With all the drama surrounding Vince McMahon’s tumultuous, real-life return to WWE, it’s surprisingly easy to forget that the company’s second biggest pay-per-view event is around the corner. WWE Royal Rumble 2023 takes place on Saturday, Jan. 28, different from the company’s usual Sunday schedule.
Thus far we know five matches that’ll take place on the show. First, there are the two Royal Rumble matches themselves: one for the men, one for the women. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will win these bouts and punch their ticket to a title match at WrestleMania. On the men’s side, possibilities range from Cody Rhodes to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who’s long been rumored to be wrestling Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Speaking of Reigns, he’ll be defending his WWE Universal Championship titles against Kevin Owens — a reprise from their match at the 2021 Royal Rumble, when Reigns’ title run was in its infancy. It’s crazy to think that Reigns has held the Universal Championship for well over two years — and even crazier to think that Owens has a chance of ending that run at the Royal Rumble. But as telegraphed as the winner is, it should be a fun match.
More fun, for sure, than Bray Wyatt’s return bout, against LA Knight. People clamored for Wyatt to return to the company, but we’ll see how long that excitement lasts considering the goofy storylines his mystical character engenders. Wyatt and Knight will clash in a “lights out” match at the Rumble. Your guess is as good as mine.
Match card
- WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens.
- 30-man Royal Rumble match.
- 30-woman Royal Rumble match.
- Lights Out match: Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight.
- WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Alexa Bliss.
Start times
Royal Rumble 2023 takes place at San Antonio, Texas’ Alamodome on Jan. 28. For those without a live ticket, it starts at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m ET. Grappling fans across the pond will have to stay up late, as the show starts at 1 a.m. UK time. In Australia, the Royal Rumble begins at midday AEDT on Sunday.
How to watch: Peacock, WWE Network, Binge
As you probably know by now, Peacock is the new home of WWE’s pay-per-views. The WWE Network has in essence migrated to NBC’s Peacock streaming service and that’s where you’ll go to watch Royal Rumble 2023. Peacock has three tiers: Free, Premium and Premium Plus. To watch WWE content, you’ll need a Premium subscription. The good news is that’ll set you back $5 a month, less than the $10 for WWE Network.
Just like the WWE Network has been absorbed by Peacock in the US, it’s migrated to Foxtel’s Binge streaming service in Australia. WWE’s deal with Binge went into effect earlier this month, so Binge is where Australians should seek the Rumble, though the WWE Network is still operational for now.
If you’re in the UK, you’ll watch Royal Rumble 2023 on the WWE Network as usual.
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Daniel Van Boom