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This year's Royal Rumble is officially in the history books and what an event it was. The matches that took place didn't leave the audience in disdain and kept them at the edge of their seats for most of it. From the Big Dog's match against King Corbin that saw the two brawl all over the arena to the final elimination in the Men's Royal Rumble match, WWE fans should have very little to complain about.
The strap match was one of the best matches of the night. The match saw Daniel Bryan bringing the fight to The Fiend before Wyatt tapped into his inner demon to put away Bryan. What stood apart from these matches were the Royal Rumble matches of the women and men that saw some outstanding performance from the competitors.
If anyone here hasn't watched the PPV, I'd urge you to put it on right away and sit back and enjoy the show WWE put on. Anyway, from the Rumble matches here are five Superstars that stood out and deserve a shoutout just for showing us what the Royal Rumble is all about.
#5 Shayna Baszler
The former NXT Women's Champion was the 30th entrant in the match. She had a great showing that lasted for four and a half minutes, which to many people would seem quite short, but she eliminated eight competitors in the process.
That is an impeccable feat for the final entrant, who came in and cleaned house. The most notable elimination by Shayna Baszler was that of 'The Glamazon' Beth Phoenix. Not only did she tie for the most number of elimination this year but she also made it to the final two. Baszler did come up short this year but her performance shouldn't go unnoticed and WWE should have huge plans for her in the future.
#4 Bianca Belair
The "Ironwoman'' of this year's Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair made a standing impression in the eyes of the WWE Universe. While her 367-day undefeated run in NXT is unforgettable, I think her performance in the Royal Rumble match truly demonstrates how dominant she can be.
Belair entered the Royal Rumble match second and lasted over the half an hour mark. Her performance and sheer dominance made her a force to be reckoned with before she was eliminated by the winner, Charlotte Flair.
'The EST of NXT' ran through most of the main roster Superstars like it was nothing. The most notable eliminations of hers include the former Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and the surprise entrant Molly Holly. Belair eliminated a total of eight female Superstars, tying her with Baszler for the most eliminations in this year's Women's Royal Rumble match.
Her performance has been etched in the memory of all fans across the globe and should push her into the title hunt of the Women's NXT Championship. A match between her and Rhea Ripley would be explosive, giving the WWE Universe a match of a lifetime.
Special Mentions: Edge and Naomi
The former SmackDown Women's Champion, Naomi gave all the WWE fans a huge surprise when she made her way to the ring as the 18th entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble match. She sported a new hair-do and gave us a moment to cherish in the Royal Rumble.
While lasting just a little over 22 minutes, Naomi was thrown over the top rope. She quickly flung from the steps to the barricade, tip-toed her way to the announcer's table, tried to build a bridge from the table to the ring and finally made her way to the ring to only be eliminated by Shayna Baszler. This spot reminded fans of a similar stint she played in last year's match.
The biggest surprise of the night came in the Men's Royal Rumble match when the Rated-R Superstar made his way to ring as the 21st entry. The pop heard that moment was deafening. There were many rumors about Edge returning but watching him making his way to the ring and spear everyone in sight was something that took you down memory lane.
Edge proved to the WWE Universe that even after nine long years away from the ring, he hadn't missed a beat and survived for almost 24 minutes before Roman Reigns eliminated him. Fans saw the reunion of Rated RKO and maybe the beginning of a match setup between him and AJ Styles.
#3 Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix has become a staple in such a match since the inaugural Royal Rumble. She made her way to the ring at the 19th position and little did the fans know that they were in for a performance that would outshine the match itself.
During the match, Bianca Belair threw Phoneix a little too hard and she landed head first on the steel ring post instead of the ring pads. Phoneix, however, quickly gathered herself and continued the match as if nothing happened.
After some time, it became very clear that she was hurt and bleeding as part of her golden locks turned red because of the blood. Even though she was injured, the Hall of Famer pulled through for 23 minutes. During her stay in the ring, she eliminated Natalya.
Phoenix didn't make many eliminations but she played a pivotal role in the match and made sure to see the match through to the top three. Her performance is a testament to how strong she is and is a gem that built the women's division in the WWE.
#2 Brock Lesnar
The first entrant of this year's Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar bossed over the next 13 entrants, eliminating every one of them. The Beast equaled Braun Strowman's record of most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match and lasted over 26 minutes.
Nobody could match up to the strength and dominance of Brock Lesnar and that gave us all a sight that we have never seen before. The Beast eliminated everyone who stood up to him and there were many moments when he was the only person in the ring waiting for his prey to make his way to the ring.
The WWE Champion made quick work of his competitors until Drew McIntyre stepped foot into the ring. Paul Heyman's predicament was definitely on the verge of coming true as Lesnar was throwing around Superstars across the ring and handing out F5s to whoever stepped in his path.
If it weren't for the combined effort of McIntyre and Ricochet, Lesnar would have continued on his path of destruction and who knows who would have eliminated him.
#1 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre takes this spot not just because he eliminated Brock Lesnar and made a statement to the WWE Universe, not because he was the "Ironman" of the match lasting 34 minutes, not because he eliminated six men. He takes this spot because he did all of that and won the Royal Rumble.
The Chosen One has had quite a career in WWE. He was a part of 3MB before leaving the company in 2014. When he came back to the WWE in 2017, he had World Champion written all over him.
The Scottish Psychopath is easily one of the most destructive wrestlers in WWE today and what a story WWE has told with this man. His is a story of sheer determination and hard work. A man who once nobody looked at twice or was just another side act is going to headline WrestleMania in a couple of months.
This truly was a great end to a huge event where everything almost played out to the fans' delight. A job well done by WWE and they can give themselves a pat on the back before heading into Raw.
Did you enjoy the Royal Rumble? What was your most favorite moment? Let us know in the comments below!
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
