WWE ROYAL RUMBLE - January 29th, 2017

Matches

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The 2017 Royal Rumble Match

Thirty Superstars from Raw and SmackDown LIVE will fight for sports-entertainment immortality when the annual Royal Rumble Match takes over WWE Network this Sunday, Jan. 29. The winner of the massive melee, now in its 30th year, will go on to challenge for a World Championship in the main event of WrestleMania this April.

A tradition dating back to 1988, the Royal Rumble Match starts with two participants, and new Superstars entering the ring every 90 seconds. This continues until all 30 Superstars have entered the bout. Elimination occurs when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope and both of his feet hit the floor. The last Superstar in the ring will be declared the victor.

So far, the following the Superstars have been announced for the gigantic match:

The Undertaker
Goldberg
Brock Lesnar
Big Show
Dean Ambrose
The Miz
Sami Zayn
Dolph Ziggler
Big E
Xavier Woods
Kofi Kingston
Bray Wyatt
Randy Orton
Luke Harper
Mojo Rawley
Braun Strowman
Chris Jericho
Baron Corbin
Cesaro
Sheamus
Big Cass
Rusev

What other Superstars from Raw and SmackDown LIVE will join the fray and fight for the chance to headline The Grandest Stage of Them All? More important yet: Who will be the last man standing when the dust settles inside San Antonio’s historic Alamodome?

Find out when The Road to WrestleMania begins at WWE Royal Rumble 2017. The huge event takes place this Sunday, Jan. 29, at 7 ET/4 PT, live on the award-winning WWE Network.

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WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. John Cena

John Cena’s historic chase for his 16th World Title continues Sunday, Jan. 29, when he challenges WWE Champion AJ Styles at Royal Rumble 2017.

A victory for the Cenation leader would not only reestablish him as “The Face that Runs the Place,” a moniker Styles mocks with his “Champ that Runs the Camp” takeoff, but it would also thrust Cena into even more rarified air, tying him with WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair for the most World Title reigns ever.

Styles has denied Cena’s quest for the history books before, in October, when The Phenomenal One topped Cena and Dean Ambrose in a Triple Threat Match at WWE No Mercy. In that instance, an attack with a steel chair helped Styles put Cena’s shoulders on the mat for a three-count.

Cena maintained a low profile on SmackDown LIVE in the weeks that followed, turning his attention to his many projects outside the ring. But upon returning on Dec. 27, at SmackDown LIVE’s Wild Card Finals, the decorated Superstar confirmed that he has Team Blue’s top titleholder in his sights.

Previous showdowns between Cena and Styles — including their unreal series of dream matches over the summer, which culminated with Styles defeating Cena at SummerSlam — floored the WWE Universe, rivaling some of the most intense and dramatic bouts in sports-entertainment history.

What’s in store on Jan. 29 when Cena goes for Styles’ championship gold again inside the hallowed confines of San Antonio’s Alamodome? Will the Cenation leader dethrone the dynamic Phenomenal One, ending his title reign at the very same event that Styles made his WWE debut one year earlier? Or can the ever-resourceful WWE Champion hold onto the title against the most dominant competitor in modern history?

Don’t miss Royal Rumble 2017, airing live Sunday, Jan. 29, on the award-winning WWE Network at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (No Disqualification Match, with Chris Jericho suspended above the ring in a shark cage)

After being cheated out of the WWE Universal Championship at Roadblock: End of the Line, Roman Reigns will have another opportunity to dethrone Kevin Owens in a No Disqualification Match at Royal Rumble 2017.

What’s different this time is the Superstar responsible for denying Reigns’ victory against Owens, KO’s best friend and new U.S. Champion Chris Jericho, will be suspended 20 feet above the ring in a locked shark cage and there will be no disqualification. The stipulation, introduced by Raw General Manager Mick Foley, effectively factors Jericho out of the equation on Sunday, Jan. 29. Jericho attacked Owens during the title contest at Roadblock: End of the Line, and though it at first appeared to be an act of betrayal, the ambush caused Reigns to be disqualified and allowed Owens to retain the championship.

Owens and Jericho’s friendship, always in service of Owens’ title reign, can withstand the toll of an occasional Codebreaker, but how will the best buds, including the acrophobic Jericho, hold up under the unique conditions of the upcoming WWE Universal Championship Match? Will Owens and Jericho hatch another scheme to derail Reigns’ mission to regain the crown, despite Jericho being locked away in a cage high above the ring? Or, with the playing field now even, can The Big Dog pounce and take out The Prizefighter for Raw’s top title?

Watch the huge championship match at the 30th annual Royal Rumble, airing live on the award-winning WWE Network Sunday, Jan. 29, at special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley

In 2016, Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair enjoyed one of the most successful years of any competitor in recent history. But with a title defense against Bayley now set for Royal Rumble on Jan. 29, one can’t help but wonder if The Queen’s 2017 will start off on a considerably less triumphant note.

Through Charlotte’s many achievements last year — among them, being crowned the first WWE Women’s Champion, capturing the Raw Women’s Title three times and staying undefeated in singles matches on pay-per-view — she remained uncharacteristically vulnerable against one Superstar: Bayley.

The Huggable One twice defeated Charlotte on Raw, and a third “W” was academic until Flair’s high-powered team of attorneys — citing “referee error” — forced Raw officials to expunge the final victory from the record books. A subsequent rematch was won by Charlotte but did little to settle the score in any objective sense, considering Flair’s protégé, Dana Brooke, served as the special guest referee, and a plainly biased one, at that.

The playing field will be level at Royal Rumble, however, and history shows that plays to the strength of Raw’s favorite ponytailed underdog, who overcame Nia Jax to earn the No. 1 contendership. Charlotte might insist that the long lag between the arrivals of Bayley and the other Four Horsewomen to WWE indicates Bayley’s low ranking on the totem pole, but let there be no confusion: Bayley has captured not just the hearts of the WWE Universe, but also one pivotal victory after another, slowly but surely building the case for why she might be the most dangerous threat of all in Raw’s Women’s division.

Will Bayley’s feel-good story reach a heartwarming crescendo in the form of a championship win at Royal Rumble? Or will The Queen’s rule hold steady inside San Antonio’s Alamodome? Watch the Raw Women’s Championship Match when Royal Rumble airs live on WWE Network Sunday, Jan. 29, at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

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WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann vs. Neville

Neville will finally have his opportunity to officially claim his title of The King of the Cruiserweights when he challenges Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight Championship at Royal Rumble 2017.

At Roadblock: End of the Line, Swann successfully defended the Cruiserweight Championship against TJ Perkins and The Brian Kendrick. Following the match, Neville made a surprise return to seemingly congratulate his old friend. However, Swann’s elation was swiftly and brutally quelled by an all-out assault from Neville. Declaring himself The King of the Cruiserweight, the British competitor has refused to relent until he proves himself to be the pinnacle of division.

On the inaugural episode of WWE 205 Live, Swann defeated Kendrick to win his first Cruiserweight Title. Since then, he has displayed the heart of a champion, defeating both Kendrick and Perkins in respective singles matches and in a Triple Threat Match.

Regardless, Neville truly considers himself the Cruiserweight others should strive to emulate. The King of the Cruiserweights is also stepping into the squared circle with a chip on his shoulder, believing that he was kept out of the Cruiserweight Classic because there would be no competition at his level. Now he has a chance to prove once and for all that he is The King of the Cruiserweights.

Watch Rich Swann defend the Cruiserweight Championship against Neville at the 30th annual Royal Rumble, airing live on the award-winning WWE Network Sunday, Jan. 29, at special start time of 7 ET/4 PT. New subscribers: Start your free month now, including Royal Rumble!

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Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella & Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James and Natalya (Kickoff Match)

The SmackDown LIVE Women’s division is anything but uneventful. This Sunday, on the Royal Rumble Kickoff, several rivalries will intersect when Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch & Naomi square off against SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & Natalya in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match.

Bliss and Lynch’s conflict over the title has escalated over the past several weeks with the mysterious injection of the masked La Luchadora. However, when La Luchadora was revealed to be the legendary Mickie James during Bliss and Lynch’s historic Steel Cage Match, it was clear the landscape of the division had officially changed. James helped WWE’s Wicked Witch retain her title, and the two seem to have formed a mighty powerful alliance.

Meanwhile, Nikki and Natalya have been engulfed in their own personally charged war that has seen insults and fists fly in equal measure. The returning Naomi then entered the mix with a tense exchange with Bliss on SmackDown LIVE just six days before Royal Rumble, claiming that she would be the one to dethrone Alexa for Team Blue’s top women’s prize.

Now, with all of these matters merging on the Kickoff, sparks will inevitably fly. Will Bliss, James and Natalya’s mind games pay dividends in the way of a tactical advantage? Or, will Fearless Nikki, Naomi and The Irish Lass Kicker all be able to exact retribution in one fell swoop?

Don’t miss the Royal Rumble Kickoff, airing live this Sunday, Jan. 29, on the award-winning WWE Network at a special start time of 5 ET/2 PT. In addition to WWE Network, the Kickoff is available on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.

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Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (Kickoff Match)

The action between Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus and challengers Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson has grown so wild and out of control that two referees will be assigned to this Sunday’s title rematch on the Royal Rumble Kickoff.

The last time these two teams met, on the Jan. 16 edition of Raw, Sheamus accidentally clobbered referee John Cone in the bout’s final moments. Seconds later, Gallows & Anderson seized control and took down Cesaro with the Magic Killer. At that point, another referee, WWE official Darrick Moore, entered the ring to administer a three-count. As Gallows & Anderson celebrated their victory, however, Cone regained his senses and overturned Moore’s decision, explaining that he was disqualifying Sheamus.

Gallows & Anderson remained the winners on record, but, as titles cannot change via disqualification, were left empty-handed. The tandem cried foul following the controversy, claiming they were cheated out of the championship, but reiterated their objectives of “being mean and making green,” and of taking over Raw’s Tag Team division. More importantly, they said, they proved they can beat the champions.

Will the bruisers in black finally score their first Raw Tag Team Title win, or will the steadily gelling team of Cesaro & Sheamus find a way to retain? And how will the complexion of the brawl be shaped by the presence of two referees?

Watch the ripsnorting Raw Tag Team Title Match live this Sunday on the special, two-hour Royal Rumble Kickoff. The Kickoff airs live at 5 ET/2 PT on the award-winning WWE Network, and also streams for free on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

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Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax (Kickoff Match)

Nia Jax may have “broken The Boss,” but Sasha Banks won’t stay shattered for long as the two are set to clash on the special two-hour Royal Rumble Kickoff, this Sunday on WWE Network.

Looking to assert her supremacy in the teeming Women’s division of the New Era, Nia singled Sasha out as easy pickings following The Boss’ brutal defeat at the hands of Charlotte Flair in a WWE Iron Man Match in December. Ever since then it’s been relentless punishment at the hands of the mighty Superstar, with Sasha unable to keep her legs under her long enough (literally) to mount a challenge.

However, everyone knows that Sasha refuses to stay down for very long, even with seemingly insurmountable odds against her. And now that Banks has a date with her tormentor, perhaps The Boss will find her footing and leave Jax in the dust. Tune into this long-brewing women’s showdown on the Royal Rumble Kickoff, live this Sunday, Jan. 29, at 5 ET/2 PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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