5 Stars the Royal Rumble Saved
Baron Corbin
Okay, so this may be a tad bit of a strange entrant considering that Corbin only last then five minutes in the Rumble but it was his action upon being eliminated that have made him a name I had to include in today's blog post. From the moment his music hit it was evident that Corbin was ready for this match. He charged down to the ring and attacked everyone in sight! His speed was insane and momentum was on his side. However, it was struggling to control that momentum that resulted in an early elimination for the former United States champion. Moments after he was thrown over the top rope, Corbin once again attacked everyone in sight leaving the ring empty for the next entrant to make their way to the ring. His attack on the likes of Rusev, Finn Balor and every other talent that was in and around the ring area was crazy strong. He looked like a total badass and was one of many really sensible booking decisions made. Of course, it would have been great to see Baron have a strong performance in the rumble considering this is a match that would cater to the type of star he is but how he was booked was a hundred percent right! It showcased him to be the hot-headed, short-tempered, dangerous bad ass he should be booked as. Use him like this more and better things will come for both Corbin and the fans.
Shinsuke Nakamura
Up next is the mens Royal Rumble winner and I have to say, I don't think I have come so close to actually crying at the end result of a Royal Rumble match. Since the Summer of last year, I have been telling everyone and their mother that I really want Shinsuke Nakamura to walk out as the twenty eighteen Royal Rumble winner. Nakamura vs Styles is a dream WWE contest that should not only main event Wrestlemania but could so easily go down as one of the greatest WWE matches of all time. However, it wasn't only the must-see match that had me backing the former NXT star, the sheer fact that this was a win he needed has me rooting for him the whole way. Since coming up to the main roster Nakamura has been booked terribly. The only things he has to his name are several weeks of teaming up in the main event of Smackdown LIVE with Randy Orton and too many losses to Jinder Mahal. There was no other superstar more in need of winning the Rumble this year than Shinsuke and so when it came down to the main himself and Roman Reigns I was genuinely left on the edge of my seat. One hundred and ten percent the right move, Nakamura going on to headline Wrestlemania is the best booking decisions of the night and I could not have been happier!
Sasha Banks
I don't believe anyone was saved more at the Royal Rumble pay per view than Sasha Banks. While I've been a fan of the in-ring work from Banks pretty much from the very start of her career I really have grown bored of her babyface run to the point where what we see from her on a weekly basis was boring me and I was totally losing interest. However, the Royal Rumble pay per view was a chance for her to change all of that and that is exactly what she did. Entering the Women's Rumble as the number of entrants the Boss lasted nearly one whole hour in this big time match up making history on her own and raising the bar. It wasn't the time she set however, that was the sole reason I believe she was saved. Her character work was on point! Finally, we got a taste of that heel persona she rocked during her entire NXT run and it was great to see! This is the Sasha Banks I love to watch and with moments in this Rumble match with the likes of Trish Stratus, the winner of the Rumble Asuka, and eliminating her "best friend" in Bayley the Boss was the centerpiece of this match and walked out of Philly the Ironwomen of this match and once again a talent we all have a strong interest in and a demand for.
Rey Mysterio
While he may not be a current active member of the WWE roster Rey Mysterio was a name I could not miss out on including in today's blog post. Rey has always been a personal favourite of mine. I and my brother grew up watching him and the era that consisted of the likes of Rey, Randy Orton, and John Cena and I have always loved everything he has done both in and outside of the WWE but his last Rumble performance wasn't something that was a big hit with the fans. In the year we all so desperately wanted Daniel Bryan to be in the Royal Rumble, Rey entered as the last superstar of the night and the crowd reaction is something I, the fans, and I'm sure Rey and the WWE won't forget. And so with that in mind, when his music hit two Sunday's ago at the very same event and the arena blew up with joy and excitement it was even more special. No longer were we thinking of that previous crowd reaction. Rey was the biggest attraction of the night and while he could have returned any night and after what he has done outside of the WWE over the past few years would have resulted in a big crowd reaction no one could have predicted just how big the reaction would be for him at the Royal Rumble.
Finn Balor
And finally, the man that inspired me to write this post in the first place, Finn Balor. Boy has it been an interesting couple of years for the former NXT champion. After sustaining an injury the night he made history winning the Universal Championship Balor has found it difficult climbing his way back to the top with indications that the WWE had lost their faith in him and put a stop to his big push. Weeks of awful booking led fans to begin to lose interest in Balor however, reuniting him with Anderson and Gallows was the first step forward and then, of course, we had the Royal Rumble. Also lasting nearly an entire hour, Balor was the man of the match. Everyone at the announce table focused their attention on him and how well he was performing in the Rumble and coming down to the final four kept Balor as one of many favorites to win the entire thing. Now, while he didn't get the big win Balor made one heck of an impact. This is the performance he needed to remind every one of the huge star he truly is and while booking decisions since haven't been ideal his performance on the night of the Rumble was fantastic and another key step in getting him back on top!
And there we have! That is my list of the five Stars I believe the Royal Rumble saved. As always, any recent blog posts will be linked bellow including last weeks RAW and Smackdown LIVE highlights as well as all my Royal Rumble reviews! Finally, you can tell me who you believe was the standout star of the Royal Rumble pay per view this year by also leaving a comment down bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.
Recent Blog posts:
Top 12 WWE Matches of the Past 10 Years (Part 2)
First Ever Women's Royal Rumble Highlights
2018 Mens Royal Rumble Highlights
2018 WWE Royal Rumble PPV Highlights
Last Month in NXT (January)
Five Stars the Cruiserweight Division Needs
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