Ranking Every WWE Title Match At Royal Rumble - From Worst To Best

25. Royal Rumble 2018 - AJ Styles Vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Kevin Owens Sami Zayn AJ Styles
WWE

We may have had three of the greatest workers of the modern era here, but sadly, AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn suffered due to being part of the bizarre SmackDown power struggle between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan.

As WWE Champion, the Phenomenal One was defending the gold in a handicap match where Owens and Zayn had to tag in and out. The bout itself was solid, but the result was absolutely never in doubt - Styles winning - and all three were made to feel merely like pawns in the ongoing saga between Shane O'Mac and Bryan.

For AJ, this Rumble contest was part of a fantastic 371-day reign as WWE Champion, and he'd thankfully have far greater title defences throughout that reign than this bland handicap offering. Of course, that lengthy reign would eventually be brought to a halt by a back-in-action Daniel Bryan later that year on a November episode of SmackDown.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.