One of WWE’s most important annual traditions, the Royal Rumble pay-per-view has eclipsed Summerslam as WWE’s second-biggest show of the year.
But this year, the actual Royal Rumble match takes a backseat to the WWE Championship battle between CM Punk and The Rock.
The Punk-Rock program, first teased at the RAW 1000 show this summer, has been the highlight of the Royal Rumble hype, and it finally comes to a boil with a match on Sunday.
Plans still call for The Rock to bring the WWE Championship to WrestleMania, but insofar as everyone knows that and expects Rock to win Sunday, it would not be out of the question for WWE to “swerve” viewers and keep the belt on CM Punk until next month. WWE’s ultimate decision on the matter will be revealed in a few short hours.
Full WWE Royal Rumble match results, courtesy MARC MIDDLETON, follow:
WWE United States Title Match: The Miz vs. Antonio Cesaro
We go to the ring and out first comes WWE United States Champion Antonio Cesaro. The Miz is out next to a decent reaction.
They lock up and Miz goes for a quick roll up. They lock up again and Miz applies a headlock. Cesaro fights out and they trade holds. Cesaro drops Miz but misses a clothesline. Miz drops Cesaro for 2. Miz with another roll up for 2. Miz with a headlock takedown now. More back and forth action. Cesaro catches Miz in mid-air with a backbreaker for 2. Miz comes back but Cesaro catches him in mid-air with a slam this time for another pin attempt. Cesaro with another 2 count. Cesaro uses the ropes now.
Cesaro with an uppercut and a gutwrench suplex for a 2 count. Cesaro with lefts and rights in the corner now. Miz fights back and charges but once again gets caught in mid-air with a big slam for another pin attempt. Cesaro with a chest stomp and kick to the back. Miz fights out of a hold and hits the backbreaker neckbreaker combo. Miz unloads in the corner and hits a big clothesline. Miz goes to the top but lands bad on his leg after Cesaro counters. Miz still manages to hit a DDT for 2. Cesaro gets caught with his feet on the ropes. More back and forth. Miz with a big kick to the face. More back and forth. Cesaro gets the win with The Neutralizer.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
– We get a hype video for CM Punk vs. The Rock.
– The 2013 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view kicks off with a hype video for tonight’s 30-man main event. The focus shifts to CM Punk’s WWE Title reign and The Rock challenging him tonight.
– We’re live from a sold out US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona as the pyro goes off. Michael Cole welcomes us to the Royal Rumble and the Road to WrestleMania. He’s joined by JBL and Jerry Lawler.
Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
Lilian Garcia is in the ring for tonight’s opener. She introduces Big Show and out he comes first. We see Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez walking backstage. Ricardo seems concerned for Del Rio. Bret Hart appears and shakes Del Rio’s hand, wishing him good luck. Hart says Big Show is about as big and bad as they come. Hart says Del Rio reminds him of a Mexican Bret Hart. Del Rio leaves and Ricardo tells Bret how big of a fan he is. Del Rio comes back to get Ricardo. Bret gives his shades to Ricardo and finally they head to the ring. We meet the announcers and it feels like they are stalling. Ricardo comes out wearing Bret’s glasses and begins the introduction for Del Rio. Finally out comes the World Heavyweight Champion.
The bell rings and Show takes Del Rio to the corner with body shots and a headbutt. Show with a massive chop to the chest. Del Rio with a kick and punches. Show runs over Del Rio and knocks him down. Show with a scoop slam and some trash talking to the fans. Del Rio fights back and goes to the second rope. Show knocks him out in mid-air with a big chop to the chest. Show with another headbutt and a big back splash int he corner. Del Rio dropkicks Show’s leg out and he goes down. Del Rio with a big kick to the head. Del Rio with another kick. Show comes back and goes for a powerbomb. Del Rio turns it into a hurricanrana and goes back up top. Del Rio comes down with a seated senton.
Del Rio goes for the cross armbreaker but Show turns it into a big slam. The referee counts but Del Rio makes it up. Show with another big chop to the chest. Show brings a steel chair in the ring but Del Rio kicks it into him. Show grabs the chair and unloads on Show with it. Fans chant “si” as Del Rio beats on Show with the chair. Del Rio comes off the top but Show grabs him and chokeslams him. Show takes it to the floor and slams Del Rio. The referee continues to count but Del Rio makes it up and stumbles around towards the ramp. Del Rio hits Show with a knee below the belt. Del Rio with a kick to the head and Show goes down.
The referee counts but Show makes it up at 9. Show fights back and they’re at the entrance area now. Del Rio gets dropped into the floor. Show whips Del Rio into part of the set. Show beats Del Rio over the back with a large plastic bulb from the set and then breaks it. Show sets up a table and smacks Del Rio in the chest again. Show climbs up on part of the set and brings Del Rio up by his hair. Show fights Del Rio up higher on the set piece. Show tosses Del Rio by his throat off the set and through a table. Del Rio smacks his head on the floor it looks like. Del Rio barely gets up at 9 and falls right back down. Show grabs Del Rio and brings him back towards the ring.
Show brings it back in the ring and calls for the knockout punch. Del Rio avoids it and stumbles out to the floor. Show grabs a piece of the steel steps but Del Rio moves out of the way. Ricardo attacks Show from behind but Show tosses him into the fan barrier. Show goes for a spear but Del Rio moves and Show crashes through the fan barrier. As the referee counts, Del Rio waits. Del Rio grabs a chair and wails away on Show’s back with it. Del Rio puts Show’s arm over the steel steps piece and whacks it with the chair. Del Rio grabs a fire extinguisher and sprays Show with it. Show rolls in the ring and Del Rio follows with a chair. Fans chant “this is awesome” as Del Rio applies the cross armbreaker while Ricardo duct tapes Show’s feet to the bottom rope. Del Rio breaks the hold and the ref counts. Show is stuck to the bottom rope and can’t get up. Del Rio wins the match.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
– Striker is backstage with AJ Lee, Big E Langston and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler says Vickie Guerrero is bitter for making him pick 1 or 2 in the Royal Rumble. Ziggler picks 1 because that’s what he is. AJ interrupts Striker and makes him run off or face Langston. Langston takes the mic and talks like a crazy sportscaster, asking Ziggler about the Rumble. Ziggler says he’s going to win tonight, cash in later and unify the WWE Title and the World Title at WrestleMania.
– We see a video from Antonio Cesaro taped earlier. Cesaro talks about how he will win the Royal Rumble tonight. Darren Young and Titus O’Neil also talk about winning the match. Randy Orton is up next. He says tonight is his kind of night. Orton says he needs the win and he’s going to take it. John Cena is up next. Cena says at the end of the night, everyone will realize the champ is here. Wade Barrett speaks next. He says he will restore credibility to the Rumble tonight. Sheamus says it’s time to fight. Ryback is up last. Every 90 seconds a Superstar enters the match and he will just say feed me more.
– We get a look back at the pre-show where Antonio Cesaro retained over The Miz.
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow vs. Kane and Daniel Bryan
We go to the ring and out first comes Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes. The WWE Tag Team Champions Kane and Daniel Bryan are out next. It will be Rhodes and Bryan starting things out.
Back and forth to start the match. Bryan ends up applying a surfboard submission. Bryan tags Kane in and he dropkicks Rhodes. Kane with a 2 count. Kane takes Rhodes to the corner and works him over. Cody fights back and dropkicks Kane into the corner. Sandow tags in for some double teaming but Kane fights them off. Kane scoop slams Sandow and drops an elbow for a 2 count. Bryan comes back in and hits Sandow with a bunch of kicks as the crowd chants “yes.” Kane tags back in and boots Sandow in the head. Sandow blocks a shot but Kane kicks him out of the ring. Cody comes in but Kane sends him to the floor also. Bryan runs the ropes and dives out on both men.
They come back in and Cody helps Sandow send Cody to the floor. Sandow rams Bryan into the apron twice and brings it back in. Sandow stomps away and tags in Rhodes. Cody goes at it with Bryan now. Sandow comes back in and drops an elbow for 2. Sandow with the side Russian leg sweep and then the Elbow of Disdain on Bryan for another 2 count. Sandow with another quick pin attempt. Sandow drops knees and covers again. Cody comes back in and takes Bryan to the corner. Bryan turns it around with a kick to the jaw. Cody tags in Sandow and stops Bryan from tagging. Cody comes right back in for some double teaming. Cody with a submission but Bryan fights out. Kane finally comes in for a chokeslam but Sandow counters. Kane drops Sandow with a big right hand and a clothesline in the corner. Another splash in the corner by Kane. Kane with the sideslam on Sandow for 2.
Kane goes to the top but Sandow cuts him off and they trade shots. Kane sends Sandow to the mat. Kane comes crashing down but Sandow moves and hits a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Rhodes comes in and they block a double chokeslam. They hit a double chokeslam on Kane but didn’t see that Bryan tagged himself in. Sandow turns around to a missile dropkick from Bryan. Kane chokeslams Cody. Bryan with the Yes Lock on Sandow now. Sandow taps out to end the match.
Winners: Kane and Daniel Bryan
– We see the “Rumble by the Numbers” video again.
– Kane and Daniel Bryan are backstage when Vickie Guerrero walks up. She hands them their entry numbers for the Rumble match. Kane says Bryan’s number is interesting. Bryan wants Kane to show him his number now. Kane says no. Kane says it’s a bad strategy to reveal your number. Kane says he will see Bryan out there.
– We get a RAW Roulette promo for tomorrow night.
– We see highlights from the Royal Rumble Fan Fest on Saturday, including Bo Dallas winning the NXT tournament to earn a spot in the 30-man Royal Rumble.
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
We go to the ring and Justin Roberts is in the ring explaining the rules of the Royal Rumble. Out first comes Dolph Ziggler with AJ Lee and Big E Langston. AJ kisses Ziggler and he heads to the ring by himself. Ziggler takes the mic and says he’s right where he belongs – in the spotlight. Ziggler says when the match is over, it will still be just him in the ring alone. Out comes the number 2 entrant – Chris Jericho, to a huge pop.
Jericho gets a big entrance and the crowd goes nuts. The bell rings and here we go. Back and forth to start the match. Jericho avoids elimination and clotheslines Ziggler to the apron. The crowd chants “you still got it” at Jericho. Jericho superplexes Ziggler as Cody Rhodes makes his way out next.
Jericho with clothesliens on Cody. Cody and Ziggler team up and take Jericho down in the corner. Jericho applies Walls of Jericho on Cody but Ziggler breaks it. The next man out is Kofi Kingston. He leaps off th top and takes out Cody. Kofi unloads on Cody but gets cut off. Jericho works over Cody now as Kofi tries to dump Ziggler. Cody tries to eliminate both of them. The next man out is Santino Marella, returning from injury.
Santino tries to eliminate Cody and Jericho but they hang on and come back in. Santino stops everything in the middle of the ring and pulls out the Cobra. He hits Kofi with it. Jericho and Cody take out Santino and he’s eliminated. Jericho tries to take Cody out now. Cody and Ziggler try to eliminate Kofi now. Kofi fights them off and the next man out is Drew McIntyre. Drew goes at it with everyone but Kofi fires back. Drew with a big boot and Kofi goes down. Cody stomps on Jericho now. Drew tries to eliminate Kofi and Jericho tries to get them both out.
Drew works over Kofi in the corner now. Jericho almost gets eliminated but he hangs on without touching the floor. The next man out is Titus O’Neil at #7. Titus runs over Cody and Kofi. Titus double clotheslines them when they try to double team him. Titus manhandles Kofi and tosses him across the ring. Jericho eliminates McIntyre. Ziggler tries to eliminate Jericho. Titus tries to eliminate them both but they hang on. The next man out is Goldust. He rushes the ring as Cody waits for him. The two brothers start brawling in the middle of the ring. Ziggler comes in but Goldust drops him. Cody assists Goldust but they go back to it. Goldust with a right hand on Cody. Goldust dumps Cody over the top but he hangs on. Goldust stomps away on Cody and works him over in the corner. The crowd chants for Goldust.
Jericho fights off Titus. The next man out is David Otunga to boos from the crowd. Otunga hits the ring and goes after Goldust and then Jericho. Cody and Goldust try to eliminate Titus now. Cody tries to dump his brother but everyone hangs on. The next man out is Heath Slater. Slater goes after Otunga and then Goldust. Jericho works on Ziggler in the corner. The next man out is Sheamus to a big pop. Sheamus runs over Goldust, Otunga, Titus and then Ziggler. Cody catches a backbreaker. Slater catches the plunge, as does Jericho. Sheamus with forearms on Titus to the chest. Sheamus tosses Otunga into Titus and Titus is eliminated. Otunga gets forearms on the apron now. Sheamus with a Brogue Kick and Otunga is eliminated.
The next man out is Tensai. Tensai goes right after Sheamus and hits him with headbutts. An “Albert” chant breaks out. The next man out is Brodus Clay with Cameron and Naomi dancing. Clay runs to the ring and takes out Jericho, working him over in the corner. Tensai and Clay go at it now. Cody and Goldust tangle some more. Cody mocks his brother and gets sent to the apron. Goldust charges but Cody hits him in the gut. They fight on the apron now. Goldust clotheslines Cody into the ring. Cody sends Goldust into the ring post and Goldust is eliminated. Rey Mysterio is out next. He hits 619 on Ziggler and then 619 on Jericho. Rey with a big splash on Jericho. Cody grabs Rey and tries to dump him but Rey slides out. Sheamus tries to eliminate Tensai. Rey dropkicks Ziggler and the next man out is Darren Young at 15.
Several stars eliminate Clay with the help of Young. Kofi leaps in over Tensai and takes him over the top rope. Tensai is eliminated. Rey almost eliminates Young. Ziggler tries to eliminate Kofi but Kofi leaps out onto Tensai’s back. Kofi gets slammed on the announcers table and his feet still haven’t touched the floor. Kofi grabs JBL’s announcers chair as the next man out is Bo Dallas from NXT. Dallas goes at it with Cody. Kofi puts JBL’s chair on the floor and makes it hop like a pogo stick to the apron. The crowd pops as Kofi keeps himself in the match. Cody eliminates Young and then Kofi with Disaster kicks. Cody celebrates and here comes Sheamus but he hangs on. The next man out is The Godfather.
Godfather comes out with a couple of his ho’s. He hits the ring but gets dropkicked right back out by Dolph Ziggler. Godfather is eliminated as everyone else looks on. Godfather puts his pimp gear back on and struts up the aisle with his girls. Jericho works over Dallas. The next man out is Wade Barrett. Barrett lays out Slater and goes after Mysterio, then Jericho. Barrett goes back to Slater and then hits a big sideslam on Sheamus. Barrett and Jericho work on eliminating Sheamus but he hangs on.
The next man out is John Cena at 19. Everyone looks on as Cena comes out. Cody, Barrett, Ziggler and Slater form a wall and attack Cena as he rushes the ring. Everyone goes after Cena but he fights them off. Cena eliminates Heath Slater and Cody Rhodes. Jericho and Cena go at it now. Jericho hangs on and Ziggler saves him. Cena goes after Dallas now. Dallas tries to eliminate Cena. The next man out is Damien Sandow. Sandow goes right to work on Dallas. Barrett catches Rey on the top and they both tangle on the apron. Barrett kicks Rey off the apron and Rey is eliminated. Barrett poses and turns around to shots from Sheamus. Jericho counters an Attitude Adjustment and goes for Walls of Jericho on Cena but can’t get it. The next man out is Daniel Bryan. Bryan goes at it with Sandow and kicks away.
Bryan unloads with more kicks on Barrett. Bryan tries to eliminate Jericho and Sheamus tries to help him. Jericho hangs on as Sheamus takes Bryan to the corner. Dueling chants for Cena from the crowd as he fights off Barrett. Antonio Cesaro is the next man out. Cesaro and Sheamus go at it. Dallas and Ziggler fight in the corner. Cesaro drops Dallas with an uppercut and works over Jericho in the corner. The next man out is The Great Khali. Khali chops Barrett and Sandow. Dallas catches one too. Khali drops Jericho and puts a boot to his throat. Cesaro works on eliminating Sheamus still. The next man out is Kane.
Kane hits Jericho and goes to eliminate Ziggler but he hangs on. Kane with shots for Jericho and Khali. Sheams works on Sandow in the corner. Khali fights Kane and Bryan off. Sandow pushes Sheamus over the ropes but he hangs on. Kane with a headbutt for Cesaro. The next man out is Zack Ryder. Ryder leaps and takes down Ziggler. Bryan eliminates Kane. Kane looks shocked. Cesaro knocks Bryan off the apron into Kane’s arms. Bryan wants Kane to take him back to the apron but Kane says no. Kane drops Bryan and Bryan is eliminated. The next man out is Randy Orton to a big pop. Orton takes down Barrett, Sheamus and Ziggler. Then Ryder and Dallas. Orton tosses Dallas but he hangs on. Orton with a double draping DDT for Ziggler and Dallas. Ryder catches a RKO. Ryder is eliminated. Cesaro and Barrett beat Orton down in the corner now. The next man out is Jinder Mahal at 27.
Cesaro works on Cena but he hangs on. Cena turns it around and eliminates Cesaro. Jericho works on Ziggler. Cena catapults Ziggler to the apron but he hangs on. Sheamus with a clothesline for Barrett. The next man out is The Miz. Miz meets Cesaro on the aisle and they brawl. Miz drops Cesaro and heads to the ring. Cole says Miz injured his ankle in the pre-show earlier tonight. Jinder is eliminated. Sin Cara is out at 29. Cara kicks Ziggler in the head and then goes after Jericho and Sandow. Sheamus works on eliminating Cena but he hangs on. Dallas works on eliminating Barrett and gets him. Barrett is eliminated. Ziggler works on Cena. Jericho hangs on. Barrett comes back and pulls Dallas out, eliminating him. Barrett waits for Dallas to get up and hits the Bullhammer elbow on the floor. The last man out at 30 is Ryback.
Ryback comes in and unloads, shoving everyone down. Ryback scoops Sandow and eliminates him. Cara comes with kicks but Ryback just takes them. Cara comes from the top but Ryback shoves him out of the air. Ryback lifts Cara high and throws him out on Sandow. Cara is eliminated. Miz comes from behind on Ryback but Ryback tosses him. Miz is eliminated. Jericho with a Codebreaker on Ryback. Jericho drops Cena and hits the Lionsault. Jericho tosses Sheamus to the apron and dropkicks him. Sheamus hangs on. Jericho with clotheslines for Orton and a Codebreaker to Ziggler. Ziggler superkicks Jericho and he is eliminated. It’s down to Ziggler, Sheamus, Orton, Ryback and Cena.
Orton with clotheslines and RKO’s for Cena and Ziggler. RKO for Sheamus now. Orton with the second rope DDT to Ryback. Orton goes for RKO on Ryback but Ryback clotheslines him out. Orton is eliminated. Bodies flying everywhere now. Ziggler hangs on but Sheamus hits a big Brogue Kick on the apron and he goes down. Ziggler is eliminated. It’s down to Cena, Sheamus and Ryback now. Cena and Sheamus attack Ryback and hit a double suplex. Cena and Sheamus look up at the WrestleMania 29 sign before they start brawling. Cena hits his usual moves and calls for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Ryback stops it with a massive clothesline on Cena. Ryback goes for Shellshocked on Sheamus but it’s blocked. Sheamus with White Noise on Ryback. Sheamus readies for a Brogue on Ryback but it’s blocked. Ryback scoops Sheamus up and over the top rope. It’s down to Cena and Ryback.
Ryback gets a chant going. Cena starts brawling. Ryback hits a spinebuster and the chant starts up. Ryback readies for a big clothesline but Cena drops him and locks in the STF. Cena keeps the hold locked as the crowd does dueling chants. Ryback looks to have passed out in the hold. Cena rolls him over and tries to pick him up. Cena picks Ryback and sits him on the top rope. Ryback wakes up and fights back with a Thesz Press. Ryback slams Cena’s head into the mat. Ryback scoops Cena but Cena slides out. Cena shoves Ryback over the top for the win.
Winner: John Cena
Josh Mathews is backstage with The Rock. Rock cuts Mathews off and the crowd chants for Rocky. Rock says finally he has come back to Phoenix. Rock addresses The Shield attacking him and talks about always facing tough situations. Rock brings up his mother beating cancer and being here to watch him tonight. We see Rock’s mom in the crowd. Rock says he will never quit. Rock says Punk thinks the fans don’t count. Rock says the fans count to him for all the love, all the support. Rock says it inspires him. Rock goes on and says tonight, they will end 434 days of misery. Rock says tonight is the night we beat CM Punk, win the WWE title and become one.
WWE Title Match: The Rock vs. CM Punk
We go to the ring and out first comes WWE Champion CM Punk with Paul Heyman. Out next comes The Rock to a big pop from the crowd.
The bell rings and they start brawling. Punk comes back with kicks and beats Rock down in the corner. Rock with a big clothesline out of the corner. Punk blocks a Rock Bottom. Rock sends Punk to the floor in front of Heyman. Rock follows and slams Punk’s face into the announcers table. Rock hits a big right hand and starts taking the Spanish announce table apart but Punk rolls him into the ring. Dueling chants from the crowd now. Punk comes back in but Rock meets him with a right hand. Rock works Punk over and whips him into the fan barrier on the floor. Heyman runs over and attacks Rock from behind while the referee isn’t looking. Rock backs Heyman up but Punk attacks from behind and lays Rock out on the floor.
Punk drops Rock’s ribs over the top of the barrier and brings it back in the ring. Punk with knees to the gut and a kick to the back. Rock fights out of a body scissors but Punk drops him again and applies another submission. Punk breaks the hold and Rock meets him with big right hands. Rock with an inverted atomic drop but Punk stops him with a heel kick to the face. Punk keeps control and wails away with forearms to the chest. Punk with more offense on the midsection. Heyman with another cheap shot as the referee is distracted. Punk kicks Rock out of the ring but lands odd on his recently injured knee. Punk goes to the top and leaps out onto Rock with a forearm.
They come back in and Rock starts working on Punk’s injured knee. Punk sends Rock right back out to the floor. Punk leaps out to the floor again and takes Rock out with a suicide dive. Punk brings it back in the ring. Punk springboards in but misses. Rock starts stomping and working on Punk’s knee. Rock with a leg sweep and a 2 count. Rock goes for a Rock Bottom but Punk fights him off with elbows. Punk goes for a GTS but Rock catches the leg and applies a Sharpshooter but Punk rolls through that. Punk applies the Anaconda Vice.
Rock rolls through for a 2 count. Rock with right hands now. Rock nails a DDT as Heyman looks on. Rock readies for another Rock Bottom attempt but Punk catches it and rolls Rock up. Rock rolls through and goes for another Sharpshooter. This time he gets it locked in. Punk makes it to the bottom rope and breaks the hold. Punk rolls out to the floor and Rock follows. Rock with a clothesline on the floor. Rock takes apart the Spanish announce table again. Punk crawls in the ring but Rock pulls him back out. Rock slams Punk into the announce table and lays him on top of it. More right hands from Rock. Punk kicks him in the head. Punk takes Rock up on the table and calls for GTS. Rock blocks it. Rock goes for a Rock Bottom but the table collapses and they just fall. Rock clutches his leg as he tries to get up.
Rock rolls in the ring to break the count. Rock goes back out and hits a Rock Bottom on the floor. The referee starts counting again but Rock brings Punk back in the ring. Rock with a 2 count. They get up and Punk lands a huge roundhouse kick and Rock goes down. They make it up at the 9 count. Punk with a big kick to the leg. Rock with a right. Punk with a right. They trade shots some more. Rock fires away with punches. Punk with forearms. Rock runs the ropes and hits a flying shot. Rock with a spinebuster. Rock calls for The People’s Elbow but when he goes to hit it, the lights go out. We hear a fight going down it sounds like. The lights are still out but Cole is yelling about The Shield. They put Rock through an announce table with a triple powerbomb. The lights come on and Rock is laid outside the ring. No sign of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose or Roman Reigns. Punk starts smiling and laughing in the ring.
Cole is yelling about The Shield and Punk says he has nothing to do with them. Punk goes outside and brings Rock back in the ring while Heyman looks on. Punk rolls in and covers Rock for the win.
Winner: CM Punk
– After the bell, we see Rock’s mother in the crowd looking worried. Punk takes his title and celebrates as his music plays. Punk stomps on Rock a few times in the corner and kicks him out of the ring before posing on the turnbuckles.
– Vince McMahon’s music hits and out he comes. Vince says Punk’s celebration is over. Vince says if The Shield got involved, he said he would strip Punk. Vince says yes, technically we couldn’t see that The Shield got involved. Vince goes to strip Punk of the title as Heyman pleads from his knees. Rock takes the mic from the ground and says we ain’t ending this night like that. Rock says Vince don’t take the title from Punk, he will. Rock tells Vince to re-start the match now.
Vince restarts the match and here we go. Punk attacks Rock coming in the ring and unloads on him. The crowd is all into it. Punk nails a knee to the head int he corner. Punk goes to the top for the big elbow drop and nails it. Punk covers for a 2 count. Fans chant for Rocky as Punk calls for GTS. Rock slides out of GTS and hits a spinebuster off the ropes. Rock nails The People’s Elbow this time and covers Punk for the win and the WWE Title.
Winner and New WWE Champion: The Rock
– After the bell, Rock takes the WWE Title and celebrates as his mother looks on and cheers. Rock holds the title up and says it’s for the people. We go to replays of Rock winning. Rock celebrates some more before Royal Rumble goes off the air.
