Adam Pearce wins Universal title shot at the Royal Rumble

An unlikely individual will be getting a Universal title shot at the Royal Rumble and his name is…Adam Pearce!

Pearce was forced into the gauntlet match main event and after Shinsuke Nakamura ran down everyone, Jey Uso and Roman Reigns came in to attack him, laying him out with a superkick, splash, and Superman punch. Adam Pearce was the last one to enter the gauntlet and was superkicked by Jey Uso and then placed on top of a fallen Nakamura and the referee counted to three, declaring Pearce the number one contender for Reigns’ Universal title.

It was Paul Heyman who informed Pearce during the show that he was being added to the main event even though Pearce had no desire to wrestle. But Reigns was pissed with Pearce for making Uso wrestle Kevin Owens last week so this was his punishment.

The gauntlet match featured Sami Zayn, Rey Mysterio, Baron Corbin, and Daniel Bryan along with Nakamura and Pearce. Mysterio took out Zayn quick first, then Nakamura pinned Mysterio, Corbin, and Daniel Bryan before the attack by Reigns an Uso.

The 42-year-old Pearce wrestled between 1996 and 2014, doing mostly independent promotions.