Rhea Ripley won the Women's Royal Rumble Match to earn a Women's Championship Match at WrestleMania

Published Feb. 27, 2023 11:50 a.m. ET
WWE

Rhea Ripley (No. 1) had her night start as a Nightmare after being Speared by Beth Phoenix earlier in the evening. Ripley had to contend with Liv Morgan (No. 2), who had volunteered to start the match the past couple of weeks.  Dana Brooke (No. 3), Natalya (No. 11), Tamina (No. 19) and Morgan broke their record for most Rumble appearances with six, while Emma (No. 4) made her first appearance at the Royal Rumble, despite being a pioneer of the Women’s Evolution. B-Fab (No. 7) also made her first appearance but had the dubious honor of being the first woman eliminated. Bayley (No. 6), Dakota Kai (No. 9) and IYO SKY (No. 10) dominated, as Damage CTRL eliminated Brooke, Emma, NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez (No. 8), Natalya (No. 11), Shayna Baszler (No. 5) and Candice LeRae (No. 12). NXT had quite the presence with not only Perez but Zoey Stark (No. 13) and Indi Hartwell (No. 26) making their Royal Rumble debuts. The Man Becky Lynch entered at number 15, trying to take out Damage CTRL, but the trio overwhelmed her and hurled her over the announce table. Asuka (No. 17) and Piper Niven (No. 18) both showed off new looks with Asuka returning to a deafening ovation and eliminating Tegan Nox (No. 16). Chelsea Green (No. 20) continued the parade of returnees but was eliminated in brutal and quick fashion by Ripley. After being tossed by Ripley, Green broke the record of Superstar eliminated the fastest in the Women’s Rumble. Lynch soon made her way back in the ring, eliminating Kai and SKY before Bayley had the final laugh by tossing The Man. Morgan, however, stunned Bayley by immediately throwing her over the top rope as well. Lynch and Damage CTRL then brawled their way to the backstage area. Zelina Vega (No. 21) dressed as Juri from Street Fighter and eliminated Xia Li (No. 14). Michelle McCool (No. 25) entered the Rumble in unique fashion, coming into the match from the front row. McCool dominated early, hitting Vega with the Faithbreaker and tossing Tamina (No. 19).  Rounding out the field were Nikki Cross (No. 29) and a returning Nia Jax (No. 30), the latter of whom stopped all the other women in their tracks. Jax had a bullseye on her from the get-go, with all the other competitors ganging up to try to eliminate her, but she was able to shake them.  Ripley took a piece of Jax in all-out rage, dropping her with the Riptide before the other 11 Superstars eliminated Jax from the Rumble.  As the field thinned, Niven was eliminated by Raquel Rodriguez (No. 22), while Morgan and Ripley broke the record for longest time in the ring. Ripley continued her dominance by ejecting Rodriguez, and Morgan dumped Cross, leaving the final three as Asuka, Ripley and Morgan. With everyone having gone over the top rope onto the apron, Asuka attempted to hit Ripley with the green mist but instead blinded Morgan. Seconds later, Ripley got rid of Asuka. Morgan, blinded with the mist, kept up the attack and almost eliminated Ripley. Ripley, however, flipped the blinded Morgan off the apron with a devastating headscissors takedown to win a record-setting Royal Rumble. Full list of Royal Rumble Match participants and eliminations No. Superstar Eliminated Eliminated By Time 1 Rhea Ripley Asuka, B-Fab, Chelsea Green, Liv Morgan, Michelle McCool, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez WINNER 1:01:08 2 Liv Morgan Bayley, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross Rhea Ripley 1:01:07 3 Dana Brooke Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY 0:11:43 4 Emma Dakota Kai -0:10:12 5 Shayna Baszler Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY 0:13:28 6 Bayley Becky Lynch, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Roxanne Perez, Shayna Baszler Liv Morgan 0:27:09 7 B-Fab Rhea Ripleu 0:00:36 8 Roxanne Perez Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY 0:04:34 9 Dakota Kai Dana Brooke, Emma, Natalya, Roxanne Perez, Shayna Baszler Becky Lynch 0:22:20 10 IYO SKY Candice LeRae, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Roxanne Perez, Shayna Baszler Becky Lynch 0:20:49 11 Natalya Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY 0:03:08 12 Candice LeRae IYO SKY 0:05:11 13 Zoey Stark Sonya Deville 0:26:34 14 Xia Li Zelina Vega 0:15:30 15 Becky Lynch Dakota Kai, IYO SKY Bayley 0:10:45 16 Tegan Nox Asuka 0:03:41 17 Asuka Nia Jax, Sonya Deville, Tegan Nox Rhea Ripley 0:33:15 18 Piper Niven Michin, Nia Jax Raquel Rodriguez 0:28:05 19 Tamina Michelle McCool 0:11:58 20 Chelsea Green Rhea Ripley 0:00:05 21 Zelina Vega Xia Li Lacey Evans 0:11:30 22 Raquel Rodriguez Lacey Evans, Nia Jax, Piper Niven Rhea Ripley 0:20:40 23 Michin Nia Jax, Shotzi Piper Niven 0:17:44 24 Lacey Evans Nia Jax, Zelina Vega Raquel Rodriguez 0:14:05 25 Michelle McCool Nia Jax, Tamina Rhea Ripley 0:13:53 26 Indi Hartwell Sonya Deville 0:04:51 27 Sonya Deville Indi Hartwell, Nia Jax, Zoey Stark Asuka 0:10:17 28 Shotzi Nia Jax Michin 0:08:39 29 Nikki Cross Nia Jax Liv Morgan 0:09:16 30 Nia Jax Asuka, Evans, Morgan, McCool, Michin, Nikki Cross, Niven, Rodriguez, Ripley, Deville, Shotzi 0:01:57

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