January 27, 2002 | Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA.
We are welcomed to the first Pay-Per-View of 2002, and the first stop on the Road To Wrestlemania, the 15th annual Royal Rumble, by JR, The King, and Michael Cole. They talk to us about how huge of an event this is, and how much it means for a superstar to win the Royal Rumble, but they also tell us about how important of a match we have before that, in Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho for the WWF Undisputed Championship. They then send us to Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabréra, the Spanish announce team, for a few words before our first match gets underway.
The Dudley Boys (w/ Stacy Kiebler) vs Billy and Chuck (w/ Rico Constantino)The Dudley Boys and Stacy first made their way to the ring, to a pretty loud cheer from the fans. Stacy was extremely popular, as ever, and The Dudleys looked ready for a fight. Up next, Billy and Chuck made their way to the ring, and they were accompanied by a man with large sideburns, who was carrying what seemed to be a makeup kit. Regardless, the Champions made their way into the ring and the match began with D-Von and Chuck. Chuck, the big 270lber, as usual, tried to outmuscle his opponent, but he was unsuccessful in outmuscling the 300lb D-Von, as D-Von would push Chuck, causing him to fall on his ass. D-Von called for him to get back up, but Chuck tagged in Billy. Billy came in, and both him and D-Von went for a collar and elbow tie up, but they both broke out. They locked up, but once again, they both broke out. D-Von then went running into Billy, but Billy had the wherewithal to sidestep D-Von, and that caused D-Von to go into the ropes. Billy then shot himself into the ropes, and came back with a hard shoulder knock down on D-Von. Both men ran into the ropes again, this time, however, D-Von took Billy down with a clothesline. Both men got up and ran into the ropes once again, however, Billy would this time go for a big boot, but D-Von ducked it and sent Billy into the corner. D-Von then rained down the punches, and once he got him down, D-Von stomped on Billy numerous times. D-Von picked Billy up and bought him into the center of the ring, but Billy raked him in the eyes, which bought him just enough time to tag in Chuck. Chuck came in and caught D-Von off guard with a shot to the side of the head, and then pummelled him with strikes and blows to the upper body. Chuck then grabbed D-Von and threw him with a straight vertical suplex and went for the cover, but D-Von powered out at two. Chuck then put D-Von in a rear chinlock in the center of the ring. D-Von made it to his feet, and caught Chuck with an elbow to the midsection, and then an elbow to the top of the head. D-Von then grabbed him by the arm, and tagged in Bubba Ray. Bubba came in, and both him and D-Von sent Chuck into the ropes with an Irish whip and then sent him back down to the mat with a double clothesline. Bubba went for the pin, but it was broken up by Billy. Bubba lifted Chuck up and went for a shot, but Chuck caught Bubba with punches to the head, and then it looked like he was going to send Bubba off into the ropes, but he held on to him, bought him back towards him, picked him up, and dropped him with a bodyslam. Chuck tagged in Billy, and Chuck then lifted Billy in the air and dropped him, giving Billy more power on his elbow drop. Billy went for the cover, but Bubba kicked out. Billy picked him up and caught him with the raised knee lifts to the gut of Bubba. Billy pushed Bubba into the corner, and then climbed the turnbuckle and began to rain down the punches. He managed to hit him 6 times, until D-Von tagged himself in, and Bubba walked forward, still holding on to Billy. D-Von climbed to the top rope, and came off with a flying clothesline that turned Billy inside out. D-Von went for the cover, but Chuck came in to make the save. D-Von called for Billy to get up, and it looked like he was going for something, but Billy rolled to the outside. D-Von went after him, but while Bubba was trying to tell the referee that it was 2 on 1 out there, Chuck took D-Von down with a clothesline. Billy bought him back into the ring. While D-Von was sat down, Billy locked him in a full nelson on the ground. D-Von was reaching for the tag from Bubba, but Billy was holding on. D-Von headbutted Billy in the chest, and that was just enough to get himself out of the hold, D-Von dived across the ring, and got the tag to Bubba. Bubba came in like a house on fire, taking Billy down with a clothesline, and when he got up, another clothesline. Billy tagged Chuck and he came into the ring and swung for Bubba, but he ducked it, and instead lifted Chuck up and dropped him back down with the Bubba Bomb. However, before he could capitalise any further, Billy and Chuck's manager, who we now learned was called Rico, climbed up on the apron, and looked to cause a distraction for Bubba. Instead, Stacy pulled Rico down, and flashed her butt at him, but Rico didn't seem to care. Rico turned around, but all he got was a punch in the face from D-Von. But, while all this was going on and Chuck was still down, Billy came in and hit the Fameasser while the referee's back was turned. Chuck crawled to the cover, and got the 3 count, allowing the champions to steal a win from The Dudley Boys. Billy pulled Chuck out of the ring, and they scurried to the top of the ramp. D-Von, Bubba, and Stacy were all in the ring, clearly mad at what had just happened. D-Von climbed outside of the ring, but as he was about to leave, he saw the lifeless body of Rico lying on the ground. Bubba looked over and saw it too, which would prompt Bubba to yell at D-Von to "GET THE TABLES!". D-Von grabbed a table and threw it into the ring, and then grabbed Rico and threw him into the ring. As Stacy cheered, Bubba sent Rico into the ropes, bought him up, and D-Von sent him back down, as they would drive him through a table with the 3D, as the distraught champions looked on. This had to be a consolation of sorts for The Dudley Boyz.
A promo for Wrestlemania X8 is shown.
Mighty Molly vs Trish Stratus - WWF Women's ChampionshipA confident looking challenger made her way to the ring, looking prepared for her opponent. The champion Trish then made her way to the ring, seeming no less confident than Molly. The bell rang, and the two women locked up, but they both broke. Trish ran for Molly, but Molly flipped her over with the side headlock takeover. Molly wrenched on the head and neck area of Trish, but Trish used her legs and wrapped them around Molly's neck to transition into the scissorlock, however, Molly used her leverage to roll Trish onto her back to get a two count. Both women got up, faced off, and locked up again. Trish took the arm of Molly, and transitioned into a hammerlock, but Molly transitioned into the front chancery. Trish tried to fight her way out of it, but Molly dropped her on her head with a DDT. Molly went for the pin, but she only got two, and picked Trish up and locked in the rear chinlock, trapping Trish in the center of the ring. Molly appeared to be really wrenching on the hold, and Trish seemed to be getting worn down, but she still managed to get her feet on the ropes and make it back to her feet. Trish ran over to Molly again, but this time Molly took her down with a double leg, and caught her with kicks to the hamstring. Molly then got down, bent the knee of Stratus, and dug her elbow into the joint, pushing down with great force, in an attempt to prevent Trish from using the Chick Kick. Molly would then continue to wear down the champion, by locking her in a leg bar. Stratus was trying her best to fight out of it, but Molly had her in the center of the ring. However, eventually Trish managed to break free by using her free leg to kick Molly in the back, forcing her to break the hold. Molly then got up and wasted no time, going right back after the champion's leg, wrapping it around the bottom rope and pulling on it. However, due to this hold being illegal, Molly was forced to break it after the referee's count of five. Molly tried to pull Stratus to the outside, but Trish wisely used both her feet to kick Molly in the jaw, sending her to the ground. Trish then rolled to the outside herself, grabbed the challenger by the hair, and drove her face first into the barricade numerous times. Trish, now with the upper hand, sent Molly back into the ring to break the count. Stratus celebrated on the outside for a short while, and it would prove to be costly, as when she returned to the ring, Molly would kick her in the gut and send her overhead with a vertical suplex. Molly went for the cover, but Trish kicked out at 2. Molly then went back to the knee, lifting up the leg and removing the knee pad of the champion, and then dropping the elbow down onto the knee a number of times. Molly then grabbed both legs, and locked in a a single-leg Boston Crab in the center of the ring, causing pain to the whole lower body of Stratus. Molly then sat back even further, which visibly hurt Trish. However, the champion clawed with all she had and made it to the bottom rope, forcing Molly to break the hold. Molly seemed to be getting frustrated at this point, and sent Stratus spine first into the corner. Molly then lifted her to the top rope, and it looked like she was going to set up for a superplex, but Stratus countered it by kicking Molly in the face. Trish then grabbed the head of the challenger, and came soaring off the top rope with a Tornado DDT, planting Molly right on her head. Trish was about to go for the cover, but Molly very wisely rolled to the outside. However, Stratus followed her there and bought her right back in the ring. Trish looked like she was going to set her up for the Chick Kick, but Molly instead pushed Stratus away, and ran towards her try and take her down with a clothesline, but Trish ducked it, and as Molly turned around, Stratus caught her in the side of the head with the Chick Kick, which would ultimately put Molly away. Stratus celebrated on the ramp after another successful title defence, while Molly was still knocked out on the canvas.
WWF Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho is backstage with Jonathan Coachman. "The Coach" asks him what his thoughts are headed into the his match with Rob Van Dam. Jericho says that his thoughts are quite simple. He says that he's going to knock "RVD" off of his pedestal, and send him straight to the bottom of the pile where he belongs. He also says that Van Dam thinks he's gotten in Jericho's head, but he's wrong, because Jericho is the master of mind games, and he will prove exactly why tonight. Jericho leaves.
Diamond Dallas Page vs William Regal - WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipPage made his way to the ring first, with the crowd firmly behind him. Regal would then walk down the aisle, to extremely loud boos. JR noted as Regal made his entrance that Regal knocked Page out a couple of weeks prior. The two men would then square off in the ring, and lock up. Regal, the more technical of the two, would almost immediately take control, going behind DDP and gripping him with a waistlock. Regal would then flip Page onto the mat and onto his gut, and then roll over into a front facelock. Page rose to his feet, and as he did, Regal transitioned into a side headlock. Page took Regal into one set of ropes and shot him off into another, and as Regal came running towards Page, Page would hit him with a shoulder tackle, sending the champion down on his back. Regal then got up, and both men went into the ropes again, and this time, Regal went for the shoulder tackle, but Page seemed to be unaffected. For a third time, both men went into the ropes, and once again, Regal went for the shoulder tackle, but he barely moved Page. Regal went back into the ropes and came running towards Page again, but this time, Page took him down to the mat with a clothesline. DDP picked him up and whilst holding Regal in a front chancery position, Page drove his knee into the gut and the head of Regal. This rocked Regal, so much so that he fell into the corner turnbuckles. Page looked like he was going for a Stinger Splash, but as he came running over, Regal ducked and Page got nothing but turnbuckle. As he turned around, Regal pounded him with the combination strikes, causing Page to fall to the ground, with his back rested against the bottom turnbuckle. Regal then stomped on DDP, and used his boot and the ropes to choke Page, but he was forced to break the hold at the referee's count of 4. Regal then grabbed Page by the head and raised him to his feet. Regal waved to the crowd, and then wrapped Page's arms around his head, turned around himself, and dropped Page with the neckbreaker. Regal went for the cover, but Page kicked out at 2. Regal wasted no time in rolling Page over onto his front and locking in a camel clutch. Regal was seated far down the back of Page, which was sure to wear down the entire body of the challenger. Page used everything he had however, and managed to crawl and get his hand on the bottom rope, forcing Regal to break. Page then rolled to the outside to get his breath, but he was immediately joined by Regal, who didn't let him ret for a second, bouncing Page's head off of the ring apron, and then sending him shoulder first into the ring post. Regal then went round the other side of the ring post, pulled the arm of Page through the gap between the post and the ring, and pulled on it, trying to pull the arm out of the socket. Regal released the hold, and then rolled back into the ring to break the referee's 10 count. The champion then went back outside to meet DDP, who was now seated on the ramp, favouring his shoulder. Regal took him by the head and looked like he was going to send him crashing into the steel steps, but it was Page who reversed it and sent Regal shoulder first into the steel steps. Page then rolled back into the ring to try and recuperate for a while. Regal eventually made it back into the ring at the count of 9, and this time, DDP looked to go on the offensive. Regal made it up to his feet, and then Page would look to go to work. DDP clobbered Regal with shots to the head, and then turned him around and bought him back down on top of his head with a reverse DDT. Regal didn't go for the pin and instead got straight back up and called for Regal to get back to his feet. Page took too long whilst pandering to the fans, however, and it allowed Regal to attack the lower leg of DDP with a chop block, bringing Page back down to the mat. Regal then crawled over to the head of Page, and rained down the punches. The champion raised his arm in the air, and he then locked in the Regal stretch in an attempt to put DDP away. Regal pulled and pulled on the head of Page, but he could not finish the job and retain his title, because DDP just barely made it to the ropes, forcing the break. Regal then got back up to his feet, and while the referee's back was turned, reached into his trunks, and pulled out what appeared to be brass knuckles. Page eventually got back to his feet and Regal looked like he was going to strike DDP with the knucks, but the referee got there just in time and stopped him from using them. But while the referee wasn't looking, Regal pulled another set of knuckles out, this time from his knee pad, and went for the shot to the head, but Page would be able to duck the shot, and as Regal turned around, DDP bought him down face first with the Diamond Cutter. Page went for the pin, and he got the 3, and was crowned the new WWF Intercontinental champion, much to the visible chigrin of Regal. Page celebrated at the top of the stage, and Regal looked on angrily.
Backstage, The Hurricane, Bob Holly, Billy Kidman, Maven, and Tommy Dreamer are about to receive their Royal Rumble entry numbers. First to take a ball is Billy Kidman, who draws number 20. Maven then takes a ball, and draws number 21. Bob Holly then takes a ball, and draws number 12. Tommy Dreamer then takes a ball, and draws number 9. Finally, The Hurricane takes a ball, and draws number 28 to his visible excitement and the visible jealousy of the other men in the room. Hurricane leaves looking extremely happy.
Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho - WWF Undisputed ChampionshipVan Dam, the more popular of the two combatants, made his way to the ring first, to a great reaction from the fans. Jericho then made his entrance, to resounding boos. The two men faced off in the ring, with Jericho having stuff to say to Van Dam, but RVD, looking extremely focused, just ignored it. RVD did his trademark taunt, and the crowd gave him a huge ovation. Jericho did his, and all he got, once again, was resounding boos. Both men locked up, and Jericho took the advantage almost immediately, turning the tie up into a hammer lock, and then a headlock. Van Dam pushed Jericho into the ropes, and then sent him off into the other set of ropes. Van Dam first went underneath Jericho, then leapfrogged over him, and as Jericho came back towards him for the 3rd time, RVD monkey-flipped him across the ring. Jericho got back to his feet, and once again, the two men faced off in the center of the ring. Van Dam once again did his signature taunt, but this time, Jericho would slap him right in the face. Van Dam didn't seem to be pleased, and instead kicked Jericho in the head. RVD then threw him into the corner, and clobbered Jericho with a whole number of punches and kicks. Jericho then rolled to the outside to try and gain his bearings, but Van Dam would seize the opportunity, and go flying to the outside with a topé over the top rope, knocking Jericho for a loot. Van Dam picked Jericho up and bought him back into the ring, but as he went to set Jericho up for something, Jericho poked him in the eye, momentarily blinding him. Jericho then took advantage, using his hand to sweep the foot of Van Dam and send him throat first into the middle rope. Jericho then didn't waste any time in using his knee to drive the throat and neck of RVD further into the ropes, causing him even more pain. Jericho would then begin punking out Van Dam, slapping him in the face and kicking him in the back of the head. As Van Dam was seated, Jericho then locked in an rear chinlock, looking to wrench on the throat to further wear down his quick footed challenger. Jericho continued to tighten his grip. Van Dam used everything in his body to make it to his feet, and got his hand on the rope. Jericho maintained his grip until the referee's count of 4, but he was eventually forced to break it. Jericho then got up and rolled to the outside. He pulled the throat of Van Dam down on the bottom rope, crushing the windpipe of RVD. Jericho broke the hold before the 5 count, and then ran and hit Van Dam in the head with a drive-by kick, knocking the challenger silly. Jericho then pulled Van Dam to the outside, and attempted to send RVD head first into the ring post, but Van Dam blocked it, and instead bounced Jericho's head off of the post, causing Jericho to fall against the barricade. Van Dam then rolled under the bottom rope and back outside to break the count, and then kicked Jericho in the chest numerous times while he was rested against the barricade. RVD then lifted him up and rested him over the security wall, climbed up onto the ring apron and did his signature taunt, and then came flying off the ring apron with a spinning leg drop, putting his body on the line and damn near decapitating Jericho in the process. Van Dam then wasted no time, getting both himself and Jericho back in the ring to make sure the match didn't end on a count out. Jericho however had the wherewithal to duck a kick from RVD, and when Van Dam turned around, "Y2J" sent him across the ring with a German Suplex, turning the challenger inside out. Jericho went for the cover, but Van Dam kicked out. Jericho lifted the head of RVD off of the mat, and hit him with a number of forearm strikes to the face. Jericho then bought him to his feet, pushed him into the corner, and lit up the chest of Van Dam with the knife edge chops. Van Dam fell away from the corner clutching his chest, and Jericho grabbed him by the legs and dropped him throat across the top rope with a flapjack. Van Dam fell on his back and Jericho went for the cover, but RVD kicked out at two. Van Dam started crawling on his hands and knees, and once again, Jericho would begin to taunt him, kicking him in the gut and slapping him in the face. Van Dam got back to his feet after a while, and as Jericho went for a kick to the gut, RVD wisely moved out of the way and caught Jericho in the back of the head with a spin kick, knocking the champion throat first into the ropes. Jericho turned around, and Van Dam launched him once again with a Monkey Flip, sending the champion out of the ring. Whilst Jericho was on the outside, still rocked from the Monkey Flip he just took, Van Dam did his signature "ROB! VAN! DAM!" taunt, and went soaring over the top rope and to the outside with a slingshot crossbody, taking Jericho out. Van Dam got back up, and the crowd gave him a huge ovation. RVD climbed up onto the apron and he looked like was about to get back in the ring, but the wise Jericho swept the legs of Van Dam out from under him, causing him to fall and hit his jaw on the hardest part of the ring, the apron. With Van Dam visibly in pain from hitting his head on the apron, Jericho went on the offensive, hitting the challenger with forearms and elbows to the face, and then bouncing his head off of the announce table. Jericho then bought Van Dam back into the ring, and while Van Dam was down, Jericho mocked him, copying his signature taunt, but yelling "Y! 2! J!" instead of "ROB! VAN! DAM!" Jericho then began to open his list of 1004 holds, locking his quick-footed opponent in an Indian Deathlock in the center of the ring. JR touched on the fact that Van Dam owns 2 pinfall victories over Jericho in recent weeks, including a singles win this past week on Raw. Jericho still had the hold locked in, and he looked like he might have been able to put the challenger away, but Van Dam made it to the ropes. Jericho got straight back up and back to work, putting the boots to RVD whilst he was down. Jericho then picked him up, bought him back to his feet, and sent him into the ropes with an Irish whip. Jericho looked like he was gonna hit something, but Van Dam was smart enough to jump into the ropes and come back with a springboard martial arts kick right to Jericho's face, knocking the champion down. Van Dam, with the crowd behind him, looked to capitalise on his momentum, and keep the odds in his favour. Jericho got back to his feet, and Van Dam hit a flurry of kicks on the champion, and finally one last kick to the side of the head that knocked the champion down. With "Y2J" in position, Van Dam ran across the ring and came back with some Rolling Thunder, crushing the sternum of Jericho. Van Dam lifted Jericho up and caught him with a kick to the gut, and then, whilst Jericho was hunched over, RVD kicked him in the head a number of times, and then finally caught him in the side of the head with a spin kick, almost knocking the champion out. Van Dam called for it and he went to the top, possibly looking for the 5 Star Frog Splash, but he spent too much time trying to fire up the crowd, as he would be stopped in his tracks by Jericho, who took out the ankles of Van Dam, causing him to land in an unfavourable position on the top turnbuckle. Jericho then climbed up to the top himself, and called for something. He then grabbed Van Dam by the head, stood up, and bought both himself and Van Dam crashing to the mat with an incredible superplex, doing damage to his own body in order to win the match. It took him a while, but eventually Jericho crawled to the cover and draped his arm over Van Dam, but the resilient challenger got his foot on the rope at 2.9, forcing the match to continue. Jericho put his hands on his head in disbelief, and then jumped into the middle rope and came flying off, hitting a picture perfect Lionsault. Jericho once again made the cover, but once again, Van Dam would not quit, and he got the shoulder up. Jericho now appeared to be getting mad, and he got up, pointed at RVD, and yelled at him to get up. Fed up with waiting, Jericho eventually walked over and tried to grab Van Dam himself, but as it turned out, the challenger was playing possum, as he rolled Jericho up in a small package, but the incredibly smart Jericho managed to roll through and kick out. Jericho got up and ran after Van Dam, but RVD moved and Jericho got sent shoulder first into the corner post. And when he turned around, Van Dam was waiting for him, as he would send Jericho crashing against the corner turnbuckles with a running missile dropkick. Van Dam then climbed up onto the 2nd turnbuckle, and the fans knew what was coming next, as Van Dam was about rain down 10 punches onto Jericho's head. The fans in the Philips Arena counted along, and RVD hit the full 10 punches on the champion. After he finish caving in the skull of Jericho, it looked like he was going to go for another Monkey Flip, but Jericho managed to pull off an incredible counter, by dropping Van Dam's feet down to his arms, rolling him over onto his gut, and trapping him in the Walls Of Jericho in the center of the ring. Van Dam's lower body at this point in the match had to be killing him, and Jericho could sense that. The champion pulled and pulled on the legs of the challenger, but arguably one of the toughest men in all of the WWF managed to get his hands on the bottom rope. Jericho now almost began to throw a temper tantrum, yelling and smacking his hands on the canvas. He waited for Van Dam to get to his feet, and when he finally did, Jericho went for a big clothesline, but RVD ducked out of the way. Van Dam then came running for Jericho looking for a clothesline of his own, but "Y2J" pulled referee Mike Chioda in front of him, using him as a human shield, causing Van Dam to clothesline Chioda instead. Van Dam went down to check on Chioda, but as he got up, Jericho wasted no time in hitting the challenger with a low blow, which more than likely did double the damage after the rough landing Van Dam took on the top rope earlier. Jericho then rolled to the outside, went under the ring, grabbed a chair, and bought it into the ring. Whilst the challenger was on his knees, still visibly affected by the kick to the groin he took moments ago, Jericho swung and damn near took Van Dam's head off with the chair shot. Jericho then stood over him and raised the chair over his head in celebration. Van Dam got back up to his feet, and now he was busted wide open from that chair shot, or, as JR said, he was "bleeding like a stuffed pig". Jericho then once again disrespected the challenger, slapping him in the face and verbally punking him out. But whilst Jericho was doing this, Van Dam had the wherewithal to hit the champion with a low blow of his own, sending the champ himself to his knees. Van Dam then got back up, grabbed Jericho and bought him to his feet, grabbed the chair, threw it at Jericho, and almost took his head off with the Van Daminator. Van Dam went for the pin, but there was no referee, so it couldn't be counted. RVD walked over to Chioda and tried to revive him, shaking him and slapping him, but while all this was going on, the bloody Jericho crawled up behind Van Dam and got him with the rollup, and by this time, the referee had a little life back in him, and he was able to count to 3, giving Jericho the win and allowing him to retain his Championship. Jericho quickly grabbed his title and scurried up the entrance ramp to get away from Van Dam. Jericho sat down on the stage and hugged his belt, while Van Dam looked on in disgust, clearly disappointed that he couldn't get the job done.
All of the competitors in the Royal Rumble are shown in the locker room, looking on at a TV.
A promo for the 15th annual Royal Rumble is shown, giving us stats and facts about past events and this years event.
JR, The King, and Michael Cole talk to us for a while, just before we get underway.
15th Annual 30 Man Royal Rumble MatchEntrant #1:Booker T
Michael Cole touched on the fact that Booker T was only entering at #1 in the Royal Rumble because he was the last man eliminated in the battle royal on Raw a few weeks prior.
Entrant #2:Rikishi
King notified us that it had been a short while since we've seen Rikishi, due to the fact that he had been recovering from shoulder surgery.
Booker and Rikishi immediately went for each other, but Book was almost immediately overpowered by the 350lb Samoan behemoth. Booker got up and the two men faced off again. Rikishi ran for Booker, but Book wisely sidestepped him and clubbed him in the shoulder that he recently underwent surgery on. Booker than caught him with a kick to the knee, bringing the big man to his knees. Booker then struck Rikishi with a number of blows to the head, before Rikishi folded Booker in half with a heavy shot to the gut. Rikishi then got up and tried to whip Booker off into the ropes, but Book managed to counter it and send Rikishi into the ropes himself, and when Rikishi came back towards him, Booker took him down with a spinebuster.
Entrant #3: FaarooqOne half of The APA, Faarooq, came running down the ramp and immediately went to work on Rikishi alongside Booker, trying to get rid of the big man, who had to be a favourite to win, even with his early entry. Faarooq and Booker kept Rikishi grounded and repeatedly punched and kicked him in an attempt to take him out. They got him back to his feet, sent him into the ropes, and took him back down with a double clothesline, showing why they are both tag team specialists. Matt bought him up and it looked like he was going for something, but Rikishi hit him in the head with his elbow and prevented him from pulling off the move. Just as it looked like Rikishi was finally going to mount some offence however, Booker came in from behind and took him straight back down, allowing Faarooq to come back over and help Booker continue to wear down Rikishi.
Entrant #4: Stevie RichardsRichards came sprinting down the ramp and immediately went after Booker T, after Booker cost him the opportunity to become the #30 entrant a few weeks prior on Raw. Richards pushed Booker into the corner and immediately went on the offensive, hitting him with knees to the midsection, punches to the head, and kicks to the face when Booker fell to the ground. Stevie stepped back and it seemed like he was going for a baseball slide, but Booker moved at the last second, causing Stevie to get nothing but turnbuckle. Stevie got up and as he turned around, Booker hit him with the Book-End to momentarily take him out of the equation. Meanwhile in the corner, Faarooq looked like he might have had Rikishi eliminated, but the 350lber fought back and kicked him right in the head. Rikishi got down and nearly took Faarooq's head off with a superkick. Booker then came after Rikishi, but he had the same fate as Faarooq, and ate a superkick himself.
Entrant #5: Scotty 2 HottyScotty came down to the ring, and with everybody down, him and Rikishi took the opportunity. Scotty pulled a pair of yellow sunglasses out of his pocket, the lights dimmed, and Scotty and Rikishi began doing their signature dance in the middle of the Royal Rumble match. The crowd were loving it, and they all chanted for Scotty to do the worm. Scotty looked around, jumped around the ring, and pulled off a picture perfect worm. But when he got up, Stevie Richards came up behind him and sent him over the top rope, causing Scotty to become the first man eliminated. Rikishi, still with his glasses on, went for Stevie and tried to eliminate him, but Stevie managed to get out of the way and hit Rikishi with a Stevie Kick, making the big man groggy. Stevie ran and attempted to push Rikishi over the top rope, but the big man hit him with a shot to the head, and then came running and crushed Stevie with a crossbody. Meanwhile in the corner, Booker T and Faarooq were trying to eliminate each other, but both men were squashed by a Stinger Splash from Rikishi.
Entrant #6: TazTaz, who was a favourite heading into the match after strong showings in recent weeks against the likes of Steve Austin, among others, but the odds were stacked against him due to his early entry number. Regardless, "The Human Suplex Machine" came straight down to the ring with a purpose, and immediately set his sights on everybody in the match. One by one, Taz got a hold of everybody and suplexed them. Richards, Booker, and Faarooq all got launched, until Taz finally got his hands on Rikishi. The huge Samoan tried to fight out of it, but Taz threw him over his head with a massive belly-to-belly. Booker T then tried to catch Taz off guard, but the New York native spun him around and sent him flying with a huge German. Taz then tried to seize the opportunity and eliminate Booker while he was down, but Booker was wise enough to kick Taz in the gut. Booker himself then tried to eliminate Taz, but Taz managed to fight his way out this time. Booker went for a punch, but Taz ducked, and threw Booker over his head with a Dragon Suplex, crushing Booker's sternum.
Entrant #7: RavenThe ECW original, and (apparently) former 27 time WWF Hardcore Champion, Raven, made his way to the ring and got straight to work on Faarooq, trying to eliminate him, and he was soon joined by Stevie Richards, who helped him try to get rid of Faarooq. They were unsuccessful in eliminating him, but it would appear that the two former friends and stablemates back in ECW had formed an alliance once again, but this time in the Royal Rumble. Raven and Stevie used double team moves on everybody in the match, including Taz, who they ironically double suplexed. They went over to Rikishi and set him up in the corner for an elimination, but the big man wasn't going to have it, and instead, he took both men down with a double clothesline.
Entrant #8: Matt HardyFormer tag team champion Matt Hardy made his way to the ring, and he was met by Raven and Stevie as soon as he got in the ring. Raven and Stevie both went for the double clothesline, but Hardy managed to duck out of the way, and that allowed him to have both men in position for an impressive double side-effect. Hardy then turned his attention to Rikishi, whilst over in the opposite corner, Faarooq was stomping away on Taz. Faarooq and Hardy looked at each other, and Taz and Rikishi were sent crashing head first into each other by Matt and Faarooq. King pointed out that Hardy and Faarooq don't necessarily like each other, but they both shared a common goal, and that was to get rid of every man in the ring. We then saw Stevie Richards go after Matt and Faarooq, but both men evaded his attack, and Stevie was sent sailing over the top rope and to the outside, giving us our second elimination of the match.
Entrant #9: Tommy DreamerAnother ECW original, Tommy Dreamer, walked down the ramp, but before he got into the match, he grabbed a few toys from under the ring, including 2 chairs, a trash can, a table, and a kendo stick. Dreamer got into the ring, and he set his sights on longtime enemy Raven. Raven tried to plead with Dreamer, but it was to no avail, as Tommy would smack him over the head with a trash can. Raven fell down on his back, and Dreamer then grabbed a kendo stick, and repeatedly caned Raven across the back, bringing up welts on his back, and lighting him up a bright red colour. Dreamer bought him up to his feet, and then sent him over the top and to the floor, eliminating him. Dreamer then went after Taz, striking him in the corner, whilst on the other side of the ring, the short lived partnership of Faarooq and Matt Hardy had imploded, as the two men were brawling with each other and trying to get their respective eliminations. Faarooq threw Hardy over the top and tried to punch him until he fell off of the apron, but Matt ducked, and instead pulled Faarooq down throat first across the top rope, giving himself a chance to get back in the ring.
Entrant #10: Jeff HardyThe younger Hardy boy and one of the most popular young superstars in all of the WWF, Jeff Hardy, wasted no time in getting into the ring and helping his brother, Matt. Jeff came in and with the help of Matt, clotheslined Faarooq over the top rope and eliminated him. The Hardyz then went over to the other corner and tried to eliminate Tommy Dreamer, but Tommy was having none of it, and instead cracked both Hardy Boyz over the head with chair shots. Dreamer then stood in the center of the ring to do his trademark scream, but Booker T came up from behind him, and managed to flip over the top and eliminate him, much to Tommy's chigrin. Booker then tried to eliminate Jeff Hardy, but Jeff fought out, hit the Twist Of Fate on Booker and sent him down to the mat. Jeff then saw the opportunity and climbed to the top to go for the Swanton Bomb, but Booker got up, pushed Hardy off the top rope, and sent him crashing through the table on the outside that Dreamer set up earlier.
Entrant #11: "Stone Cold" Steve AustinThe glass shattered, and arguably the most popular WWF superstar of all time stormed his way down the ramp to extremely loud cheers from the crowd. Austin ripped his vest off, got in the ring, and began opening a can of whoop-ass on everybody in the match. He first walked over to Booker T who was in the corner, and stomped a mudhole in him and he then walked it dry. Matt Hardy got in his face, but Austin shut him up with a Stunner. Austin then tried to eliminate Rikishi, but the big man was having none of it. Austin tried to soften him up with strikes, but Rikishi then went for the clothesline, however Austin ducked, and hit Rikishi with a Stunner. The other man in the match, Taz, then faced off with Austin. The two had an encounter a couple of weeks before the match, and Austin knew what Taz was capable of. Both men began exchanging strikes, with Austin gaining the upper hand. Austin took Taz down with a clothesline and went for his signature elbow drop, but Taz moved, and when Austin got back to his feet, Taz went for the big German Suplex, but Stone Cold fought his way out of it, and then hit a Stunner on Taz.
Entrant #12: Hardcore HollyThe veteran Hardcore Holly came down to the ring and immediately bought the fight to Rikishi, currently the biggest man in the match. Holly tried to get Rikishi up for an Alabama Slam, but he couldn't do it, and as a result, Rikishi superkicked his head off. Rikishi then looked at Austin and the 2 went at it once again. Stone Cold fired away with punches, but it did practically nothing, as Rikishi lifted Austin up onto his shoulders, and then crushed him with a Samoan Drop. Rikishi then picked up Booker T and tried to get rid of him, but Booker wasn't going to let that happen, and he instead caught the big man with a scissors kick. He tried to throw Rikishi over the top, and he almost eliminated him, but 'Kish fought his way out of it. Over in the corner, Stone Cold and Hardcore Holly were both trying to eliminate each other. Holly looked like he had the advantage, and came very close to flipping Austin over the top rope in the corner, but the "Texas Rattlesnake" kicked Holly in his head, and then came over with the Lou Thesz Press, and rained down the punches onto the head of Holly.
Entrant #13: BradshawThe other half of the APA, Bradshaw, stormed his way down the ramp and began to bring his unique brand of violence to the match almost immediately. Booker T went after him to try and get a quick elimination, but Bradshaw moved out of the way, and instead took Booker's head off with a clothesline. He then tried to help Hardcore Holly eliminate one of the favourites in the match, Stone Cold, by pushing him over the top rope. Austin tried to hang on, but after a while of struggling, Bradshaw and Holly managed to flip him over the top rope and eliminate him. However, that's what Holly and Bradshaw thought. In actuality, Austin had barely hung on, and managed to get back up onto the apron. By this point, Holly and Bradshaw had both moved away and tried to eliminate Booker T and Taz, respectively. Bradshaw got up and turned his attention to Austin. Bradshaw went for a clothesline from hell, but Austin ducked it, and instead sent Bradshaw crashing into the bottom rope in the corner. Just as it looked like Austin was about to do something, Rikishi superkicked him and sent him into the corner. With Austin, Taz, Booker T, and Bradshaw all in position, Rikishi saw the opportunity and he took it, giving every man in the match a stinkface. Hardcore Holly tried to attack Rikishi from behind, but Kish was smart enough to avoid it, and instead threw Holly down and gave him a stinkface of his own.
Entrant #14: Lance StormArguably the most technically sound wrestler on the entire roster, Lance Storm, walked down to the ramp, but he was holding a Canadian flag and a microphone. Instead of getting in the ring, Storm slowly walked down the ramp and began to talk. He said..:
"I may have been given the chance to earn the right to go to Wrestlemania in this match, but it makes me sick that I have to do it in such a crappy state like Georgia. Hell, you call this place the land of the free? More like the land of the hypocrites. Each and every single one of you are nothing more than racists. This match is the first opportunity I've been given since coming to America, and I'm not going to waste it, since it more than likely will be the last." Storm finally got in the ring after wasting a lot of time talking, and began to assault Booker T over in the corner, stomping away at his chest. He then dragged the former 5x, 5x, 5x, 5x, 5x WCW Champion into the center of the ring and surprisingly locked in a sharpshooter. Michael Cole noted that it's not possible to win the match by submission, but it was still a wise strategy by Storm to wear Booker down.
Entrant #15: KaneLance Storm still had the sharpshooter locked in in the center of the ring, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost when Kane's pyro and theme went off. Kane walked down the ramp and pointed at Storm, who was begging and pleading with Kane not to hurt him. Storm tried to jump over the top rope, but Kane grabbed him by the head and bought him back into the ring. Kane was holding Lance by his head, and Lance was literally begging Kane to let him go. His pleading however got him nowhere, as Kane rocked him with one of his trademark uppercuts. Kane then began to hit Storm with a number of strikes, and then picked him up and nearly kicked his head off with a big boot. With Storm practically knocked out, Kane picked him up, grabbed him by the throat, and signalled for the chokeslam..
Entrant #16: ChristianBefore Kane could even hit the chokeslam, Christian came running down the ramp and attacked the 323lber from behind. Christian and Storm then double teamed Kane, beating him down while "The Big Red Machine" was still down on the mat. Storm lifted Kane to his feet, which allowed Christian to punch Kane in the faces number of times, almost busting him open in the process. Christian then grabbed Kane and bought him down on the mat with a bulldog. Christian and Storm then continued to stomp away at Kane while Stone Cold, who was in the corner, was brawling with Bradshaw. Bradshaw got the upper hand and went for the clothesline from hell, but Austin lowbridged the top rope and sent Bradshaw to the outside, eliminating him from the match. By this point, Lance Storm had rolled to the outside and was waving the Canadian flag that he bought to the ring on the outside, to loud boos from the fans.
Entrant #17: Kurt AngleKurt Angle, pretty much the most patriotic guy on the whole roster, who also can't exactly be considered "pally" with Kane, took exception to Storm and Christian's antics, ran down to the ring, punched Lance right in the head, and sent him back into the ring. Christian came after Angle, but Kurt dodged his attack, and instead caught him and threw him over his shoulder with the Angle Slam. Lance Storm then came running towards Angle, but he got a belly-to-belly suplex for his troubles. With both Christian and Storm down, Angle turned his attention to Taz, the other man in the match who was extremely well versed in suplexes. Kurt tried to go for a belly-to-belly, but Taz avoided it and instead threw Angle across the ring with a German. Rikishi then came after Taz, but "The Human Suplex Machine caught him with a drop toe hold, causing Rikishi to hit his throat across the top rope. Taz then mustered up all the strength in his body to eliminate Rikishi by throwing him over the top rope. Over the other side of the ring, Lance Storm went for a superkick, but Kurt Angle caught his foot and locked in the Ankle Lock.
Entrant #18: TestWhile Angle was wrenching on Lance Storm's ankle with the Ankle Lock, he paid no attention to the fact that the 270lb monster Test was coming into the match, and he paid the price for it, as Test almost kicked his head off of his shoulders with a big boot. Kane then came after Test, and Test tried to go on the offensive, but Kane seemed unaffected by the clubbing blows Test hit him with. Test backed into the ropes and came back towards Kane, but Kane instead grabbed him by the throat and nearly chokeslammed him through the mat. Kane however didn't bargain on Christian and Storm coming and attacking him from behind, as the two would begin to beat him down with shots the head, back, and legs. Christian and Storm tried to eliminate Kane, but Taz would come up from behind, grab Christian by the hair, and eliminate Christian, leaving Storm to face the consequences of what he and Christian had done in the match. Storm once again tried to beg Kane, but once again, it got him nowhere. Taz grabbed him, and in an absolutely incredible feat of strength, threw him over the top rope with a belly-to-belly suplex, eliminating him. While Taz and Kane celebrated and trash talked Storm and Christian, Test came up from behind and flipped both men over the top rope, eliminating them both.
Entrant #19: D-Von DudleyD-Von, who had unsuccessfully challenged for the tag team championships earlier in the evening, looked to bounce back and get a huge win in the Royal Rumble. But before he got in the ring, he went under it and pulled out a table, to the loud cheers of the fans. He then got into the ring and began brawling with practically everybody in the match. Booker T, who had been in the match for roughly half an hour by this point, went over the D-Von and tried to attack him, but he would live to regret it, as D-Von planted him back first into the mat with a spinebuster. Test then got all up in D-Von's face, but D-Von's face and tried for a clothesline, but D-Von wisely ducked it and instead threw Test over his head with a vertical suplex. Hardcore Holly tried to pull a fast one on D-Von by attacking him from behind and eliminating him, but D-Von used Holly's own momentum against him and sent him sailing over the top rope and to the outside, eliminating him.
Entrant #20: Billy KidmanThe WCW alumnus and ever exciting Billy Kidman quickly made his way down the ramp and got in the ring. Stone Cold went for something, but Kidman ducked it, jumped into the middle rope, and came flying off of it with a springboard elbow, connecting right in Austin's chest. Kidman then went after D-Von Dudley who was in the corner, and came flying into him with a Stinger Splash. D-Von then fell on his back, and Kidman pulled off an incredible standing Shooting Star Press. Kidman then tried to eliminate D-Von, but he was unable to as the veteran instincts of D-Von kicked in and he managed to avoid it. Kidman came running towards D-Von, but D-Von took him down with a flying shoulder block. D-Von then got up, but as he turned around, Stone Cold would jump on him and rain down the punches with a Lou Thesz Press. Austin then got up, walked over to Billy Kidman and dropped him with a stunner. Booker T then got in his face, and Austin hit Booker with a stunner too.
Entrant #21: MavenThe young upstart, Maven, eagerly ran down the ramp and climbed into the ring. He immediately focused on trying to eliminate Test, the current biggest guy in the match. He went over to the corner and pounded away on Test's midsection, and after a while, Stone Cold helped him out, and after another period of time, Billy Kidman joined them. They came close to getting him over the top rope, but Test was able to fight his way out and run into the ropes. When he came back, he nearly caved Billy Kidman's head in with a big boot. Maven then got up in Test's face, but Maven ducked the attempted big boot and instead bought Test down on the back of his head with a Reverse DDT. Maven then picked him up and tried to eliminate him, but Test pushed him away, picked him up, and crushed him with a running powerslam. Meanwhile, D-Von Dudley was in the corner trying to wear down Booker T, but Booker poked him right in the eye, stopping him in his tracks. Test, now looking dominant, grabbed Billy Kidman by the head and started to toy with him, slapping him in the face and piefacing him. Test then tried to throw him over, but Stone Cold stopped him and hit him with the Stunner, which Austin hit with so much force it sent Test over the top rope and to the floor.
Entrant #22: The UndertakerFrom the moment Undertaker's theme hit, Austin immediately turned his attention to the entrance ramp. Undertaker appeared at the top of the ramp on his motorcycle, and he stared Austin down. Undertaker drove his bike down the ramp, parked it, and then got in the ring. He went after Maven, but before he had a chance, Austin came up from behind him, and in an absolutely incredible turn of events, eliminated The Undertaker after just 11 seconds in the match. Undertaker, clearly beside himself with rage, got back in the ring and attacked Austin from behind. Undertaker threw him straight over the top rope and to the floor. Undertaker then joined him, but at first he was met with shots from Austin. Undertaker then hit a big boot and sent Austin back first into the security wall with an Irish Whip. Undertaker then rained down the shots on Austin, busting him open. Taker grabbed the steel steps, removed the top set, grabbed Austin, and put him in position for the tombstone Piledriver. Security, referees, trainers, and EMTs begged Undertaker not to do it, but Undertaker jumped and hit the tombstone on the steel steps, possible breaking Austin's surgically repaired neck. Undertaker looked at Austin's lifeless body for a while, then left.
Entrant #23: TajiriThe Japanese buzzsaw made his way into the match and began battling with another Cruiserweight, Billy Kidman. Tajiri got the upper hand, and locked in the Tarantula Submission hold on Kidman. Tajiri released it, and then came flying into Kidman with a martial arts kick to the face of Kidman. Tajiri looked like he was mounting some offence, but the big man, Test, kicked his head off with a big boot. With almost everybody in the ring down, Test celebrated in the center of the ring, raising his arms in the air. However, he was caught from behind by the rookie, Maven, who flipped him over the top rope and sent him to the floor in a huge upset. Test began yelling on the outside and tried to get back in the ring, but referees and security blocked him from entering it. Meanwhile, D-Von Dudley was cleaning house, laying waste to everybody in the ring, and dropping Billy Kidman right on his back with a spinebuster.
Entrant #24: Bubba Ray DudleyThe half brother of D-Von, Bubba Dudley, came running down the ramp and immediately joined his tag team partner in the match. Immediately, both men bought Booker T, who JR pointed out had been in the match for over an hour by this point, right down on his sternum with the Dudley Death Drop, otherwise known as the 3D. Tajiri then had the same fate, as did Billy Kidman. With Maven the only other man in the match, The Dudleyz went for him, but Maven was also one of the freshest men in the match. Maven didn't look like he was going to go down with a fight, and when the Dudleyz attempted to set up Maven for the 3D, the Tough Enough winner hit D-Von right on the chin with an impressive standing dropkick, knocking D-Von into Bubba. Maven then tried to take advantage of the situation and eliminate D-Von Dudley, but Bubba was able to stop him and keep D-Von in the match. Maven went for a clothesline on Bubba, but he was able to duck it, and dropped Maven "right on his ass" as JR put it, with a Bubba Bomb.
Entrant #25: Crash HollyThe other Holly Cousin, Crash, made his way down the ramp with an impressive entry number, but luck clearly was not on his side as he got into the ring. He was grabbed by D-Von Dudley and seconds after entering, bought down on his face and stomach with the 3D. The Dudleyz then decided to split up for a while and focus on eliminating people. Bubba tried to get Booker T, who was now on the apron, out of the match, but Booker showed tremendous smarts and used Bubba's own momentum against him to eliminate him from the match. D-Von saw the whole thing happen and tried for something on Booker, however Booker was able to counter it into the Book-End, planting D-Von right on his spine. Booker, who was now clearly worn out after over an hour in the match, tried to get rid of more people to give him a better chance of winning. He first tried to eliminate Crash Holly, the freshest man in the match (which King pointed out of a questionable tactic), and lifted him over on the apron. Booker punched Crash in the head numerous times to try and get him off, but Crash instead went for a knee to the gut. Booker was able to block it, and sent Crash falling to the arena floor, eliminating him.
Entrant #26: Val VenisVal Venis, who recently returned in November, made his way to the ring with a purpose, and set his sights on eliminating Billy Kidman. Kidman came towards Venis, but he used Kidman's speed to his advantage and sent Billy flying straight over the top and eliminated him. Booker tried for something on Val, but the former Intercontinental Champion flipped him straight over his head with a back body drop. Venis then grabbed D-Von Dudley by the head and tried to throw him over, but D-Von hung on and fought back against Val, connecting with blows to the stomach and some stiff European uppercuts. Meanwhile, Booker T was in the corner with Tajiri, and just as Booker was going to attempt a move, Tajiri blinded him with green mist. With Booker's eyes clearly burning, Tajiri then took advantage of the situation and hit Booker with the Buzzsaw kick.
Entrant #27: Triple HThe Philips Arena nearly came unglued, as the familiar sound of Triple H's entrance theme hit for the first time since he was taken out by Triple H months prior. The sound in the arena was deafening when "The Game" appeared at the top of the ramp and did his trademark spit of water. Trips ran down the ramp and immediately began cleaning house. First Tajiri came after him, and Triple H made short work of "The Japanese Buzzsaw", eliminating him straight away. D-Von Dudley and Val Venis would both have the same fate, being eliminated at the hands of "The Cerebral Assassin". Booker T got up, but before he could even get a shot in, the 'Tripper put him into the mat with a spinebuster. Maven then got in the face of Triple H, but he received a Pedigree from The Game, the first one the fans had seen in months. Triple H got up and did his signature pose, to an absolutely incredible ovation from the Atlanta crowd. Triple H then grabbed Booker T by the dreadlocks and attempted to throw him over the top rope, but once again, Booker held on, showing great resiliency, keeping himself in the match.
Entrant #28: The HurricaneThe Hurricane, who was incredibly lucky to receive the number 28 entry, got into the ring and showed no fear towards Triple H, striking a pose in front of him. Triple H looked on in disapproval, grabbed Hurricane by the mask, and threw him out of the match almost straight after he got in. Whilst HHH was at talking trash to The Hurricane, Booker T tried to blindside The Game and eliminate him from behind, but Trips wasn't having any of it. Triple H turned around and met Booker T with shots to the head, but Booker went tit for tat, giving Booker every bit as good as he got, despite having been in the match for an hour and fifteen minutes. Triple H missed a shot to the head, and Booker T used that momentary display of ring rust to catch The Game with a kick to the hamstring that he had previously injured, which put him on the shelf for months. Booker first used the time to his advantage, and then started kicking the leg of Trips to further wear him down.
Entrant #29: The RockThe crowd erupted for "The People's Champion", who got straight into the ring and rocked Booker T with a number of shots, dropping him to the mat. Maven also came after The Rock, but basically the same thing that happened to Booker happened to him. With both men down, Rock saw the opportunity, removed both elbow pads, ran into the ropes, and came back with seperate People's Elbow's. But when he got up, Rocky had his brain rattled by a high knee from Triple H. Trips then grabbed Maven and eliminated him from the match after an impressive showing from the rookie. Trips then struck The Rock with punches to the head, and then almost busted his nose wide open with a facebuster. Rock stumbled towards The Game, and he got spiked right on his head with a DDT. Triple H got back up but he was met with a groggy Booker T, who caught him in the side of the head with punches. Booker connected with a shot to the gut, and Booker went for another shot, but Triple H grabbed him and sent him through the ropes and onto the apron.
Entrant #30: EdgeOne of the most popular young superstars in the World Wrestling Federation, Edge, came down the ramp like lightning and immediately got in the ring. Showing shades of the battle royal a few weeks prior, in which he earned the number 30 spot in the Royal Rumble, Edge speared Booker T while he was on the apron, not only eliminating him after almost an hour and 20 minutes in the match, but sending him flying straight into the announce table. Triple H span Edge around and Irish whipped him into the ropes, but Edge came flying back with a spear to Triple H. Edge then focused on the only other man left in the match, The Rock. Edge unloaded on Rocky, and then dropped him in his head with the Edge-U-Cution. Edge then picked up The Rock and bounced his head off of the top turnbuckle numerous times. Edge stepped back and went for a spear on The Rock, but Rock moved and Edge instead went shoulder first into the ring post. When Edge turned around, Rock was there to meet him. Rocky went for the Rock Bottom, but Edge hit "The Great One" with elbows to the side of the head. Edge went for a clothesline on The Rock, but Rock was able to duck it. Edge, now on the ropes, managed to avoid a shot to the face from Rocky, pushed Rock away, and when he came back, Edge lifted him up and dropped him throat first across the top rope with a Flapjack. Edge looked like he was going to eliminate The Rock, but before he had a chance, Triple H connected to Edge's nose with a Facebuster. With Edge leaning against the ropes, Triple H hit him with a clothesline, causing Edge to get eliminated, which bought us down to the last two men in the match, The Rock and Triple H, entry number 28 and 29, respectively. The two stared each other down for a while, and began unloading on each other. Rock gained the advantage at first, sending Triple H into the corner with punches to the head. Rocky stepped back for another punch, but he was caught by Triple H, who picked him up over his shoulder and tried to throw him out. Rock managed to get his way out by sliding out of it and landing on his feet behind Triple H. Rock called for the Rock Bottom, and he set Triple H up when he turned around. Triple H fought back by pushing him away, but Rock just came straight back and got him in position for the Rock Bottom again. This time, Rock connected. Rocky took a few seconds to recuperate, and walked over to the other side of the ring, picked up Triple H, and once again struck him up the side of the head with punches. Rock stepped back, and it appeared he was going to go for a clothesline, but Triple H managed to counter it, and send Rock over his head with a back body drop, to eliminate him, and get an incredible victory in his return match, by winning the 2002 Royal Rumble match. The crowd's reaction was absolutely deafening, and Triple H celebrated in the ring, pointing at the Wrestlemania X8 sign as the show closed.
