8 Ups And 12 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2021
2. Demolition Derby
Last Man Standing matches are risky propositions. If done right, they look brutal and convey the hatred between two wrestlers. If done wrong, they’re dull, plodding affairs with lots of laying around and counting.
Thankfully, we got the former between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens Sunday night. The two had what JR would call a slobberknocker, as they went for home runs early and often to try to put the other out. Tables were broken, a golf cart got involved (look for AEW to sue for copyright infringement) and a forklift was used.
In the end, KO did the smart thing and handcuffed Reigns in a way he couldn’t stand up, but Roman also smartly did the one thing he could to save himself: took out the referee before he could count to 10. This allowed Paul Heyman to (finally) free him so he could choke out Owens to retain the Universal Championship.
It wasn’t a classic, but this series between Owens and Reigns has felt personal and serious, which is about what you could ask for in a feud like this.