10 WWE Elimination Chamber 2019 Impulse Reactions

5. Ruby Red

Becky Lynch
WWE

1:40 was exactly 1:40 longer than any member of the McMahon family spent considering the possibility that Ruby Riott might actually dethrone Ronda Rousey on the Road To WrestleMania - 'The Baddest Woman On The Planet's Sonya Blade cosplay gear may have proved prohibitive in a competitive clash, but that's not what this was.

An elongated squash was perhaps not the match Riott would have liked with (some of) the world watching, but this exact type of dominant Rousey display was needed at this exact moment. She proved herself a vital utility cog in the WWE system, if not the wrestling machine she perhaps considers herself. This itself looms in the shadow of her infamous dead Dad craic with Natalya - she's shown great versatility during these times, if nothing else.

Ahead of the showdown with her 'Show Of Show' challenger(s?), Ronda Rousey showed herself as the Raw Women's Division destroyer. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair's rivalry has transcended the woman's revolution all the way to the WrestleMania main event (more on that later), but outsider Rousey will be anything but a bystander on the biggest night of the year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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