WWE Royal Rumble 2019: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly 

The Good - WWE Relied On The Stars Of Tomorrow, Not Legends

WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali

Yes, there was the Jeff Jarrett spot in the Men's Royal Rumble and the Kurt Angle appearance, as well. Maria Kanellis made a forgettable appearance in the Women's Royal Rumble, but WWE made a significant departure this year. For the first time in years, the company overwhelmingly relied on their future and not their past.

Nine legends participated in last year's inaugural Women's Royal Rumble Match. Appearing were; Lita, Torrie Wilson, Molly Holly, Michelle McCool, Vickie Guerrero, Kelly Kelly, Jacqueline, Beth Phoenix, and Trish Stratus. Those women made up 30% of the field and they didn't just show up either. They were a legitimate part of the match and made some of the evening's most memorable contributions. Michelle McCool, for example, had the most eliminations of the evening and ousted young stars like Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan in the process.

This year's Women's Royal Rumble featured one returning legend in Maria Kanellis (more on that later) and six stars from NXT or NXT UK. These included; Xia Lee, Candice LeRae, Kairi Sane, Kacey Catanzaro, Rhea Ripley, and Io Shirai. The men's Royal Rumble featured three stars from NXT or NXT UK including; Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, and Pete Dunne. All of these young stars made significant contributions to the match, as did stars of tomorrow like; Mustafa Ali, Andrade Almas, Lacey Evans, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Ember Moon, and Nikki Cross.

There was no Undertaker appearance. There was no John Cena. The message was loud and clear. The WWE of yesteryear has come and gone. It had its time to shine, but this is a new era of professional wrestling and the future is blindingly bright.