Royal Rumble
January 19th, 2003
Fleet Center
Boston, Massachusetts
 
The Buildup: On the 1/13 RAW, Vince McMahon appeared on RAW to talk about the 10th anniversary of the show and said that he was not happy with how Eric Bischoff was running RAW, and he told Bischoff that he had 30 days to shake up RAW or risk being fired as he teased Shane McMahon being a potential replacement.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Spike Dudley pins Steven Richards (w/ Victoria) at 3:37.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for the Royal Rumble.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King Lawler for RAW, and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.
 
1. Brock Lesnar pins the Big Show (w/ Paul Heyman) with the F-5 at 6:29.
 
Stipulation: The winner of the match will qualify for the Royal Rumble match
 
The Buildup: On the 12/19 Smackdown, Show confronted Heyman about what happened at Armageddon though Heyman was able to convince to get on board as them being united would give them all the power, and on the 12/26 Smackdown footage was shown of Lesnar attacking Kurt Angle after the show went off the air and gave him the F-5 into the post which injured his knee. On the 1/2 Smackdown, Heyman would challenge Lesnar to face Show in a match with the winner qualifying for the Rumble which Lesnar agreed to only to be beaten down by Show, Matt Hardy, and Shannon Moore though Lesnar would fight them off, and later that night Lesnar would defeat Matt in a match while Show and Heyman watched from the entrance. On the 1/9 Smackdown, Show defeated Rikishi in a match as Heyman and Show promised to teach Lesnar a lesson, and Lesnar would defeat A-Train in a match and called Show out only for Heyman and Show to leave the arena. On the 1/16 Smackdown, Heyman cut a promo claiming Lesnar can’t beat Show and he would have the advantage in the Rumble, and that night Lesnar and Rey Mysterio defeated Show and A-Train in a tag match.
 
Analysis: We kick off the first PPV of 2003 with a pretty big matchup. Heyman had screwed Lesnar back at Survivor Series with the help of Show and now Lesnar looks to get revenge here on Show while also getting into the Rumble. Lesnar gets a good pop from the crowd while Show was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Show shoving Lesnar into the corner and they lock up again with Show again shoving Lesnar back, and Lesnar drives Show into the corner and rams the shoulder into his ribs repeatedly until Show shoves him to the mat. Lesnar again drives Show into the corner and rams the shoulder into his ribs repeatedly as he stomps on him, and Show reverses a whip and blocks a belly-to-belly suplex with a headbutt though Lesnar ducks a shot and kicks at Show’s knee repeatedly. He hits a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes on Show who blocks a third one by grabbing Lesnar by the throat and he throws him over the top to the floor, and Show goes outside and rams the knee into Lesnar as he throws him back into the ring and splashes him in the corner. He stomps on him repeatedly and pounds on him as he hits a hiptoss out of the corner only to miss a charge in the corner, and Lesnar hits a German suplex on Show for a two count as Heyman gets on the apron and Lesnar scares him to the floor. Heyman grabs at Lesnar’s foot and Show hits a big boot as he hits a sidewalk slam on Lesnar and grabs him by the throat, but Lesnar counters the Chokeslam with a rollup for a two count as he ducks a shot and hits another belly-to-belly suplex on Show. Heyman gets on the apron again and Lesnar pulls him into the ring as he hoists him onto his shoulders, but Show grabs Lesnar by the throat and hits the Chokeslam for a two count as he grabs Lesnar by the throat again. Lesnar escapes another Chokeslam and rams Show into Heyman who gets knocked off the apron to the floor, and Lesnar hoists Show onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a decent match. Lesnar was hitting his groove by this point while Show was also hitting his groove as well, and they still had good chemistry as Lesnar gets his win back over Show. The crowd was into the match and popped for Lesnar when he won. Lesnar gets the win over Show and gets into the Rumble match as both men move on. Grade: 2
 
Terri Runnels interviews Chris Jericho, who says that he wasn’t given the choice to choose his number because Shawn Michaels was given the #1 spot in the Rumble, and he says that he is something that Michaels will never be which is the first Undisputed Champion in history. He says that just like he rose to the occasion then, he will do it tonight by winning the Rumble and become champion once again at WrestleMania.
 
2. The Dudley Boyz defeat Lance Storm and William Regal when D-Von pins Storm at 7:23 to win the World Tag Team Championships.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 12/16 RAW, Storm and Regal defeated the Dudleyz in a match after Regal used the brass knuckles, and on the 12/23 RAW Spike confronted Bischoff and Morley who put him in a match against Batista with the Dudleyz banned from ringside with the risk of suspension and Batista would defeat Spike. Later that night, Bischoff and Morley would force Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler to face Storm and Regal as punishment for their comments about them, and the Dudleyz would assist Ross and Lawler in helping them defeat Storm and Regal. On the 1/6 RAW, Bischoff put the Dudleyz in a handicap match against 3-Minute Warning, Rico, and Batista as they were beaten down and then Storm and Regal would also beat the Dudleyz down, and later that night Storm and Regal defeated Booker T and Goldust to win the tag titles thank to Morley who counted the pin. On the 1/13 RAW, the Dudleyz attacked Morley as Bischoff had them thrown out and suspended them without pay, and later that night Regal defeated Lawler by DQ when Lawler hit Regal with a steel chain. Later that night, the Dudleyz would confront Vince McMahon about Bischoff’s actions and Vince would re-instate them while also giving them a title shot as he said he wanted to them to get the tables during the match, and later that night Booker fought Storm in a match that saw Regal got involved and the Dudleyz would clear Regal and Storm from the ring.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Storm and Regal won the tag titles 2 weeks ago and look to have a successful defense here against the Dudleyz, who have been rebelling against Bischoff and look to become champions once again. The Dudleyz get a good pop from the crowd while Storm and Regal were pretty hot as heels. Bubba starts off the match with Storm who works on Bubba’s arm until Bubba turns it around and works Storm’s arm before hooking a headlock, and he knocks Storm down and blocks a hiptoss attempt as he hits one of his own and Storm gets a kick in. He pounds on Bubba in the corner and Bubba reverses a whip into the other corner as Storm leaps over him and Bubba pounds on him, and Storm slides under Bubba who ducks a shot and he hits a spinebuster on Storm as he hooks a submission on. Regal comes in and Bubba catches him with a back elbow as D-Von tags in and pounds on Storm before hitting a jumping back elbow, but Storm catches him with a jawbreaker and Regal tags in only for D-Von to hit a back elbow and pounds on him. Regal reverses a whip and D-Von hits a flying clothesline as he hits a slam and drops an elbow on Regal for a two count, and he pounds on Regal in the corner and knocks Storm down as he reverses a whip back into the corner only to miss a charge when Storm pulls Regal out of the way. They hit a double clothesline on D-Von and Regal sends him into the corner as he rams the shoulder into the ribs and pounds on him, and he hits a modified suplex on D-Von for a two count and tags Storm who stomps on D-Von and he hits a back elbow for a two count. D-Von tries to battle back only for Storm to hit a drop toehold and Regal tags in as he drives the knee into D-Von, and he hits a snapmare on D-Von and drops a knee on him as he hooks a submission on and D-Von fights to his feet. Regal gets a knee in and hits a monkey flip on D-Von as Storm tags in and stomps on D-Von before choking him on the mat, and he hooks another submission on D-Von who fights to his feet and breaks the hold only for Storm to hook a sleeper on. D-Von escapes the hold with a snapmare and Bubba knocks Storm down as he gets the hot tag and hits a series of clotheslines on Storm, and he hits a backdrop on Storm and knocks Regal down as he whips him into Storm in the corner and splashes both men. He sends Regal over the top to the floor and hits a sidewalk slam on Storm for a two count as Storm counters a whip and Bubba ducks a shot, and he hits a German suplex on Storm for a two count as Regal gets in the ring only for Bubba to tackle him to the mat. He pounds on Storm and drives the elbow into the top of Regal’s head as he ducks a shot and hits the Bubba Bomb on Storm for a two count as Regal breaks it up, and D-Von makes a blind tag as Bubba catches Regal ducking with a kick and hits a slam before holding Regal’s legs up. D-Von goes up top and hits the diving headbutt to Regal’s groin as the Dudleyz hit a double flapjack on Storm for a two count, but then Chief Morley runs down to the ring and distracts the ref as Regal pulls out the brass knuckles only for the Dudleyz to hit the 3-D on him. Morley gets on the apron and Bubba knocks him to the floor as D-Von grabs the knuckles and knocks Storm out with them which gets the three and we have new champions. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic match. The Dudleyz were back in a groove as a team while Regal and Storm were hitting their groove as a team, and they had decent chemistry as the Dudleyz overcome Morley and become champions for the historic 16th time. The crowd was into the match and popped for the Dudleyz when they won. The Dudleyz get the win over Storm and Regal and are the new tag champions, but this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2
 
We see a vignette for Nathan Jones.
 
We see a shot outside the Fleet Center.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
3. Torrie Wilson pins Dawn Marie with a swinging neckbreaker at 3:37.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/19 Smackdown, Torrie did an interview from her home saying what she did in the hotel proved she loved her father though she said she was disappointed in him, and then Marie and Al came out and Marie said they would get married in two weeks as Torrie said they deserved each other. On the 12/26 Smackdown, Al confronted Torrie and said he was going to marry Marie next week for himself as he called Torrie a disappointment, and on the 1/2 Smackdown Marie declared that she wanted to make history by marrying Al in the nude though Stephanie would threaten serious repercussions if she went through with it. Later that night, Al and Marie would have their wedding as Marie would strip to her bra and panties while also stripping Al to his underwear, and on the 1/9 Smackdown we would see footage of their honeymoon though it was clear Al was struggling to the point that by the end of the night, Marie found him unconscious and called EMTs to try and revive him. That same night, it was revealed that Torrie and Marie would face off at the Rumble in what was billed as the first “Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter” match, and on the 1/16 Smackdown we saw footage from the funeral of Al as Marie confronted Torrie and accused her of killing Al. They would exchange slaps and Torrie shoved Marie down only for Marie to grab a lamp and she breaks it over Torrie’s back, leaving her unconscious.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. These two have been going at it for the last few months and now they finally face off here to settle their issues. Wilson gets a good pop from the crowd while Marie had solid heat as a heel as she comes out wearing a widow’s veil. The ref checks with Wilson to see if she wants to compete only for Marie to get a shot in to start the match, and she slaps Wilson in the face and stomps on her until Wilson tackles her to the mat and slams her head into the mat repeatedly. She tosses Marie to the mat by her hair and whips her into the corner as she catches a kick attempt and trips Marie up, and she slingshots Marie to the mat and stomps on her as Marie blocks a German suplex by grabbing the ropes and she gets a back elbow in. She takes Wilson to the mat and hooks an armbar on as she drives the knee into Wilson’s arm for a two count, and she slams Wilson’s arm into the mat and hits a legdrop to the arm as she hooks another submission on for a two count. She pounds on Wilson who ducks a shot and Marie hits a flapjack on Wilson as she whips her into the corner and both women clock heads, and Wilson hooks a backslide for a two count and then she hits a pair of armdags on Marie as she whips her into the corner only for Marie to hit a springboard clothesline. She stomps on Wilson who catches her ducking with a kick and she hits a swinging neckbreaker which gets the three and she wins the match. The match itself was nothing much as both women did what they could and put on a basic match. Both women were fine for what they could do in the ring and they had decent chemistry as Wilson gets the win to finally end this feud. The crowd was into the match and popped for Wilson when she won. Wilson gets the win over Marie and both women move on. Grade: 1
 
We see Stephanie McMahon walking down the hallway as she runs into Eric Bischoff and Randy Orton and she greets Orton who walks away, and she says that she wanted to tell Bischoff goodbye as she brings up Vince’s ultimatum to Bischoff and she says it’s been fun. She says that desperate men do desperate things as she asks about his bombshell and he says that it’s an atomic bombshell, and he asks if she thinks her job is really secure and she says that as the more successful GM, she has a bombshell of her own that she’ll drop on Smackdown this Thursday. She says that in addition, she is a McMahon and in regards to her job security, blood is thicker than urine in Bischoff’s case and Bischoff calls her crass, and he says that she meant to say blood is thicker than water though he reminds her that money is much thicker than blood.
 
We see a vignette for Sean O’Haire.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
4. Scott Steiner defeats Triple H (w/ “Nature Boy” Ric Flair) by disqualification at 18:13; Triple H retains the World Heavyweight Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/16 RAW, Eric Bischoff planned a celebration for Triple H until Chief Morley informed him he had booked Steiner’s contract signing in the same spot and they tried to convince Steiner to step aside, and they held Triple H Appreciation night for Triple H who bragged about his success until Steiner came out. He said that he would sign the contract if he got a title shot and after some hesitation, Triple H agreed and Bischoff made the match for the Rumble though Steiner demanded the match right there only for Triple H to walk away. On the 12/23 RAW, Triple H claimed that he wasn’t afraid of Steiner and would call Steiner out as he challenged him to an arm wrestling contest, and Triple H would come close to winning until Steiner revealed he wasn’t trying and he would defeat Triple H multiple times. On the 1/6 RAW, Triple H would challenge Steiner to a pose down and would hand pick the judges who ended up picking Triple H to win, and then the two competed in a pushup contest until the judges attacked Steiner as Triple H watched on approvingly until Steiner fought the judges off. On the 1/13 RAW, it was announced the two men would face off in a bench press contest though Triple H would come out and cut a promo saying he didn’t care about these contests as being the World Champion makes him the best, and Steiner would come out and the two men brawled with Steiner ripping Triple H’s suit off and clearing him from the ring.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Triple H won the title at Armageddon and looks to have a successful defense here against Steiner, who has been getting in Triple H’s head for the last month and looks to become champion. Steiner gets a good pop from the crowd while Triple H was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they trade blows with Steiner taking control until Triple H gets a knee in, and he pounds on Steiner in the corner until Steiner knocks him down and they again trade blows in the corner with Steiner taking control. He knocks Triple H down and Triple H reverses a whip as Steiner catches him ducking with a shot and hits a press slam, and Triple H rolls outside to regroup and Steiner goes outside as well as he hits a clothesline on Triple H and rams him into the barricade. He pounds on him and rams his back into the post twice as he then rams his back into the barricade and he rolls back into the ring, and he pulls Triple H onto the apron and hits a suplex back into the ring for a two count as he pounds on his back and continues to pound on him in the corner. He whips him hard into the other corner and drops an elbow on his back as Triple H reverses a whip into the corner and Steiner catches a kick attempt, and he hits a back elbow on Triple H and hooks a Boston crab on as Triple H reaches the rope to force a break. Steiner drives the elbow into Triple H’s head repeatedly and stomps on him as Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster, but Steiner no-sells it and hooks a bearhug on Triple H who escapes the hold by raking the eyes only for Steiner to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He looks for the Steiner Recliner only for Flair to pull Triple H to the outside and Steiner goes outside as he stalks Flair briefly, and Steiner returns to the ring and stomps on Triple H as he pounds on him in the corner and whips him into the other corner. Triple H catches him with a boot to the face and stomps on him repeatedly as he throws him to the outside and goes outside himself, and he whips Steiner into the steps and throws him back into the ring as he hits a swinging neckbreaker for a two count and stomps on him repeatedly in the corner. He chokes him with his boot and Flair chokes Steiner with his jacket from the floor as both men duck a shot and Triple H hits another neckbreaker for a two count, and he stomps on Steiner and chokes him on the ropes as Flair does the same from the floor and Triple H whips him hard into the corner. He gets a kick in and looks for the Pedigree though Steiner trips him up and slingshots him into the post before hitting a modified suplex, and he gets a kick in and hoists Triple H onto his shoulder only for Triple H to turn it around and hoist Steiner onto his shoulder. Steiner slides off only for Triple H to hit another neckbreaker for a two count and he hits a suplex as he goes up to the middle rope, but Steiner catches him coming in with another belly-to-belly suplex and they trade blows with Steiner taking control. Triple H reverses a whip into the corner and Steiner fires out with a pair of clotheslines as he hits a backdrop on Triple H and then he hits a trio of belly-to-belly suplexes, and he rams Triple H into the buckle repeatedly and hits a spinning belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He hits a double underhook powerbomb on Triple H though he collapses during the move and he gets a two count, and he whips Triple H into the corner and Triple H catches him with a back elbow as he goes up top only for Steiner to get a shot in. He goes up himself and hits a superplex on Triple H for a two count as Triple H rolls outside to regroup and Flair comes over with the belt, and they head to the back as Steiner goes after them and knocks both men down before stalking Flair while Triple H grabs the belt. Steiner blocks the shot and hits Triple H in the face with the belt which busts him open and Steiner pounds on him, and he rams Triple H into the barricade and then he rams him into the post as he throws him back into the ring. He hits another belly-to-belly suplex on Triple H who rolls outside and goes into the crowd as Steiner follows him and pounds on him, and he sends Triple H back to ringside and rams him into the Smackdown announce table as he throws him back into the ring and does a series of pushups. He pounds on Triple H in the corner as Flair demands the ref stop the match due to blood loss though the ref refuses, and Triple H rolls outside again though Steiner follows him and throws him back into the ring before stalking Flair. Triple H grabs the ref and throws him to the outside as he gets back in the ring and is about to call for a DQ though he changes his mind and demands the match continue, and Triple H looks to punch him only for Steiner to grab him and hit another belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Steiner pounds on Triple H on the mat as Flair gets on the apron and Steiner scares him to the floor only for Triple H to hit a low blow, and he hooks a rollup for a two count and rolls outside as he brings the sledgehammer into the ring and hits Steiner in the ribs with it which finally draws the DQ and Steiner wins the match. The match itself was interesting as both men worked hard and put on a decent match that has a reputation for being comically bad though I didn’t see it. It was clear Steiner was not back in ring shape since WCW ended while Triple H was hitting his groove, and they had decent chemistry as Triple H does everything he can to escape and finally gets DQ’ed to do so. The crowd was into the match and at times seemed to side with Triple H, but are not happy with the ending. Steiner gets the win by DQ and Triple H escapes with the title though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Triple H looks to hit Steiner in the back of the head with the sledgehammer only for the ref to grab at it and Triple H shoves him away, and he winds up only for Steiner to block the shot and he gets a kick in before grabbing the sledgehammer. He hits Triple H in the ribs with it and does the same to Flair as he then hits Triple H in the head with it and hooks the Steiner Recliner on, and officials come out and try to pull Steiner off until Eric Bischoff comes out and convinces Steiner to release the hold as Steiner holds the title up and heads to the back.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Kurt Angle forces Chris Benoit to tap out at 19:47 to retain the WWE Championship.
 
The Buildup/Heel Turn: On the 12/19 Smackdown, Angle thanked Lesnar for his help and told him he would get a title shot the next week, but later that night Stephanie told Angle he needed to come clean with everyone or she would reveal the truth though he said he would do it. He would come out and revealed that he had hired Paul Heyman as his new agent as Heyman said Lesnar would never get a title shot against Angle, and in the main event Benoit defeated Angle by DQ when Show got involved and Lesnar would make the save only for Angle and Show to beat him down. On the 12/26 Smackdown, we saw footage from after Smackdown went off the air last week of Lesnar giving Angle the F-5 into the post to injure his knee, and later that night Heyman came out with Angle and told him he had a plan to protect Angle from Lesnar as he introduced Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin whom he dubbed Team Angle. In the main event, Benoit defeated Show to become Number One Contender only for Show and Team Angle to beat Benoit down and drag him to the entranceway where Angle choked him with a crutch, and on the 1/2 Smackdown Benoit and Edge defeated Team Angle by DQ when Angle got involved and Haas would jab one of Angle’s crutches into Edge’s throat. On the 1/9 Smackdown, Haas defeated Edge thanks to Angle and Team Angle would beat him down until Benoit made the save, and then Benoit would defeat Benjamin by DQ when Angle got involved and Team Angle beat down Benoit and Edge with Angle putting the Ankle Lock on Benoit and Team Angle forced Benoit to tap. On the 1/16 Smackdown, Team Angle defeated Benoit and Edge in a handicap match when Benoit refused to break the Crossface on Angle which made him tap out and Benoit would attack Angle with his own crutch until Team Angle made the save, and that same night Benoit did an interview talking about his family and the sacrifices they made as he vowed to become WWE Champion.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our third and final title match of the night. These two have been going at it since the fall of 2002 to see who is the better man and now they face off here with the WWE Title on the line to finally end this feud. Benoit gets a big pop from the crowd while Angle was red hot as a heel as he comes out with Team Angle, and Team Angle get into a shoving match with Benoit as officials come out and force Team Angle to the back. The two men lock up to start with Benoit hooking a headlock and he knocks Angle down as he looks for the Sharpshooter though Angle quickly escapes, and Angle rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring and they lock up with Benoit going back to the headlock and Angle whips him off. Benoit blocks a hiptoss attempt and Angle grabs the foot only for Benoit to hit a modified dropkick and he knocks him down, and Angle reverses a whip and hooks a sleeper on Benoit who escapes with a snapmare and he catches a kick attempt as he snaps Angle to the mat. He looks for the Sharpshooter again only for Angle to grab the rope to force a break and he gets a kick in as he rams Benoit’s shoulder into the post, and he pounds on Benoit in the corner and stomps on him as he hits a suplex for a two count and rams him into the buckle. He pounds on him in the corner as Benoit battles back and he stomps on Angle in the corner until Angle reverses a whip into the other corner, but Benoit catches him with a boot to the face and he hits a clothesline to the back of the head as he catches him with a knee to the ribs for a two count. He pounds on Angle in the corner and whips him hard into the other corner as he continues to pound on him and he gets a knee in repeatedly, and Angle counters a whip and gets a kick in as he hoists Benoit up for a suplex and drops him on the top rope. Benoit falls to the apron and he hotshots Angle on the top rope as he pulls Angle out to the apron and gets on the apron himself, and Angle pounds on Benoit who battles back and he gets a kick in as he hits a DDT on Angle on the apron. He throws Angle back into the ring and gets a two count as he goes up top only to miss the diving headbutt, and Benoit escapes the Angle Slam and trips Angle up as he finally hooks the Sharpshooter on Angle who reaches the rope to force a break. Benoit hits a back suplex on Angle for a two count and Angle reverses a whip as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex and throws Benoit to the outside, and he goes outside himself and hotshots Benoit on the barricade as he stomps on him and throws him back into the ring. He hits a short clothesline on Benoit for a two count and hits a snapmare as he hooks a submission on Benoit, and Benoit fights to his feet and escapes the hold with an armdrag only for Angle to catch him in another belly-to-belly suplex. He hits a back suplex on Benoit for a two count and hooks another submission on as Benoit fights to his feet and breaks the hold, but Angle pounds on him until Benoit ducks a shot and both men clothesline each other as Benoit fires up on Angle. He hits a pair of clotheslines and a backdrop on Angle as he ducks a shot and hits a pair of German suplexes on Angle, but Angle blocks a third one and goes behind Benoit as he hits a German suplex of his own though Benoit blocks a second one and goes behind Angle. He hits another German suplex on Angle and goes up top only for Angle to run up top and hit a belly-to-belly superplex on Benoit for a two count, and Benoit escapes the Angle Slam again and takes Angle to the mat as he hooks the Crossface on and Angle grabs the rope to force a break. Benoit pulls Angle to the center of the ring and hooks the Ankle Lock on Angle who escapes by tripping Benoit up and he hooks the Ankle Lock on, and Benoit escapes the hold by hooking the Crossface back on Angle who escapes by hooking a rollup for a two count. Benoit takes Angle to the mat and hooks the Crossface on again as Angle rolls through and fights to his feet, and he hits the Angle Slam on Benoit for a two count and hooks the Ankle Lock back on as Benoit escapes by sending Angle into the corner. Angle blocks a German suplex with a back elbow and goes behind Benoit who blocks the German suplex with a rollup for a two count, and Benoit ducks a shot and hits the German suplex on Angle who goes behind Benoit and hits one of his own. Benoit goes behind Angle and hits a release German suplex with Angle landing on his stomach as Benoit goes up top and hits the diving headbutt for a two count, and Benoit looks for the Crossface again and Angle rolls through as he gets a kick in and hoists Benoit up for a powerbomb only to hotshot him on the top buckle. Angle hits another Angle Slam on Benoit for a two count and Benoit quickly takes Angle to the mat as he hooks the Crossface on, but Angle grabs the foot and escapes the hold as he hooks the Ankle Lock on and Benoit tries to kick him off though Angle keeps the hold on. Benoit manages to kick Angle off though Angle quickly hooks the Ankle Lock back on and Benoit reaches for the rope, but Angle pulls him back and hooks a grapevine on the leg while keeping the hold on as Benoit taps out and Angle retains the title. The match itself was excellent as both men worked hard and put on a fantastic title match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and still had great chemistry as they put on possibly the best match in their series with Angle getting the clean title defense though Benoit still looks strong in defeat. The crowd was red hot for the whole match and Benoit, but are not happy when Angle wins. Angle retains the title over a game Benoit thought this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 5
 
After the match, Team Angle come back out and they celebrate with Angle before helping him to the back, and Benoit gets to his feet as the crowd gives him a standing ovation and he heads to the back.
 
We see Rob Van Dam warming up backstage as Kane comes up to him and says that RVD’s been a great partner, but tonight they are both in the Rumble and he lasted an hour 2 years ago as he came one man short of winning the whole thing. He says that if RVD is the last man in the ring with him, he will not hesitate to eliminate him and RVD says that’s cool as it is every man for himself, and he says that Kane should do whatever it takes to win as he will do the same to win the Rumble himself.
 
6. Brock Lesnar wins the Royal Rumble match.
 
Order of Entry and Time Lasted:
 
1. Shawn Michaels (2:05)
2. Chris Jericho (39:00) (Ironman)
3. Christopher Nowinski (4:37)
4. Rey Mysterio (5:55)
5. Edge (11:00)
6. Christian (9:03)
7. Chavo Guerrero (7:10)
8. Tajiri (4:41)
9. Bill DeMott (2:13)
10. Tommy Dreamer (:48)
11. B-2 (:24)
12. Rob Van Dam (33:00)
13. Matt Hardy (27:13)
14. Eddie Guerrero (16:29)
15. Jeff Hardy (7:26)
16. Rosey (10:16)
17. Test (18:45)
18. John Cena (19:45)
19. Charlie Haas (17:16)
20. Rikishi (14:55)
21. Jamal (16:07)
22. Kane (20:24)
23. Shelton Benjamin (10:54)
24. Booker T (6:20)
25. A-Train (11:00)
26. Maven (8:19)
27. Goldust (:47)
28. Batista (9:55)
29. Brock Lesnar (9:00) (WINNER)
30. The Undertaker (6:45)
 
Order of Elimination:
 
1. Michaels by Jericho (1)
2. Nowinski by Mysterio (1)
3. Mysterio by Jericho (2)
4. DeMott by Edge (1)
5. Dreamer by Jericho and Christian (3, 1)
6. Tajiri by Jericho (4)
7. B-2 by Edge (2)
8. Chavo by Edge (3)
9. Christian by Jericho (5)
10. Edge by Jericho (6)
11. Jeff by RVD (1)
12. Rosey by Kane (1)
13. Eddie by Booker (1)
14. Jericho by Test (1)
15. Goldust by Team Angle (1, 1)
16. Booker by Team Angle (2, 2)
17. Test by Batista (1)
18. Rikishi by Batista (2)
19. Haas by Lesnar (1)
20. Benjamin by Lesnar (2)
21. Matt by Lesnar (3)
22. Cena by Taker (1)
23. Jamal by Taker (2)
24. Maven by Taker (3)
25. A-Train by RVD and Kane (2, 2)
26. RVD by Kane (3)
27. Batista by Taker (4)
28. Kane by Taker (5)
29. Taker by Lesnar (4)
 
Debut #1: Charlie Haas wrestled in high school and at Seton Hall before becoming a stockbroker briefly as he would train to be a pro wrestler in 1996, and he would make his debut that year teaming with his brother Russ as they would work the indie scene and won numerous tag titles. The two would sign with WWE in 2000 and competed in HWA and MCW while working dark matches throughout 2001 until Russ tragically passed away in December 2001, and Charlie would transition into a singles wrestler and won the HWA Heavyweight Title before moving to OVW. He would continue to train before being called up in December alongside his new partner Shelton Benjamin to become Team Angle as he makes his PPV debut here.
 
Debut #2: Shelton Benjamin wrestled in high school before going to the University of Minnesota to wrestle and he would meet Brock Lesnar during this time, and he would sign with WWE in 2000 and joined OVW as he formed the Minnesota Stretching Crew with Lesnar and they would win the tag titles 3 times. After Lesnar was moved to the main roster, Benjamin formed a team with Redd Dogg and they won the tag titles as well, and Benjamin would work dark matches throughout 2002 and also made a few appearances on Sunday Night Heat before debuting on Smackdown in December alongside Charlie Haas as Team Angle and he makes his PPV debut here.
 
Debut #3: Shannon Moore grew up a wrestling fan and became friends with the Hardys as he would help them with their backyard wrestling promotion while also competing as a wrestler, and he would work the indie scene and won numerous titles before signing with WCW in 1999 where he trained at the Power Plant. He would make his TV debut under his real name at the end of the year as part of 3 Count with Evan Karagias and Shane Helms, and he would mainly work in the Cruiserweight Division until WCW closed in 2001 as he was one of the contracts picked up by WWE. He would work in HWA and won the tag titles and Cruiserweight title before making his TV debut on Smackdown over the summer of 2002, and he would work in the Cruiserweight division before becoming Matt Hardy’s first Mattitude Follower, or MF’er as he makes his PPV debut here at Matt’s side.
 
Temp. Farewells: This is Jamal’s last PPV until 2006 and aside from an appearance in 2005, this is Tommy Dreamer’s last PPV until 2006.
 
Farewell: This is B-2’s final WWE PPV as he and Cena had split up on the previous Smackdown and he would be released a week after this, and he would head to Japan where he competed in All Japan and Pro Wrestling Noah while also working the indie scene and he would compete in a dark match with WWE in 2006. In 2011, he would make a one-time return as part of John Cena’s This is Your Life segment that Mick Foley was hosting, and he would continue to work the indie scene while also training his son to be a wrestler.
 
Return: We last saw the Undertaker on PPV back at No Mercy 2002 as on the Smackdown after, he was attacked by the Big Show and thrown off the stage which would send him to the sidelines, and throughout January various vignettes aired hyping his return.
 
Face Turn: Back in November, Stacy Keibler would become Test’s new marketing manager as she would update his look by cutting his hair and giving him shorter tights, and she would dub his fans “Testicles” as he would slowly turn face as his relationship with Keibler became romantic.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/16 RAW, Michaels came out and talked about the night before as he wanted to face Triple H in a rematch, but Jericho would come out and insulted Michaels by calling him a has-been until Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music on him. On the 12/23 RAW, Booker and Goldust defeated Jericho and Christian to retain the World Tag Team Titles and on the 1/6 RAW, Jericho announced he would enter the Rumble as Michaels came out and revealed he was also in the Rumble, and he dared Jericho to enter the Rumble as #1 until Randy Orton interrupted and a brawl broke out, and in the main event Kane and RVD defeated Jericho and Christian in match as Michaels and Jericho brawled into the crowd. On the 1/13 RAW, Jericho went to Eric Bischoff and asked to enter #1 as Bischoff told him to win his match to prove himself, and later that night Jericho went to Vince McMahon only for Vince to inform him that Michaels was #1 in the match and the winner of the battle royal would get to pick his number. In the main event, Jericho defeated RVD, Kane, and Batista in the battle royal to earn the right to pick his number and he would pick #2, and Michaels would come out and the two brawled with Michaels throwing Jericho over the top to the floor.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. This is the first year where there was emphasis on the match having 15 Superstars from both brands and the 30 men look to stake their claim to the main event of WM. The faces get big pops from the crowd while the heels were pretty hot as heels. Michaels comes out at #1 and looks to repeat his run from 1995 as Jericho seemingly comes out at #2, but instead it is Christian in the entranceway posing as Jericho who comes out from under the ring and he hits a low blow on Michaels to start the match. He pounds on Michaels and knocks him down as he pounds on him on the mat and goes outside before bringing a chair into the ring, and he hits Michaels in the head with the chair which busts him open and he stomps and pounds on Michaels as Nowinski comes out next though he stays on the outside. Jericho continues to pound on Michaels and dumps him over the top to eliminate him as he challenges Nowinski to get in the ring and he yells at Michaels, and Mysterio comes out next and slides under Jericho as he hits a springboard dropkick and then he hits a springboard headscissors. He pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and Mysterio ducks a shot as Jericho presses him up only for Mysterio to slam his head into the mat, and Jericho knocks Mysterio down and pounds on him as he gets a knee in and presses Mysterio up. Mysterio escapes and sends Jericho into the corner as Jericho catches him with a boot to the face and he sends Mysterio inside out in the corner, and he nails Mysterio who hangs onto the post to save himself and he hits a springboard dropkick to Jericho’s back. Nowinski gets in the ring and nails Mysterio from behind as they stomp on him and Edge comes out next, and he ducks a double clothesline attempt and hits one of his own as he hits the spear on Jericho and ducks a shot before hitting another spear on Nowinski who rolls outside to regroup. Mysterio goes up top and hits a hurricanrana on Jericho as both men send Jericho shoulder first into the post and he falls to the floor, and Edge and Mysterio shake hands and kick at each other as Mysterio ducks a shot only for Edge to hit a back elbow. He looks for the spear only for Mysterio to avoid it and Edge falls into the ropes though he avoids the 619, and Mysterio ducks a shot and Edge hoists him up as he puts him on the top rope and pushes him though Mysterio hooks him with both men going over the top though they both land on the apron. Edge rolls back into the ring and Mysterio gets a shoulder in only for Edge to counter a springboard seated senton with a sitdown powerbomb, and Christian comes out next and embraces Edge as he goes for Mysterio who slides under him and Edge hits the spear on Christian. He stomps on Christian and Mysterio leaps onto his shoulders as Nowinski gets in the ring and dumps both men over the top though both hang on, and Nowinski celebrates as Mysterio and Edge go up top and hit stereo missile dropkicks on Nowinski though Edge ends up landing on Nowinski’s face. Edge pounds on Christian in the corner and chokes him with his boot as Mysterio stomps on Nowinski in the other corner and hits the Bronco Buster, and Edge tries to eliminate Christian as Chavo comes out next and he hits a spinebuster on Mysterio before grabbing his hands. Mysterio kicks Chavo away and leaps onto his shoulders as Chavo flips him to his feet and Mysterio hits a drop toehold that sends Chavo into the ropes, and he hits the 619 and springboard seated senton on Chavo as Edge puts Christian in the ropes and Mysterio hits the 619 on him. Christian avoids the springboard and Nowinski catches Mysterio who pounds on him and sends him over the top to eliminate Nowinski, and Jericho rolls back into the ring and clotheslines Mysterio over the top to eliminate him as Chavo pounds on Edge in the corner. He chokes him with his boot until Jericho pounds on him and then he stomps on Edge with Chavo getting a shot in, but Christian pounds on Chavo who battles back and Tajiri comes out next as he ducks a shot and hits a superkick on Jericho. He kicks at Christian repeatedly and hits a spin kick as Chavo pounds on Tajiri and hits a back suplex while Edge tries to eliminate Jericho, and Tajiri blocks a shot and hoists Chavo onto his back as he hooks a spinning submission on before tossing Chavo to the mat. Christian rams Tajiri into the corner and tries to eliminate him as Tajiri kicks at him while Chavo stomps on Edge in the corner with Jericho holding him from behind. Tajiri tries to eliminate Christian while Chavo stomps and pounds on Jericho who battles back as DeMott comes out next, and he pounds on everyone and whips Chavo into the corner as he splashes him and he pounds on both Jericho and Christian. Tajiri tries to eliminate Edge as Jericho nails DeMott from behind and they trade blows until Christian nails him from behind, and the 6 men pair off as DeMott sends Jericho over the top though Jericho hangs on and DeMott chokes Edge on the ropes. The 6 men continue to brawl as Dreamer comes out next with a trash can full of weapons and he hits DeMott in the head with a trash can lid, and he grabs a Singapore cane and hits DeMott in the back with it as he then hits Chavo in the ribs and gets a pair of shots in on Christian. He hits Jericho in the shoulder and then in the face with the cane as he ducks a spin kick and hits Tajiri in the ribs with it, and Edge grabs another cane and beats on DeMott with it along with Dreamer until DeMott tumbles over the top and is eliminated. Chavo nails Edge as Christian and Jericho grab a pair of trash can lids and kick at Dreamer before hitting a Con-Chair-To with the lids, and Jericho hits Dreamer in the back with the cane and then he and Christian send Dreamer over the top and eliminate him. Chavo pounds on Tajiri and calls for Christian to help only for Tajiri to hit a handspring elbow on both men, and Jericho kicks at Tajiri and whips him into the corner as Tajiri avoids a charge and looks for the Tarantula only for Jericho to send him over the top and eliminate him. B-2 comes out next and hits a clothesline on Edge as he kicks at everyone and pounds on Chavo in the corner, and he stomps on Jericho and charges at Edge who sends him over the top and eliminates him as Chavo pounds on Edge who reverses a whip. Chavo leaps over Edge who sends him over the top though Chavo hangs on until Edge hits a spear that knocks him to the floor and eliminates him, and Edge sends Jericho over the top and brawls with Christian as Jericho skins the cat back into the ring and dumps Edge and Christian over the top to eliminate them. Jericho recovers as we see he is busted open and RVD comes out next as he fires up on Jericho and kicks at him, and Jericho ducks a spin kick attempt only for RVD to hit a side kick and he kicks at Jericho as he pounds on him in the corner. Jericho reverses a whip into the other corner and RVD catches him with a back elbow as he hits a springboard side kick, and he hits a spinning legdrop on Jericho and then he hits the Rolling Thunder as he kicks Jericho in the head only for Jericho to rake the eyes. He pounds on RVD who catches a dropkick attempt and he slingshots Jericho over the top though Jericho hangs on and RVD stomps on him, and Matt comes out next with Shannon Moore by his side as RVD ducks a shot and pounds on Matt who counters a whip and hits the Side Effect. He holds RVD from behind and Jericho slaps him in the face as he hits a standing dropkick and Matt stomps on him repeatedly, and he pounds on RVD in the corner along with Jericho and they whip RVD into the other corner as RVD flips over Jericho who rams his shoulder into the post. RVD hits a clothesline on Matt and a spin kick on Jericho as he hits a pump kick on Matt and Jericho reverses a whip into the corner, and he hits the running bulldog on RVD only to miss the Lionsault as RVD hits a spin kick and goes up top before hitting the 5-Star Frog Splash on Jericho. Matt throws RVD over the top though RVD recovers and Matt pounds on him on the mat as Eddie comes out next, and he pounds on RVD and kicks at Matt as he pounds on him and continues to pound on RVD in the corner. RVD reverses a whip into the other corner and does a roll as he hits a monkey flip on Eddie and he hoists him up, and he tries to dump him over the top only for Matt to nail him from behind and he pulls Eddie back into the ring. He hits a slam on RVD as Eddie sets himself on the top rope and hits the Frog Splash on RVD as Matt gets a kick in and hits the Twist of Fate on Eddie before posing, and Jeff comes out next and Matt begs off as he offers to team up only for Jeff to kick at him repeatedly and Matt reverses a whip. Jeff hits a flying clothesline on Matt and then he hits a jawbreaker as he trips Matt up and hits a legdrop to the groin, and Eddie chokes RVD on the ropes as Jeff sends Matt over the top though Moore keeps him from hitting the floor and pushes him back in. Jeff yells at Moore and Matt gets a shot in as Jeff counters a whip and gets a kick in before hitting the Twist of Fate, and he goes up top as Moore gets in the ring and lays on Matt as Jeff hits the Swanton on both men and Eddie hits a standing dropkick on Jeff before pounding on Jericho in the corner. Rosey comes out next and pounds on RVD as he hits a headbutt and Jeff tries to dump Matt while Eddie tries to dump Jericho, and Rosey whips RVD into the corner and RVD catches him with a boot to the face as he avoids a charge and rams the shoulder into Rosey’s ribs twice. He does a backflip and attempts a monkey flip though Rosey shoves him off and hits a spin kick while Matt hits a back suplex on Jeff, and he charges at Jeff who backdrops him over the top though Matt hangs on and Rosey pounds on Jericho in the corner. Eddie rams the shoulder into Matt repeatedly in the corner and hits a back suplex as RVD hits a spin kick on Jericho, and RVD hits a dropkick on Rosey in the corner as Test comes out next and hits a clothesline on Jericho before hitting one on Rosey. He hits a tilt-a-whirl sidewalk slam on Eddie and ducks a shot as he gets a kick in and hits the pump handle powerslam on Matt, and he pounds on Jericho and whips him into the corner as Jericho leaps to the middle rope only for Test to knock him over the top though Jericho hangs on. Test stomps on Matt repeatedly as Rosey pounds on Jeff in the corner and Test chokes Matt in the other corner with his boot, but Jericho nails him from behind and stomps on him along with Matt as RVD kicks at Eddie in the corner and Rosey tries to eliminate Jeff. Cena comes out next and cuts a freestyle rap for the entire 90 seconds until RVD goes outside and kicks at Cena before throwing him into the ring, and Jericho pounds on Cena and hits a low dropkick as he rams RVD into the corner and Haas comes out next. Eddie hits a suplex on Cena and Haas pounds on Matt in the corner as everyone pairs off and continue to brawl, and everyone tries to eliminate each other as RVD and Jeff trade blows with RVD reversing a whip into the corner. Jeff goes up top only for RVD to shove him off to the floor and eliminate him. Matt and Cena try to dump Test as Eddie grabs Jericho by the hand and leaps up top before hitting a headscissors, and Test pounds on RVD and knocks him down as Rosey rams Haas into the buckle and Rikishi comes out next. He fires up on Cena and knocks him down as he hits superkicks on Haas, Jericho, Matt, and Cena before having a staredown with Rosey, but then Moore comes in and offers a handshake to Rosey who hoists him up and rams him into Matt in the corner. Rikishi splashes both men in the corner and looks to give them the Stinkface only for Rosey to hit a clothesline and Test pounds on him in the corner, and Cena pounds and stomps on Rikishi as RVD hits a low dropkick on Matt in the corner and Jericho pounds on Haas in the other corner. Jamal comes out next with Rico and hits a superkick on Rikishi who ducks a shot and he hits the superkick on Jamal, and then he hits one on Rosey and splashes Jamal in the corner before giving him the Stinkface only for Jamal to pound and stomp on him before choking him on the mat. Rosey comes over to help and everyone continues to brawl as Jericho sends RVD over the top though he lands on the apron, and he goes up top and hits a side kick on Jericho as Kane comes out next and knocks down several men. He hits a big boot on Test and a sidewalk slam on Jericho as he hits a clothesline on Rosey and Rico gets on the apron, and Kane grabs Rico by the throat and hits a Chokeslam into the ring as Rosey knocks Kane down though Kane quickly sits up. He backdrops Rosey over the top and eliminates him as he grabs Matt by the throat while Moore goes up top, but Kane catches him coming in and hits a double chokeslam on both men as he kicks at Jericho and throws him over the top though Jericho hangs on again. Rikishi hits a superkick on Kane as Benjamin comes out next while Haas hoists Cena up on the ropes and Team Angle hit a double team on Cena, and RVD and Kane try to dump Test as Eddie jumps onto Rikishi’s back and chokes him while Matt sends Benjamin over the top, but he hangs on as RVD throws Matt over the top though he hangs on as well and everyone continues to brawl while trying to eliminate each other. Jericho and Matt trade blows until Matt knocks Jericho down and Eddie hangs on as Rikishi tries to eliminate him, and Booker comes out next and Kane grabs him by the throat though Booker gets a kick in and hits the scissors kick on Kane. Matt gets a shot in though Booker counters a whip and hits a flapjack before doing the Spinaroonie and he backdrops Eddie over the top and eliminates him as Eddie appeared to have hurt his knee, and Booker pounds on Rikishi and hits a clothesline as he stomps on him while Haas tries to dump Kane. Jamal hits a kneelift on Test as Matt tries to dump RVD and Jericho pounds on Benjamin while RVD hits a legsweep on Matt, and he hits a slingshot legdrop on Matt and Booker tries to dump him out as A-Train comes out next and hits the Baldo Bomb on Cena. He kicks at Benjamin and hoists him onto his shoulder as he hits a modified backbreaker and then he grabs RVD before hitting the Baldo Bomb on him, and Rikishi hits a superkick on A-Train and Jericho pounds on Rikishi who hoists him up and dumps him over the top though Jericho again hangs on. He rakes the eyes and goes up to the middle rope as he hits an axehandle to Rikishi as Michaels runs back out to the ring, and he attacks Jericho and knocks him down as he does the same to Matt and Cena until Jericho hits a clothesline. Test gets a kick in and sends Jericho over the top to finally eliminate him as Michaels hits a slingshot plancha onto Jericho on the floor, and he pounds on Jericho until officials come out and force both men to the back as Maven comes out next. He fires up on Cena and then he pounds on Kane in the corner until Kane grabs him by the throat and tosses him into the corner, and he pounds on Maven and chokes him as Jamal tries to dump Matt and A-Train hits a slam and big splash on Haas. Everyone continues to brawl and try to eliminate each other as Goldust comes out next and he fires up on Team Angle, and he hits a clothesline on Haas and a snap powerslam on Benjamin as he kicks at Maven in the corner and pounds on him. He ties Maven up in the ropes and hits the Shattered Dreams as he pounds on Haas who reverses a whip and Benjamin gets a shot in from the apron, and Goldust pounds on him until Haas nails him from behind as they pull Goldust over the top and eliminate him. Booker pounds on Haas in the corner and knocks Benjamin down as he continues to pound and stomp on Haas in the corner, and Benjamin comes up and hoists Booker up with Haas’s help as they manage to force Booker to the floor and eliminate him. RVD kicks at Jamal’s leg and hits a legsweep before hitting the Rolling Thunder as Batista comes out next and he hits a clothesline on Cena, and he gets a knee in on Jamal and hits a clothesline as he knocks Benjamin down and pounds on Cena and RVD. Test catches a kick attempt and pounds on Batista as he ducks a shot and hits the full nelson slam before sending Batista over the top, but he lands on the apron and avoids the big boot as he pulls the top rope down with Test tumbling to the floor and he is eliminated. Batista hits a spinebuster on Rikishi and pounds on Benjamin as he hits a spear on him and clotheslines Rikishi over the top to eliminate him, and A-Train hits a short clothesline on Matt as Lesnar comes out next to a big pop and he hits a clothesline on Benjamin and Matt. He stomps on Haas in the corner and hits a clothesline on Maven as he pounds on Cena until Team Angle attack him from behind, and they pound on him while RVD gets a kick in and they look to eliminate Lesnar only for Lesnar to send Team Angle over the top and he eliminates both of them. Matt nails Lesnar from behind only for Lesnar to get a knee in as he hoists Matt up onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 over the top onto Team Angle on the floor in a great spot as Matt is eliminated, and Batista and A-Train pound on Lesnar in the corner and A-Train splashes him as Cena hits a suplex on Maven and A-Train hits a pump kick on Batista. Jamal rams RVD into the buckle as Maven pounds on Kane who gets a kick in and Taker comes out last making his return to a huge pop, and he pounds on numerous men as he clotheslines Cena over the top and eliminates him before pounding on Jamal as he clotheslines him over the top and eliminates him. Maven tries to dropkick Taker from behind though Taker no-sells it while Maven celebrates until he turns into Taker, and Taker grabs him by the throat and hits the chokeslam before tossing Maven over the top and eliminating him. A-Train grabs Taker and hits the Baldo Bomb as Lesnar pounds on Kane in the corner while A-Train pounds on RVD, and Kane ducks a shot and grabs Lesnar by the throat as he hits the Chokeslam and RVD ducks a shot though A-Train catches a kick attempt. He avoids the enzurgiri though RVD hits a spin kick on A-Train and then Kane whips him into a spin kick on Batista, and A-Train hits a clothesline on Kane and splashes RVD in the corner as he sets Kane up for a powerbomb only for RVD to hit a spin kick. Kane and RVD clothesline A-Train over the top and eliminate him as RVD stomps on Batista and Kane presses him up, but then he tosses him onto A-Train on the floor and RVD is eliminated as Batista nails Kane from behind and both men clothesline each other. Taker and Lesnar have a staredown until Kane and Batista attack them and pound on them in the corners, and Batista whips Taker into the other corner only for Taker to hit a clothesline and he pounds on Batista. Batista reverses a whip and hits a spinebuster on Taker as he and Kane pound on Lesnar in the corner, and Lesnar battles back and hits a clothesline on Kane as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Batista and hoists Kane onto his shoulders before hitting the F-5. Taker and Lesnar have another staredown and trade blows with Lesnar taking control until Taker reverses a whip and hits a big boot, and he charges at Lesnar who hoists him up and drops him on the top rope as he hoists him onto his shoulders. Taker slides off and hoists Lesnar up onto his shoulder as he hits the Tombstone and then he clotheslines Batista over the top and eliminates him, and he pats Kane on the back and offers a handshake which Kane takes and they stalk Lesnar until Taker throws Kane over the top and eliminates him. Batista brings a chair into the ring only for Taker to hit a big boot and he grabs the chair as he cracks Batista in the head with the chair, and Batista falls to the floor as Lesnar comes from behind and dumps Taker over the top to eliminate him and he wins the match. The match itself was very good as all 30 men worked hard and put on a solid match. There were some solid performances in the match as props go to Eddie, Test, Cena, Rikishi, and Jamal for lasting over 15 minutes, Kane and Matt for lasting over 20 minutes, and RVD for lasting over 30 minutes. Obviously, one of the big stars is Jericho as he lasts nearly 40 minutes before being cost the match by Michaels keeping that going, and Taker looked good in his return as Batista also had a good showing by making it to the final four. But you figured going in that Lesnar was going to win after he beat Show earlier in the night and he does so. The crowd was hot for the whole match and popped for Lesnar when he won. Lesnar wins the Royal Rumble and is going to WrestleMania as all 30 men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Lesnar celebrates until Taker gets back in the ring and they exchange words before slapping hands out of respect, and Taker heads to the back and Lesnar continues to celebrate as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, the first PPV of 2003 ended up being a pretty solid show and was a good way to kick off the year. After 2002 ended up a pretty high note, this was a good chance to keep the momentum going and start 2003 off strong and they did just that. Triple H and Angle are still the top guys on their brands while the Dudleyz rule the tag division on RAW and Lesnar, Wilson, and Steiner get big wins, and in terms of the matches Angle/Benoit was easily the best while the rest ranged from very good to just below average. As mentioned, 2002 was a great year for the company and it was going to be interesting to see how the Road to WrestleMania played out with a crop of young guys looking to make their mark. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show that kicks off what will be a very interesting 2003. Final Grade: B-