10 Reasons Why January 2018 Was The Best Month In Wrestling History

2. The Women's Royal Rumble

Andrade Almas Ronda Rousey Chris Jericho
WWE.com

Another brilliantly-booked battle royal under that could have just as easily collapsed under the weight of expectation, the Women's Royal Rumble was a victory for common sense storytelling so often absent from the weekly grind of the division.

Asuka's victory continued the organisation's miraculous protection of an undefeated streak cautiously approaching it's third birthday, doing so by spotlighting her in some sh*t-hot stand-offs with Ember Moon, The Bella Twins and Sasha Banks. 'The Boss' herself had her best night in eons, teasing what surely must be the start of a return to the heel persona that skyrocketed her through the ranks in NXT.

Legends were largely used well. Nostalgia pops were in high supply, justifying the very point of the returns in the first place. In the case of Michelle McCool, Molly Holly and Trish Stratus, semi-permanent returns to the fold wouldn't at all be unwelcome.

It wasn't perfect, but few maiden outings are. The company got nearly everything right for an occasion that only needed to be in league with horseshoes and hand grenades to succeed. It had all the latter's explosiveness, particularly in picking the shrapnel from the chaotic aftermath...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett