10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE Royal Rumble 2020
5. Who Gets Over As The Iron Man?
Expectation:
The old, intelligent Iron Man trope was designed to get a runner-up over in defeat.
In 1993, veteran Bob Backlund's marathon stint quietly built the idea that he was fit to compete with the stars of what would be marketed as the New Generation. In 1996, Hunter Hearst Helmsley lasted 48 minutes in order to get him over as a prospective star. Chris Jericho in 2003 went 39 minutes after first eliminating Shawn Michaels as a sublime means of furthering the comparisons between the two men. In WWE's recent history, the trope hasn't informed a push nor a storyline. In 2018, Finn Bálor went 57:38, and failed to capture the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania before entering a dismal, never-ending feud with Baron Corbin.
Three women went 50+ minutes in last year's match. Can you guess who, without looking?
Why the f*ck you lyin', why you always lyin', oh my God, stop f*ckin' lyin'!
(They were Natalya, Charlotte Flair and Ember Moon.)
Reality:
Nobody. Nobody gets over as the Iron Man anymore. Andrade may go 50+ minutes, and Vic Joseph may remind you of this on the next few episodes of RAW, but it won't form a long-term plan.