Video: It’s the Royal Rumble by the numbers, with all the stats over the history of the Royal Rumble match.

Match #5 Royal Rumble Match For Shot At The WWE World Heavyweight Championship At WrestleMania 31

• Entry #1 is The Miz/Entry #2 is R-Truth. Miz tries a leapfrog, R-Truth stops for a little shimmy-shake, Miz charges and almost gets thrown out. Miz with a slide, turns the tables on Truth, but Truth hangs on. Truth climbs to the top and gets crotched as the clock counts down…
• Entry #3 is Bubba Ray Dudley. Crowd goes nuts as Bubba Ray Dudley makes his return after ten years. Bubba goes to work on Miz, hitting a Dusty Rhodes-like elbow followed by a slam. Truth is still up on the top, Bubba grabs Miz’s legs and Truth connects with the Dudleys Whazzup Headbutt. Bubba pushes Truth and tells him to get the tables. Crowd chants for tables. Miz stops Truth, but gets countered and Truth & Bubba hit a 3D on Miz, who is then sent over the top. The Miz is eliminated. Truth hits a dropkick on Bubba as the clock hits zero…
• Entry #4 is Luke Harper. Bubba is able to toss Truth as Luke Harper makes his way to the ring. R-Truth is eliminated. Harper & Bubba go face to face, then duke it out with neither getting the advantage. Harper with a superkick, Bubba follows up with a clothesline that floors Harper and the clock counts again.
• Entry #5 is Bray Wyatt. Bray & Bubba go face to face, Harper up from behind and Wyatt & Harper start the double team as the crowd chants “We Want D-Von”. Bray Wyatt is able to toss Bubba after he & Harper beat him down. Bubba Ray Dudley is eliminated. Harper & Wyatt face off and here’s the clock…
• Entry #6 is Curtis Axel. Axel is attacked from behind in the entranceway by Erick Rowan, who heads towards the ring and steals Axel’s spot. Rowan & Harper look at each other, then turn towards Bray Wyatt. Rowan goes for Wyatt, but Harper double crosses him with Bray. Rowan briefly holds them off and has Harper teetering, Bray comes from behind and dumps Rowan, which also sends out Harper. Erick Rowan & Luke Harper are eliminated. Bray stands alone in the ring…
• Entry #7 is The Boogeyman. They circle each other and Bray goes into a Spider Crawl, then drills Boogeyman with a huge clothesline before tossing him. The Boogeyman is eliminated.
• Entry #8 is Sin Cara. Sin Cara with a springboard headbutt, stunning Bray for a moment, Bray is able to get Cara on the apron, but Cara hits a kick and climbs up top. Bray catches Sin Cara coming down, hits Sister Abigail and then throws him out. Sin Cara is eliminated. Bray grabs the mic and says he hopes everyone in the back got the message. “This is Bray Wyatt’s year!” Then he sings with the crowd until the clock starts again…
• Entry #9 is Zack Ryder. Ryder comes in hot and catches Bray with a 2nd rope dropkick followed by a forearm in the corner. Bray is seated and “Woo! Woo! Woo!” Ryder connects with the Broski Boot. He goes to toss Bray out, but Bray switches the momentum and sends Ryder instead. Zack Ryder is eliminated. Bray gets a good breather before the next entrant…
• Entry #10 is Daniel Bryan. Bryan is a house of fire, hitting multiple corner dropkicks and an array of kicks, followed by a top rope hurricanrana. Crowd is going crazy for Bryan as the clock counts down…
• Entry #11 is Fandango. Fandango right on Bryan with a dropkick and a hard Irish whip inn the corner. Fandango goes for a back suplex, Bryan flips out and puts Fandango in an airplane spin. Bryan tries to toss him, but Fandango hangs on…
• Entry #12 is Tyson Kidd. Kidd enters the ring with a nice springboard dropkick to Bryan, a couple shots to Bray and he crotches Fandango on the top. Bryan tries to dropkick Kidd, but Kidd moves and Bryan hits Fandango, leaving him hanging. Kidd runs and ducks a shot from Bryan, hitting Fandango with a dropkick. Kidd & Bryan exchange with neither getting an edge, into the ropes and they both go for a cross body…
• Entry #13 is Stardust. Stardust with a springboard elbow to Kidd, reverse DDT drop on Bryan and a kick on Fandango. Goes to toss Fandango, but he skins the cat and tosses Stardust, who does the same. Bryan with a back suplex to Kidd and he flips him out backwards. Tyson Kidd is eliminated. Bryan sends Bray outside between the ropes and then follows suit after him with a suicide dive. Bray sends Bryan into the steel stairs as the clock starts…
• Entry #14 is “Diamond” Dallas Page. Stardust catches DDP as he slides in with boots, goes to slam him and gets caught in a Diamond Cutter! Fandango hits DDP from behind, beats him down, goes up top for the Last Dance, but DDP crotches him. DDP hits Fandango with a Diamond Cutter off the top. Bray with a couple shots to DDP, goes for a clothesline and is countered into a Diamond Cutter. DDP gives the fans the Diamond Cutter sign, clock time…
• Entry #15 is WWE United States Champion Rusev. Rusev is in and almost gets caught with a Diamond Cutter, but avoids it and hits a kick to DDP before tossing him. “Diamond” Dallas Page is eliminated. Rusev grabs Fandango and throws him out. Fandango is eliminated. Rusev & Bray square-off in the center of the ring, but Bryan comes off the top with a dropkick that knocks both down. Rusev & Bray are on their knees, as Bryan alternates kicks, eventually getting leveled by a foot from Rusev. Rusev goes to throw Bryan out, but he stays on the apron and delivers a forearm. Bray charges Bryan on the apron and knocks him to the floor. Daniel Bryan is eliminated. The crowd is shocked…and pissed. Bryan looks stunned…
• Entry #16 is Goldust. Goldust delivers a powerslam to Rusev and sets Bray up for Shattered Dreams. The crowd is booing anything that moves right now. Stardust stops Shattered Dreams, trying to toss Goldust who hangs on. They face off, delivering slaps to each other before Goldust gets the better of it. Crowd is chanting for Bryan. Goldust/Bray and Stardust/Rusev pair off…
• Entry #17 is Kofi Kingston. Kofi hits Gold & Stardust with a crossbody off the top and they both eat a dropkick. Kofi attempts to dropkick Bray, but gets caught and catapulted onto the apron. Bray catches a springboard overhead chop, after unsuccessful attempts to eliminate Kofi. Crowd is still booing any and everything. Here comes the Bryan chants again…
• Entry #18 is Adam Rose. Rose’s new ring gear reminds me of Hollwood Hogan. Kofi gets tossed out, but the Rosebuds catch him and carry to the apron. Rusev grabs Rose off the distraction and takes his WrestleMania opportunity…or lack thereof. Adam Rose is eliminated. Rusev tries to toss Kofi, but he hangs on only to eat a kick and fall to the floor. Kofi Kingston is eliminated…
• Entry #19 is Roman Reigns. Crowd is booing Reigns. Gold & Stardust try to double team Reigns with no success. Goldust takes a Samoan drop and a tilt-a-whirl slam for Stardust, before Reigns gets rid of them. Goldust is eliminated. Stardust is eliminated. Crowd is REALLY booing Reigns. Bray & Rusev double team Reigns, who is able to counter it before the clock strikes…
• Entry #20 is Big E. Rusev/Big E & Reigns/Wyatt pair off. More heavy boo’s from the crowd (this seems to be a theme here). Big E is able to belly to belly suplex Rusev, but can’t eliminate him. Rusev with a cannonball on Big E in the corner. Here’s that pesky clock again…
• Entry #21 is Damien Mizdow. The crowd finally cheers as Mizdow makes his way to the ring. The Miz comes out and stops Mizdow from entering the ring, stating “I’m taking your spot. It’s MY spot!”. Miz on the apron, gets pie-faced off by Reigns and Mizdow makes his way toward the ring. Mizdow hesitates, looking back and forth between the ring and Miz. He charges the ring, hits a spike DDT on Bray, a combo back/neckbreaker on Big E, followed by a kip-up. Rusev grabs Mizdown from behind and throws him out, where he lands next to Miz. Damien Mizdow is eliminated.Miz is yelling at Mizdow, but Mizdow is just copying him…
• Entry #22 is “The Real American” Jack Swagger. Swagger charges Rusev, hitting a slam, followed by a boot to Bray and then the Swagger Bomb on Rusev. Bray, Swagger & Rusev take turns pummeling each other while Reigns & Big E go at it…
• Entry #23 is Ryback. Ryback hits Rusev & Swagger with spinebusters, a clothesline for Reigns & Bray and an overhead belly to belly to Big E. He sets-up for and hits the Meat Hook on Rusev, goes for the Shell Shocked, but Bray gets involved to make the save…
• Entry #24 is Kane. Kane with strikes for Ryback, Rusev & Reigns before maintaining his focus on Ryback…
• Entry #25 is Dean Ambrose. Ambrose with a flurry of offense that includes a pendulum clothesline on Kane, Bray & Rusev. Crowd starts “Let’s Go Ambrose” chants. Now we get 4 pairs of 2, with Superstars struggling to hang on…
• Entry #26 is Titus O’Neil. Titus is fired up entering the ring. Reigns & Ambrose hit a double clothesline that looks like it’s supposed to knock Titus out, but takes a 2nd effort to get it done. Titus O’Neil is eliminated…
• Entry #27 is WWE Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett. Barrett delivers a shot to just about everyone and plants Ambrose with Winds Of Change. This is the most guys in the ring at the same time all night…
• Entry #28 is Cesaro. Cesaro is slingin’ uppercuts. He elevates Ambrose for the Very European Uppercut and tries to eliminate him without success. Rusev sends Big E out to the apron, then hits him with a dropkick to send him to the floor. Big E is eliminated…
• Entry #29 is Big Show. Everyone in the ring goes for Big Show as Bray holds off Kane, but Show powers out. Kane & Big Show start to take everyone out with Chokeslams. They grab Ryback by the thoat and toss him. Swagger follows suit. Ryback is eliminated. Jack Swagger is eliminated. Kane with a Chokeslam on Rusev and he rolls under the bottom rope to the floor…

Entry #30 is Dolph Ziggler. Dolph with superkicks to Show, Kane & Bray, then he delivers a jumping double DDT to Kane & Big Show. Barrett charges and Ziggler side steps, sending him to the apron and connecting with a superkick for the elimination. Bad News Barrett is eliminated. Ziggler turns around into the Swiss Swing by Cesaro, who tries to toss Dolph, but her hangs on and drags Cesaro to the apron with him. Dolph hits 2 superkicks that drop Cesaro to the floor. Cesaro is eliminated.

Kane sends Dolph to the apron, Dolph hangs Kane across the top, then climbs the turnbuckle. He jumps off and is caught by Big Show’s WMD, then tossing Ziggler’s lifeloss body over with Kane. Dolph Ziggler is eliminated. Bray tries for Sister Abigail, but catches a WMD and gets tossed by Kane & Big Show as well. Bray Wyatt is eliminated. It’s down to 4, as Ambrose & Reigns team up against Kane & Show. Ambrose hits a pendulum clothesline that knocks down Kane, one for Show too and Reigns follows with a jumping clothesline to take the big man down. They try to eliminate Show, but Reigns runs into a boot from Kane.

Show with a Chokeslam to Ambrose, then throws him over with help from Kane. Dean Ambrose is eliminated. Big Show & Kane work over Reigns and the crowd chants “Bulls*%$”. Kane tries to throw Reigns over and Show comes up from behind trying to eliminate both. Now Kane & Show are in each other’s faces and the alliance breaks down into fists. Reigns comes up behind both of them and dumps them over the top. Kane is eliminated. Big Show is eliminated. The bell rings, but no announcement is made. Big Show & Kane hit the ring and pummel Reigns, hitting him with a double Chokeslam.

“If Ya Smellll…” Out comes The Rock, who charges the ring and goes for Big Show & Kane. Spinebuster on Kane, followed by The People’s Elbow. Big Show goes to Chokeslam Rock, but eats a Superman Punch from Reigns, then a Rock Bottom. Rock leaves the ring and Rusev rolls in behind Reigns, who was never eliminated. Rusev hits the ropes, but Reigns with a Spear and he tosses out Rusev. Rusev is eliminated.
Winner: Roman Reigns

• After The Bell: Brock Lesnar is seen watching on a monitor in the back. The Rock gets back in the ring and raises Reigns’ hand in victory. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon come out to the top of the stage and look shocked to see Rock. Rock & HHH exchange words before HHH & Stephanie walk to the back. Rock hugs Reigns then leaves the ring to him. The fireworks around the WrestleMania sign go off and Reigns celebrates to end the show.
• EA’s Take: Everyone was aware or has been aware for months now that Reigns was supposed to be the guy to win this match. Now it happens and everyone is pissed about it. Overall, I thought the match itself was entertaining enough even if it was not the best Rumble of all-time. The surprises were PHENOMENAL and even the smartest of fans couldn’t have predicted that. Bubba Ray looks good, definitely should get another run in WWE, with or without D-Von. The early elimination of Daniel Bryan clearly made the majority of people upset, but I can see the logic. If he’s not going to win it, get him out and get him out early. It’ll be interesting to me to see how this plays out on TV the next few weeks. I’m curious to see just how the fan reaction to Reigns winning will affect the plan going forward into WrestleMania.

EA’s Finisher: The bottom of this card is obviously weak and could have used perhaps another singles match. I would have preferred a Diva title match and then perhaps an IC Title match as opposed to the Diva’s tag just to give it some variety. Including the Kickoff show, that’s 4 tag matches on a 6 match card. That being said, the main events delivered, especially the Triple Threat Championship match. Most will piss and moan about Daniel Bryan, but sometimes you need to stick to the plan that’s been laid forward. This is the youth movement, can you really be putting all your stock into a guy that was almost just forced to retire from a neck issue? Right off the bat? Don’t get me wrong, I like Bryan. I just understand what WWE’s trying to do and Bryan can help in other ways without being in the main event right now.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
2 – Royal Rumble Match
3 – The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow

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