Royal Rumble 2019: Rating every match on the main card

By Sunil Joseph

Modified Jan 30, 2019 09:00 GMT

Brock Lesnar trying to hit the F-5 on Finn Balor

#6 Brock Lesnar (c) Vs. Finn Balor

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Rating: 4/5

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Despite being one of the most predictable matches on the card, there was a fair bit of surprise elements in the match that made you think otherwise. As soon as the bell rang, Finn Balor launched himself at Lesnar with a drop kick followed by multiple strikes. Surprisingly, Balor took control for most of the match and didn’t allow Lesnar much room for offense.

During the match, Balor shoved Lesnar into the exposed corner of the announce table and Lesnar sold his injury to perfection. Fans actually thought he was really injured. This is where people started to “believe” that Balor could actually pull of the upset.

When Finn hit the Coup de Grace on Lesnar, it looked like the match was over but Lesnar kicked out of the pin and locked in the Kimura Lock, which is a legitimate submission move used in MMA. Balor had no option but to submit.

Even in defeat, Finn Balor looked quite strong. After the match, Lesnar hit Balor with multiple German suplexes and a F-5. While the match lasted only 8 minutes, it was a nail biting encounter that left the fans wanting more.

About the author

Sunil is a pro wrestling journalist, covering AEW and WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree in Marketing, and has nearly 7 years of experience. A wrestling aficionado since childhood, Sunil used to imitate his favorite wrestlers as a young kid, and started writing professionally about the sport via Sportskeeda’s revenue-sharing opportunity.

Sunil admires former world champions AJ Styles, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega for their ability to consistently deliver great matches as well as entertain crowds with their mic skills.

If ever given a chance to change a storyline, Sunil would have booked Roman Reigns to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak instead of Brock Lesnar. According to him, The Tribal Chief needed the victory more than Brock Lesnar, as the latter was already an established performer when he defeated ‘Taker. He would’ve also made that as Taker’s final match.

Always focused on making his work accurate and reliable, Sunil thoroughly checks his facts before writing his articles. When not writing for pro wrestling, he spends his time watching cricket.

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Edited by Gabby Duran