Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar gained their respective Royal Rumble matches on Saturday.
WWE
It was an incredible evening to be a former UFC champion at a really predictable and largely underwhelming Royal Rumble that felt like the alternative of every little thing the occasion was meant to be.
Ronda Rousey returned from an almost three-year hiatus to win the ladies’s Royal Rumble and Brock Lesnar, who misplaced the WWE championship earlier within the evening, entered the lads’s match at No. 30 and punched his ticket to WrestleMania at The Dome at America’s Heart in St. Louis on Saturday evening.
The Royal Rumble was once about new stars ascending to get their WrestleMania likelihood and or older expertise finishing journeys to mountain high for the primary time. On Saturday evening, WWE had two established important eventers — and probably part-timers — win Royal Rumbles they honestly didn’t must in an effort to get their respective match at WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium in April. It was all a part of an evening that simply appeared to be missing its ordinary allure. No less than the door remains to be open for Bianca Belair and Huge E to be in title matches at Mania.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from the 2022 Royal Rumble:
Indignant Beast
Lesnar is not the WWE champion, however he’s a now a two-time Royal Rumble winner and on a collision course with Common champ Roman Reigns at Mania.
The minute the previous UFC heavyweight champion entered the match it felt like a forgone conclusion he’d be the winner. WWE did give us Lesnar and a returning Drew McIntyre as the ultimate two in a callback to the 2019 rumble and the Beast hit Unhealthy Bunny with an F5. It was a part of a strong end to a largely anti-climatic match — the largest shock entrant was Shane McMahon.
Omos seemed unimaginable, eliminating three folks and delivering a chop to Ricochet that appeared like it could caved his chest. It took six males, together with a flying Types – his former tag crew associate – to remove the large 7-footer.
Johnny Knoxville’s look within the Royal Rumble was much less ha-ha than anticipated. The ridiculously dressed “Jackass Ceaselessly” star took down Sami Zayn, took a flurry of strikes from A.J. Types and a Frog Splash from Montez Ford. It was his storyline nemesis Zayn who eradicated him in a fast, enjoyable phase. He wasn’t the one movie star entrant has Unhealthy Bunny entered at No. 27 and eradicated Sheamus and hit a Canadian destroyer on Riddle. He continues to appear to be a viable wrestler when he’s within the ring.
WWE didn’t give us Rey and Dominik Mysterio within the ring collectively after increase some potential father-son drama within the leadup. One of many greatest shockers might have been Mad Cap Moss eliminating No. 1 entrant Types. They finally received theirs as McIntyre — who has a legit neck damage — eradicated each Moss and Glad Corbin, who took him out in storyline at Day 1. Perhaps the largest shock of all was Kofi Kingston wasn’t in a position to nail his annual stay-in the Rumble spot as his ft hit the ground when he was pushed from the highest rope. It was symbolic of a match that simply appeared to overlook the mark. The place was Finn Balor?
Rousey returns to rushed Rumble
The ladies’s Royal Rumble match felt extraordinarily rushed — but it surely was nonetheless higher than the lads’s outing as a result of it did inform some tales. It did ship one of many winners folks have been hoping for when Rousey returned at No. 28 to in the end remove SmackDown ladies’s champion Charlotte Aptitude to punch her ticket to a probable match between the 2 at WrestleMania.
Simple moments have been by no means given an opportunity and others weren’t given a time to breathe. Sasha Banks entered as No. 1 in full Sailor Moon garb, however was eradicated very, very, shortly by Queen Zelina proper earlier than Belair entered the match at No. 8 – a lot to the chagrin of the gang. The 2 former WrestleMania headliners have been denied a second within the ring.
Sonya Deville got here down at No. 11 in her jacket so she couldn’t be attacked, however went to the commentary desk and never into the ring till she got here in to remove a returning Cameron, Naomi’s former Funkadactyls mate. Naomi, who has had her points with Deville since August, was subsequent and shortly eradicated her. Deville did come again to drag Naomi off the arpon to get her out of the match, however every little thing occurred so quick.
The gang was not invested on this match for lengthy stretches, particularly after Banks was eradicated. Outdoors of some moments from Belair and Rhea Ripley, it felt like few performers have been actually showcased or given storylines to construct off of.
Influence Knockouts champion Mickie James did come by means of the “forbidden door” with the belt round her waist and her “Hardcore Nation” theme to a giant pop. Nikki A.S.H. got here from the opposite facet of the ring to attempt to remove former tag associate Ripley, who had a number of alternative phrases for her below her breath. Nikki later attacked Mighty Molly earlier than she entered the ring as a result of there can solely be one superhero and shortly eradicated her. The Bellas spoiled a Riott Squad reunion after Sarah Logan returned after a protracted hiatus from WWE.
One cool second was the return of Ivory in her Proper to Censor apparel, speaking about wanting to wash issues up in WWE earlier than being shortly eradicated by Ripley. Lita and Charlotte Aptitude had a strong face-to-face trade. Whereas it was enjoyable to see quite a lot of the legends, having not one performer come up from NXT feels egregious.
Even with all that, WWE received the second it hoped for with Rousey, who got here out in all black with “Baddest” throughout her chest as an alternative of her ordinary “Rowdy Roddy” Piper impressed gear. The previous Uncooked ladies’s champion seemed good, pulling off a reasonably wild arm bar excessive rope with Belair and even received to crew up with buddy Shayna Baszler, who was within the closing 4 along with her and Aptitude.
Like every little thing on this match, Rousey and Aptitude’s interplay for the end consisted of The Queen lacking a kick and Rousey flipping her excessive rope to a roar from the gang. Count on these two to seemingly meet once more at WrestleMania, even with Becky Lynch retaining the Uncooked ladies’s title towards Doudrop in a really strong match. They instructed the story of Huge Time Becky wanted to drag out each cease to beat Doudrop, utilizing a Manhandle Slam from the second rope to safe the 1-2-3.
Un-finishing Contact
Seth Rollins versus Roman Reigns had every little thing however a top quality end
Rollins superbly continued the thoughts video games, coming into the ring to The Protect’s music and wearing full Protect garb and even delivered a Protect bomb to Reigns by means of the announce desk. He and a lot of the viewers thought he had Reigns beat after a Buckle Bomb after which a Stomp, however the Tribal Chief was simply in a position to get his arm up in time. The frantic paces turned methodical in Reigns’ favor till Rollins countered a spear with a Pedigree main to a different late kickout from the Head of the Desk. There was just a little little bit of a Batman-Joker feeling to this story with Rollins laughing at Reigns every time he ought to have been overwhelmed down.
This unimaginable match was booked to a particularly awkward and anti-climactic end. Reigns put Rollins within the guillotine choke. The challenger was in a position to get close to the ropes and appeared to have handed out earlier than absolutely reaching them. Referee Charles Robinson lifted Rollins’ hand and it grabbed the gown because it fell again down. Reigns refused to interrupt the maintain and misplaced the match through disqualification, however saved his title.
The Common champion then snapped, beating Rollins down with chair shot after chair shot – together with a symbolic one to the again – as he was closely booed. I perceive the story WWE is making an attempt to inform right here, Reigns’ “God Mode” isn’t as sturdy because it as soon as was and Rollins deserved the beating for his conceitedness and previous actions. Reigns blamed Rollins for not letting him take the maintain off. Nonetheless, WWE’s lack of ability and reluctance to ebook clear or decisive finishes in large pay-per–view matches is thoughts boggling and the gang there allow them to hear it.
Heyman Hustled
Bobby Lashley 1, Brock Lesnar 0 — because of Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman.
Lesnar and Lashley’s long-awaited conflict started with a German suplex contest which introduced out an incredible look of appreciation from The Beast after he went flying the primary time. Lashley, who missed Lesnar going by means of the barricade in a name again to Day 1, hit his opponent with two spears earlier than Lesnar turned the tide to take him to Suplex Metropolis. When Lesnar went for the F5 the primary time, Lashley countered with the Harm Lock – however backed his opponent into the referee. He then hit the official whereas delivering an F5. Lesnar had Lashley pinned however nobody to rely to 3, so WWE protected him a bit.
Then it occurred. Reigns delivered a spear to Lesnar out of nowhere and was given the WWE championship by Heyman. He smashed Lesnar over the top with it and left together with his Particular Counsel again at his facet. Lashley crawled onto Lesnar and pinned him to be reunited with the WWE championship after shedding it to Huge E in September. The Heyman flip was seemingly the end to the match Reigns and Lesnar have been presupposed to have at Day 1 earlier than the Tribal Chief contracted COVID-19. Lashley is probably going headed to defending his title inside Elimination Chamber or dealing with its winner subsequent. WWE has a while now to determine it out.
Grit beats It
This combined tag match was largely every little thing we thought it could be. Maryse operating from Beth Phoenix and The Miz doing every little thing he might to guard her. They even had Maryse hit Phoenix with the brick she used on Uncooked, so there was some story continuity right here.
What wasn’t anticipated and was refreshed was letting the women and men get bodily with one another as typically as they did. Phoenix energy bombed The Miz and one level and Maryese hit a top-rope hurricanrana on Edge. There was even some extent the place it seemed just like the It Couple might win after Miz hit Edge with a Cranium Crushing Finale. As a substitute it ended with Edge and Phoenix hitting a double spear to Miz after which each delivering simultaneous Glam Slams and pins for the 1-2-3. Let’s hope this isn’t the final we’ve seen over Phoenix for some time.
Largest Winner: Roman Reigns
Largest Loser: Sasha Banks
Finest Match: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
Predictions: 5-1
Grade: C-
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