WWE Royal Rumble 2023: 10 Behind the Scenes photos you need to see
WWE Royal Rumble 2023 took place this past Saturday, and we are now officially on the Road to WrestleMania 39. Fans were eagerly looking forward to the show and while there was some lack of surprise entrants, the overall booking was commendable.
From the appearance of legends, the return of released superstars, a unique match, and a massive break-up at the end of the show, a lot of things happened. Fans witnessed many special moments on their screen but a lot more happened backstage as well.
Let's take a look at ten behind-the-scene photos from WWE Royal Rumble 2023 and find out the interesting backstage encounters that happened. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts on these pictures and the show.
#10 Just two legends catching up!
The men's WWE Royal Rumble match had a lack of surprise entrants and big shocks, according to many fans. However, one massive return that took place during the match was that of WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.
The former world champion got a huge pop from the fans when he entered at #21. He went on to perform his signature Spinaroonie in the ring before quickly getting eliminated by Gunther. In the above picture, Booker T can be seen backstage with Edge, who also returned on the show after several months away.
#9 Discussion with The Phenom
The Undertaker was backstage at WWE Royal Rumble 2023 as well, as witnessed in the picture above where he can be seen having a conversation with The Miz. The Phenom recently appeared on the RAW XXX episode as well where he had a fascinating segment with Bray Wyatt.
While 'Taker didn't wrestle at the show, his wife and former WWE Women's Champion Michelle McCool entered the women's Royal Rumble match. As for The Miz, he entered the men's Royal Rumble match at #3 and was unfortunately the first star to be eliminated from the match, at the hands of Sheamus.
#8 Dominik with Mami
The women's WWE Royal Rumble 2023 match saw Rhea Ripley come out victorious after a herculean effort. She entered the match at #1 and lasted over one hour before winning the match, making a total of seven eliminations in the match.
In the above picture, Rhea Ripley can be seen backstage with fellow Judgment Day member Dominik Mysterio. The junior Mysterio entered the men's Royal Rumble match and lasted for over 25 minutes before getting eliminated by the eventual winner - Cody Rhodes.
#7 Look who's back!
One of the biggest returns at WWE Royal Rumble 2023 was that of Pat McAfee. The former NFL star joined the commentary team (Michael Cole and Corey Graves) on the show, much to the delight of everyone. Reports have since stated that even Cole wasn't aware of McAfee's return and his reaction was 100% genuine.
Pat McAfee is a highly-liked personality backstage. In the above picture, he can be seen behind the scenes alongside Triple H. The Game looks extremely happy to have one of his top guys back in the mix.
#6 Time to run it back?
There's just something about the above picture that would get any pro-wrestling fan excited. These two previously collided at the same Premium Live Event four years ago at WWE Royal Rumble 2019 where Lesnar came out victorious after an amazing match. The question now is, will we get another bout in the future between these two? The above picture does seem to be hinting at that.
Both Finn Balor and Brock Lesnar entered the men's Royal Rumble match this year. While many were expecting Lesnar to have a long stay, he was eliminated by Bobby Lashley after merely over 2 minutes. As for Balor, he was eliminated by Edge but ended up eliminating The Rated-R Superstar later on with his heelish tactics.
#5 The Tribal Chief getting ready for his match
Undoubtedly, the biggest talking point coming out of WWE Royal Rumble 2023 was the end of the show. Roman Reigns successfully defended his titles against Kevin Owens in the main event. However, post-match, Reigns asked Sami Zayn to hit KO who was handcuffed to the ropes.
Zayn contemplated a lot and ended up hitting Roman Reigns, officially ending his ties with The Bloodline. To add to that, Jey Uso also walked out of the faction. The question now is, how will The Tribal Chief handle this situation?
#4 It's all about respect!
Two more MVPs of the 2023 men's WWE Royal Rumble match were Sheamus and Seth Rollins. In the above picture, the two stars could be seen having a conversation backstage.
Sheamus entered the Royal Rumble match at #2 and eliminated 3 stars before getting eliminated by Drew McIntyre and Gunther, spending over 52 minutes in the match. As for Seth Rollins, he also spent over 37 minutes in the match and eliminated 2 stars.
#3 The new face of Bray Wyatt
WWE Royal Rumble 2023 saw a first-time-ever Pitch Black match take place between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. Fans were eagerly excited to see how the match will turn out and the end response was mixed.
While many liked the unique lighting and the special ring gear, others had complaints. In the above picture, we can see Bray Wyatt in a new scary get-up backstage, in what seems to be just before his match on the show. Wyatt managed to defeat Knight in the match with Uncle Howdy getting involved post-match and diving on the defeated star.
#2 The future of the women's division
While the Iron Woman and winner of the women's WWE Royal Rumble 2023 was Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan stole the show as well. Entering at #2 in the match, Morgan lasted all the way to the final two before getting eliminated at the hands of Rhea Ripley.
In the above picture, Morgan can be seen backstage after the match, getting congratulated by Bruce Prichard and Triple H for her performance. She looks extremely proud as well!
#1 Mr. WWE Royal Rumble 2023
The men's WWE Royal Rumble 2023 match was won by Cody Rhodes, not much to the surprise of anyone. Rhodes was heavily advertised for the show with him even making his intentions clear to come after Roman Reigns and his titles. While some were expecting a surprise winner, Rhodes winning was always on the cards.
In the above picture, The American Nightmare can be seen going through the gorilla position and entering the match. He entered the Royal Rumble at #30 and eliminated 5 stars to win it all and book himself a world title shot at WrestleMania 39.