5 Things we learned from the Greatest Royal Rumble

The Greatest Royal Rumble was one of the grandest events WWE produced outside the USA. There was everything you could think about. Returning legends? Check. Confused ending? Check. A first-of-a-kind match? Double check.

Like every other event, this one too hinted to the fans what direction WWE is heading in. Here are 5 things we learned from the Greatest Royal Rumble.

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#5 AJ Styles can be aggressive

AJ Styles destroys Shinsuke Nakamura after the match

AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura didn't do justice to their WrestleMania match. You don't have to be a pro-wrestling geek to tell that their Wrestle Kingdom 12 match was way better. But one thing which we learned from the aftermath was that their rivalry was set to continue.

Prior to WrestleMania, both were masterclass technicians relying only on their arsenal. Now, things are completely different. Nakamura had shown that he would do whatever it took to become the WWE champion. Low blow after low blow made him one of the most hated heels of the blue brand.

Did you think Styles was going to keep quiet and accept the humiliation? No way. We knew 'The Phenomenal One' would retaliate. He displayed his ruthless aggressive side by hitting a Phenomenal Forearm outside the ring.

This altercation makes their match at Backlash a more worthwhile watch. We won't see the typical match where the competitors wrestle each other to become the champion. We will see more purpose in this one. It will be an unethical, wicked and villainous Shinsuke Nakamura versus an aggressive, intemperate and berserk AJ Styles.

#4 Grand plans exist for Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman wins the first ever Greatest Royal Rumble

Three years ago, Braun Strowman made his WWE debut as part of the Wyatt family. Like any other monster heel, he too would decimate his opponents. Somehow, WWE always ruined monster heels in the long run. Many thought that he would follow the fortunes of Brodus Clay.

Thankfully, he is not going on that path. With so much history being written during the match, WWE can't bury its first ever winner. Entering at #41, Strowman took out thirteen other Superstars, setting the record for the most number of eliminations.

Some matches have catapulted careers in WWE. For CM Punk, it was the match against John Cena at Money in the Bank. For the Hardys, Dudleys and Edge and Christian, it was the triple threat TLC Match. Ten years later, if you look back at the illustrious career of Braun Strowman, this match could be the one.

#3 Daniel Bryan can wrestle full time

Daniel Bryan endured the most punishment at the Greatest Royal Rumble

20 March 2018 was like Christmas for the WWE Universe. It was the day WWE cleared Daniel Bryan to compete. However, few questions kept the WWE fans pondering.

What was going to be his schedule? Will he wrestle full-time or part-time? Will he use all his moves in his arsenal? Will other competitors take extra caution when they deal with the G.O.A.T?

All the negative thoughts were put to rest at the main event. Not only did he enter at #1, he even set a record for being on the Rumble for the longest time. Other competitors took no exception to Daniel Bryan when they faced him. Enduring the most beating, he proved that he is in better condition than most of his fellow colleagues.

Every Royal Rumble has a marathon competitor who stays the longest in the match and starts things off. The January edition saw Finn Balor donning this role and in 2017, it was Chris Jericho. Seeing Daniel Bryan pull it off on a grander stage demonstrates his fitness level.

Do you still have doubts regarding Daniel Bryan's schedule? Please, go and visit a doctor!

#2 John Cena is still the franchise player

John Cena thanks Saudi Arabia after his victory over Triple H

Like it or hate it, WWE would have never been the same without John Cena. The franchise player kicked-off the event with a bang. In his match with Triple H, he kicked out of one Pedigree before giving his iconic opponent two back-to-back Attitude Adjustments and winning the match.

But that doesn't set him apart from others. There were more people wearing John Cena T-Shirts than Roman Reigns merchandise. At least that's what it looked like when watching on the WWE Network.

Moreover, Cena was the only superstar handed a microphone to thank the Saudi Arabian government for their hospitality. Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman too won their match. But, did they get the opportunity? No, it was reserved for 'Big Match John.'

When he was speaking, he represented the entire WWE family. His 'vote of thanks' proved that he was, is, and will be the franchise player.

#1 Brock Lesnar is still money

Brock Lesnar walked out of the Greatest Royal Rumble as the Universal Champion

WrestleMania 34 seemed like the perfect fairytale story for Roman Reigns. The antagonist was a destructive, brutal and egoistic monster who perceived himself to be above the company. The protagonist was a down to earth guy with never-give-up attitude looking to teach the bad guy a lesson in courteousness.

Alas, WWE Universe didn't buy it. They had the story of a guy who never gave others the opportunity and looked to scale the summit refreshing their memory. Anyone other than Roman Reigns would have done the job.

WWE finally had to give in and change the finish. Or, was it the plan beforehand and the crowd played into their hands? Was the UFC gig just a diversion?

If the latter is the case then it means Brock Lesnar still has a vital role in the company's plans. With his controversial victory over Roman Reigns, he remains the Universal champion for 390 straight days. He has proved the world that he is the 'smartest' WWE champion.

Everyone watched the match and kept on speculating about the outcome. A Paul Heyman switchover? Reigns turning heel? Reigns winning clean? Lesnar winning clean? Whatever you had in mind, WWE was clearly the winner. The reason- Brock Lesnar. Like it or hate it, Brock Lesnar is still money!

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