10 Snap Judgements Following WWE Royal Rumble 2017
1. BFF's On The Big Stage
Of all the permutations mooted in pre-show predictions for the potential WrestleMania line-up, the most popular seemed to involve Roman Reigns unseating Kevin Owens for the Universal Title.
Locking Owens' accomplice Chris Jericho in a shark cage to tackle any further potential aggro from him, it seemed the natural time to shift Raw's top prize back on to the 'Big Dog', leaving the 'Best Friends' to eventually duke it out over Jericho's newly-won US Title.
Whilst most felt this didn't make a fitting climax to the months of gradually rising tension between the Canadian buddies, the circumstances looked too stacked to offer an alternative.
The inclusion of Braun Strowman into the title match to run interference instead of Jericho was inspired, and offers the potential Strowman/Reigns clash of the titans at WrestleMania should the company want that.
However, what was most satisfying was the decision to allow Owens to retain his title by the skin of his teeth.
After doing it without Jericho's help (which KO is likely to remind crowds of), Owens can arrogantly suggest he wasn't such a paper champion after all, but with Jericho almost going the distance in the Royal Rumble match (and no easily established Raw #1 Contender), the tension may finally be allowed to run over and give the pair the WrestleMania Universal Title climax they both so richly deserve.