WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Results: Analysing and grading each match
At the first stop on the Road to Wrestlemania, WWE delivered a great Royal Rumble PPV. An incredibly hot crowd, excellent matches, and great moments all combined to produce a stellar showing, with WWE’s 2017 off to a great start.
Sure, there were some weak moments, such as Roman Reigns entering at #30 to a chorus of boos and eliminating The Undertaker, and part-timers eliminating an astonishing number of younger talents. But, besides those small negatives, each match on the card had fans excited.
Bayley and Charlotte clashed for the Raw Women’s Championship in what was clearly a prelude to a bigger encounter later on (possibly at Wrestlemania 33). Still, that didn’t mean it disappointed, with a very good bout from the two to open the show.
Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns wrestled a great No DQ match for the Universal Championship, with awesome spots and a vocal crowd leading to Reigns and Owens’ best clash yet. Rich Swann and Neville settled their bad blood with the Cruiserweight title on the line with the latter capturing the gold in a good match, although a quiet crowd hurt their efforts.
AJ Styles and John Cena tore the house down in an instant classic, with an insanely hot crowd and fantastic work from both men leading to a Match of the Year candidate.
Randy Orton emerged victorious in the Royal Rumble match, with a number of spectacular moments leading to a fun Rumble. However, a lack of surprise entrants and the aforementioned negatives lessened the quality of the bout as a whole.
Overall, it was a great showing from the Alamodome. But, which match earned the highest grade? Let’s find out, as I analyse and grade each match from the Royal Rumble 2017.
Bayley vs. Charlotte (Raw Women’s Championship):
Result: Charlotte pins Bayley after a Natural Selection on the apron.
Grade: 8/10
This was a very good opener, with Bayley and Charlotte telling the first chapter of what is sure to be a longer story. Charlotte was vicious here, targeting Bayley’s leg and taking advantage. Bayley garnered significant sympathy and is extremely over with fans as the underdog.
Losses like this, where she is punished and beaten down, will only make her eventual title win that much better. The crowd was hot here as well, although a shorter match and a slower pace hurt the overall quality of this encounter. This was obviously a prelude to a big match later on, but for what it was, this was still a great first chapter of the Bayley-Charlotte rivalry.
Check out a short clip of the match here: