5 key takeaways from WWE Royal Rumble 2022

The 35th annual edition of the much-awaited Royal Rumble has come and gone. While Twitter is still running rampant with the surprises fans witnessed and the controversial booking decisions made, the initial reaction seems mixed.

The event's major highlights include Ronda Rousey's surprising return and eventual win, Bobby Lashley's unexpected victory over Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, and the latter's last-minute entry into the Men's Royal Rumble to punch his ticket to WrestleMania. Elsewhere, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins resulted in an odd disqualification victory for the challenger.

With such an action-packed and noteworthy Royal Rumble, there are several vital takeaways, and this piece explores a handful of them.

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#5. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins showed unmatchable chemistry at the Royal Rumble

The night's opening bout was the profoundly personal Universal Championship match between two former brothers turned enemies, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The Messiah and The Tribal Chief were on another level at the Rumble, and the WWE Universe loved everything about their emotionally-inspired, physical battle.

From the get-go, The Visionary tried to play serious mind-games with the champ, making an entrance through the crowd in his Shield attire. The Head of the Table wasn't impressed by the challenger's antics, but Rollins managed to get in his rival's head.

As far as the in-ring action is concerned, this may be the match of the night. The self-proclaimed "Architect of The Shield" took the fight to Reigns, blasting him through the announce table with a vicious powerbomb. The encounter went back and forth, with the two rivals executing their finishers for near-falls. At one point, Rollins countered the spear into a face-shattering pedigree. The WWE Universe was red-hot for this war as fans were on the edge of their seats.

However, the controversial finish raised quite a few eyebrows. The Messiah offered the trademark Shield fist-bump to the Universal Champion, who locked in the Guillotine. Rollins made it to the ropes, but Reigns wouldn't let go of the submission hold, resulting in a disqualification. The onslaught was far from over as The Tribal Chief viciously attacked his former Shield brethren with a steel chair, reminiscent of the challenger's infamous betrayal in June 2014.

Reigns and Rollins took the WWE Universe on a fantastic thrill ride at the Rumble and told a remarkable story. The finish was designed to protect The Messiah and leave the possibility for another high-stakes rematch shortly.

#4. A Rowdy Royal Rumble victory leads to a Rowdy WrestleMania main event

In the final week leading up to the Royal Rumble, the rumor mill went into overdrive with reports indicating the surreal possibility of a Ronda Rousey return, who hadn't been seen on WWE TV since losing the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania 35.

Although the internet may have ruined the element of surprise, The Baddest Woman on the Planet came out to a raucous ovation as the 28th entrant. Her entry into the Women's Royal Rumble Match instantly made her the favorite to win. Rousey acted as a real game-changer, tearing through a slew of talented women.

The former RAW Women's Champion tossed over five women: Nikki A.S.H, Brie Bella, Natalya, Shotzi, and Charlotte Flair. Rousey's intense staredown with The Queen of WWE sent the live crowd into a frenzy. It was also refreshing to see The Baddest Woman on the Planet team up with Shayna Bazler.

The best part of her return is that it's only the beginning. Far from a one-off, Rousey has shaken up the entire women's division and added considerable depth. While nothing is official, it seems likely that her opponent at WrestleMania 38 will be Becky Lynch, a familiar foe that took her position at the top.

Given that WrestleMania will run for two nights, Rousey vs. Lynch, if it happens, will close out one of the evenings.

#3. The Royal Rumble set the WrestleMania main event in stone

Traditionally speaking, a Rumble victory earns the winner a spot in the main event of WrestleMania. In the previous slide, Rousey vs. Lynch was indicated as a likely possibility to close out the show. However, a blockbuster, high-stakes dream match between Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar has been set in stone for almost a year, and the Rumble laid the foundation for the battle.

The Beast Incarnate and The Tribal Chief were set to collide for the Universal Championship at WWE Day 1, but the champion tested positive for COVID-19 at the last minute. Vince McMahon added Lesnar to the WWE Championship match, which he won.

Reigns and Lesnar then went their separate ways and it looked as if the rivalry was on hold. However, The Head of the Table cost The Beast his WWE title during the latter's bout with Bobby Lashley. Unfortunately for Lesnar, Paul Heyman was in on this as he helped the Universal Champion lay out his client and walked off with Reigns.

However, Lesnar booked his ticket to WrestleMania when he entered at #30 in the Men's Royal Rumble Match and eliminated six men to win. The stage is set for another colossal showdown between two of WWE's most formidable entities: Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

#2. WWE established the Royal Rumble as the night of surprises

From top-to-bottom, this year's Royal Rumble was filled with surprises. While the shockers are usually limited to the titular matches, this department delivers the under-card.

While they brilliantly used their history in The Shield in the storyline, it was a pleasant surprise to see Seth Rollins walk through the crowd dressed in the custom Shield attire. After being humiliated by Roman Reigns, few expected Paul Heyman to side with The Tribal Chief, but the Royal Rumble proved that Heyman indeed had a temporary alliance with Brock Lesnar.

Melina and Ivory were two welcome additions to the Women's Royal Rumble Match. However, Rousey's re-emergence was the biggest surprise as it shook the WWE Universe and the locker room to its core.

The Men's Royal Rumble Match lagged in the surprises department, but a few shockers earned decent pops. Drew McIntyre returned from injury and eliminated the two men, Madcap Moss & Happy Corbin, that put him out of commission. While this wasn't a huge surprise, The Scottish Psychopath was a pleasing addition. Bad Bunny entered the Rumble in the lucky spot, #27, and wowed the audience with his athleticism. Shane McMahon also returned to the roar of the WWE Universe and battled it out with Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, etc.

Lesnar's entry was almost inevitable after Reigns' interference, so it didn't count as a surprise.

#1. WWE showed its lack of will to fully invest in the future in the Men's Royal Rumble Match

At this year's Royal Rumble, WWE failed to create a breakout star. Last year, Bianca Belair established herself as a force to be reckoned with when she won the 2021 Women's Rumble Match. On the same night, Damian Priest made his main roster debut and eliminated four superstars, including Hall of Famer Kane.

There was no outstanding breakout performance in this year's Rumble Matches. Vince McMahon's latest project, Austin Theory, could've benefitted immensely from a star-making performance, but he didn't accomplish much as he was a non-factor. Big E's woes continued as he scored zero eliminations and was eliminated by Riddle and Randy Orton in just six minutes. The reigning US Champion, Damian Priest, was eliminated early by Omos. Such incidences show an unwillingness to fully commit to talented individuals who could become significant players one day.

On the contrary, it was a night dominated by veterans nearing the tail-end of their careers. While AJ Styles is still a big-time player, he wasn't to eliminate six superstars, including prospects like Theory and Ridge Holland. The winner, Brock Lesnar, tossed over five men like they were meaningless individuals. Shane-O-Mac's return was a pleasant surprise, but he shouldn't have eliminated Kevin Owens, a star already struggling to maintain his aura.

The final six included Bad Bunny and Shane-O-Mac, two individuals who will never be around full-time.

On a night where stars could be made, WWE stuck to its tendency to rely on stars from the past and part-timers when it could've made a new mega superstar.