WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Star Ratings For All 6 Matches
5. The Usos Vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin - SmackDown Tag Team Championship 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match
Strange is probably the word; a victim of a match layout WWE has contrived to ruin in recent years, the excellent work assembled by The Usos and Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin ultimately didn't matter for much. The overriding emotion was one of pure WTF, given that sudden, anticlimactic ending.
Prior to that, The Usos proved why they are the best tag team on the planet (if only the road agents shared their creativity); they halve the ring in such a way that you never see the Superkicks coming which, given that they throw about five per match at least, is some feat. The sequence leading up to the first fall-winning stereo Superkick spot was magic, in which the brothers showed tremendous ring presence. Gable ducked one only to be bludgeoned by another. It was typical Usos all-action stuff. That they manage to stave off constant exposure is something very special. They are bloody workhorses.
The layout was strange - the first fall was a wall-to-wall kick-out festival promising the elusive Usos Big 4 PPV classic. Where could the match possibly go from there? Down, was the dispiriting answer. The second fall was as decided as quickly as it commenced. It felt, even watching live, like a good portion had been edited out. Ultimately, the talent was as mystified as the audience when the bell rang.
It was too surreal to rate too highly - yet too worthy to scrutinise pedantically.
Star Rating: ***