Using his brute strength to triumph over 29 other Superstars, the mighty Sheamus was victorious in the Royal Rumble Match, dumping Chris Jericho to earn a World Title opportunity against a champion of his choosing at WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.

It was a grueling battle for the powerhouse who drew No. 22. Entering before a sold-out crowd that had already witnessed Ricardo Rodriguez rolling to the ring in an '85 Datsun, Kofi Kingston walking on his hands to avoid elimination and Michael Cole jumping over the top rope to escape the wrath of Kharma, The Celtic Warrior immediately made his presence felt by launching Kingston out of the ring.

From there, the Rumble became a demolition derby of battered bodies and unpredictable arrivals. Booker T, Jerry 'The King' Lawler and Michael Cole all left the broadcast booth at one point to try their luck in the bout, but were quickly sent back to their announce table with damaged egos. Old school fan favorites like Mick Foley, 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan and Road Dogg returned to rousing ovations - only to be chucked from the squared circle by dangerous upstarts like Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett. Big Show, twice a runner-up in the Rumble, made a huge impact from the 30 spot, tossing Jack Swagger, Rhodes, The Miz and Ziggler in rapid succession.

When the Royal Rumble Match came down to the all-important final four, it was Big Show, Sheamus, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton left standing in the ring. Quickly, though, the 30-man melee was left to two men as The Viper heaved The World's Largest Athlete only to be immediately eliminated by Jericho.

WWE fans, knowing they would see a first time Royal Rumble Match winner tonight, began to shake the Scottrade Center as Y2J and The Great White waged a dramatic battle for supremacy. When Jericho sent Sheamus over the top rope, the big man hung on and came right back. When The Celtic Warrior dismissed his opponent, Jericho would find a way to return.

The back-and-forth brawl pushed both men to their physical limit before the nefarious Superstar made the mistake of going for his patened Codebreaker. Snatching Jericho in midair, Sheamus deposited the man who promised 'the end of the world' over the top rope and then blasted him with The Brogue Kick to make sure he was gone for good.

It was an important victory for the SmackDown Superstar. A year ago, The Celtic Warrior's WrestleMania XXVII bout against Daniel Bryan was bumped from the card at the last minute. This year, he'll be competing for a World Title. Don't expect The Great White to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

Full list of Royal Rumble participants and eliminations

1. The Miz Eliminated by: Big Show
2. Alex Riley Eliminated by: The Miz
3. R-Truth Eliminated by: The Miz
4. Cody Rhodes Eliminated by: Big Show
5. Justin Gabriel Eliminated by: Mick Foley and Ricardo Rodriguez
6. Primo Eliminated by: Mick Foley
7. Mick Foley Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes
8. Ricardo Rodriguez Eliminated by: Santino Marella
9. Santino Marella Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes
10. Epico Eliminated by: Mick Foley
11. Kofi Kingston Eliminated by: Sheamus
12. Jerry 'The King' Lawler Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes
13. Ezekiel Jackson Eliminated by: The Great Khali
14. Jinder Mahal Eliminated by: The Great Khali
15. The Great Khali Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler
16. Hunico Eliminated by: Kharma
17. Booker T Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler
18. Dolph Ziggler Eliminated by: Big Show
19. 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan Eliminated by: Cody Rhodes
20. Michael Cole Eliminated by: Booker T and Jerry 'The King' Lawler
21. Kharma Eliminated by: Dolph Ziggler
22. Sheamus Eliminated by: WINNER
23. The Road Dogg Eliminated by: Wade Barrett
24. Jey Uso Eliminated by: Randy Orton
25. Jack Swagger Eliminated by: Big Show and Sheamus
26. Wade Barrett Eliminated by: Randy Orton
27. David Otunga Eliminated by: Chris Jericho
28. Randy Orton Eliminated by: Chris Jericho
29. Chris Jericho Eliminated by: Sheamus
30. Big Show Eliminated by: Randy Orton

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