Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for the 2021 Royal Rumble pay-per-view event! Make sure to check out Sean Ross Sapp's Inside The Royal Rumble feature at this link. You can also watch the Fightful Live reactions above and below!
Pre-Show
- We open tonight's pre-show with a breakdown for tonight's card with Asuka and Charlotte defending their tag belts on the kick-off.
- We get an extended video package for the WWE Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Goldberg.
- Backstage Carmella is getting ready where she reprimands Reginald after what happened with Sasha this past Friday. We then go to Sonya Deville now on the panel where she gives her opinion on who will win between Sasha and Carmella.
- We get a video package where Bianca Belair talks about her journey from being in last year's Royal Rumble as well as her becoming a top Superstar on Smackdown.
- We get a taped promo by Natalya on Instagram where she talks about winning the match against Tamina to get to enter at number thirty in the Women's Royal Rumble match and how she plans to win the match.
- We get an extended video package for the Universal Championship Last Man Standing match between the champion Roman Reigns and the challenger Kevin Owens.
- We go to the panel and R-Truth shows up dressed in hunting gear, looking for Bugs Bunny before he's informed that Bad Bunny will be there and not Bugs.
- Asuka and Charlotte are interviewed backstage ahead of their title defense against Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax.
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match
Asuka & Charlotte Flair (c) vs Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
Charlotte and Shayna lock up before exchanging standing switches and Charlotte drops Shayna with a shoulder block before Asuka comes in and she and Charlotte kick and chop Shayna in the corner. Shayna drops Asuka and tags in Nia who mocks Asuka who puts her into an octopus stretch before Charlotte comes in and hits a running knee in the corner. Nia shoves Asuka backwards and clotheslines her before tagging in Shayna who stomps Asuka and focuses on her left arm. Asuka rocks Nia with a roundhouse kick and hits a face buster for two before hitting an avalanche powerbomb for a two count that Shayna breaks up. Nia hits a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall that Charlotte breaks up before Asuka gets the hot tag to Charlotte who hits Shayna with a fall away slam.
Charlotte hits a backbreaker before hitting a double Natural Selection for a near fall before Shayna rips Charlotte off of the top. Nia hits a Samoan drop into a running knee by Shayna for a near fall before Asuka takes out Nia and Shayna takes out Asuka before Charlotte hits a moonsault onto the two. Ric Flair shows up before Shayna rolls Charlotte up for a near fall before Charlotte drops her with a boot and Lacey Evans interferes. Lacey then breaks up the Figure Eight before Lacey hits Charlotte with the Woman's Right and Nia pins Charlotte with a running leg drop for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeat Charlotte Flair and Asuka via pinfall to become the new WWE Women's Tag Team champions.
- We get an extended video package for the history of the Royal Rumble match.
Main Show
- We open tonight's event with an extended video package for the Royal Rumble match narrated by Triple H.
WWE Championship Match
Drew McIntyre (c) vs Goldberg
Drew rocks Goldberg with a right hand before spearing Goldberg before they end up outside and Goldberg spears him through the barricade. Back in the ring Goldberg then spears Drew twice for a near fall before hitting a Jack Hammer for a second near fall before Drew hits Goldberg with a Claymore Kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre retains his WWE Championship by defeating Goldberg via pinfall.
Smackdown Women's Championship Match
Sasha Banks (c) vs Carmella (w/ Reginald)
Sasha immediately takes Carmella down and goes for the Banks Statement before Carmella quickly escapes out of the ring and Sasha takes her down once she's back inside. Sasha takes out Reginald who gets on the apron before Carmella sends Sasha out of the ring and drops her across the announce table. Carmella tosses Sasha back inside for two before dropping Sasha with a kick for two before locking in a rear chin lock. Carmella stomps Sasha and screams at her before choking her in the ropes and Sasha sends her face first into several turnbuckles. Sasha hits a series of suplexes before Carmella gets her knees up when Sasha goes for a frog splash before Carmella locks in the Code of Silence.
Sasha gets free and rocks Carmella with a sliding knee before Carmella kicks her out of the air and follows up with a superkick for a near fall. Sasha then locks in the Banks Statement before submitting Carmella for the tap and the win.
Winner: Sasha Banks retains her Smackdown Women's Championship by defeating Carmella via submission.
- Backstage The New Day talk about the Royal Rumble match before they're interrupted by Sami Zayn who is scared away from the returning Kofi Kingston.
- We go to the stage where Bad Bunny performs his song Booker-T alongside Booker-T.
- We get an extended video package for the Royal Rumble match ahead before we go back to the ring for our next match with the Women's Royal Rumble match.
Women's Royal Rumble Match
Bayley enters at number one with Naomi at number two before Naomi nearly eliminates Bayley before Bianca comes in at number three and takes out Bayley before exchanging with Naomi. Bianca sends Naomi out onto the apron before Bayley sends Bianca over and Billie Kay comes out at number four and joins on commentary rather than entering the match. Billie gets into the ring and gets beaten up by all three women and dumped out, but not eliminated as Shotzi Blackheart comes in fifth and Shayna Baszler at six. Toni Storm comes in at seven and take everyone out before Naomi drops her with a Rear View before Shayna eliminates Shotzi. Number eight is Jillian Hall who teams up with Billie before they enter and work together before Ruby Riott comes in at nine and Victoria returns at number ten.
Liv Morgan comes in at eleven before Santana Garrett comes in at twelve before Billie eliminates Jillian and she's eliminated by Ruby as Peyton Royce comes in at thirteen. Rhea Ripley comes in at fourteen and Shayna eliminates Victoria before Charlotte comes in at fifteen and exchanges with Rhea before dropping her as Bayley slides under the bottom rope and eliminates Ruby with a powerbomb off of the apron. Dana Brooke enters at sixteen as Peyton saves Bayley and eliminates Liv before Torrie Wilson comes in at seventeen and Rhea hits a one armed powerbomb to Dana onto the apron. Dana falls off of the apron and is eliminated as Ric Flair comes in at seventeen and Ric Flair accompanies Lacey Evans to the ring at eighteen. Shayna attacks Lacey at ringside before Shayna eliminates Torrie and Bianca eliminates Bayley on the opposite side of the ring.
Mickie James comes in at nineteen and exchanges with Charlotte before Nikki Cross comes in at number twenty and Alicia Fox at twenty one as Lacey finally gets into the match. R-Truth comes out next and gets chased around the ring before he uses Alicia to knock Superstars off of the apron before Alicia rolls Truth up and wins the belt. Mandy Rose enters at twenty two and eliminates the new 24/7 champion before Truth rolls her up and regains his title before running off. Dakota Kai comes in at twenty three and brawls with Rhea before Mickie is eliminated by Lacey before Carmella comes in at twenty four as Rhea eliminates Dakota. Rhea eliminates Mandy next and Nikki tries to eliminate Carmella before Reginald saves her and Carmella eliminates Nikki as Tamina enters at twenty five.
Reginald saves Carmella a second time before Tamina superkicks Reginald and eliminates Carmella in the process. Naomi is tossed out of the ring, but her feet don't touch the floor before she uses Bianca's ponytail to get back onto the apron and the two help each other back inside. Lana comes in next at twenty six and Naomi nearly eliminates Bianca before Alexa Bliss enters at twenty seven as she's ganged up on and beaten down. The lights go out and Alexa goes to transform before Rhea eliminates her before Ember Moon enters at twenty eight as Nia Jax enters at twenty nine and Natalya at thirty. Shayna and Nia work together to eliminate Ember and Naomi before they eliminate Tamina and Nia eliminates Shayna before they argue and Nia chases Lana around the ring and at ringside. Lana eliminates Nia and Nia and Shayna attack Lana before laying out everyone in the ring and leaving before Natalya eliminates Lana.
Natalya nearly then eliminates Rhea before Bianca eliminates Natalya and Rhea and Bianca work together to eliminate Charlotte before Bianca last eliminates Rhea for the win.
Winner: Bianca Belair wins the Women's Royal Rumble match by being the last person in the ring.
- Backstage The Miz and John Morrison harass Bad Bunny before mocking Booker-T before he shows up and nearly hits Miz before they go into Bad's locker room.
- We go back to the panel before Truth shows up and Peter distracts and low blows Truth before rolling him up and pinning him to win the 24/7 title.
Universal Championship Last Man Standing match
Roman Reigns (c) (w / Paul Heyman) vs Kevin Owens
The two immediately brawl before they counter each other's finishers and Roman hits a Superman punch before Kevin gets up at four Kevin hits a pop-up powerbomb. Roman gets up at the count of four as well before getting out of the ring and KO sends Roman into the post before Roman sends Kevin into the steps. Roman spears KO and hits him with the steps before KO superkicks Roman and hits him with the steps before Kevin hits Roman with a chair. Kevin hits a stunner and gets rocked with Superman punches before Roman tosses him off of the back of the arena and through a table. Kevin gets up at nine before he escapes backstage as Roman stalks him before Roman commits vehicular assault with a golf cart.
KO gets up at nine before Roman beats him down and Kevin comes back with a pop-up powerbomb into a splash through a random announce table set up next to the practice ring in the back of the arena. Roman gets up at nine before Kevin lays him out with a small ladder and climbs a forklift before hitting a Swanton Bomb off of the forklift and through a table. Roman gets up at nine and collapses before Kevin picks him up and they make their way back to the stage before Roman rocks Kevin with a Superman punch. Roman spears Kevin through the big screen on the stage before Kevin rolls off of the stage onto his feet at the last second. The two exchange before Roman beats Kevin down and Kevin comes back before handcuffing Roman to a lighting rig before Roman takes out the referee at the count of nine.
Paul then struggles to uncuff Roman before he gets to his feet and locks in a guillotine on KO before choking him unconscious and winning the match when Kevin can't answer the ten count.
Winner: Roman Reigns retains his Universal Championship by defeating Kevin Owens when he can't answer the ten count.
Men's Royal Rumble Match
Randy Orton enters at number one as edge enters at number two before Sami Zayn comes in at three and Ali of Retribution at number four. Jeff Hardy comes in at five and tries to help Edge before he's taken out with an RKO by Randy and Randy RKOs Sami and Ali. Edge spears Randy before Randy and Edge end up at ringside after sliding under the bottom rope before Edge DDT's Randy onto the announce table. Number six is Dolph Ziggler before Edge attacks Randy with a chair and Dolph slides inside and eliminates Jeff before taking out everyone else in the ring. Dolph hits Edge with a Zig-Zag before Edge is nearly eliminated as Shinsuke Nakamura comes out at seven and brawls with Dolph before Carlito enters at number eight.
Xavier Woods comes in next and goes right after Ali as Randy is helped to the back before Big E enters at number ten. New Day work together and eliminate Sami before John Morrison comes in at eleven and Ali eliminates Xavier before E eliminates him. Ricochet enters at number twelve before Elias comes in at thirteen and eliminates Carlito before Damian Priest enters at fourteen. Priest eliminates Elias and The Miz comes in at fifteen before hitting E with the Skull Crushing Finale and he and Morrison work together before they're eliminated by Priest. Bad Bunny then comes out and hits a diving cross body onto Miz and Morrison before leaving as Riddle enters at number sixteen.
Number seventeen is Daniel Bryan before Kane comes in at eighteen and hits several people with chokeslams before eliminating Dolph. Kane chokeslams Ricochet onto the apron for the elimination before he and DB hug and Kane chokeslams DB before Priest eliminates Kane. Number nineteen is Baron Corbin as he eliminates Shin and Otis enters at twenty before Corbin eliminates him and Dominik Mysterio enters at twenty one. Dom eliminates Corbin almost immediately before Bobby Lashley enters at twenty two and eliminates Dom and Priest. Hurricane Helms enters at twenty three before he's eliminated by E and Bobby before Christian comes in at twenty four.
Everyone work together and eliminate Bobby before Edge and Christian hug before working together as AJ Styles enters at number twenty five alongside Omos. Number twenty six is Rey Mysterio as E is eliminated and sent over the announce table by Omos before Sheamus comes in at twenty seven. Omos eliminates Rey next as Cesaro enters at twenty eight before swinging Sheamus and DB before Seth Rollins comes in at twenty nine. Braun Strowman enters last at number thirty before eliminating Sheamus and AJ before Riddle nearly eliminates Riddle before Seth eliminates DB. Seth then eliminates Riddle with Braun's help before Seth eliminates Christian and Edge eliminates Seth before Randy shows up and Edge eliminates him for the win.
Winner: Edge wins the match by being the last person in the match.