WWE Greatest Royal Rumble: Star Ratings For All 10 Matches
How every match went down.
Fans were split into two camps heading into WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble.
On one side of the divide were those who saw a WrestleMania-worthy card and thus expected the show to live up its lofty billing, and on the other, the fans who anticipated no more than a star-studded house show. What we got was far closer to the latter than the former, but it was a fun night regardless.
WWE's first Saudi Arabian pay-per-view should be considered a success. Yes, five hours is excessive for a show with such little heft, and no, you won't find a single 'Match Of The Year' contender anywhere within that marathon runtime, but the company did a good job of making it feel like a big deal. The presentation was sublime, the crowd fantastic, and several of the night's 10 bouts were elevated as a result.
For reference, **1/2 should be considered mediocre. Anything lower is bad, ***+ is good, ****+ is great, and ***** represents one of the greatest matches of all-time (spoiler alert: you won't find any of those here). Criteria include in-ring work, heat, psychology, and storytelling.
With that in mind, let's get to it...
10. John Cena Vs. Triple H
This bout would have been right at home headlining a big Madison Square Garden event sometime in the late '80s. Slow, methodical, and minimalist, it was built almost entirely around crowd control. They had no real need to go beyond third gear because the Saudi Arabian audience lapped up everything they did. At one point, Triple H stood over a downed Cena, turned his head to the crowd, and sneered, drawing one of the night's loudest jeer choruses. When that's all it takes to draw reactions, why do any more?
Cena vs. Triple H was the antithesis of the modern indie style, with headlocks and tests of strength aplenty, but it worked. These two old pros knew exactly what they were doing. They caught the crowd early, before they'd expended any energy, and worked a style that had them hooked throughout. That's what professional wrestling is all about, not double rotation Moonsaults, announce table spots, and Canadian Destroyers.
There's a clear ceiling for this kind of bout in the modern era, but Cena vs. Triple H was about the best version of it.
Star Rating: ***3/4