10 Times WWE Destroyed Something Brilliant
1. The Royal Rumble Match
The Royal Rumble match should be the flat-out most enjoyable match of the year.
It's mathematically engineered to create excitement. Two men start the match, and WWE can literally pick anybody. That's no exaggeration; even Michael Cole has appeared in the damn thing in recent years. You might see two tag team partners square off, like Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie in 1998. You might see a tease of two internet darlings exchange blows, like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in 2011.
In 2017, Chris Jericho and Big Cass started the match. It was an unimaginative omen of what was to come.
Then, at timed intervals, more stars enter the fray - full-time main roster acts and nostalgia-fuelled relics alike. Once the frivolity recedes, the match heats up with a procession of big stars illuminating the final stretch before, ideally, the fan's unanimous choice of winner - or the man they despise the most - ousts his final obstacle over the top rope.
That last part of the formula has eluded WWE in recent years, during which time the Rumble has come to be defined by Roman Reigns. In 2015, he won the match when nobody in the arena wanted him to. In 2016, the entire hour was built around generating sympathy for his narrow loss. By 2017, he had become so unpopular in the face role that he was used to make Randy Orton's umpteenth main event push more palatable.
The trend is set to continue in 2018, with Reigns pencilled in to defeat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34. That means another poisonous night of jeers and disenchantment - another depressing entry into what used to be the most fun night on the calendar.