The Rundown Slam: WWE Royal Rumble 2021

02/04/2021 10:33:11 PM

Photo from WWE.com

Say, it seems that WWE is now listening to its fans for real, eh? 

Okay, don't get me wrong, but in the recent few years, it doesn't really seem that way with Charlotte shooing in again despite Drew McIntrye eventually living to the promise of a decade-long groom of being “the Chosen One.” Of course, in 2019, we saw The MAN really scratched and clawed her way to WrestleMania 35 by putting herself into the Women's Royal Rumble match; all while Seth Rollins slew 29 other male competitors to set a date with the Beast – and eventually, slaying him at the same Show of Shows.

Now, the Showcase of Immortals would take place again in the state of Florida. As for the kickstarter of the season that is the Royal Rumble, fans from all over the world were in for a treat last Monday morning (Manila time). Bianca Belair punched her ticket for the weekend-long affair after outlasting the 30 superstars in the women's royal rumble match.

On the other hand, Edge has taken another step in his pledge of redemption. He vowed to win the men's royal rumble match, and he had done it by being the third man to do so from the number 1 spot. Perhaps, we also saw a part of the culmination of his rivalry with Randy Orton there. 

Other than that, the men's royal rumble match featured the long-awaited debut of Damien Priest, and I must say this one's better than what was initially pitched before. 

Aside from the multi-person over-the-top gauntlet matches, most matches in the card have fueled the event in such a positive remark. Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens became a somewhat standout among the non-royal rumble matches featured in this special program. For what its worth, the last man Standing contest for the Universal Championship didn't serve as a filler – or in brutally frank terms, bathroom break. It was a bridge that slowed down the momentum by a bit and quite low enough to gear for the next one. Well, at least except for the near-botched finish. 

I kinda wonder, though, why Carmella doesn't have the belt? Oh, and why Reginald is acting as a nice lady here instead of being the usual bad girl's valet (which obviously is still a heel). But I guess, that's part of the story between these two. Meanwhile, the Boss is still on the roll for her longest championship reign so far – after multiple short tenures – which we have been clamoring for a very long while.

Meanwhile, the WWE championship match turned out to be short. I can't be shocked if a top championship match would take place since it really happens in a random time, even if the people involved are basically main event talent.

I think the one that really suck the most is that one match that involves the tag team champions. I mean, yes, Charlotte vs. Lacey is something that is clearly in the horizon come either the next PPV or at WrestleMania, but I guess here comes the troll booking after handing Nia Jax her second reign as tag champs with Shayna Blazher. We know how some of us are really pissed off after her history of being an 'unsafe worker', eh? 

All in all, this edition of Royal Rumble seems a decent start as the entire business has been trying to beat the odds brought by the pandemic. Promotions made their restarts late in the year, and while the E had a very turbulent year in their timeline – inside the squared circle and outside – we could only hope 2021 is the year that Vince – or at least the entire pool of executives – would heed the audience's call. 

The Verdict: 8.6/10

Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files