The Royal Rumble PPV was last night and I have to say, it was a very good show. A predictable show, but that isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it was a good thing because for the most part, I think the majority of fans watching the PPV were completely satisfied. All of the things to come in the next few weeks will be interesting to see unfold and the two winners will be enveloped in a WrestleMania storyline. The pandemic has obviously changed things in the world of wrestling, but they put on the best show that they possibly could’ve last night. Here is my reaction to all of the matches last night.

- Women’s Tag Team Match: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler over Charlotte Flair and Asuka (C)

This match was good for the kickoff show. It is very odd seeing Flair and Asuka in the kickoff show, but that was just the way the card was lined up. It was somewhat expected to see a title change here and Jax and Baszler may have some reconciling to do after the Royal Rumble match, but we’ll see how that unfolds. The Lacey Evans/Ric Flair feud against Charlotte is great and they couldn’t have a better competitor at the moment for Charlotte. Lacey Evans and Charlotte complement each other tremendously and I think they could have a big WrestleMania feud. We’ll see about that soon enough.

GRADE: 8.0/10

- Men’s Singles Match: WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre (C) over Goldberg

Every fan knew what to expect with this match, but the thing about it, nobody knew what the result would be. This match lasted slightly over 2 and a half minutes and a good over/under bet probably would’ve been around 3 minutes. I’m glad that McIntyre retained, because moving forward, I don’t know what a good matchup for Goldberg at WrestleMania would’ve been. Personally, I don’t think his style really works anymore in today’s wrestling. Fans want to see longer matches with developed storylines, but Goldberg’s role as a part-time guy that pops up every now and then to cut a 10-second promo and have a 2-minute match doesn’t really work anymore. It seems like they’re trying to prove a point to fans each time he steps in the ring that he is the Goldberg of 20 years ago, but he isn’t, and no fan is going to ever believe that. It will be interesting to see what is next for Drew McIntyre though.

GRADE: 7.7/10

- Women’s Singles Match: SmackDown Women’s Championship

Sasha Banks (C) over Carmella (with Reginald)

I wasn’t excited to see another match between these two to be honest, but they did a great job. The match this time was just a little shorter than their last bout and I thought it was just as good. I know Carmella works best as a heel and her having a manager that basically does whatever she says is part of her character, but I think Carmella needs to prove that she can win a big match without help. She has yet to do that in her career and it is holding her back. Nobody expected Sasha to drop the title, but for future reference, Carmella needs a big win without a manager’s help.

GRADE: 8.8/10

- 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match

WINNER: Bianca Belair

LAST FOUR: Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Natalya

This wasn’t a shock, but something that a lot of fans wanted to see. Belair was the favorite heading into the match and there were a couple options to win the match, but the last 3 definitely had the best shot. You could really tell that this win meant a lot to Belair and she put on quite a performance. There were a few “surprise” appearances in the match, but the one I totally didn’t expect to see was Jillian Hall. She actually lasted longer than I expected and her teamwork with Billie Kay was phenomenal. Speaking of which, Billie Kay was arguably the best part of the match. Not to discredit the more serious competitors, but Billie Kay’s ability to stand out on the screen is not something you see every day. I didn’t like the fact that the 24/7 Championship shenanigans were a part of this match though, I thought that was too much goofery. The most surprising thing of the match was probably how Alexa Bliss may have been the biggest non-factor of the match. I don’t know what is next for her, but for someone that has been pushed the way she has over the last couple of months to be thrown out in 1 minute is crazy. Belair and Ripley were the focal point of the match and that was evident. It is time for them to get their big pushes and I’m interested to see what the next few months will be like for these two. I fully expect Belair to challenge Sasha Banks at WrestleMania and that match should be incredible.

GRADE: 9.2/10

- Men’s Last Man Standing Match: Universal Championship

Roman Reigns (C) (with Paul Heyman) over Kevin Owens *MATCH OF THE NIGHT*

You can’t say that these two men didn’t put everything on the line in this match. What a match! A match like this one is something that fans won’t forget for quite a while. I don’t think anyone actually felt like Owens would win the match, but it certainly felt like he had a shot last night. A lot of fans were complaining over the spot in the match where Roman was handcuffed and they were having trouble with the lock, but I personally didn’t feel like it took anything away from the match. Since Owens lost twice in a row, I don’t think he’ll get another match after this. Personally, I think Owens works a lot better as a heel and once he turns heel again, I expect him to be in the running for a title, but for now, he is putting on tremendous and memorable matches. I don’t know what is next for the Universal Championship picture, but I’ll be tuned in to see what happens over the next little while.

GRADE: 9.9/10

- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

WINNER: Edge

LAST FOUR: Edge, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman

A lot of fans were probably bummed out due to the fact that Edge announced his entry into the Royal Rumble and some more fans were probably bummed out that Edge and Randy Orton were announced as the first two entries into the match, but in the end did it take away from the match? Absolutely not. This was simply another chapter in what has been a “Made for Hollywood” comeback story. It is incredible to see Edge out there doing the best work of his career after basically being forced out of wrestling for 10 years due to an injury. Also, he won the match on the 11th anniversary of him winning his first Royal Rumble match. Everybody expected Orton to return after his knee injury, but again, it didn’t take away from the match. Like the women’s match, there were some surprise appearances, but none more surprising than Christian. It was great to see Christian back in the ring last night. He hasn’t been in an official match since 2014 due to concussion issues. Not only that, but he lasted over 18 minutes in the Rumble last night. His last match was a number one contender match for the Intercontinental Championship, a match he won, but never got the chance to take advantage of. The IC Champion at the time was coincidentally the current IC Champion, Big E. Will we see them face off at WrestleMania? We’ll see, but that would be awesome if it happens. While it feels like we know who Bianca Belair will face, I don’t have a clue who Edge will face. Both potential matchups would be awesome, but my gut is telling me that he will face Drew McIntyre. Only because I think that there are more potential suitors on SmackDown for the Universal Championship. We’ll see, but I’m excited to see Edge back in action and I’m going to enjoy it.

GRADE: 9.8/10

Yacs

Royal Rumble (2021) Results and Reaction