The Alamodome was flocked with over fifty thousand WWE fans as the annual tradition of the WWE Royal Rumble concluded on a chilly night in San Antonio, Texas. First things first, the Rumble was indeed a disappointing affair.
With no surprise returns or extraordinary performances to talk about, the WWE missed a chance to capitalise on the star power that was available at hand. The Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were all booked poorly as the fans were clearly agitated by the plans that the WWE had in store for them.
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It is disappointing to have sat through three hours of the show with nothing much to cheer about.
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Nevertheless, we always make it a point to find some unsung heroes from the debacle and we shall do it once again as we bring you five WWE superstars who impressed at the Royal Rumble pay per view.
#1 John Cena
Love him or hate him, you just can’t ignore him. John Cena took a hiatus from the WWE title picture to focus on other priorities and once the 15-time WWE Champion returned, he had an obstacle called AJ Styles waiting to put him in his place.
Cena squared off against champion Styles in a classic match at the Royal Rumble and both Superstars had plenty on offer. Their twenty-odd-minute match was easily the highlight of the event, as both Superstars gave it their all in the gruelling and skilful contest.
Also read: 30 Amazing Stats and Facts From 30 Years of the WWE Royal Rumble
Cena emerged on top after overpowering AJ with two attitude adjustments and in the process, became a 16-time WWE champion, equalling the ‘Nature boy’ Ric Flair.
Cena was at his offensive best and the fans loved the action as well. He is one of our star performers of the evening and we can also catch him defending his title in the elimination chamber setup in a couple of weeks.
#2 Adrian Neville
The Cruiserweight title was up for grabs at the Royal Rumble as Adrian Neville took on champion Rich Swann. The ‘man that gravity forgot’ left no stone unturned in exhibiting his talent as he showed the WWE universe what they have missed.
Both Neville and Swann were at their offensive best as the high-flying moves kept coming spot after spot to enthral the Texas crowd. Neville eventually locked in the submission hold to become the WWE Cruiserweight champion.
He is certainly going to bring some legitimacy to the title.
#3 Braun Strowman
The hype surrounding Strowman is getting stronger by the day and his stock is rising. Watch the Royal Rumble and you will know why.
The former Wyatt family member entered the Rumble in the seventh spot and eliminated seven Superstars including Big Show and Mark Henry. Strowman was certainly a strong force to reckon with as he dismantled everyone who came in his path.
He was eventually eliminated by fellow giant Baron Corbin, but Strowman made his mark on the match. In addition to this, he invaded the Reigns vs. Owens match and knocked the former out of the competition to give Kevin Owens an unlikely assist to pick up the win.
So a feud between Strowman and Reigns is certainly on the cards for Fastlane.
#4 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin has been on the WWE creative team’s radar for quite some time now. Ever since he won the Andre the Giant memorial Battle Royal, Corbin has been touted as a hot favourite for entering the Royal Rumble.
Mr McMahon has always fancied seeing ‘big guys’ succeed and hence Corbin was going to be a force to be reckoned with. The Lone Wolf entered the Rumble in its early stages and lasted quite a while, showcasing some impressive strength and technique.
He eliminated Braun Strowman, who had taken out seven superstars in the meanwhile. Corbin also stood toe to toe with the Undertaker and before we got to see the two giants have a go at each other, the veteran eliminated the rookie.
Corbin has certainly impressed with his recent performance and the WWE will most likely feature him in the elimination chamber match.
#5 AJ Styles
The John Cena vs AJ Styles clash was considered to be a ‘match of the year’ nominee and the two superstars ensured just that.
The former TNA star took the fight to Cena with plenty of hard hitting offence as he nearly pinned the 15-time champion on many occasions, only to be denied by Cena’s inhuman strength and determination.
Styles was the hot favourite entering this match, but he had to succumb to Cena’s quest of becoming a sixteen time World champion. Within just a year of his debut, Styles has earned a phenomenal reputation in the WWE and his stock is surely rising.
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