Welcome to Inside Pulse’s Live Coverage of WWE Royal Rumble 2013! Keep it here for all the match-by-match updates, with the latest update in ITALICS
Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. The Miz
A bit back and forth, although Cesaro begins to over power. Miz hits the ropes, and Cesaro hits a Michanoku Driver for 2. Cesaro with a dead lift Gutwrench for 2. Cesaro pummels away in the corner, then charges, and Miz gets his knees up. Miz charges out of the corner, and Cesaro hits a huge back breaker! Cesaro goes for a Body Slam, but Miz slides over his shoulders and hits the Reality Check. Miz gets Cesaro in the corner, and hits the running clothesline. Miz goes off the top rope, but Cesaro ducks it, and clips Miz’s leg…seems like a botch. Miz is limping around the ring, hits the kneeling DDT. Miz calls for the Figure 4 but Cesaro slides to the floor. Cesaro starts to crawl under the ring, but when Miz came to get him, Cesaro slams him face first in to the steel structure of the ring! Cesaro slides Miz back in, and hits the Neutralizer for the pin
Winner & Still Champion – Antonio Cesaro
We start the show with a great video package on Rock & Punk, that we are bound to see again. This song by The Heavy is getting me pumped for the Rumble Match! Michael Cole, JBL & Jerry Lawler are calling the action.
Backstage, Ricardo is worried about Alberto tonight, they run into Bret Hart. Bret gives ADR a pep talk, calls him the Mexican Hitman Hart. Ricardo is star struck by Bret, and Bret gives him a pair of pink shades.
Alberto Del Rio (c) (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) vs. The Big Show
ADR attempts to hit some speed moves to start, but Show catches him and tosses him around. Show brings in a chair, and goes to use it, but ADR is able to fight it away. ADR hits Show multiple times in the back with the chair. ADR goes off the 2nd rope with the chair, but Show catches him, and hits a Choke Slam. ADR stays down for an 8 count, as he rolls to the floor. Show follows to the floor, and body slams ADR on the floor, and gets a 7 count. Show is taunting ADR, and ADR kicks him in the man parts, and then a kick to the side of his head, and Show is down for a 9 count. They fight up the ramp, and Show tosses ADR into part of the stage setup. Show sets a table up below the stage, and he Choke Slams ADR down through it, and ADR stays down for a 9 count. They fight back towards the ring, and Show is all over ADR. Ricardo attempts to distract Show, and he gets KO’d. Show puts ADR against the retaining wall, and charges, but ADR moves, and Show smashes through the wall, and stays down for an 8 count. ADR lays Show’s arm on the steel steps, and smashes his shoulder with a chair! ADR rolls Show in the ring, and locks on the Cross Armbreaker. Ricardo is up, and he wraps Show’s legs up in Duck Tape around the ropes during the Armbreaker!! Show is unable to get up, and the ref gets to 10!
Winner & Still Champion – Alberto Del Rio
Striker is with Dolph, AJ & Big E. Strikers asks what number Dolph will take, and Dolph says that he will be #1, because that is what he is. Striker makes him aware that only 2 men have been #1 and go on the win the match, and AJ takes it as an insult, and runs him off. Big E takes the mic, and takes over the interview. Big E asks what will Dolph do after he wins the Rumble tonight. Dolph says that he will cash in his Money in the Bank, win the World Heavyweight Championship, and then win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania to unify the Championships.
Team Hell No (c) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars
Cody & Bryan start. Bryan quickly gets Cody in a Surfboard. Kane in, and Cody hits a quick dropkick, and tags in Sandow. Kane tosses both to the floor, and Bryan hits a Suicide Dive. The Ref is trying to get Kane out of the ring, and the Scholars are able to double team Bryan. Cody locks in a One-Legged Crap, but Bryan rolls him up for 2. Cody lays him out, Sandow in. Sandow hits the Elbow of Distain for 2. Cody back in, Bryan charges toward Kane, but Cody stops him, and Bryan is able to turn it into a DDT, and Bryan is able to get to Kane. Kane is a House of Fire! Kane hits all his moveset on Sandow. Sandow dodges the clothesline from the top, and hits a Swinging Neckbreaker for 2. Cody comes in, and the Scholars hit a double suplex, but not before a blind tag by Bryan. Bryan hits Sandow with a Missile Dropkick, Kane hits Cody with a Choke Slam, and Bryan locks in the NO Lock for the submission.
Winners & Still Champions – Team Hell No
Another airing of ‘All About The Numbers’ video.
Backstage Hell No is celebrating their win. Vickie comes in and gives them both their Rumble numbers. Bryan shows Kane his, but Kane refuses to reveal his number to Bryan.
Recap of the Royal Rumble FanFest.
#1 Dolph Ziggler (w/ Big E Langston & AJ Lee)
#2 Chris Jericho!
Cole plays up that Ziggler terminated Jericho’s contract back in August. Jericho has a new tattoo on his inner arm & his bicep. Jericho quickly clothelines Ziggler over the top, but Ziggler stays on the apron. They fight up the turnbuckle, and Jericho SUPERplexes Ziggler back in the ring.
#3 Cody Rhodes
Rhodes & Ziggler double team Jericho. Jericho is able to lock on the Walls on Cody, but Ziggler breaks it up.
#4 Kofi Kingston
Kofi attempts a Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler, but Ziggler ducks it. j
#5 Santino Marella
Santino runs down tosses all the guys over the top, but all land on the apron. Santino goes for the Cobra, but Jericho punches in, Ziggler Superkicks him, and Cody tosses him.
Elimination #1 – Santino Marella (by Cody Rhodes)
#6 Drew McIntyre
#7 Titus O’Neil
Titus powerhouses his way in the ring. Jericho tosses Drew over the top, Drew lands on the apron, but Jericho does a springboard dropkick to send Drew to the floor.
Elimination #2 – Drew McIntyre (by Chris Jericho)
#8 Goldust
The camera goes right to Cody’s face, and they face off in the middle of the ring.
#9 David Otunga
“Jennifer Hudson’s Husband” (as JBL calls him) goes right after Jericho. Goldust almost gets Titus out, and Cody almost gets Goldust out.
#10 Heath Slater
Slater unloads on a few random guys.
#11 Sheamus
Sheamus with a series of Irish Hammers, back breakers, and Crucifix Drops. Sheamus does the chest hammers over the ropes on Titus, and then tosses Otunga at him.
Elimination #3 – Titus O’Neil (by Sheamus)
Sheamus then tosses Otunga, does the chest hammers on him, and Brogue Kick to send Otunga home.
Elimination #4 – David Otunga (by Sheamus)
#12 Tensai
Cole makes mention of Tensai’s past in the match.
#13 Brodus Clay
Cole says that this is Clay’s first Rumble, although my fun fact is that this is not that theme song’s first Rumble. Goldust sends Cody on the apron, and Cody is able to get Goldust on the apron as well, and runs Goldust into the ring post, and Goldust is eliminated.
Elimination #5 – Goldust (by Cody Rhodes)
#14 Rey Mysterio
Slater, Kofi, & Jericho were all trying to get Brodus out.
#15 Darren Young
Young goes right to the pile, and he helps get Brodus out
Elimination #6 – Brodus Clay (by Darren Young)
Tensai tries to take out Kofi, but Kofi hits a Trouble in Paradise, and Tensai goes to the floor.
Elimination #7 – Tensai (by Kofi Kingston)
Cody knocks Kofi to the floor, but Kofi lands on Tensai’s back. Tensai lays Kofi out on the announce table. Kofi gets JBL’s chair and pogo’s his way back to the ring!
#16 Bo Dallas
As Kofi gets back on the apron, Young tries to knock him off, but Kofi ducks it.
Elimination #8 – Darren Young (by Kofi Kingston)
Kofi is still on the apron, and Cody hits the Disaster Kick
Elimination #9 – Kofi Kingston (by Cody Rhodes)
#17 The Godfather
Ziggler drop kicks Godfather right now within a few seconds.
Elimination #10 – The Godfather (by Dolph Ziggler)
#18 Wade Barrett
#19 John Cena
Everyone attacks Cena! Cena fights out, and tosses Slater & Cody
Elimination #11 – Heath Slater (by John Cena)
Elimination #12 – Cody Rhodes (by John Cena
#20 Damian Sandow
Wade Barrett tosses Mysterio
Elimination #13 – Rey Mysterio (by Wade Barrett)
#21 Daniel Bryan
Bryan hits a series of kicks to many guys, with a very loud ‘YES YES YES’ chants.
#22 Antonio Cesaro
#23 The Great Khali
Khali chops away on everyone in the ring.
#24 Kane
Kane & Khali square off. The ring is very full and chaotic.
#25 Zach Ryder
Kane tosses Khali out
Elmination #14 – Great Khali (by Kane)
Kane was taunting Khali, and Bryan sneaks behind him and tosses Kane!
Elimination #15 – Kane (by Daniel Bryan)
Cesaro then tosses Bryan, but Kane catches him. Bryan is trying to get Kane to get him back to the ring, but Kane drops him for the elimination.
Elimination #16 – Daniel Bryan (by Antonio Cesaro)
#26 Randy Orton
Orton with Viper DDTs all around, RKO on Ryder, then tosses him.
Elimination #17 – Zach Ryder (by Randy Orton)
#27 Jinder Mahal
Cena tosses Cesaro
Elimination #18 – Antonio Cesaro (by John Cena)
#28 The Miz
Miz is hobbling to the ring, and Cesaro attacks him. Miz eventually gets in. Sheamus then hits a high knee on Jinder, sending him out.
Elimination #19 – Jinder Mahal (by Sheamus)
#29 Sin Cara
Barratt & Bo are brawling, and Bo gets Barrett over the top.
Elimination #20 – Wade Barrett (by Bo Dallas)
Barrett pulls Bo over the top to the floor, and hits the Bullhammer.
Elimination #21 – Bo Dallas (by an eliminated Wade Barrett)
#30 Ryback
Ryback cleans house.
Elimination #22 – Damian Sandow (by Ryback)
Elimination #23 – Sin Cara (by Ryback)
Elimination #24 – The Miz (by Ryback)
Jericho hits a Codebreaker on Ryback, Ziggler then tosses Jericho
Elimination #25 – Chris Jericho (by Dolph Ziggler)
Orton goes RKO happy, but Ryback tosses him when he stalls.
Elimination #26 – Randy Orton (by Ryback)
Ziggler is on the apron, and he eats Sheamus’s foot.
Elimination #27 – Dolph Ziggler (by Sheamus)
We are down to Ryback, Cena & Sheamus. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick, and Ryback catches him and tosses him out!
Elimination #28 – Sheamus (by Ryback)
‘Feed Me More’ chants. Ryback hits a spinebuster, Ryback goes for the Meat Hook, but Cena drop toe’s him, and locks him in the STF. Ryback is out. Cena is now trying to get Ryback up to eliminate him. Ryback fights back, but Cena eventually gets him over the top.
Elimination #29 – Ryback (by John Cena)
Winner – John Cena
Backstage Rock cuts a promo on winning tonight, mentioning his mother, who survived cancer, and is in the arena.
CM Punk (c) (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. The Rock
They go toe to toe and punch for punch to start. Cole mentions there was internal bleeding from the attack by The Shield. Punk is focusing on the abdomen. Punk slows the match down, and stays on the gut of Rock. Punk sends Rock to the floor, but he is favoring his left knee. Punk goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving clothesline to the floor on Rock, and again Punk holds his knee. Rock realizes this, starts to stomp away for a few moments until Punk sends him to the floor again. Punk hits a Suicide Dive. Punk is taking a breather in the ring, Rock in, and he pops right into the Rock Bottom, Punk fights out, goes for the GTS, Rock catches the knee, turns it into the RockShooter, but Punk rolls through it, and locks on the Anaconda Vice. Rock rolls on Punk in the Vice, and makes an unorthodox pin attempt, and Punk has to let go. Rock goes for another Rock Bottom, Punk locks around Rock’s shoulders and attempts a Crucifix Pin, but Rock rolls though the pin, and locks on the RockShooter. Punk is able to get to the ropes after about 90 seconds. Punk rolls to the floor. Rock clears off the SAP table, and tosses Punk on it. Punk fends off Rock, and calls for a GTS on the table, but Rock goes for the Rock Bottom, but the table collapses before anything can happen, and both men took a rough fall from the botch. Rock up first, hits the Rock Bottom on the floor. Rock, realizing he can’t win the title if Punk is counted out, tosses Punk back in the ring, but only gets a 2. Punk pops up, and hits a desperation kick to the temple, and both men are down. Both men up at the 8 count. Rock gets the best of Punk, Spinebuster, but before Rock can hit the People’s Elbow, the lights go out. There is a commotion, Cole says he sees a few guys attacking Rock, and we hear the announce table crumble. Lights go back on, and Rock is laid out on the table, Cole is saying that it was The Shield. Punk rolls Rock back in, and scores the pinfall!
Winner & Still Champion – CM Punk
Punk is celebrating, but Vince McMahon comes out. Vince wants to strip Punk, but Rock gets a mic, and calls for a restart, and Vince gives it to him.
This leads to Punk landing a couple of moves before The Rock comes back full force, lays out Punk in the middle of the ring, and scores the People’s Elbow for the pin and the win.
Winner and NEW WWE Champ: The Rock
