WWE Royal Rumble 2019: 8 Things WWE Got Right
Big night for Nia. Bigger night for Becky...
One of the burning questions heading into Sunday's Royal Rumble was this: how would (or could) WWE position Finn Bálor as a realistic threat to Brock Lesnar?
Smiley smiley Finn hasn't been a genuine top liner since he first got his mitts on that same belt way back at SummerSlam 2016, so it was always going to be a challenge. Plus, it's f'n Brock Lesnar, a part-time superstar so protected by his employer that recent matches, whilst fun, have been exhibition level at best.
Did WWE achieve their goal of genuinely convincing fans a title change was in the works? The quick answer is no, no they didn't, but Bálor vs. Brock was an entertaining romp that once again proved Lesnar as a deceptively flexible champ. Credit where credit is due: Big Brocky boy can work with just about anybody, and he proved that in Phoenix.
Elsewhere, there were two Rumble matches that skirted between being tremendous stories that built wonderfully to WrestleMania 35 and being over-reliant on 'ha ha'. In fairness, though this wasn't an easy show for the company to book, it did the job of kicking off 'Mania season.
Here's everything WWE got right...