Bobby Lashley defeats Brock Lesnar for WWE title at Royal Rumble
Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion.
At the Royal Rumble tonight, Lashley pinned Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship. The finish of the match involved interference by Universal Champion Roman Reigns — with an assist from Paul Heyman.
There was a spot during the Lesnar vs. Lashley match where Lesnar went to give Lashley an F-5 but threw him into the referee. With the referee down, Reigns rushed into the ring and speared Lesnar. Reigns asked Heyman to give him the WWE Championship belt, and Heyman betrayed Lesnar by handing it over. Reigns then laid out Lesnar with a belt shot. Lashley capitalized on that by pinning Lesnar to get the win.
Heyman left with Reigns after Reigns hit Lesnar with the title belt.
😮#RoyalRumble @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/Vyxyt8cBZs
— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2022
Reigns and Heyman had been split up since an angle where Reigns fired Heyman as his special counsel in December.
Earlier tonight, Reigns put his Universal Championship on the line against Seth Rollins. The match ended with Rollins winning by disqualification but Reigns retaining the Universal title. Reigns refused to let go of a guillotine when Rollins reached the ropes. Reigns then attacked Rollins with a chair after the match.
A match between Reigns and Lesnar is in the plans for WrestleMania 38 this April.
Lashley is now a two-time WWE Champion. His previous reign with the title lasted from March to September of last year.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.