12 WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Impulse Reactions

10. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad...

Ronda Rousey Charlotte Asuka Alexa Bliss
WWE.com

...but is that really good enough?

Royal Rumble undercards are ordinarily a place for safe experimentation, which could be why Chad Gable and Jason Jordan were so soundly served by The Usos in the SmackDown Live! Tag Team Title clash, but a lack of sizzle severely hampered an otherwise well-done steak.

Jimmy and Jey going two straight falls would have been more palatable had the first fall gained significant traction with the crowd at any point. It sadly failed, leaving a second unexpectedly punctuated by their victory rather than a leveller for the challengers.

Placed best on the card to generate a reaction worthy of their traditional show-stealers, the Champions seemed content to go through the motions at the expense of the contest's heat. With blurred heel/face divides still in place after weeks of feuding on television, the challengers seemingly used up all their oomph for an impressive double team attack rather than a quick and deadly finisher escape late on.

Fans and wrestlers alike shared confusion and disappointment over the finish, but on an memorable evening with much to process, they may have chosen the perfect evening to enter a forgettable display.

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