Greatest Royal Rumble

Last updated

Greatest Royal Rumble
WWE greatest royal.jpg
Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers
Promotion WWE
Brand(s) Raw
SmackDown
205 Live
DateApril 27, 2018
City Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Venue King Abdullah International Stadium
Attendance60,000 [1]
WWE Network event chronology
← Previous
WrestleMania 34 		Next →
Backlash
WWE in Saudi Arabia chronology
← Previous
First		Next →
Crown Jewel

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American company WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2018, at the King Abdullah Sports City's King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was the first in a series of WWE events held in Saudi Arabia in support of Saudi Vision 2030, the country's social and economic reform program. At the event, all men's main roster championships at the time were defended, in addition to a 50-man Royal Rumble match, titled the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

Contents

The card comprised 10 matches. In the main event, Raw's Braun Strowman won the Greatest Royal Rumble match to win the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Trophy and Championship. In the penultimate match, Brock Lesnar retained Raw's Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match. In other prominent matches, SmackDown's WWE Championship match between defending champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura resulted in a double countout, The Undertaker defeated Rusev in a casket match, and in the opening bout, John Cena defeated Triple H. The Greatest Royal Rumble match was notable for being Chris Jericho's final match in WWE. The match was also the last match in The Great Khali's and Mark Henry's wrestling career and the last match where Hornswoggle wrestled for WWE. The match was also Hiroki Sumi's only match in WWE. [2]

Production

Background

Since 1988, the Royal Rumble has been an annual January event held by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, shown on pay-per-view (PPV) since 1989 and the WWE Network since 2015. [3] The event is highlighted by the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle royal in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. The match generally features 30 wrestlers. [4]

On March 5, 2018, WWE and the Saudi General Sports Authority advertised a live event titled the Greatest Royal Rumble to be held on April 27, 2018, at the King Abdullah International Stadium, part of the King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The event was announced to feature the largest version of the Royal Rumble match to date, aptly named the Greatest Royal Rumble match, having a total of 50 participants, ousting the 2011 Royal Rumble's 40-man match. [5] [6] The event was the first in a 10-year strategic multi-platform partnership between WWE and the Saudi General Sports Authority in support of Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's social and economic reform program. [7] [8] [9]

On March 19, 2018, WWE scheduled matches for all seven of their main roster male championships across the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands at the time: Raw's Universal Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and Raw Tag Team Championship, SmackDown's WWE Championship, United States Championship, and SmackDown Tag Team Championship, and 205 Live's Cruiserweight Championship. [10] The event was livestreamed on the WWE Network, [11] [12] as well as traditional pay-per-view in the United States [13] and internationally. [14] The event was also the first WWE pay-per-view with Arabic commentary. [15]

In the weeks leading up to the event, WWE held tryouts in Saudi Arabia. From these tryouts, eight were selected to receive training by WWE, which would include an opportunity to earn a spot at the Greatest Royal Rumble event itself. [16]

Storylines

The card comprised 10 matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands, [17] [18] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw , SmackDown Live , [19] and the cruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live . [20]

On April 9, Brock Lesnar, who had renewed his WWE contract, was scheduled to defend the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match as a rematch from WrestleMania 34. [21] On the Raw following WrestleMania, Reigns expressed frustration about not being told about his future matches and opponents, singling out the steel cage match with Lesnar. Reigns alleged that there was a conspiracy against him. Samoa Joe, who had been out with an injury since January, came out and warned Reigns that Lesnar would beat him again. [22]

On March 26, WWE scheduled a ladder match between then-champion The Miz, Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, and Samoa Joe for the Intercontinental Championship. [23] At WrestleMania 34, The Miz lost the Intercontinental Championship to Rollins in a triple threat match that also included Bálor, thus making Rollins the defending champion. [24] Both Miz and Joe were traded to SmackDown while Rollins and Bálor remained on Raw. [25] [26]

On March 26, Cesaro and Sheamus were scheduled to defend the Raw Tag Team Championship against The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy). [23] At WrestleMania 34, however, Cesaro and Sheamus lost the titles to Braun Strowman and 10-year-old Nicholas. [24] The following night on Raw, Strowman and Nicholas relinquished the titles due to Nicholas being a fourth grader. Cesaro and Sheamus demanded their titles back, but Raw General Manager Kurt Angle instead scheduled them to face the winner of the four-team Tag Team Eliminator tournament for the vacant titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble. [22] "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt won the tournament by defeating Titus Worldwide (Apollo Crews and Titus O'Neil) and The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson). [25] Cesaro and Sheamus were then traded to SmackDown during the Superstar Shake-up. [26]

At WrestleMania 34, The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) defeated defending champions The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) and The New Day's Big E and Kofi Kingston in a triple threat tag team match to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. [24] On the following SmackDown, The Usos defeated The New Day to earn a title match at Greatest Royal Rumble. [27]

A match between John Cena and Triple H was scheduled on March 26. [23]

The Undertaker was originally scheduled to face Rusev in a casket match, the first match of its kind in three years. [28] Due to reasons not entirely clear, Rusev was temporarily replaced by Chris Jericho [29] —this was explained with Rusev's wife Lana complaining about her husband competing in a casket match [30] —but eventually reinserted back into the match. Jericho was restored to his original participation in the Greatest Royal Rumble match. [31]

At WrestleMania 34, Jinder Mahal won the United States Championship. [24] Mahal was then traded to Raw and lost the championship to Jeff Hardy and Mahal invoked his rematch clause for the Greatest Royal Rumble. [25] Hardy was then traded to SmackDown the following night. [26]

At WrestleMania 34, AJ Styles successfully defended the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. After the match, Nakamura showed his respect to Styles but then attacked him with a low blow and a Kinshasa, turning heel. [24] On April 17, after repeated attacks on Styles by Nakamura, a rematch between the two was scheduled for the Greatest Royal Rumble. [26]

On the WrestleMania 34 Kickoff pre-show, Cedric Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali in the WWE Cruiserweight Championship tournament final to win the vacant title. [32] Two nights later on 205 Live, Buddy Murphy attacked Alexander during his celebration. [33] Murphy was then scheduled to face Alexander for the title at the Greatest Royal Rumble, but he failed his mandatory weigh-in when he weighed 207 pounds, 2 pounds over the 205 pound weight limit. He was then removed from the match and banned from competing on 205 Live until he met the weight requirement. [34] The following week, Kalisto earned a Cruiserweight Championship match at the Greatest Royal Rumble by winning a gauntlet match. [35]

Event

Other on-screen personnel
Role:Name:
English commentators Michael Cole
Corey Graves
Byron Saxton
Spanish commentators Carlos Cabrera
Marcelo Rodríguez
Arabic commentatorsFaisal Almughaisib
Sultan Alharbi
Jude Aldajani
Ring announcer Greg Hamilton
Referees Danilo Anfibio
Jason Ayers
John Cone
Dan Engler
Darrick Moore
Chad Patton
Ryan Tran
Interviewer Mike Rome
Pre-show panelByron Saxton
Jerry Lawler
Jim Ross
Booker T

Preliminary matches

The actual pay-per-view opened with John Cena facing Triple H. During the match, Cena performed an Attitude Adjustment on Triple H for a near-fall. Cena attempted another Attitude Adjustment but Triple H countered into a Pedigree for a near-fall. In the end, Cena performed a second Attitude Adjustment on Triple H, a catapult into the corner, and a third Attitude Adjustment to pick up the victory. Following the match, Cena thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their hospitality, and expressed excitement over the event. [36]

In the following match, Cedric Alexander defended the Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto. The match ended when Alexander countered a Salida Del Sol attempt into a Lumbar Check to retain the title. [36]

Next, the vacant Raw Tag Team Championship was contested between the team of Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy and the former champions, Cesaro and Sheamus. In the end, Hardy distracted Sheamus, allowing Wyatt to perform a Sister Abigail on him. Hardy and Wyatt then performed a wheelbarrow Twist of Fate on Sheamus to win the titles. [36]

Jeff Hardy then defended the United States Championship against Jinder Mahal. Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb on Mahal to retain the title. [36]

After that, The Bludgeon Brothers defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The Usos. Harper and Rowan retained the titles after performing The Reckoning on Jimmy Uso. [36]

Next, Seth Rollins defended the Intercontinental Championship against Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and The Miz in a Ladder match. Near the end of the match, Balor attempted to retrieve the title, only for Rollins to springboard onto the ladder and retrieve the title belt, thus retaining the championship. [36]

In a segment between matches, four prospects from the recent Saudi tryouts (including Mansoor) came out to the ring to introduce themselves. Cruiserweight Ariya Daivari and his brother Shawn Daivari, in his first WWE appearance since 2007, came out to interrupt them. The Saudi prospects attacked and cleared the Daivari brothers from the ring. [36]

Later, AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. During the match, Nakamura resorted to various illegal tactics, such as a low blow, increasingly frustrating Styles. In the end, both Nakamura and Styles fought outside of the ring, only for the match to end in a double countout. After the match, Styles performed a Phenomenal Forearm to the floor on Nakamura. [36]

After that, The Undertaker fought Rusev (who was accompanied by Aiden English) in a Casket match. At the end of the match, Undertaker performed a chokeslam on Rusev and rolled him into the casket. Before Undertaker could close the casket, English attacked Undertaker, who retaliated with another chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver before putting English into the casket alongside Rusev and closing it for the victory. [36]

In the penultimate match, Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defended the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a Steel Cage match. As Reigns attempted a Superman Punch, Lesnar reversed it into four German Suplexes and an F-5. As Lesnar attempted a second F-5, Reigns reversed it into three Superman Punches. As Reigns attempted a Spear, Lesnar reversed it into a second F-5 attempt, but Reigns avoided it by climbing the cage. After both men failed to escape the cage, Reigns performed a Powerbomb on Lesnar from the top of a corner into the ring. After some crashes of Lesnar's body into some cage walls, Reigns performed three Spears for a nearfall. Heyman stopped Reigns from escaping the cage by slamming the door on him and Lesnar performed a second F-5 for a nearfall. Heyman threw a chair into the cage, but as Lesnar removed his MMA gloves and attempted to use it, Reigns performed a fourth Spear for a nearfall. Finally, Reigns performed a combo of four chair shots, a fourth Superman Punch and a fifth Spear on Lesnar through a cage wall. Although Reigns touched the floor with both feet first, the referee called for Lesnar to win the match as he technically escaped the cage first, retaining the WWE Universal Championship. [36]

Main event

Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler began the 50-man Royal Rumble match as the first two entrants. Titus O'Neil entered at No. 39 and tripped on his way to the ring. Bryan survived until the final three, beating Rey Mysterio for the longest time spent in a single Royal Rumble match of all time at an hour and sixteen minutes. In the end, Big Cass eliminated Bryan and attempted a big boot on Braun Strowman, who countered and eliminated Cass to win the match. Strowman also achieved the most eliminations of a single Royal Rumble match at 13, beating out a record previously held by Roman Reigns with 12. [37] Post-match, Strowman received a trophy and the Greatest Royal Rumble Championship. [36]

Controversy

WWE had been criticized for holding the event without female wrestlers, who were unable to perform at the event due to the limited rights women have in Saudi Arabia. [38] [39] Triple H, WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, responded to the criticism: "I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don't agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn't mean it's not a relevant culture...You can't dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women's evolution in the world and what you can't do is effect change anywhere by staying away from it....While women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and hope that, in the next few years they will be". [38] Women were in attendance for the event, though only if accompanied by a male guardian. [38] This was a major change from previous events, which were only open to men. Associated Press noted that this is due to "a series of social changes" by the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. [40] During the event, WWE aired a promotional video, which included WWE female wrestlers. The Saudi General Sports Authority issued an apology for "indecent material" that aired at the event. [41]

In addition to the female wrestlers, wrestler Sami Zayn did not participate in the event as Zayn is of Syrian descent, and Saudi Arabia had strained relations with Syria at the time. On the Raw after the event, a storyline excuse was given in where Sami was suffering from vertigo given to him by Bobby Lashley and therefore could not compete. [42]

Another subject of criticism was the situation of LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia, as in Saudi Arabia homosexual intercourse is illegal and can be punished by death. [43]

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a militant group offshoot of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, issued a warning to bin Salman and criticized the WWE event stating that "Disbelieving wrestlers exposed their privates and on most of them was the sign of the cross, in front of a mixed gathering of young Muslim men and women. The corruptors did not stop at that, for every night musical concerts are being announced, as well as movies and circus shows." [44]

Results

No.ResultsStipulationsTimes [36]
1 John Cena defeated Triple H by pinfall Singles match [45] 15:45
2 Cedric Alexander (c) defeated Kalisto by pinfall Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship [46] 10:15
3 Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy defeated Cesaro and Sheamus by pinfall Tag team match for the vacant WWE Raw Tag Team Championship [47] 8:50
4 Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Jinder Mahal by pinfall Singles match for the WWE United States Championship [48] 6:10
5 The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) (c) defeated The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) by pinfall Tag team match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship [49] 5:05
6 Seth Rollins (c) defeated The Miz, Finn Bálor, and Samoa Joe Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship [50] 15:05
7 AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a double countout Singles match for the WWE Championship [51] 14:25
8 The Undertaker defeated Rusev (with Aiden English) Casket match [52] 9:40
9 Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) defeated Roman Reigns by escaping the cage Steel Cage match for the WWE Universal Championship [53] 9:15
10 Braun Strowman won by last eliminating Big Cass 50-man Royal Rumble match for the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Trophy and Championship [54] 1:17:20
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

Tag Team Eliminator bracket

First Round
Raw (4/9)		Finals
Raw (4/16)		Championship Match
Greatest Royal Rumble (4/27)
The Revival
(Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson)		Pin [22]
Cesaro and Sheamus 8:50
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows 3:35
The Revival5:25Bray Wyatt and Matt HardyPin [36]
Bray Wyatt and Matt HardyPin [25]
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy Pin [22]
Titus Worldwide
(Apollo Crews and Titus O'Neil)		5:07

Greatest Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminations

  – Raw
  – SmackDown
  – 205 Live
  – NXT
  – Hall of Famer (HOF)
  – Unbranded
  – Winner
DrawEntrantBrandOrderEliminated byTime [55] Elimination(s)
1 Daniel Bryan SmackDown48Big Cass1:16:053
2 Dolph Ziggler Raw12Kurt Angle21:443
3 Sin Cara SmackDown1Dolph Ziggler01:180
4 Curtis Axel Raw2Mark Henry02:000
5 Mark Henry HOF5Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler03:273
6 Mike Kanellis Raw3Mark Henry00:030
7 Hiroki Sumi Unbranded4Mark Henry00:460
8 Viktor Raw6Daniel Bryan00:510
9 Kofi Kingston SmackDown14Elias16:341
10 Tony Nese 205 Live9Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods07:131
11 Dash Wilder Raw7Daniel Bryan and Hornswoggle01:260
12 Hornswoggle Unbranded8Dolph Ziggler and Tony Nese01:001
13 Primo SmackDown11Kurt Angle05:100
14 Xavier Woods SmackDown15Elias09:561
15 Bo Dallas Raw10Kurt Angle01:340
16 Kurt Angle Raw/HOF16Elias07:593
17 Scott Dawson Raw19Bobby Roode11:440
18 Goldust Raw18Bobby Roode10:040
19 Konnor Raw13Elias02:250
20 Elias Raw41Bobby Lashley34:045
21 Luke Gallows SmackDown20Rey Mysterio09:160
22 Rhyno Raw25Roderick Strong16:220
23 Drew Gulak 205 Live17Tucker Knight01:470
24 Tucker Knight NXT23Big E10:081
25 Bobby Roode Raw29Baron Corbin17:442
26 Fandango Raw21Mojo Rawley03:420
27 Chad Gable Raw24Apollo Crews08:170
28 Rey Mysterio Unbranded37Baron Corbin20:251
29 Mojo Rawley Raw27Randy Orton08:522
30 Tyler Breeze Raw22Mojo Rawley00:160
31 Big E SmackDown33Braun Strowman13:591
32 Karl Anderson SmackDown26Randy Orton04:250
33 Apollo Crews Raw28Randy Orton03:261
34 Roderick Strong NXT30Baron Corbin06:001
35 Randy Orton SmackDown39Elias10:584
36 Heath Slater Raw34Braun Strowman07:380
37 Babatunde NXT31Braun Strowman05:530
38 Baron Corbin Raw38Randy Orton07:083
39 Titus O'Neil Raw35Braun Strowman04:420
40Dan MathaNXT32Braun Strowman02:010
41 Braun Strowman Raw—Winner22:1413
42 Tye Dillinger SmackDown36Braun Strowman00:290
43 Curt Hawkins Raw40Braun Strowman00:200
44 Bobby Lashley Raw45Braun Strowman14:382
45 The Great Khali Unbranded42Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley00:310
46 Kevin Owens Raw47Braun Strowman10:430
47 Shane McMahon SmackDown44Braun Strowman08:070
48 Shelton Benjamin SmackDown43Chris Jericho04:230
49 Big Cass SmackDown49Braun Strowman07:231
50 Chris Jericho SmackDown46Braun Strowman03:181

Championship belt

At the conclusion of the Greatest Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman was awarded a trophy and a Greatest Royal Rumble Championship belt. According to The Sportster, "the likelihood is that nothing that took place in the main event will have any effect on anything once WWE arrives back in the United States and resume normal service." [58] Although WWE.com had originally listed Strowman as the Greatest Royal Rumble Champion after the event, he never appeared with the belt at any other event and the title was never mentioned again.

The base design was similar to the current design of the WWE Championship introduced in 2014, with some differences. [59] Instead of a large cut out of the WWE logo, the center plate was modeled with an Arabic pattern with the WWE logo in the center. Like the WWE Championship belt and other belts introduced since 2016, the Greatest Royal Rumble Championship belt contained two side plates, both separated by gold divider bars, with removable round sections that could be replaced with the current champion's logo; the default plates showed the official logo of Saudi General Sports Authority, which is identical to the national emblem of Saudi Arabia. The plates were on a green leather strap resembling the color of the national flag of Saudi Arabia.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Reigns</span> American professional wrestler (born 1985)

Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi, better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. He is the leader of the babyface iteration of The Bloodline stable and a member of the Anoaʻi family. Reigns's title reign of 1,316 days as Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion was the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history and the longest championship reign since 1988. He is widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers currently active in the world, and by some as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble match</span> Professional wrestling match type

The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor. The match is typically the main event of WWE's January pay-per-view and livestreaming event known as the Royal Rumble. The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin holds the record for most victories at three, achieved in 1997, 1998, and 2001, while Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes have all won the match twice, with Hogan, Michaels, Austin, and Rhodes the only four to win back-to-back matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braun Strowman</span> American professional wrestler and strongman

Adam Joseph Scherr is an American professional wrestler & former strongman. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Braun Strowman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 33</span> 2017 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and was the third WrestleMania held at the state of Florida after XXIV and XXVIII. The New Day served as the hosts of the event. It was the first WrestleMania to feature Goldberg since WrestleMania XX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 34</span> 2018 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the second WrestleMania held at this venue after XXX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2017)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2017 Royal Rumble was the 30th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on January 29, 2017, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This was the second Royal Rumble to be held at this venue after the 1997 event, and the fourth to be held in the state of Texas, after the 1989, 1997, and 2007 events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Royal Rumble was the 31st annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on January 28, 2018, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the third Royal Rumble held at this venue after the 2004 and 2015 events, and was the first to include a women's Royal Rumble match, and consequently, two Royal Rumble matches, which is now standard for the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 36</span> 2020 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania 36 was the 36th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was filmed on March 25 and 26, 2020, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and was broadcast as a two-night event on April 4 and 5. This marked the first time the event was broadcast over two nights as well as aired on tape delay. On pay-per-view, the two productions were sold as individual shows, with both available as a package deal. National Football League (NFL) player Rob Gronkowski served as the host of the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backlash (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Backlash was the 14th Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on May 6, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was the first Backlash event since 2009 to feature multiple brands during a brand split. In 2019, Backlash was replaced by Stomping Grounds, but Backlash was reinstated in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hell in a Cell (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Hell in a Cell was the 10th annual Hell in a Cell professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on September 16, 2018, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Previously, Hell in a Cell was held annually in October, thus the 2018 event was the first to not have occurred during that month. The event returned to the October slot the following year, but in 2021, the event series was moved up to June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elimination Chamber (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Elimination Chamber was the eighth Elimination Chamber professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. The event took place on February 25, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada. It was the final Raw-exclusive pay-per-view under the second brand split as following WrestleMania 34 in April, WWE discontinued brand-exclusive pay-per-views. The 2018 event was also the first to feature a seven-man Elimination Chamber match, the first event to include a women's Elimination Chamber match, and the first Raw-exclusive pay-per-view since the 2016 reintroduction of the brand extension to not feature any cruiserweight division matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money in the Bank (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Money in the Bank was the ninth annual Money in the Bank professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on June 17, 2018, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and was the second Money in the Bank held at this venue after the 2011 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Rules (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Extreme Rules was the 10th annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on July 15, 2018, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The concept of Extreme Rules is that the event features various hardcore-based matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2019)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2019 Royal Rumble was the 32nd annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on January 27, 2019, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. During the event, WWE reported there were 48,193 people in attendance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Jewel (2018)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2018 Crown Jewel was a professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the inaugural Crown Jewel and took place on November 2, 2018, at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2020)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2020 Royal Rumble was the 33rd annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on January 26, 2020, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super ShowDown (2019)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2019 Super ShowDown was the second annual Super ShowDown professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American company WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on June 7, 2019, at the King Abdullah Sports City's King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was the third event that WWE held in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Jewel (2019)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2019 Crown Jewel was a professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the second Crown Jewel and took place on October 31, 2019, at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. It was the fourth event that WWE held in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030. A Crown Jewel event was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event returned in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super ShowDown (2020)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2020 Super ShowDown was the third annual and final Super ShowDown professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American company WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on February 27, 2020, at the Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was the fifth event that WWE held in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030. It was the last event held by WWE in Saudi Arabia until Crown Jewel in October 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic began severely restricting travel only weeks after Super ShowDown, with WWE holding all events behind closed doors until July 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "First-ever WWE Greatest Royal Rumble wows 60,000 in Jeddah". Arab News. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ Woodward, Hamish (April 12, 2022). "Chris Jericho's last WWE match was a greatest of all time". Atletifo. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Specialty Matches: Royal Rumble". WWE . Archived from the original on July 14, 2005. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  4. ↑ Waldman, Jon (February 2, 2005). "Statistical survival – breaking down the Royal Rumble". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  5. ↑ Silverstein, Adam (March 5, 2018). "WWE news, rumors: 'Greatest Royal Rumble,' NXT injury, Jericho-NJPW done?". CBS Sports . Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  6. ↑ Lake, Jefferson (March 5, 2018). "WWE: Saudi Arabia to host 50-man Royal Rumble". Sky Sports . Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ WWE.com staff (March 5, 2018). "Saudi Arabia to host the Greatest Royal Rumble". WWE . Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  8. ↑ "National Transformation Program 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Saudi Arabia to host the Greatest Royal Rumble". Saudigazette. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Seven title bouts, 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match announced for Greatest Royal Rumble". WWE . March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  11. ↑ WWE.com staff (April 4, 2018). "Greatest Royal Rumble to stream on WWE Network Friday, April 27, at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT". WWE . Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  12. ↑ Mike Johnson (March 12, 2018). "WWE NETWORK TO BROADCAST GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE". PWInsider. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Pay Per View on Verizon Fios". Verizon Fios. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ "WWE Greatest Royal Rumble to be shown live on Sky Sports Box Office". Sky Sports . March 22, 2018. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Exclusive: WWE Network Offering Arabic Commentary For Greatest Royal Rumble Event". April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Eight athletes selected to receive additional training in Saudi Arabia". WWE . Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  17. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE . Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  19. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (Exclusive)". Variety . Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ Csonka, Larry (November 11, 2016). "Triple H Conference Call Report: Discusses 205 Live, NXT Takeover: Toronto, Says HBK Working at the Performance Center and More". 411Mania . Archived from the original on November 12, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Brock Lesnar re-signs with WWE, will defend his Universal Title against Reigns in a rematch later this month". Pro Wrestling Torch. April 9, 2018. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Powell, Jason (April 9, 2018). "WWE Raw Live TV Review: The Night After WrestleMania 34 edition". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 "John Cena takes on Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble; tickets available this Saturday, March 31". WWE . March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Powell, Jason (April 8, 2018). "Powell's WrestleMania 34 live review: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Powell, Jason (April 16, 2018). "WWE Raw Live TV Review: The Superstar Shakeup Night One, Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt vs. The Revival for a shot at the vacant Raw Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Powell, Jason (April 16, 2018). "4/17 Powell's WWE Smackdown Live TV Review: The WWE Superstar Shakeup Night Two". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  27. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 10, 2018). "4/10 Powell's WWE Smackdown Live TV Review: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, Paige named new general manager, New Day vs. The Usos for a Smackdown Tag Title shot at the Greatest Royal Rumble". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  28. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 11, 2018). "Undertaker returning for a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  29. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 12, 2018). "WWE changes Undertaker match at Greatest Royal Rumble". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  30. ↑ "WWE's Lana & Rusev Rusev's Gonna Retire Undertaker ... Crush His Old Ass!". TMZ Sports. April 12, 2018. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  31. ↑ Martin, Adam (April 16, 2018). "Undertaker vs. Rusev back on for Greatest Royal Rumble, Miz talks about becoming a father". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  32. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 8, 2018). "Powell's WrestleMania 34 Kickoff Show live review: WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal, Cedric Alexander vs. Mustfa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  33. ↑ Heydorn, Zack (April 10, 2018). "4/10 WWE 205 Live Report: Cedric Alexander debuts as the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Gulak vs. Andrews, The Brian Kendrick returns, and more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  34. ↑ Heydorn, Zack (April 17, 2018). "4/17 WWE 205 Live Report: Maverick addresses Buddy Murphy, Dorado & Metalik vs. Tozawa & Itami, and more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  35. ↑ Heydorn, Zack (April 24, 2018). "4/24 WWE 205 Live Report: A number one contender gauntlet match featuring Mustafa Ali, Drew Gulak, and more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Powell, Jason (April 27, 2018). "Powell's WWE Greatest Royal Rumble live review: 50-man Royal Rumble match, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a cage match for the WWE Universal Championship, AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship, John Cena vs. Triple H, Undertaker vs. Rusev in a casket match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  37. ↑ Martin, Adam (January 27, 2014). "WWE Royal Rumble PPV results 1/26/14 - (30 man Rumble)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  38. 1 2 3 Paddock, Matty (April 24, 2018). "WWE Greatest Royal Rumble: Triple H defends hosting event in Saudi Arabia without any women wrestlers". The Independent . Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  39. ↑ Collins, Elle (March 26, 2018). "WWE Reveals New Matches For The Greatest Royal Rumble, But No Women's Wrestling Allowed". Uproxx . Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Women, children attend wrestling event in Saudi Arabia". apnews.com. April 28, 2018. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  41. ↑ Johnson, Mike. "Apology Issued for 'Indecent' Material Aired During Greatest Royal Rumble". PWInsider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Vince Thanks Saudi Arabia, Backstage Notes and More From Greatest Royal Rumble". PWInsider. April 28, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  43. ↑ "WWE is hosting Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia and LGBT+ fans are not happy about it – PinkNews". www.pinknews.co.uk. April 26, 2018. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  44. ↑ "AQAP Condemns Saudi Entertainment and Sports Authorities, Points to WWE Event in Jeddah as Example of "Sin"". May 31, 2018. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  45. ↑ Benigno, Anthony (April 27, 2018). "John Cena def. Triple H". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  46. ↑ Powers, Kevin (April 27, 2018). "WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander def. Kalisto". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  47. ↑ Wortman, James (April 27, 2018). ""Woken" Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt def. Cesaro & Sheamus (new Raw Tag Team Champions)". WWE . Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  48. ↑ Melok, Bobby (April 27, 2018). "United States Champion Jeff Hardy def. Jinder Mahal". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  49. ↑ Wortman, James (April 27, 2018). "SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers def. The Usos". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  50. ↑ Benigno, Anthony (April 27, 2018). "Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins def. The Miz, Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe (Ladder Match)". WWE . Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  51. ↑ Melok, Bobby (April 27, 2018). "WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a Double Count-out". WWE . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  52. ↑ Clapp, John (April 27, 2018). "The Undertaker def. Rusev in a Casket Match". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  53. ↑ Melok, Bobby (April 27, 2018). "Brock Lesnar def. Roman Reigns in a Steel Cage Match to retain the Universal Championship". WWE . Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  54. ↑ Benigno, Anthony (April 27, 2018). "Braun Strowman won the first-ever 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match to become the Greatest Royal Rumble Champion". WWE . Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  55. ↑ "50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match statistics: Entrant order, eliminations, times and more". WWE . April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Big Show Reveals Why He Didn't Compete at Greatest Royal Rumble". May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  57. ↑ "Kane Hasn't Ruled Out Wrestling as Mayor if Elected". June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  58. ↑ "WWE Reveals Greatest Royal Rumble Championship Belt [Photo]". April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Superstars". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.