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Royal Rumble 2020 was an event that made everyone glad to be a WWE fan. For every piece of criticism the company faces today, there is nothing else quite like watching a WWE show that makes you feel like a kid again.
Now that we are officially on the Road to WrestleMania 36, there are several storylines to look forward to. As for the Pay-Per-View itself, the better moments of the event completely outweighed some underwhelming aspects for me.
What are your thoughts on the event? Sound off in the comments section below. Here are a few interesting observations from Royal Rumble 2020.
#5: Daniel Bryan proved that he is a master at in-ring storytelling once again
As much as I love "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt for infusing the most creative elements into Professional Wrestling today, Royal Rumble 2020 wouldn't have been the same without Daniel Bryan.
A Strap Match isn't necessarily the most exciting stipulation in WWE history. However, Daniel Bryan elevated his bout with Bray Wyatt's alter-ego in the best ways possible.
You could see how the momentum shifted when Daniel Bryan took control of his battle against The Fiend. This also showed us how far his character went to gain some leverage against an unmatchable monster on the roster.
The bout's finish was creative storytelling at its best. When Bryan rallied the fans together for one last shot, The Fiend immediately popped up as if nothing ever hurt him in the first place. At that moment, Bryan still chose to stand up to Wyatt's alter-ego, even though it became very apparent to him that this was going to be a losing battle all along.
The image of an unearthly Fiend standing tall over one of the best humans on this planet showed us everything we needed to know. Daniel Bryan might have lost the match, but he won us over in what might have otherwise been a normal Strap Match in the end.
#4: Why fans are apprehensive towards the future of the women's division for WrestleMania 36
A year ago, Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and Charlotte Flair were involved in the hottest feud heading into WrestleMania 35.
In 2020, it looks like the future of the women's division lies solely on the shoulders of two female Superstars - Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Despite Lacey Evans and Bayley's efforts, their feud or any other women's feud for that matter isn't as intriguing as Becky Lynch's run as the RAW Women's Champion.
And then there is Charlotte Flair.
Charlotte's Royal Rumble victory is a dilemma, because, on one hand, you know that she is a star that elevates everything around her just by being there. Case in point - as good as some of the spots were during this year's women's Royal Rumble match, things only kicked into high gear once The Queen got into the ring.
On the other hand, WWE chooses to rely on her too often when The Road to WrestleMania starts every January. We get that she is a huge star, but the creative team's main problem is that they always stick to the comfort zone when it comes to the women's division.
An NXT star such as Shayna Baszler could have benefited from a Royal Rumble win, but as always, WWE may be rehashing another Charlotte-Becky showdown for The Grandest Stage of Them All.
#3: Edge and Randy Orton may have a program together on The Road to WrestleMania 36
One of the biggest moments from the men's Royal Rumble Match included Edge's return to in-ring action after a 9-year absence. The dirt sheets had speculated that this would happen in some way or another, but it was still one of the most surprising moments to witness in this year's Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View.
Upon entering the ring, Edge would quickly ally with Randy Orton, as both of them have had a memorable history as friends and foes.
But The Viper would get a taste of his own medicine after Edge would throw him over the top rope eventually. A program between both of these Superstars is inevitable soon.
Fans are looking forward to several dream-matchups between the Rated-R Superstar and the newer crop of talent in WWE. But that doesn't mean the company will refrain from re-establishing old rivalries at the same time.
If the latter case is valid, then Orton & Edge might feud or team up together again at Super Show-Down or WrestleMania 36.
#2: Both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championship matches fell victim to bigger bouts that preceded them
As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of reasons to worry about the future of the women's division in WWE.
Both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championship matches from this year's Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View weren't the strongest bouts from the main card.
Lacey Evans and Bayley had to follow the women's Royal Rumble match, and despite all of their efforts, the live crowd needed to recharge after watching such a big contest a few minutes before.
This led to a pretty forgettable match with Bayley retaining her SmackDown Women's Championship again.
In contrast, Becky Lynch & Asuka put on a better contest, but they had to follow the greatness of Daniel Bryan and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt's bout.
There were some nice spots involving Lynch & Asuka, but you could see that it was a little harder to attract fan interest during the former half of the match.
To their credit, the finish to Lynch vs. Asuka was pretty creative and it made up for a pretty good contest in the end. But you could still feel that the fans were a little exhausted with both matches since they had to follow two big bouts.
#1: The men's Royal Rumble match has set a new standard of storytelling from now onwards
Fans witnessed one of the greatest Royal Rumble matches this year, one that ended with Drew McIntyre sealing his fate to face a top champion at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
What I especially loved during this contest was that several spots or moments effectively transitioned into the next one like a smooth thread.
It all started with Brock Lesnar establishing dominance throughout the first half of the bout. Various sub-plots related to Lesnar surfaced during his time in the ring, and suddenly, the Beast gets eliminated by Drew McIntyre, which changed the course of events throughout the rest of the match.
From Edge's return to McIntyre's victory, there were big moments along the way that you have to watch to appreciate the match in its entirety.
The choreography was what set apart this year's men's Rumble match from the ones we have already witnessed in the past. Every moment blended seamlessly into the next one, and that left us hooked to a point where your mind could rarely wander on to different things.
After Royal Rumble 2020, Drew McIntyre may have finally become one of the company's top Superstars for years to come.
A WWE Hall of Famer called out AEW fans HERE
