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Dana Brooke entered at #16. Everyone battled. Flair and Baszler went at it in the corner. Brooke missed a charge into the corner. Flair nailed Natural Selection on Bayley.
Torrie Wilson was #17. She was just on Legends night, so makes sense. I'd expect this means Alicia Fox popping up but we'll see. Wilson had some offense including a clothesline on Flair. Rhea was tossed over the top by Brooke but Ripley lifted her over the top to the outside and hit a one-handed chokeslam on the apron. Brooke hit the floor and was gone. Liv Morgan was tossed.
Number 18 was Lacey Evans coming out to Flair's music in a Flair robe, with Ric. Charlotte lost it and attacked her and they battled on the floor. Flair tossed Peyton, eliminating her. Bianca nailed a big boot on Bayley, taking her over the top to the floor, eliminated.
Number 19 was Mickie James. She was unannounced but since she's on the roster officially, makes sense. Flair, already enraged by Lacey, attacked Mickie and chopped the hell out of her. James grabbed her for a rana off the ropes. She tried to toss Flair but she blocked it. She tossed Mickie over the top to the apron and stomped her.
Number 20 was Nikki Cross, who nailed a nice tornado DDT on Rhea. She went for one on Flair but it was blocked.
Number 21 was Alicia Fox, which made sense as she was just cleared to appear on Raw. This is her first in-ring appearance since April 2019. R-Truth ran out, to theme music but Fox told him he couldn't be in the match. All his usual challengers ran out. Fox rolled up Truth and scored the pin and won the title.
Number 22 was Mandy Rose, who tossed Fox, eliminating her. Truth rolled up Fox and pinned her, winning the belt again. Fox and all the usual suspects chased Truth away. Looney Tunes, indeed.
Number 23 was NXT's Dakota Kai, another surprise competitor. Everyone battled. Rhea tossed Kai.
Number 24 was Carmella, doing double duty tonight. She took her time coming to the ring. Cross tossed her out but Reginald caught and saved her, returning her safely to the ring. Carmella eliminated Cross.
Number 25 was Tamina. She took out Reginald and a shocked Carmella landed on the floor with both her feet, so she was gone. Rhea and Tamina faced off and began slugging it out. Bianca tossed Naomi but she landed on the apron and saved herself. Baszler and Flair battled in the corner. Naomi was pushed off the apron but landed on her back as she her feet in the air. Naomi grabbed Belair's hair and used that grab to pull herself up to the apron. That is some damn great core strength.
Number 26 was Lana, who was returning from her "injuries" back in December. This made sense from a storyline standpoint. Lana tried to take out Ripley but was nailed by Tamina. Tamina massacred her in the corner. Bianca and Naomi continued to battle. Tamina drilled Ripley with a big boot. Flair and Baszler continued to battle.
Number 27 was Alexa Bliss. The idea was that she was trying to morph into her darker self but was taken out and eliminated before she had a chance to do so.
Number 28 was Ember Moon who hit Baszler with an Eclipse. She tried to toss Evans over the top. Lana tried to toss Moon but she fought off Lana.
Number 29 was Nia Jax. Baszler met her partner on the floor and they hit the ring as one unit, attacking. Evans was tossed by Baszler. They destroyed Moon and tossed her. They pressed and tossed Naomi, who had been all the way from number two and was out after 47 minutes. Hell of a run. Nia and Tamina battled with Baszler helping her partner. They tossed Tamina and then went right after each other as if they were Demolition in the 1989 Rumble. Jax tossed Baszler out and then apologized to her partner. Lana slapped her and then ducked down like Hacksaw Duggan at the 88 Rumble, pulling the ropes down as Nia sailed over the ropes like The One Man Gang in the first Rumble. Nia eliminated with the idea that Lana got some semblance of revenge on Nia.
Natalya entered at number 30. The Women's Tag Champs returned to the ring and attacked Natalya on the way and beat everyone down including Lana. They tossed Natalya into the ring as they left. Lana and Natalya recovered and embraced. Natalya immediately turned on her and tossed Lana to the floor. Those old Total Divas grudges never die.
The final four are Ripley, Bianca, Natalya and Flair.
Natalya controlled the ring and beat down everyone. She put Ripley over the top and nailed her with a forearm but Ripley landed on the apron. Belair nailed Natalya from behind, sending her over the top to the floor.
Then, there were three.
The finalists all faced off.
They all battled with the younger upstarts double-teaming Charlotte. They sent her into the ropes but she held on and nailed kicks to their faces. Flair suplexed Belair who bounced across the ring. Ripley and Flair reignited their Wrestlemania 36 fury, battling back and forth. Flair drilled her across the back and gained control. Flair was backdropped over the top but landed on the apron. Bianca nailed a kick and dazed her. Belair and Ripley teamed to knock her off the apron after a 35 minute performance.
Belair and Ripley are the finalists. They battled over the top but fought to save themselves from hitting the floor. They agreed to get back in the ring and continue to fight. Amazingly, they did so!
They battled back and forth. Ripley was placed on the top and knocked off but saved herself. Ripley slid in underneath and tossed Belair over. This was absolutely great. Belair charged but Ripley snatched her mid-leap by the hair and drove her down into the mat. They battled back and forth. Belair escaped a Glamslam attempt. She went for Riptide but Belair reversed and went for the KOD but Ripley escaped that. Belair knocked her over the top and won.
Your winner, Bianca Belair!
This was sort of telegraphed by how much attention they placed on Bianca but man, the last few minutes of this were absolutely excellent and there is zero question Bianca earned the win. She was overcome with emotion in the right way, crying about the accomplishment.
They said Bianca set a new record with 56 minutes in the Rumble.
Kayla Braxton interviewed her in the ring. Belair said she kept telling everyone she was the best but tonight she showed everyone. After everything, she won the Rumble. She was overcome with emotion. She told her parents at home that she did it and now she's going to do it at Wrestlemania. THIS WAS AWESOME, that perfect mix of real life emotions bleeding into the pro wrestling fantasy world. Just phenomenal as a moment. She pointed at the sign as all the fireworks went off.
Coverage continues on Page 4!
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