WWE Royal Rumble 2019 results: Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins triumph to lock up Wrestlemania spots
The signature pay-per-view show delivered with Brock Lesnar in action against Finn Balor and Daniel Bryan up against AJ Styles in Phoenix
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Your support makes all the difference.Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins were among the big winners at WWE's Royal Rumble.
The duo were the victors of the respective hour-long Royal Rumble matches, earning themselves a championship opportunity at Wrestlemania.
Lynch overcame bitter rival and former friend, Charlotte Flair, at the climax of the women's bout.
'The Man' had already been unsuccessful in her attempts earlier in the night to reclaim the Smackdown Women's Championship, falling at the hands of Asuka.
The 48,000 strong crowd in Phoenix hadn't seen the last of her, though. With Rumble entrant Lana unable to participate due to injury, the opportunistic 31-year-old stepped into the void.
It was Lynch and Flair left to battle at the end, with Lynch herself ironically battling her own knee injury. She would overcome it, however, and claim a win that proved mighty popular at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, after a gruelling hour and 12 minutes.
Rollins emerged on top in the men's match which, despite the occasional surprise including Nia Jax's late attempt to gatecrash the party before being eliminated, felt a little more tired - having been the last attraction in an event spanning seven hours.
The former Shield member just about managed to dispatch Braun Strowman in the final throws of the bout that featured cameos for the likes of Hall of Fame wrestler Jeff Jarrett and NXT stars Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano.
As well as Asuka's victory over Lynch early on, there were big victories for WWE's other key champions.
Finn Balor fell short in his quest to claim the Universal Championship as he was forced to submit to Brock Lesnar.
Balor had put in a good showing against The Beast and looked to have him primed for defeat before Lesnar struck to bring the game challenge of the Irishman to an end.
There was also a retention for WWE Champion Daniel Bryan as he beat AJ Styles - albeit with the help of the returning former Wyatt Family member, Rowan.
There were some new champions crowned elsewhere on the show, though. Shane McMahon and The Miz are the new Smackdown tag team champions after they downed The Bar.
The quirky challengers have made for a surprisingly-entertaining team in recent weeks, and secured the victory thanks to a typically-daredevil top rope splash from McMahon.
Shinsuke Nakamura, meanwhile, is once again United States Champion. He capitalised on a moment of miscommunication between previous champ, Rusev, and wife Lana. The former accidentally sent his beloved crashing to the floor outside the ring which not only proved enough for Nakamura to pounce, but also put paid to Lana's own Rumble hopes.
One of the best bouts of the night may well get lost in the shuffle and excitement of what came after it, but Ronda Rousey's latest title defence, against Sasha Banks, is one to watch again.
Rousey has done precious little wrong as she completes just her first year in the job and she and challenger Banks put on a great showing, that Rousey curiously won by pinfall after a punishing back-and-forth.
WWE ROYAL RUMBLE QUICK RESULTS
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Asuka retained, defeated Becky Lynch
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Shane McMahon & The Miz defeated The Bar - New champions
Raw Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey retained, defeated Sasha Banks
WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan retained, defeated AJ Styles
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar retained, defeated Finn Balor
Becky Lynch won the Women's Royal Rumble Match
Seth Rollins won the Men's Royal Rumble Match
Kickoff Show results
Bobby Roode & Chad Gable defeated Scott Dawson & Rezar
United States Championship – Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Rusev - New champion
Cruiserweight Championship Fatal Four Way Buddy Murphy retained, defeated Akira Tozawa, Kalisto, and Hideo Itami
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