12 WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Impulse Reactions

7. Rey Of Light

Ronda Rousey Charlotte Asuka Alexa Bliss
WWE

Rey Mysterio became the most despised Royal Rumble entrant of all time in 2014 when an audience desperate for Daniel Bryan reacted with toxicity for the masked superstar. The moment was dripping in desperate symbolism as the company failed profoundly to satisfy the basic need of a vocal majority. Rey was faceless, and by that time a thoroughbred WWE mainstay. Though also embedded in the system, Bryan was succeeding in spite of it.

Luckily, 2014's cheered runner up would gobble up the despair a year later, and 2015's Roman Reigns awkwardness replaced the Rey-rage.

A comeback several years removed from his last WWE appearance was destined to be well received to a point, but the entire presentation of the gimmick rolled back the years for many who also wished to forget a regrettable period filled with Wellness Suspensions, workrate slowdowns and a general mutual malaise between the diminutive former World Champion and the fanbase at large.

Chucking out double 619s and hurricanranas with all the vim of the 1995 ECW sensation, a leaner, meaner Rey Mysterio looked good enough to replace his own replacements Sin Cara and Kalisto tomorrow. A spot as the GM/top star on 205 Live at very least would drag that show out of its most recent ugly hole.

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