8 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2024 (Results & Review)

1. Pre-Show Worries Ring True

WWE Royal Rumble 2024 Roman Reigns Paul Heyman
WWE.com

Some may be shocked to see this here, but stick with it.

Concerns were expressed pre-Rumble about the four-way for that Undisputed Title. In execution, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight tried their able best, but their match was formulaic and the finish featured tropes some hardcores have come to know and loathe since Roman's Bloodline domination began.

Solo Sikoa/The Bloodline in general saving Reigns has become an overused panic button for creative. Admittedly, all of that annoyance will wash away in an instant if Cody Rhodes beats Roman come WrestleMania XL, but still - it's fair to say that many fans are sick and tired of seeing the same old from these matches.

It's also fair to say that the Rumble's four-way offering wasn't as high profile a title defence as WWE wants to pretend it was. The occasion didn't feel grand or threatening enough to rank it amongst Roman's best, and it certainly didn't fit on a top tier PLE like Royal Rumble.

Some will disagree, which is fine, but the chap writing this piece was left unsatisfied.

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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.