Just as in the real world of WWE, I in my Universe Mode am also building up to what is my personal favourite PPV of the year. But I’m not just building to the two Rumble matches, I’ve got 5 other matches lined up for the show, so lets see how we got to them shall we? And all the other goings on in my own WWE 2K23 Universe Mode for the month of January!
January Week 1
Randy Orton comes out for a promo, Cody Rhodes comes out to interrupt, and Randy Orton flees…
Bayley was on commentary, and after she got into it verbally with Bianca, seeming more concerned with Belair than with Dakota, which seems to annoy Iyo…
Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins has a backstage interview, Edge interrupts, and they go back and forth…
‘DIY’ Vignette
‘DIY’ attack ‘Street Profits’ after
Rhea Ripley comes out with Dominik Mysterio for an in-ring promo, Becky Lynch comes out and they go back and forth…
Damian Priest backstage interview, Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) passes through and goes eye to eye with Priest…
Bobby Lashley cuts a promo before…
Lashley BRUTALIZES Ziggler afterwards!
AJ Styles (and the rest of The OC) have a backstage interview
Kevin Owens backstage promo
WWE Championship Number 1 contenders match:
‘The New Day’ come out for an in-ring promo, Paul Heyman comes out after, and Big E and Heyman go back and forth (Heyman reveals that Roman Reigns will be on SmackDown next week)
(Santos Escobar was on commentary)
Liv Morgan backstage interview, Raquel Rodriguez comes out, and they have a friendly back and forth, Shayna Baszler comes out and they go back and forth, and it’s not so friendly…
They shake hands, and show mutual respect after, and Miz raises Zayn’s arm after
‘Wyatt 5’ vignette, with Alexa Bliss talking about being in the Royal Rumble… “RUN!”
Open Challenge match:
Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) video package
Gunther (and Imperium) video package
Zayn is very passionate after, and he challenges Drew to a match for next week!
(Liv Morgan is seen backstage injured, Shayna Baszler smirks as she walks away from the scene, and officials tend to Liv)
SmackDown Women’s Championship Number 1 contenders match:
January Week 2
Brock Lesnar came out during the match, he attacked Omos (to stop him interfering), Melo got the win, and Lesnar locked eyes with Bobby Lashley and then showed mutual respect to both Hayes and Trick Williams
Damage CTRL backstage interview, Asuka looks on, smiles, and walks away
‘DIY’ cheat to win
Randy Orton has an in-ring promo, Cody Rhodes comes out after and they go back and forth (on the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania)
Candice LeRae is backstage and sad, Mia Yim walks up to her and she’s upset with what ‘DIY’ did to Gallows and Anderson, they go back and forth until Zoey Stark and Alba Fyre attack them both
Edge – Finn Balor in-ring segment
Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins is backstage, Damian Priest walks up to him, they go back and forth referencing the Royal Rumble, Priest then locks eyes with a passing Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams
Becky Lynch vignette – she talks about the Royal Rumble, the Raw Women’s Championship, ‘doing what’s right’ and Rhea Ripley…
Dakota Kai and Asuka were on commentary, and after the match Kai and Bayley attack Belair, Iyo stands to the side unsure of what to do, but ASUKA SAVES BIANCA! And they show mutual respect to one another after!
Beth Phoenix comes out and cuts an in-ring promo, Charlotte Flair comes out after, and they go back and forth until Charlotte is the one to back off
This match ends in a non-finish, as the lights go out, the WYATT 5 appear, and Alexa Bliss attacks and takes out all 4 of the other women, the lights then go out again and when they come back on, the Wyatt 5 are gone
Sami Zayn has a backstage interview where he talks VERY passionately!
LA Knight comes out for an in-ring promo, a Karrion Kross vignette plays on the big screen, Kross then tries to jump attack Knight, but LA manages to evade and fight him off
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance video package
Drew McIntyre backstage interview
Big E (with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) comes out to the ring, Roman Reigns (and the rest of The Bloodline) follows, Reigns tells everyone else to leave so him and E can talk man to man, and the two proceed to have an INTENSE back and forth!
January Week 3
Brock Lesnar comes out for an in-ring promo, he calls out Bobby Lashley! But MVP comes out instead, and after they go back and forth, Brock gives him an F5!
Damage CTRL have a backstage interview, Bayley questions Iyo about last week, and they go back and forth as Dakota tries to cool things.
‘Street Profits’ come out for their match, before ‘DIY’ come out and say they can’t face them tonight, but instead have an alternative for them…
Becky Lynch in-ring segment, Dominik Mysterio comes out after, they go back and forth, until Lynch attacks Dom until Rhea Ripley makes the save
Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams backstage interview
After… Stark and Fyre state their claim for the Women’s Tag Titles
The Judgement Day are all backstage, all seeming very happy, as WWE Champion Finn Balor prepares to make his way to the ring
Finn Balor – Edge in-ring segment, this sets up a 6 man tag match next week, with the winner picking the match stip for their match at the Royal Rumble
Asuka and Bianca Belair backstage interview
SmackDown opens with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods having been attacked backstage, Big E is left to look on as medics attend to his two fellow New Day members, and his is NOT happy!
Solo Sikoa attacks LA Knight, behind the ref’s back, leading to Kross winning
Natalya backstage interview, with Beth Phoenix, and both seem happy
Big E goes and finds LA Knight in the locker room, they go back and forth, before shaking hands
Paul Heyman is backstage in The Bloodline locker room, he tells Jimmy Uso and Solo that he is happy with their… ‘work’… this evening, leaving Jey Uso to ask “what work? What you talking about Paul?”, Jey becomes irate and gets into it verbally with Solo and Jimmy before Paul calms things, or tries to anyway… Heyman then says it will be Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa vs Big E and LA Knight tonight… which leaves Jey to look on confused and dismayed…
‘Wyatt 5’ Vignette
‘Imperium’ are seen backstage watching on…
Alba Fyre and Zoey Stark appear in the backstage area, they confront Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, and challenge them to a Women’s Tag Title match next week over on Raw!
A FIERY Liv Morgan promo after, where she speaks about Shayna and challenges her for next week, looking on to the Royal Rumble match, and “WATCH ME!”
January Week 4
The Judgement Day come out to the ring for a promo, eventually Edge comes out… and he brings out… Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins… and Kevin Owens! Everyone is then banned from ringside before…
Damage CTRL are backstage, they seem to be at odds with one another, with Bayley losing it at Iyo and saying that the Royal Rumble could be ‘decisive’
Brock Lesnar comes out, Bobby Lashley follows, and they go back and forth and set up a match at the Royal Rumble
United States Championship open challenge:
Asuka and Bianca Belair have an in-ring contract signing, and it’s very very tense!
Cody Rhodes runs out mid-match to cause a no contest as he attacks Randy Orton!
Logan Paul vignette, announcing that he will be in the Royal Rumble match!
Edge then picks for his and Finn Balor’s match to be… a LADDER MATCH!
The Bloodline come out to the ring, Roman Reigns seems very happy, but Jey Uso is not… he interrupts The Tribal Chief and questions as to why he wasn’t informed in advance of the plan last week? Roman (absolutely dumfounded by Jey’s remarks) accused his cousin of disrespecting him, and it all gets very heated… until The New Day come out, they each go back and forth with Reigns until a 6 man tag match is set up for later!
After the match, Charlotte attacks Dana Brooke, but Beth and Natalya make the save,
‘Wyatt 5’ vignette
Drew McIntyre backstage interview… Karrion Kross soon enters the scene, as does then Sheamus with Ridge Holland and Butch, and a huge brawl ensues that officials and referees have to break up…
‘Toxic Attraction’ backstage promo
This match ends in a no contest, after… Sonya Deville, Raquel Rodriguez, ‘Toxic Attraction’, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter and Shotzi all run out and a huge brawl ensues!
Backstage in The Bloodline locker room… Roman Reigns tells Jey Uso to get out of the arena, so that ‘My Family will handle this’, which seems to really upset Jey as he slowly leaves…
And that’s how we got to the Royal Rumble PPV! Which leaves us with 7 matches, including of course the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches… as we officially begin the ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA!
Josh.