10 WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Impulse Reactions
1. Burned
An odd Royal Rumble won in even-handed fashion by a heavy favourite was hampered somewhat by its predictability, but did WWE try a little too hard to steer away from the obvious with banter rather than the brilliant booking displayed one year ago?
First thing's first (or, second) - one of your writer's all-time favourites Jeff Jarrett being one of several surprise appearances on the night was a genuine treat, even if it should have been Elias wearing an acoustic equaliser instead of 'Double J'. As he's done several times in his career, Jarrett defied the odds just getting back in Vince McMahon's good books, let alone his Hall Of Fame or Royal Rumble nearly 20 years after a brutal public firing.
But enough about actual feel-good tales - what about the one WWE will now have to try and present between now and WrestleMania. Don't buy the false narrative that Rollins isn't a worthy winner, but do consider in between bouts of fawning adoration exactly what he's done over the past several months to earn such acclaim. If the answer is "wrestling long matches on Monday Night Raw", then perhaps the art of the push is dead - real stars do the most with the least and work from there, rather than failing upwards thanks to incredible marathon displays.
The future's bright for now, but Vince McMahon has changed his mind on Brock Lesnar WrestleMania finishes before...