7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2023

Ups...

7. Starting Off Physical

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.