Rhea Ripley went the distance as the No. 1 entrant to become the winner of the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble and is now guaranteed a championship match at WrestleMania 39. Ripley and Liv Morgan kicked off the Royal Rumble as the first two entrants. B-Fab ate a few headbutts shortly after entering from Ripley, and was eliminated less than a minute into her Rumble appearance.
NXT women’s champion Roxanne Perez got her first taste of the main roster, but didn’t last long before her race was run. Natalya made her return months after breaking her nose at the hands of Shayna Baszler, renewing their rivalry in the middle of the Rumble. Zoey Stark was another NXT call-up for the Rumble and Piper Niven shed her Doudrop name in her return to the ring.
The returns kept coming, with Chelsea Green taking more time to get to the ring than she actually spent in the match, earning the Women’s Royal Rumble record with quickest elimination at the hands of Ripley. Michelle McCool then hit the ring from her seat in the front row, taking the action to Tamina and eliminating her from the Rumble.
2️⃣5️⃣: @McCoolMichelleL #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/g4p4q8UUqt
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2023
Indi Hartwell joined her NXT colleagues in the Rumble, sporting an Indi Wrestling jacket before making her way to the ring.
More than a year after her last appearance, Nia Jax made her return to WWE with a loaded ring as the 30th and final entrant, quickly becoming the focal point of every woman in the match. Ripley dropped Jax with the Rip Chord before the women teamed up at tossed Jax over the top rope.
SHE’S NOT LIKE MOST GIRLS … AND SHE’S BACK!!!
Nia Jax is entrant number 3️⃣0️⃣ in the Women’s #RoyalRumble Match! pic.twitter.com/9s5BKpvmhP
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2023
Ripley, Cross, Asuka, and Morgan were the final four participants until Morgan eliminated Cross. Asuka blinded Morgan with the mist, but Ripley took care of Asuka with an elimination. Morgan had Ripley on the ropes, but she caught Morgan and flipper her off the apron to win the match.
Order Entered
- Rhea Ripley
- Liv Morgan
- Dana Brooke
- Emma
- Shayna Baszler
- Bayley
- B-Fab
- Roxanne Perez
- Dakota Kai
- Iyo Sky
- Natalya
- Candice LeRae
- Zoey Stark
- Xia Li
- Becky Lynch
- Tegan Nox
- Asuka
- Piper Niven
- Tamina
- Chelsea Green
- Zelina Vega
- Raquel Rodriguez
- Michin
- Lacey Evans
- Michelle McCool
- Indi Hartwell
- Sonya Deville
- Shotzi
- Nikki Cross
- Nia Jax
Order Eliminated
- B-Fab
- Dana Brooke
- Emma
- Roxanne Perez
- Natalya
- Shayna Baszler
- Candice LeRae
- Tegan Nox
- Chelsea Green
- Dakota Kai
- Iyo Sky
- Becky Lynch
- Bayley
- Xia Li
- Tamina
- Zoey Stark
- Zelina Vega
- Indi Hartwell
- Nia Jax
- Lacey Evans
- Sonya Deville
- Michelle McCool
- Shotzi
- Michin
- Piper Niven
- Raquel Rodriguez
- Nikki Cross
- Asuka
- Liv Morgan