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For most people, a new year means a new start. Either they're making New Year's resolutions to lose weight or stop smoking, or vowing to be more ambitious at work.
For the WWE, a new year means the annual Royal Rumble. What began as a special attraction has morphed into one of the most vital, scene-setting pay per view events of the year. The Rumble sets the stage for Wrestlemania and provides a launching point for stars getting that big push.
Here are ten things we can take away from the 2018 Royal Rumble:
#10 The Women's Revolution continues to gather steam
This year marked the first time the WWE has had a separate, women's rumble match, and it did not disappoint.
Many critics agree that the women's match was better than the men's, and it's hard to argue with the hard work and obvious charisma the women of WWE brought to the annual slugfest. Women's wrestling isn't just big, it's getting bigger. The WWE knows that and is putting the women up in the spotlight for their chance to shine.
After bra and panty matches and terrible storylines that were flimsy excuses to get women to strip down to their underwear, it's nice to see their athleticism and acumen being appreciated.
#9 The Return of 619
Fans were surprised and delighted when Rey Mysterio turned out to be a surprise entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble.
Mysterio entered to a big pop from the capacity crowd, and looks to be in great ring shape. We can only hope this will lead to a full-time return for the Grand Slam champion.
Mysterio could do well on either Raw or Smackdown, or he could elevate 205 Live by joining the cruiserweight division. Regardless of where he ends up, all we can say is BOOYAKA.
#8 AJ Styles will be top dog on Smackdown...for now
Despite facing two men in a tag format handicap match, AJ Styles managed to retain his championship.
Though battered and bruised, AJ defeated both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a physical match that saw the former ROH alums reaching deep into their move sets.
AJ is the dominant player on Smackdown, but the Rumble also saw the rise of a new contender (more on that in a later slide).
#7 Brock is STILL a beast
Speaking of taking on two men at once, Brock Lesnar successfully retained his Universal title at the Rumble.
Lesnar turned back the challenge of a very capable Braun Strowman and an ageing Kane, pinning the latter after an F5. Strowman looked good in the match, easily the most mobile of the big men.
A kayfabe-breaking moment occurred when Strowman 'potatoed' Lesnar with an overly-stiff knee to the face. Lesnar responded by berating Strowman verbally before knocking him with a brutal shot to the temple that nearly legit knocked Braun out cold.
Regardless, Lesnar retained his title and will likely continue his run as the company's marquee star.
#6 The Usos are getting even better
There's an unwritten rule in pro wrestling that when the match is scheduled for two out of three falls, both teams will get one fall each before the match concludes.
Someone must have forgotten to tell the Usos that, because they swept the team of Gable and Benjamin 2-0 during their best two out of three falls match. Despite taking a Doomsday device to the arena floor, the Usos were able to rally and took both falls back to back.
With tag wrestling heating up all over the globe, it's clear that the Usos are the team to beat.
#5 Mojo Rawley is being over-pushed
Vince McMahon's obsession with American football is well known, and any time a former gridiron great arrives in the WWE they are certain to receive preferential treatment from the boss.
Perhaps that is why Mojo Rawley was considered a credible opponent for Bobby Roode's US title, but the reality is the match fell flat. Many are concerned that Rawley's limited skills and novice status have led to him getting 'X Pac Heat,' a term used when the wrestler themselves are despised by the fans rather than the character they play.
Mojo is light years behind his former Hype Brothers tag partner Zach Ryder, and yet Ryder was not even on the Rumble show. Perhaps the lacklustre reaction from the crowd will convince Vince that Rawley needs more experience before being aggressively pushed to the main event.
#4 The Cruiserweight division doesn't need Enzo
Before the Royal Rumble kicked off, WWE treated fans to a six-man tag between 205 Live's best and brightest.
With such highlights as three synchronized moonsaults, the action was fast and furious as the Cruiserweights were out to prove they didn't need the recently released Enzo Amore.
With Rockstar Spud being named the new manager of 205 Live, we predict big things for the cruiserweight division in 2018.
#3 Nostalgia has its place in WWE
Stand back, there's a Hurricane coming through!
The Rumble had many happy returns, with stars like Hurricane Helms, Beth Pheonix, Trish Stratus -- who entered the women's rumble at number 30 -- and Lita making returns to the ring.
Of all the stars who returned, Helms and Rey Mysterio are the most likely to stick around. Beth Pheonix is happily married to the retired Edge, Lita's body can't take a full-time schedule anymore, and Trish Stratus tired of the long road schedule years ago when she retired.
Hurricane has openly campaigned for a job on 205 Live on social media, and looks to be in good ring shape. Wrestling is a business that thrives on nostalgia and it's nice to see a homage to that in the Rumble.
#2 Rowdy Ronda Rousey is coming
The former Olympic medalist and UFC champion shocked the world when she signed with WWE late last year.
Appearing on the Rumble in Roddy Piper's old jacket, Ronda seemed focused and confident as she faced off with Asuka.
We can only hope that we will see these two super women collide in the future! Whatever the future holds for Ronda, it is bound to be exciting for the wrestling fans.
Unlike other MMA fighters like Sylvester Terkay, who jumped into wrestling because they had no other avenues left to pursue, Ronda isn't just in the WWE for a quick payday.
She is a lifelong wrestling fan, and has always maintained that after her UFC career she was interested in wrestling. With Roddy watching over her from up above, we see big things for her in the WWE.
#1 Prepare for the reign of King Shinsuke
Many fans decried the WWE's treatment of Shinsuke when he joined the main roster, saying he was under-pushed.
However, 2017 was a stellar year for Nakamura, as he won over a hundred matches while losing only ten -- and most of those were tag team affairs where his shoulders were not the ones pinned to the mat.
By winning the 2018 Rumble, Shinsuke Nakamura guarantees that he will be in the main event at Wrestlemania. Fans are already salivating in anticipation of a renewal of his New Japan rivalry with AJ Styles -- but this time it will be for the richest prize in the biggest wrestling company on the planet.
As far as who will win... well, AJ may be phenomenal, but Shinsuke is King.
