Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Bodeen Green and Robert DeFelice review WWE Royal Rumble 2022.
The Royal Rumble marks the true beginning of The Road to wrestleMania - but was it a strong stride towards the event, or did WWE stumble out of the blocks?
Question 1: Did you enjoy the Men’s Royal Rumble match? Was Brock Lesnar the best choice to win?
ALLSOPP: No. However, this was purely because so many stupid decisions were made. Shane McMahon did not need to make an appearance, Brock Lesnar winning was inevitable, and the stark lack of depth on the roster was clearly a hindrance to the overall quality. Lesnar winning was the right decision, but I do feel like the rumours of Riddle being scheduled to win would have been a much better option in hindsight. Overall, this was as bad as the 2015 offering.
GREEN: Whilst the 2022 edition of the Royal Rumble was not quite up to the standard that Rumble matches usually have, with very little surprises, it was still a decent way to pass an hour. With most roads leading to a title vs title match at WrestleMania 38, having Brock Lesnar win was quite predictable. However, I am enjoying his work, and whilst I can understand the disappointment of another Lesnar vs Roman Reigns main event, it’s still a fun concept which Reigns will hopefully win. Whilst I might be blindly positive, I hope that having Reigns look so strong and unbeatable will make the man that defeats him look a strong as well, and hopefully it’s someone WWE wants to make a future star, such as Bron Breakker.
DeFELICE: It's a Royal Rumble match, so it was enjoyable, but it was one of the more lacklustre ones I had ever seen. Brock Lesnar winning wouldn't bother me as much if it didn't feel like it was the only story they had going into it. I prefer intrigue, but when the entire build to a Royal Rumble card is “Which one of the world champions will lose their belt early in the night and then enter at number 30 to win the Royal Rumble?” that to me, is a huge issue.
That being said, I don't necessarily hate the story, I just hate that the story is being told at the expense of over 20 regularly competing Superstars. At the very least, Lesnar did make history, and Lesnar has been very fun throughout this entire ride. I look forward to his Road to WrestleMania.
As for whether or not I think he was the best option, I think that depends on how you phrase the question. Lesnar was the best option because he is a major player, and because he is one of the only legitimate main eventers the company has. However, I would argue AJ Styles would have been a better option because he is a believable winner that has not won any Royal Rumble Match yet, and I would even argue that they could have made Riddle if they chose to go that route, as some rumours have some believing.
Question 2: Did you enjoy the Women’s Royal Rumble match? Was Ronda Rousey the best choice to win?
GREEN: It was disappointing to see WWE rely on legends and forgettable female wrestlers to carry the Women’s Rumble rather than NXT wrestlers. It still did a decent job of passing the time, although it felt incredibly sluggish and slow paced at times. Whilst fans may feel hurt by the fact a younger talent such as Liv Morgan did not win the Rumble, at the end of the day, Ronda Rousey is a great wrestler who is a huge draw and will transcend the sport. Does Rousey winning the Rumble not push other wrestlers? Yes. Does it draw casual viewers and Rousey fans to watch WrestleMania? Also yes.
DeFELICE: It was the far better match of the two. In this particular instance, it was particularly noticeable how far and away WWE went out of their way in order to not utilize anyone from NXT. In fact, this is the first Women’s Royal Rumble match without any representative from NXT.
My only issue with the match was how short-lived Sasha Banks’ tenure in the match was. I have no issue with Ronda Rousey winning. Realistically, we were promised 3 years of Rousey, and we got one. I actually think it was one of the better transitions into WWE that I had ever seen. I know that people are over her because they feel like she overshadows the division, but that is not her problem, but rather a problem of WWE Creative. This match was very fun, even if it highlighted the flaws in the current women's division, and whilst I'll probably never watch it again, I had fun whilst it lasted.
ALLSOPP: Similarly to the men’s match, this one was poor. None of the legends made an impact outside of Lita, whilst Ronda Rousey returning felt underwhelming. I will be honest - I’m intrigued to see what the former WWE Raw Women’s Champion will do at WrestleMania 38, but selfishly, I’d have preferred Bianca Belair winning.
Question 3: This event has received a large amount of criticism - do you agree that this was a mediocre show overall? Is there something that WWE could have believably done to make the show a better experience?
DeFELICE: To me, this show is summed up best in Kofi Kingston's failure to save himself in the Royal Rumble. That is a spot people look forward to every year, and the failure happening right away, causing any of the intrigue and excitement to be let out of the room immediately, just sums up the way I feel. Things happen, and not everything is going to go your way all the time, but this show felt like a lead balloon. However, in no way would I suggest that it is the worst pay-per-view events I've ever seen, just a lacklustre one.
ALLSOPP: I hated it, outside of the World Championship matches. Whilst neither match finished cleanly, they both told a different story. I just wish Bobby Lashley didn’t feel like an afterthought as he won the WWE Championship. Considering the roster available to them, I struggle to believe that a better show could have been booked. Shane McMahon supposedly booked the Rumble, which just screams how bad this show was.
GREEN: The Royal Rumble was definitely an event that divided fans. Whilst the booking of the show is debatable, it was an above average show. The opening match between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was a rollercoaster of emotions, with the finish showing that the usually cool, calm and collected Reigns is still emotionally unstable over Rollins breaking up The Shield, setting up a match in the future possibly at Fastlane or after WrestleMania 38. Both Rumble matches were average, and the It Couple vs the Grit Couple was a fun little match. Of course there were ways to make the show a better experience, such as more Rumble returns, but altogether it was a decent show that was far from being a bad pay-per-view.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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