'Thank you.' I whispered to Punk as he pulled out of our hug slightly.
'Why?' He questioned with a slight chuckle in his voice, unknowing of why I had chosen such words.
'For being my best friend.'
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'You're welcome, Alix.' Punk smiled down toward my tearful self. For the first time in my life I felt genuinely heartbroken. Sure we had our fights, but none of those fights could even reach the equivalent of this.
'You better kick some ass.' We both chuckled between ourselves as I punched his arm lightly. Receiving a reassuring pat on the shoulder I watched as Punk began to lightly jog on the spot as they began to call for the matches. He gave me one last fist bump before completing his jog and heading toward gorilla. I watched as he headed off, drying the tears from my eyes knowing that he'd give it his all for his final match here in the WWE. Biting my bottom lip nervously I headed back towards the Diva's locker room where many Diva's had already taken their seats to watch the match on the screen that had been placed within the locker room. Unfortunately, there was no set Diva's match for the Royal Rumble card this year which really struck a nerve in most of the girls including myself to some extent. I turned my attention and kept my focus on the screen as the match was about to begin.
'Ladies and Gentlemen this is a Royal Rumble match!' Justin Roberts announced, receiving a mainly positive reaction from the crowd.
'Now, two superstars will start in the ring. Every ninety seconds a new participant will enter, elimination occurs when you're thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. This will continue until all thirty men have entered the match. The last remaining superstar will be declared the winner and will earn a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania!' I sighed to myself knowing that having a main event match at Wrestlemania was Punk's dream. Justin exited the ring as I bit my fingernails nervously.
Punk's theme then began to blare throughout the arena as the crowd stood on their feet, allowing a rumble of cheers to be heard. Punk walked out onto the stage, his hoodie on with the hood up as he looked directly into the crowd. Raising both of his arms outward he basked in the loud cheering.
'Introducing the first participant. From Chicago, Illinois. Weighing two hundred and eighteen pounds, C.. M.. PUNK!' The crowd chanted along with the ring announcer as Punk's name was announced. Falling down to one knee, Punk began his signature entrance, running his hand over the ground and then pulling up the right sleeve of his hoodie, looking down at his wrist.
'It's clobbering time!' Punk yelled out, his hands at each side of his mouth as the crowd screamed out in excitement, bringing a huge grin to Punk's face as he stood back up on his feet. I could feel chills going down my spine as the realisation had hit that it would be the last time anyone in the audience would see Punk in a WWE ring. Punk then threw his fist in the air as he turned around, his back to the ring, raising his arms out to the side once again. The television camer'as cut to the audience where a group on people were holding up signs for Punk, many also wearing his merchandise. It was such a bittersweet moment. Turning back around Punk pulled down his hood as he walked closer toward the ring, eventually walking up the steel steps and climbing into the ring.
Punk ran around whilst inside the ring for a few moments, taking in the last of his time with the WWE Universe, blowing a small kiss toward them all, his hands stretching up into the air afterwards. His theme song eventually stopped as he pulled down the zip on his hoodie, taking it off and tossing it aside. My mood dropped as the theme of the next participant began to play. The Shield's theme blared through the arena as Seth Rollins made his way down the staircase through the audience, his eyes never leaving Punk. Hopping over the barricade, Seth climbed into the ring, keeping his position across from Punk. Punk had sat himself down on the lower rope of the turnbuckle, waiting for the bell to ring. After it rang Punk headed straight towards Rollins, not wasting any time, forcing him into the opposite corner and jamming his shoulder into Seth's gut.
Punk began to send strikes from his fists towards Seth, then trying to force him over the top rope however Seth managed to counter and get Punk into the corner. Seth continued to strike Punk and then eventually attempted to get him over the top rope. I was genuinely on the edge of my seat, I was extremely nervous for Punk as I wanted him to prevail throughout this match. Punk fought back, sending multiple elbow shots to Seth's head, forcing him into the middle of the ring. Punk hit Seth with multiple kicks, gaining the upper hand however this didn't last long as Seth managed to catch Punk in the gut with his boot. Seth ran to the ropes, rebounding off of them and hitting Punk with a dropkick. Seth then forcefully threw Punk into the turnbuckle, running to the opposite turnbuckle and then running back toward Punk, hitting him with a forearm. Punk managed to regain his stamina, running behind Seth as he ran back to the turnbuckle, catching him with a knee of the face as soon as he turned around. Pulling Seth back into the middle of the ring and hitting him with a clothesline, Punk received cheers and chants as he taunted for the G.T.S. Seth managed to get back onto his feet, catching Punk with a kick to his head. Punk managed to catch Seth with a kick of his own to his head before both men fell to the ground.
The countdown began for the next entrant to enter the ring, the crowd counting down aloud. The buzzer at the end of the countdown sounded as Damien Sandow's theme filled the arena. Wandering out and ripping his tshirt off from over his head, Damien began to make his way toward the ring. As soon as Damien slid into the ring he began to attack Punk, along with Seth who had now managed to get back onto his feet. The two men unleashed their attack on Punk in a two on one assault. The crowd chanted 'CM Punk' as Punk began to regain his momentum. Punk caught Damien in a neckbreaker and Seth in a DDT position before falling back onto the mat, taking out both men. Turning his attention mainly on Seth, Punk attempted to eliminate him once again by forcing him over the top rope, Damien on the other hand lay over in the opposite corner still recovering from the DDT. The countdown soon began again, the audience doing their signature countdown with it. After the buzz, Cody Rhode's theme began to play causing a cheer to escape my lips as the Diva's sat beside me chuckled to themselves.
Damien shot up back to his feet as Cody ran towards and slid into the ring. Both Cody and Damien began exchanging punches, receiving a loud reaction from the crowd. Damien managed to boot Cody in the gut, attempting to hit a clothesline afterwards. Cody managed to catch the line and counter it into the Cross-Rhodes. Hitting Damien with it, Cody then shot up back to his feet, attempting to pick Damien up again. However, Cody's actions were short-lived as Seth managed to kick Punk aside and hit Cody with a club to the back. Punk turned his attention to Damien, attempting to get him up from his current state of lying on the mat. Damien managed to fight Punk off and push him into the ropes. Punk gripped tightly onto the ropes as Damien ran towards him. Thankfully Punk managed to push Damien over the top of him and eliminate him. I jumped out of my seat, an expression of joy painted all over my face.
The countdown began once again and as soon as the buzzer sounded, Kane's theme began to play. Punk's eyes widened as he froze in place, watching as Kane stormed down the mat, taking off his shirt and tie in the process. To both Punk's surprise and my own Kane didn't head straight for Punk, but instead he began to attack Cody. Pushing him down as if he were nothing and then hitting him with a big boot. Without even a moment to take in what had just happened, Kane also hit Punk with a big boot to his face. Kane then had his attention completely on Punk as he forced him into the corner, sending multiple stomps to him. Kane then dragged Punk out of the corner, hoisting him up to his feet. Irish whipping Punk into the opposite turnbuckle, Kane ran towards him, delivering a clothesline in the corner. Kane threw Punk back into the middle as if he were nothing but a rag-doll, picking him up forcefully and sending his hand to Punk's throat. Punk struggled for a moment before lifting up his leg to deliver a roundhouse kick to Kane. Kane staggered, holding onto the side of his jaw not noticing Punk behind him. The crowd erupted in cheers as Punk tossed Kane out of the ring. My eyes widened at the elimination, Punk had just eliminated Kane. The two exchanged stares for a minute, Kane's facial expression growing angrier by the second as Punk's lips upturned into a grin of amusement.
Many different superstars began to enter the ring, some being eliminated and some still standing within the ring. Seth and Punk were still both hanging in there which left me to surprise. Superstars such as Rusev, Kofi Kingston, Gold Dust, The Usos and Jack Swagger had all entered the ring. Most kept their attention off of Punk, leaving him in one of the corners to regain his strength. Cody, Seth and Kofi began working together which had me in a little bit of shock, eliminating Rusev as a team. Punk then attacked Kofi from behind, throwing him over the top rope however Kofi had just managed to hang on. Punk then sent a forearm toward Kofi, throwing him off of the apron. However, his feet hadn't even touched the floor as Rusev had caught him. Rusev then placed Kofi on top of one of the barricades, repeatedly punching and kneeing his chest. Kofi still hadn't been eliminated from the match. The referee's sent Rusev to the back after much dispute leaving Kofi on the barricade. Regaining some stamina from the attack, Kofi shakily stood up on the barricade. The referee yelled toward Kofi to get back into the ring. After much anticipation, Kofi began to run carefully across the barricade, making the leap and landing on the apron. My mouth dropped open as the crowd erupted into cheers whilst Kofi slid through the ropes and back into the ring.
The countdown had begun once again, hitting zero and sounding the buzzer. The Shield's theme began to play again as Dean Ambrose came from the back, receiving loud boo's from the crowd. Running toward the ring and sliding under the bottom rope he began fending off the superstars that had ran toward him. He immediately began to help his Shield brother Seth Rollins. This was bad, this was very bad. Both Dean and Seth teamed up to attack the other superstars in the ring after attempting to eliminate Kofi and failing, Dean turned his attention to Punk and began his malicious assault. Forcing Punk into the corner, Dean sent multiple strike to Punk's head and chest whilst Seth worked on eliminating Cody. Dean sent a ruthless punch across Punk's face, smiling sadistically into the camera that the camera man had been holding just outside of the ring. Punk began to fight back, throwing Dean into the middle of the ring.
After the countdown Dolph Ziggler's theme began to play, earning a large pop from the crowd. He ran and slid into into the ring, almost instantly attacking Dean Ambrose. 'Let's go Ziggler' chants filled the arena and just by the look on Ambrose's face you could tell he was gradually getting angrier. Dean managed to fight out of Dolph's attacks, tossing him aside as if he were nothing.
Multiple superstars began to enter the ring as time passed on, R-Truth who had recently just entered had sent a forearm to Seth's chest as he clung onto the ropes from the apron. Dean noticed and hit the ropes, running toward him and knocking him off the apron, eliminating him. He then turned his attention to Jimmy Uso who was currently gaining the upper hand on Seth. Jimmy sent kicks to the faces of both Dean and Seth, eventually climbing onto the top of the turnbuckle to deliver another move. Dean managed to get back up to his feet and deliver a hard shove to Jimmy, knocking him off of the turnbuckle and onto the floor outside of the ring. If two of The Shield members were able to start eliminating a small amount of Superstars, God only knows what the three of them together would be like. Both Seth and Dean then turned their attention to Punk and began repeatedly stomping on him in the corner. The countdown for entrant number fourteen had begun, the buzzer soon sounding. Kevin Nash's theme began to play as he walked toward the ring, receiving a huge standing ovation from the crowd. Nash entered the ring over the top rope, running toward Jack swagger and eliminating him.
Ambrose and Rollins stood up in front of Nash, attempting to attack him however, Nash pushed Ambrose aside as if he weighed absolutely nothing then forcing Seth into the corner. Dean quickly got back onto his feet and ran behind Nash, trying to force him off of Seth as he tried to eliminate him. Kofi and Cody then came to Nash's aid in attempt to eliminate Seth. Nash allowed Kofi and Cody to attempt to eliminate Rollins as he turned his attention to Dean. Kevin began to push Dean over the tope rope however Dean wouldn't go without a fight. Sending a boot to Nash's face, Dean cautiously attempted to make his way back into the ring. Punk ran toward Seth, whipping him into the corner, wasting no time in attempt to eliminate him.
The countdown began once again and after the buzzer sounded, my mouth dropped open as my eyes widened in worry. The Shield's theme began to play once again, meaning that the three of them would now be in the ring together. Roman Reigns had appeared from the back, clenching his fists tightly as his cold stare had been set on Punk.
All three Shield members were now out there and they were all bloodthirsty for Punk.