8 Ups And 12 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2021

We’ve been down this road before, and we’ve said these same dangerous words: It’s really tough to screw up a Royal Rumble.

When done correctly, the Rumble sets things up really nicely for WrestleMania, establishing at least one key matchup – and maybe more – and rekindles old friendships and rivalries. When done poorly, fans boo and throw stuff.

We clearly didn’t have to worry about a 2015-level fan revolt Sunday night for obvious reasons. And while both Rumble matches weren’t bad at all, neither rose to the level of really good either. The women’s Rumble gave us a very deserving winner and has the potential to launch a career into the stratosphere if done correctly. That in itself is reason for hope.

Then the men’s Rumble went in the opposite direction and tried to turn back the clock a decade, which was a very confusing decision, strapping a rocket onto a former world champion who has wrestled three matches in the past 10 years. It could revitalize a career and we could be looking at a Shawn Michaels-like renaissance, or it could be a short-lived nostalgia run.

But we’re officially on the Road to WrestleMania, and while we aren’t off and running, we’re definitely off. This year’s Rumble PPV delivered a few good moments, but it also still suffers from the problems afflicting WWE overall. Let’s see if they can overcome themselves in the coming weeks.

Let’s get to it…