Five Takeaways From the Royal Rumble
by Corey Pontes
Well, we are about 72 hours past what can only be described at a divisive and controversial Royal Rumble. I've allowed myself a few days to simmer down and reflect on the event. I'll share some of my biggest takeaways, and as always please leave a comment below or tweet me @CTPontes if you agree, disagree, or think I am an idiot.
1) Seth Rollins is the Best in the World
I'll start here with Mr. Rollins, because unfortunately I think his performance is being overshadowed by the Royal Rumble match itself. Simply put, Rollins is the best wrestler in the world right now. In the ring, there are few that can keep up with him. Daniel Bryan previously held the best in the world championship belt, but his injury allowed Rollins to step up and take the strap. Simply put, he stole the show in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. From his flying elbow onto the announcer's table to his Phoenix Splash off the top rope onto Cena, Rollins proved to everyone that not only does he belong at the top of the card, but he's capable of registering all-time matches while he is there.
Also, while we're here, both Cena and Lesnar were excellent in that match too. Hate him or love him, when it comes to a main event match, John Cena always delivers. You simply can not deny that.
2) WWE's Booking of Black Superstars Continues to be Atrocious
Where to even begin here? First, we have The New Day, a bunch of shuckin' and jivin' black guys who come out to gospel music. I mean, really WWE? How bad is it that it is an improvement to their black characters that they don't just come out to some generic rap music? If this group is heading towards a heel turn, then fine, I'm willing to see what they can do. But, if they are going to be stuck in WWE's black superstar netherworld of stereotypes and thinly-veiled racism, then I think that sucks.
Next, we have R-Truth. First of all, those jeans are a disgrace. Really? A black guy in spray painted jeans? What black guy this side of 1998 has ever worn anything like that? Even more ridiculous was his performance in the Rumble. Bubba Ray makes his return, but D-Von was nowhere in sight. So what does WWE do? Take the closest black guy and make him do D-Von's moves. How much of a joke is that?
Lastly, the booking of Titus O'neil continues to be a let down. If it weren't for the botch, there's a chance his Royal Rumble elimination would be in contention for the fastest in history. Here's a guy with a great look, a legitimate athletic background and decent mic skills. But where has he been? Is this really a guy that couldn't be pushed as a quasi-monster heel? I think that he could be. Don't worry though, Curtis Axel is getting his 15th reboot. I know everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what McGillicudy (not even spell checking because that's how little I care about Axel) can do. Again.
3) Roman Reigns Winning the Rumble Made Sense...Before He Got Injured
Let me first say that I kind of feel bad for Roman Reigns. Here's a guy just trying to do his job and doing what he is asked by his superiors. It is not his fault that he is in the position that he is in. The sad part is that, at least for me, Reigns winning the Rumble made total sense before he got injured. When he did get injured, his momentum certainly was halted. From there, it seemed like the WWE panicked. They did not want there Next Big Thing to lose any steam. My sources (random internet dirt sheets) tell me that in his absence, Reigns went to acting school to sharpen up his promos. That has not worked at all. His appearance at the Slammy Awards was awkward, his via satellite interviews were weird, and God only knows what the hell he was talking about when he said he used to climb bean stalks as a child. His weirdest promo of all may have come this past Monday Night from Titan Tower, when he said he was nearly drowned as a child by his father in an effort to teach him how to persevere.
The WWE started force feeding us Reigns when he returned from his injury. It seemed like they were trying to make up for lost time from when he was injured. I think that he is certainly a main event level talent, but at the moment he is not ready for the Wrestlemania spotlight. Here's hoping that he can create a compelling feud with Brock Lesnar on the Road to Wrestlemania. And how may he do that, you ask?
4) Roman Reigns Should be a Heel Going Into Wrestlemania*
Clearly, at least in the minds of the Philly fans (and all of the petulant children who cancelled their Network subscriptions) Roman Reigns is no fan favorite. He was mercilessly booed after his victory, even as he stood tall next to his cousin, The Rock (more on this later). Speaking of The Rock, he was another superstar with a great family lineage that was shoved down our throats. "Die, Rocky, Die?" ring a bell? So what did they do in that instance? They turned Rock heel. I think they could do something similar with Reigns.
Think about it: wouldn't a heel Reigns make sense? Imagine how easy his promos could be: "I know a lot of you think I don't deserve to be in this spot. Well I don't give a damn what you think. I'm a second generation bluechip superstar. I was born to be in the main event. I'm already better than most of the guys in the back. Keep crying about your indy darlings Ambrose and Bryan. Guess what? what you do in some bingo hall doesn't mean jack. This is the big leagues we're talking about. Look what happens when you put those midgets on the big stage. They get hurt. This ain't Sarasota High School anymore ladies, this is the WWE, and you all know that I'm the man around here now." Or something like that.
Plus, how easy would it be to turn Brock face? He was already getting cheered after he pinned Rollins. Mix in a double-cross by Heyman and we'd really be cooking.
*There is a negative 1,000 chance of this happening, but a guy can dream, right?
5) What the Hell Was The Rock Doing Out There?
No one loves The Rock more than me. Well, except than time he came off the set of Fast 6 to beat CM Punk for the WWE Championship. Didn't love him then. Anyways, I will always be excited when The Rock shows up somewhere unannounced. So why was Rocky tweeting out pictures of himself in Philly before the event? Did that make any sense to anyone? Hearing "If Ya Smelll!!!!" rock (pun intended) the arena with no previous knowledge is always one of the best surprises in wrestling. Why didn't he just keep it a secret?
Then, for no reason, Rocky runs out and makes the save for Reigns. I know they are family, but why did he do this? Why were Kane and Big Show in the final 4 of the Rumble anyways? How annoying was that? The ending of the Rumble was a complete shit show that made no sense. Sending Rock out there made even less sense. If we are trying to make Reigns look strong, then why couldn't he have fought off those two fossils by himself? It's cool to have a Rock appearance, but let's at least make sure it makes a semblance of sense before we trot him out there.
@CTPontes
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