Let’s start this column with a haiku:
Roman Reigns Lost Belt
Triple H Showed Who Is Boss
Fans Still Aren’t Happy
When the clock struck 11 p.m. eastern on Sunday night, that was the feeling among WWE fans on social media. It seems that only fans at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida enjoyed the moment and atmosphere of Triple H’s WWE championship victory.
Prior to WWE Raw, the WWE did what was right and really had no other choice. If Reigns would’ve retained his title, the ending wouldn’t have brought any surprise and WWE fans had the potential of truly getting frustrated over the creative decisions.
Sure, it worked the last two years with Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins, but it’s best not to keep pressing their luck time and time again. There will come a time when WWE officials don’t listen to a “fan revolt.” Then, and only then, will wrestling fans understand.
The Royal Rumble was a fantastic pay-per-view. It kicked off with Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose in their Last Man Standing match for the Intercontinental championship. As many predicted, they nearly stole the show with multiple high-risk spots. Following them was the WWE Tag-Team championship match between the New Day and Usos.
All five men didn’t disappoint either. There was a lot of speculation and discomfort before the show started. Luckily, the United States title and Divas title were also very good matches. Kalisto and Charlotte came out victorious. Kalisto’s feud with Alberto Del Rio seems over, but the women’s division is just getting started.
That led to the Royal Rumble main event. Let’s be honest: there hasn’t been a good Rumble match since Edge won it in 2010. Each year brought way too much predictability to the table and Del Rio’s victory in the 40-man Royal Rumble didn’t feel special. Sheamus’ win is also in that argument.
There were only two real surprises in the Royal Rumble match, but they lived up to expectations. AJ Styles debuted in the WWE at no.3 in the Rumble, which blew the roof off the Amway Center. Sami Zayn also came out later in the match to have a nice encounter with his bitter rival, Kevin Owens.
Bray Wyatt and the Wyatts had a great showing. Chris Jericho lasted over 50 minutes and Brock Lesnar did exactly what he was brought in to do. He dominated for several minutes, but was ultimately out-muscled by the Wyatts. It’s clear that Ambrose is in future plans, and that was solidified on WWE Raw.Â
Triple H pushed Reigns over the top rope and once again, the WWE Universe wasn’t stunned, but they were pleasantly surprised. In the final few minutes, Ambrose and HHH went back-and-forth, but the Game got the best of Ambrose by throwing him over the victory.
The Royal Rumble, as well as the subsequent episode of WWE Raw, are over, the discussions for Fast Lane can commence.
What exactly did we learn from the Royal Rumble?
- WWE officials care about AJ Styles and so does the WWE Universe. There were mixed reports about the WWE worrying if fans wouldn’t know who he is. The casual fan is their main concern. He debuted early and carried on throughout the match. Owens eliminated him, but he was the man to do it. That proved WWE officials wanted to handle Styles’ debut with care.
- Brock Lesnar is going to put over the Wyatt Family. It’s the match that is rumored right now for WrestleMania 32. Wyatt, or another member of the clan. Even though he’s in the main event of Fast Lane for the WWE championship, don’t expect him to come out with the belt. Actually, interference from Wyatt during that match is a likely scenario.
- WWE is beginning to care more about the women. The Divas Revolution was a flop. From booking to time on the show, it just didn’t work. Trying to get over all those women at the same time was an impossible feat. Thankfully, they strayed away from that and gave the fans a great rivalry between Charlotte and Lynch. Fans saw Sasha Banks appear after the bout and call out Charlotte. This could lead to a triple threat at Fast Lane, or even WrestleMania.
- The Royal Rumble match was nearly booked to perfection. No legends showed up, which didn’t leave a lot to be desired anyway. Zayn and Styles were the two surprises in the match, because HHH wasn’t all that shocking. Nobody overstayed their welcome in the match that didn’t need to. The League of Nations got involved at the right time and did what had to be done for the storyline.
- Triple H is the best placeholder for Roman Reigns’ revenge. Due to the situation WWE booked themselves into, was there really a better option? Now, that doesn’t mean the previous booking can change.
It’s the principle of the matter. Who is the biggest heel on the main roster? Triple H is, and even though Reigns will most-likely get the belt back at WrestleMania 32, perhaps they can write it in a way that makes sense.
There’s too much riding on the next several weeks for the WWE to mess it up. Frankly, they knocked the Royal Rumble out of the park. Everything fit and it made the fans want to watch WWE Raw last night.
Let’s end this column with another haiku:
WrestleMania
Where Stars Come To Shine Brighter
Patience Is Golden
