Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman show up to start tonight's show. Heyman mentions Finn Balor pinning John Cena and getting the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship last week, and says this was no fluke and that there was no controversy. He says that Finn Balor seized the moment to the point that John Cena took the microphone and said he believed in him, and that so did the fans. Heyman says he believes in Finn Balor, as well, and says that Finn's career is seizing of moments. He says Royal Rumble is yet another moment for Finn Balor, who believes that he will become the WWE Universal Champion, and while Finn's voice is "the voice that matters," his is "the voice that martyrs." Heyman promises that Lesnar will turn Finn Balor into a martyr who is sacrificed for the sin of making the people believe he can beat Lesnar and take the Universal title, saying even miracles fear Brock Lesnar. He says that at Royal Rumble, when Lesnar puts the ridiculous notion that Finn Balor belongs in the ring with him to bed, Finn will be on his back saying he believes in Brock Lesnar. Suddenly, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon shows up and compliments Heyman on his promoting skills, then brings up the Biblical parable of David and Goliath and compares Finn Balor to David. He says that if any fan in the world believes Finn Balor can beat Brock Lesnar, they believe in fairy tales. Suddenly, Brock Strowman shows up. Vince asks Strowman what he is doing as Lesnar gets up close to Strowman as if to taunt him. Vince has to tell Lesnar to stop playing with him, then Strowman blames his troubles from last week on Baron Corbin. He then says that Monday ended up being lucky for Lesnar as well, and if Lesnar still has the WWE Universal Championship after Royal Rumble, he will rip him apart like one of Vince's limousines. Finn Balor then shows up and talks about his big win from last week, saying he earned his title shot, and while Vince doesn't believe he can win, he and the fans do, and at Royal Rumble, he will beat Lesnar and reclaim the Universal Championship. Strowman says he knows he can beat Lesnar, and while he doesn't know if Finn Balor, he'd "damn well better." Finn tells Strowman to stay out of his business, as he will soon do something Strowman has never done. Finn Balor then tells Vince he got the story mixed up, saying that the people laughed in David's face because they didn't know who he was or what he was capable, and Goliath fell face down into dirt. He then says nobody was laughing then. Vince asks Heyman and Lesnar to stay at ringside for the next match: Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman.
Finn Balor beats Braun Strowman by disqualification. Brock Lesnar gets on the apron and stares down Strowman from the apron, but Finn yanks him off and drop kicks him into the steel post before getting back in the ring and hitting Lesnar with a tope con hiro. Strowman chases Finn around the ring and hits Sling Blade before drop kicking Lesnar, once from inside the ring and again on the outside into the barricade. Strowman then grabs Finn out of the ring and tosses him in from the apron, but Finn avoids Strowman's onslaught and hits the Coup De Grace. Lesnar then gets in the ring and hits Finn with an F5, ending the match.
Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush show up. Rush says that Lashley is not only better than Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, but everyone else in the locker room. He says they are not here for open challenges, saying they are "for kids," and that Lashley is a professional fighter. He says that he and Lashley do this for the money, not the fun, then Lashley stands on the podium in the center of the ring so Lio Rush can place the Intercontinental Championship around Lashley's waist. Lashley is about to start posing when Apollo Crews shows up. Apollo congratulates Lashley on winning the Intercontinental title, then says that while Lashley is a stud, people paid to see him compete, not pose. He then challenges Lashley to a match. Lio Rush says Apollo is not even in his league, and proposes that if Apollo can beat Lashley in a pose-off, he can get a match. Apollo says he doesn't know how to pose, and Rush says Apollo doesn't know how to be a champion, either. Apollo takes Lio Rush up on the pose-off challenge. Lashley goes first, followed by Apollo. As both men take turns, it becomes obvious that Apollo has a more positive reaction from the crowd. This does not sit well with Lio Rush, and he and Lashley try to get a cheap shot only to be upended by Apollo.
Bobby Lashley beats Apollo Crews with a Spear as Apollo has Lio Rush in a military press. After the match, Seth Rollins shows up and stares down with Lashley in the ring before entering the ring for his match with Drew McIntyre.
Seth Rollins is in the ring. He says that we can learn a lot from Martin Luther King, Jr., and quotes him, saying that the measure of a man is where he stands in the face of challenge and controversy. He says it was not long ago that he had two titles and two brothers by his side, but now he has no titles and a broken family. He says we must focus on what we have, not what we don't, and he still has his first and last love: wrestling. Rollins says that as long as he has a ring under his feet, a microphone in his hand and a fire in his heart, he will win the men's Royal Rumble match. He admits that winning the match is a long shot, but he does not give a damn, for his whole life is a long shot, and while he is not as big and powerful as Drew McIntyre or Bobby Lashley and from a Midwestern town with working class roots, the ring is the only reason he is not doing anything else in his life. He says that wrestling is ingrained in his soul, and while it is a long shot, he will prevail at the men's Royal Rumble. Drew McIntyre shows up and tells Rollins he will kick his head off and beat him tonight, but after hearing what he has said, he says he will not stand idly by while Rollins lies to himself and the people, as Rollins will not win the men's Royal Rumble. He says that Rollins will lose due to his wrestling style, and said that if you took Rollins' heart and put it in a 6'5" terminator, you would get Drew McIntyre. Drew then says he hopes and prays that they are in the ring together at the men's Royal Rumble so he can look up at him as it is announced that Rollins is eliminated and that McIntyre is the winner of the men's Royal Rumble match.
Seth Rollins beats Drew McIntyre with a surprise schoolkid pin.
Backstage, The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) state their case to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon for another opportunity at the Raw tag team titles with a decent referee. Curt Hawkins shows up wanting another match, but Vince tells him he has lost too much and proposes that Hawkins be the ref for The Revival's match.
Backstage, we hear from Dean Ambrose, who mentions Seth Rollins' pre-match stage before saying that Martin Luther King Jr. once said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere. He says he cannot wait to see Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins in the men's Royal Rumble match so he can hurt them and send them over the top rope in revenge for costing him the Intercontinental Championship. He says that 2018 was not his year after he ran himself into the ground, and says that the men's Royal Rumble will be his shining moment. He says that come Sunday, justice will be served.
The Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado) beat Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers (Samir and Sunil Singh).
We see a vignette for EC3, then go backstage and see EC3 pose in a mirror. Dana Brooke is seen talking to him as Elias heads to the ring.
Elias is in the ring. He plays guitar, then says 2019 will be an incredible year. He says that there will be many rivers to cross and mountains to climb after the men's Royal Rumble, the truth that WWE stands for "Walk With Elias" will bring everyone back home. Elias then announces that tonight, he has written a song that might be his finest yet. Before he can perform it, however, Baron Corbin interrupts and tells Elias to stop talking. He then tells the crowd to shut up only to get booed, and says Elias almost got him killed when he ratted him out to Braun Strowman. He asks the crowd what is wrong with them when they cheer upon hearing this, and the crowd tells Corbin that he sucks. Corbin counters by saying that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was right when he said there were hillbillies in the crowd, then tells Elias he is going to put him in his place. Elias tells Corbin he is no longer General Manager of Raw, and proceeds to play a song. Corbin tells his sound guy Lance to kill Corbin's microphone, and Corbin can no longer be heard as Elias tells Corbin he has a front row seat to an Elias concert. Elias proceeds to mock Corbin through song, saying that nobody cares about Corbin and that Corbin got fired. Corbin runs into the ring, but quickly rolls back out when Elias swings his guitar at him.
Baron Corbin beats Elias.
It's time for A Moment Of Bliss. Alexa Bliss announces the participants for this year's women's Royal Rumble. She then introduces tonight's guest, Nia Jax. Nia shows up and asks who Nia will pick if she wins this year's women's Royal Rumble match. Before Nia can answer, Ember Moon shows up and snatches the microphone out of Nia's hand, saying she is tired of waiting for an invitation that would never come to say that she will win the women's Royal Rumble. Alicia Fox shows up, takes the microphone and says she will win the Royal Rumble match. Mickie James shows up and makes the same claim. As all four women fight over the microphone, other women shows up. Alexa stands on the chair and says enough is enough. She says that this is her show, and if her show turns into a brawl, they will make themselves look stupid and ruin her reputation as a talk show host. Alexa telss everyone to calm down, but the brawl happens on the stage anyway. Referees quickly move into place to try to separate everyone. The brawl then spills its way backstage, then Alexa says that everyone in the women's Royal Rumble match is passionate before announcing that she will be in the match itself. Suddenly, Lacey Evans shows up and takes the microphone. She calls the women's division "a bunch of nasty, classless little girls" before stating that the winner of the women's Royal Rumble will not be "a sawed-off, girly runt." Lacey Evans, who calls herself a classy, sophisticated lady, proclaims that she will win the women's Royal Rumble match.
We hear from Titus O'Neil, who says that he is going to win the men's Royal Rumble as a backstage worker walks past in comical fashion.
Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic) beat The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) in their main roster debut.
Bobby Roode and Chad Gable retain The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) after special guest referee Curt Hawkins sees every breaking of the rules and refuses to allow The Revival to win via dirty tricks. After the match, The Revival attack Curt Hawkins. Zack Ryder runs out from backstage and fends off The Revival to make the save for Hawkins. Ryder helps Hawkins up and stands side-by-side with his former tag team partner.
Backstage, Dasha Fuentes interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, who says that she doesn't owe Sasha Banks anything, much less an apology. She says there is a big difference between a boss and a champion, and on Sunday, The Boss will answer to the champ.
Before the next match, Sasha Banks asks "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey who she says she is, and says she earned her accomplishment while Ronda was handed everything. She says the world knows she is a worthy competitor, and that she will make her tap out Sunday. This touches a nerve with Ronda, and Natalya, Bayley and the referee all have to keep Ronda and Sasha from tearing each other apart before the bell rings.
Sasha Banks and Bayley beat "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey and Natalya with a Banks Statement to Natalya.
Here are the top 10 moments from tonight's show!
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