WWE Main Event results courtesy of WWE.com.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Just days before the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view – and the official start of The Road to WrestleMania – WWE Main Event was packed with action. Royal Rumble Match participants R-Truth and Damien Sandow squared off, The Bellas were in action against Alicia Fox & Aksana and Alberto Del Rio faced his longtime rival Sin Cara.
R-Truth def. Damien Sandow
Damien Sandow kicked off WWE Main Event by declaring his intent to win the Royal Rumble Match and become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. However, before the 30-man over-the-top-rope extravaganza, the self-proclaimed Intellectual Savior of the Masses had to face R-Truth.
Xavier Woods joined Tom Phillips and The Miz on commentary to observe his mentor – R-Truth – and discuss his own ambitions for his first-ever Royal Rumble Match. Former WWE Champion The Miz tried to explain to Woods that seeing and participating in the Royal Rumble Match are completely different experiences.
Meanwhile, inside the squared circle, Sandow and R-Truth battled back and forth – neither competitor gaining an advantage early in the contest. Each time Sandow swung the pendulum of momentum in his favor, R-Truth’s experience and agility balanced the equation and moved Sandow from offense to defense.
Using the environment outside the ring to his advantage, Sandow reclaimed control and began to punish R-Truth. In an effort to increase the amount of damage being dished out, Sandow removed both his elbow and knee pad, striking his opponent without fear of injuring himself. Nevertheless, the resilience of the former United States Champion kept him in the battle, once again shifting back and forth. Near-falls and failed finishers brought the WWE Universe to the edge of their seats.
Sandow threw everything but the kitchen sink at R-Truth, unable to claim a victory with The Royal Arch or Terminus. Finally, after attempting his patented You’re Welcome half-nelson slam one last time, Truth reversed the maneuver and executed his own patented maneuver – driving Sandow face-first into the canvas and securing the victory.
The Bella Twins def. Alicia Fox & Aksana
Before the Divas Tag Team Match began on WWE Main Event, Aksana & Alicia Fox taunted The Bella Twins as the “Total Divas” stars prepared for the contest (WATCH). Early in the match, Aksana may have been regretting the trash talking as The Bella Twins seamlessly transitioned in and out of the ring to maintain control of the bout.
Fighting back, Aksana managed to tag in her partner – former Divas Champion Alicia Fox. The Bella Twins remained on the defensive as Alicia & Aksana displayed their teamwork and aggression at the expense of Brie Bella. With her sister in dire straits, Nikki rallied the WWE Universe – garnering enough support for Brie to make the tag.
Taking control of the contest, Nikki showed off her in-ring abilities by striking effectively on both Alicia and Aksana. As Brie helped keep Aksana at bay, Nikki executed a devastating back-breaker on Alicia to earn a hard-fought victory.
Alberto Del Rio def. Sin Cara
After being decimated by a returning Batista on Raw, former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio sought to release some pent-up anger on his longtime rival, Sin Cara, on WWE Main Event.
Del Rio and Sin Cara are very familiar with each other inside the squared circle, but Del Rio had a much different game plan than usual in mind as he immediately – and very aggressively – attacked his masked opponent at the opening bell. Del Rio did his best to keep Sin Cara grounded, but the high-flying Superstar’s newfound determination was enough motivation to strike back and show off his incredible agility to put Del Rio on the ropes.
Battling in and out of the ring, Sin Cara maintained control – perhaps signifying that Del Rio let his anger towards Batista get the best of him. Nevertheless, Del Rio used his size advantage to reclaim momentum and strike back at the masked marvel.
The intense rivalry between the Superstars was certainly on display as momentum shifted back and forth as the battle raged onward. Near-falls and counter strikes were the norm as Sin Cara and Del Rio continually changed their strategies in an effort to earn the latest victory in their tumultuous history.
Neither competitor could seemingly do enough on the mat to win, and the bout became a high-risk affair as both Sin Cara and Del Rio attempted to execute top-rope maneuvers. Finally, after a superplex wasn’t enough to keep Sin Cara down, Del Rio took advantage of a hair-raising situation. Standing on the top ropes, Sin Cara was hanging on below, trying not to fall into a tree of woe.
The former World Heavyweight Champion seized the opportunity and stomped his opponent’s chest to the mat. Del Rio then made his move and executed his patented Cross Armbreaker for the win.