scheduled to face Reigns at Fastlane on March 5, and Jericho retained the United States Championship against Zayn. After being humiliated by Goldberg again, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman appeared on ''Raw'' to challenge Goldberg to one final match at WrestleMania 33. Goldberg appeared the following week and accepted Lesnar's challenge. Goldberg also challenged Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship at Fastlane, which was accepted by Chris Jericho on behalf of Owens and made official. This resulted in Owens turning on Jericho on the February 13 episode and hospitalizing him. Also on ''Raw'', Bayley, Cesaro, and Sheamus teamed up to face Charlotte Flair, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson in a six-person mixed tag team match where Bayley pinned Charlotte. Also, Sasha Banks had a rematch with Nia Jax, who dominated and defeated Sasha again, exploiting her injured knee. Bayley then defeated Charlotte in a rematch on the February 13 episode to become the Raw Women's Champion. The following week, Charlotte invoked her rematch clause for Fastlane, and Sasha was scheduled for another match with Jax at Fastlane. Also, on the February 6 episode, Cesaro and Sheamus invoked their rematch clause for the Raw Tag Team Championship, but the match ended in a disqualification thanks to interference from Enzo Amore and Big Cass. Enzo and Cass defeated Cesaro and Sheamus on the February 20 episode to become the number one contenders at Fastlane. Seth Rollins, who had been banned from the Royal Rumble, confronted Stephanie McMahon about her husband Triple H and Rollins' appearance a couple of nights prior at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. Stephanie then revealed that Triple H would be on ''Raw'' later that night. Triple H showed up and called out Rollins. As Rollins made his way to the ring, NXT call-up
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AE ...
made his main roster debut and attacked Rollins on behalf of Triple H. Joe's attack on Rollins re-injured the same knee that had sidelined him for six months. It was reported that Rollins would be out of action for up to eight weeks and could possibly miss WrestleMania. Rollins appeared on the February 27 episode of ''Raw'' to give an update. Triple H also appeared and confronted Rollins, who declared that he would be at WrestleMania. Neville came out for a "coronation" on becoming the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion. He was interrupted by Rich Swann, who stated that they will have a rematch before a brawl ensued. The following night on ''205 Live'', it was revealed that Swann was injured during the confrontation, and a Fatal 5-Way Elimination match was scheduled for the following ''205 Live'' to determine the number one contender for Neville at Fastlane, which was won by Jack Gallagher.


SmackDown

On the following episode of ''SmackDown'', Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton warned new WWE Champion John Cena that if he was still champion at WrestleMania, he would take the title from him. Orton then pinned Cena in a tag team match, but lost to Cena the following week due to distraction by Luke Harper. Orton was scheduled to face Harper at Elimination Chamber on February 12. A couple of weeks prior to the Royal Rumble, SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that the main event of SmackDown's next pay-per-view would be an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. On January 30, after losing the title, it was confirmed that AJ Styles would be entering the match. The following episode of ''SmackDown'', Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan said that Styles will eventually get a one-on-one rematch for the title, and then revealed the other participants in the Elimination Chamber match: Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin, The Miz, and Dean Ambrose. Becky Lynch and Naomi had another tag team match against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James, where Naomi again pinned Bliss. Afterwards on ''Talking Smack'', Bliss was scheduled to defend the SmackDown Women's Championship against Naomi at Elimination Chamber. Also, Daniel Bryan announced that Natalya will face Nikki Bella at Elimination Chamber to settle their differences. The following week, Lynch was scheduled to face James at Elimination Chamber. SmackDown's tag team division was absent from the Royal Rumble event, but on the following ''SmackDown'', SmackDown Tag Team Champions American Alpha made an open challenge for the titles. Five other teams came out and a brawl ensued. A championship tag team turmoil match was scheduled for Elimination Chamber.


Results


Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations

: – Raw : – SmackDown : –
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
: –
205 Live ''WWE 205 Live'' is an American professional wrestling streaming television program that was produced by WWE. It premiered on November 29, 2016, and ended on February 11, 2022. The show originally aired exclusively on the WWE Network until March ...
: – Unbranded : – Winner


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Rumble (2017)
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