10 Things That Have Lost All Meaning In WWE

10. The Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble might be one of the most anticipated events on WWE’s annual pay-per-view calendar, but it hasn’t felt like a truly prestigious event in years.

Moments like Daniel Bryan’s exclusion in 2014 and Triple H’s crippling predictable 2016 victory have stripped the Rumble's lustre, and while WWE still love to push the idea that "anything can happen," the match isn’t even a reliable source of major shocks anymore.

The company haven’t used the Rumble to make a new star in years, and each of the past five winners had already established themselves as big-time superstars prior to their victory. This year’s incarnation was full of huge names, but produced no surprising returns. Randy Orton’s victory ultimately did nothing to enhance his status within the company, and his ensuing WWE Title run was utterly joyless.

It’s becoming increasingly harder to get excited for the Rumble. Pulled apart by years of predictability and uninspired winners, it does nothing to elevate the status of its participants anymore. The Rumble is no more than a shortcut to a title shot, and with the last truly great incarnation coming as far back as 2010, it’s hard to see things changing anytime soon.