WWE Royal Rumble 2019: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not reflect the views of Sportskeeda
History was made at tonight's Royal Rumble, as the road to WrestleMania 35 begins now. New Superstars have stepped up and entered the championship picture. Legends of the past returned but were overshadowed by a bright future. There were surprises aplenty in a pay-per-view that lived up to and even surpassed its 'big four' billing.
Becky Lynch wasn't even scheduled to compete in the Women's Royal Rumble Match, but through a sheer act of will earned a world championship opportunity at WrestleMania 35. This is despite the fact that Lynch tapped out to SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka earlier in the evening.
On the men's side of things, Seth Rollins did not disappoint. Despite a brutal attack by Bobby Lashley that left him incapacitated outside the ring and then having to single handily oust Braun Strowman, Rollins stamped his ticket to WrestleMania in thrilling fashion.
Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles lived up to their build wrestled in an exquisite technical masterpiece. Finn Balor's efforts were valiant, but despite giving him all came up short in his quest to dethrone The Beast.
Join us as we take a look at the best, worst, and downright ugliest moments of the 2019 Royal Rumble in this special edition of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.
The Good - Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles
Perhaps no match had a more difficult task than Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles. The match came directly after the Women's Royal Rumble, arguably one of the greatest and most dramatic Royal Rumbles in history. After Becky Lynch won the Royal Rumble in an emotional victory, the last thing the Chase Field crowd desired was to emotionally invest themselves in another contest so soon. Despite this fact, the two Superstars wrestled in a classic for the ages.
Bryan and Styles have great chemistry and the feud featured a solid build that saw Daniel Bryan take AJ Styles to task for everything from eating hot dogs to the inevitable environmental annihilation of planet Earth.
Their in-match execution was stellar and the two put on a technical masterpiece, along with a strong style brawl. Styles' execution of a reverse DDT outside the ring was masterful and so was Bryan's ability to sell.
After suffering from numerous concussions, Daniel Bryan is arguably one severe blow to the head away from a career-ending injury. It's not something anyone ever wants to happen, but it does add to the drama of any match he is in especially with his impeccable ability to sell.
After taking a brutal bump to the ring post, AJ Styles was bloodied early on and suffered a possible broken nose. As blood spilled, Styles attempted to maneuver his nose to his liking. Such maneuvering would cause most to wince in agony, but it's all a day in the life of o of the all-time great wrestlers.
Ultimately, it was Erick Rowan who cost AJ Styles the victory and ended a long match that would have been fine going much longer. As Styles hit the Styles Clash on Daniel Bryan, the referee was caught in the melee. While the official was down and out, the returning Erick Rowan came into the ring to hit a devastating chokeslam on Styles. Bryan capitalized for the pinfall victory and walked out with his former Wyatt Family comrade and the WWE Championship.
Despite the finish, the match was still one of Bryan's best and one of Styles' best. That alone says a whole lot.