Drew McIntyre Wins Men's WWE Royal Rumble 2020

Terminating the field in 3, 2, 1...

by Michael Sidgwick
Drew McIntyre Seth Rollins
WWE.com

Drew McIntyre prevailed at the end of a rapturously-received Royal Rumble match, cited by many online as an all-timer.

Author's note:

The Scottish Psychopath also eliminated Brock Lesnar en route to last throwing out Roman Reigns in a gigantic statement of intent from WWE; long criticised for an inability or even unwillingness to get behind its emerging, full-time talent, this was a masterstroke of booking.

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This was a Rumble match loaded in intricate details; McIntyre eliminated Lesnar after Ricochet's low-blow assist, but was booked so strongly subsequent to it that it never resonated as halfhearted or ineffective. Still, Paul Heyman can justifiably claim that McIntyre can't beat the Beast at 100% one-on-one, which should inform the dramatic heft of what seems nailed on to either main event WrestleMania 36, or at least happen in a key position on the show. McIntyre has gotten over in recent weeks as a result of his cut-loose promo delivery and the recent introduction of some crowd interaction schtick.

That he is very much built in the shredded, herculean traditional WWE image is another exciting signal that the company has made a main event-calibre talent overnight.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!