10 WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Impulse Reactions

5. Bossed

Nia Jax
WWE.com

Ronda Rousey's Raw Women's Championship defence against Sasha Banks was comfortably the match of the night, not just because of what it offered over 13 absorbing minutes bell-to-bel;, but for how it presented the 'Baddest Woman On The Planet' with an entirely new challenge to overcome in her mesmerising maiden year.

There seems nothing she's not capable of, or at very least nothing she can't be carried to. 'The Boss' entered an outstanding display as the justifiably cocky veteran, unlocking a side of her personality laid dormant too long thanks to the Raw treadmill she's done reps on for the past 18 months. It's been too easy to forget just how sublime a master of the craft Sasha was gradually becoming before creative grew completely disinterested with her development - she performed here as if every single scowl, scream and submission attempt was a reminder of who they should still be paying attention to.

Ronda sold the struggle magnificently before putting Banks away with a second Piper's Pit, whilst Sasha sold the loss twice - first with heartbreaks and handshakes, then again with head-fakes and hand gestures. A Four Horsewomen battle has to await sooner or later - hopefully before Ronda potentially makes her hasty exit.

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