WWE star who Speed replaced at the Royal Rumble breaks silence with heartbreaking message

The wrestler who was replaced by IShowSpeed in the Royal Rumble has finally broken his silence.

Speed – real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr – unexpectedly replaced Akira Tozawa after the Japanese was attacked by Carmelo Hayes before he could enter the ring for the showpiece Royal Rumble event.

Initially, things were going well for Speed, 20, who is best known for his Twitch streams, as he helped throw Otis - a 330lbs wrestler - over the top rope before copying the ‘Sui’ celebration commonly used by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, his success did not last.

He was eliminated in brutal circumstances when WWE Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker speared him into the canvas before he threw him over the top rope.

Luckily Otis was there to catch speed, breaking his fall.

But the drama continued when Otis decided to smash Speed over the announce desk, which left the streamer visibly in pain. After the event a video emerged showing the extent of Speed’s injuries.

And with all this action unfolding it was easy to forget that Tozawa, 39, was supposed to take part in his first-ever Royal Rumble.

In the early hours of Sunday morning he finally broke his silence on the events that stopped him participating in this year’s event.

“8 years since I came to WWE,” Tozawa wrote on X. “This was my first time making an entrance at the #ROYALRUMBLE.

“Next year, I want to take even one step closer to the ring!! Thank you!!!!”

And fans in the comments section of the post were quick to give their thoughts.

One said: "Akira, your journey in WWE is truly inspiring! Eight years of dedication, and now, your first Royal Rumble entrance—what a milestone!

"Next year, as you aim to step closer to the ring, remember that each stride is a victory in itself. Keep pushing forward with that."

Another added: "If I was you man, I would’ve wanna go somewhere else and prove myself that I would be great without WWE."

A third commented: "You did not deserve that it should've happened to Logan Paul."

While a fourth exclaimed: "You’ll be there and I’m rooting for you."