7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2023

Ups...

7. Starting Off Physical

WWE Royal Rumble 2023 GUNTHER Sheamus
WWE.com

GUNTHER and Sheamus were the right pairing to kick off the men's Rumble.

No-one out there would criticise WWE if they kept these guys close permanently. They always deliver the goods, and there's a ton of goodwill from the core audience because of their prior scraps. The pair reopening old wounds was an intense way to start the 30-man special.

Sometimes, the first two names out of the hat in the Rumble can feel a bit low-key. For example, Brock Lesnar and Elias going toe-to-toe in 2020 didn't work, and neither did Jeff Hardy and Bull Buchanan locking horns (ahem) in 2001. This was a little more akin to Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker in 2008.

Clearly, Sheamus vs. GUNTHER isn't on par with that battle between icons, but it is a combo currently revered by fans. They gave the Rumble a bit of star power to help jumpstart it, which came in handy to get fans onside early. This was the right decision.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.