12 WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Impulse Reactions
3. The Boss
The Women's Royal Rumble was a broad victory for the division, making history without making a mess of a potentially challenging persuit.
As evidenced by a less-than-stellar opening stretch, a careful division of labour was required in order to ensure lack of drag. This was neglected, pushing forth instead with a dynamite final third featuring the bulk of today's top talents and such luminaries as Trish Stratus and Ember Moon in placements that would have been best served elsewhere.
One shining constant was Sasha Banks, who transformed herself within the match from plucky babyface to kick*ss heel and back again thanks to various scrapes with the parade of newcomers and old-timers she shared a rare stage.
Outside of a red hot exchange with eventual winner Asuka and blistering back-and-forth with resurgent returnee Trish Stratus, the biggest exposure of her darkest side came as she took quick advantage of best friend Bayley.
'The Hugger' spent just five minutes in a match she'd gone on record as saying was a "dream come true". If this - after nearly a year of tacitly teasing dissension - doesn't drive a long awaited wedge between the besties, there's probably no hope for either to have a star-making fue. If it did, the match has more potential than just about anything else on the WrestleMania card.