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Welcome to things WWE subtly told us at Royal Rumble 2021. It was an interesting PPV, but it didn't have the traditional Royal Rumble feeling to it - perhaps because of the lack of crowds.
But a lot happened, and here's what went down at the Royal Rumble:
#6 Edge wins the Royal Rumble, so what does that mean for his future?
Edge became the third man to enter the Royal Rumble at the first position and go on to win the competition. The other two Royal Rumble winners who entered at #1 were Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit.
Not only that, but Edge joins the likes of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Triple H to become multi-time Royal Rumble winners.
For Edge, it was 11 years since his last Royal Rumble win. The quality of the Royal Rumble match this year wasn't as good as last year or the one before.
The lack of crowd played a part, but there were some nice moments, such as Christian's in-ring return after years. We're not sure what it means for his future, but he happened to make it far longer in the Royal Rumble than expected.
But Edge was the clear star of the Men's Royal Rumble match, lasting 58 minutes and 30 seconds. The entire match was centered around him, and ultimately, he made it until the end.
Randy Orton was registered as having been in the Royal Rumble match as long as Edge, but he was out for almost the entirety of it. He returned at the end, only for Edge to eliminate him and win the Royal Rumble match.
Now the big question is who Edge will face at WrestleMania 37. While Randy Orton would be an obvious answer - Roman Reigns could be the Champion that he faces at the Grandest Stage Of Them All. They had a dream confrontation last year at the Royal Rumble, and they could have a dream match at the Showcase Of The Immortals
#5 The various storyline continuations at the Royal Rumble
In the Royal Rumble matches, there were quite a few storyline continuations that happened, and it happened underhandedly. Bayley had a great performance at the Royal Rumble, but it was her rival on SmackDown Bianca Belair who eliminated her - continuing their story.
Alexa Bliss' Royal Rumble appearance perhaps deserves a point of its own, but there's a lot to dig into. She was on the verge of transforming, only to get eliminated by Rhea Ripley. It was odd, and no explanation was given to it. But we'll find out more about that on RAW.
Damian Priest finally made a formal debut at the Royal Rumble and had an impressive performance - getting four eliminations.
In his brief Royal Rumble debut, Dominik Mysterio eliminated King Corbin - getting the better of his rival on SmackDown.
Hurricane Helms returned and had a nostalgic Royal Rumble moment - where he tried choking Big E and Bobby Lashley at the same time. It was a throwback to when he did the same to 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and Triple H.
What was most notable, however, was the fact that Seth Rollins returned at #29. He had a confrontation with Riddle, with who he supposedly has real-life heat. It seemingly confirmed that the beef was squashed after the commentators mentioned the two not liking each other.
#4 Sasha Banks cements her best title reign at the Royal Rumble
Sasha Banks is touching a 100 days as SmackDown Women's Champion. At the 2021 Royal Rumble, she faced Carmella in a title defense. Reginald entertained once again, but it was only a matter of time before he got sent away from ringside.
It was a shame because he added a lot to the match. Either way, Sasha Banks retained her title at the Royal Rumble in a solid bout. It wasn't that long, especially compared to the Royal Rumble matches, but it did its job.
Sasha Banks is surprisingly entering unchartered territory. Before this run as SmackDown Women's Champion, she hadn't held the title for a month or more. While we're not sure as to whether she will hold the title after the Royal Rumble until WrestleMania 36, we see no better option at the moment.
We wonder what the direction of Sasha Banks at WrestleMania is going to be. Is she going to be the Champion chosen by Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair?
#3 Bianca Belair steps up in the greatest Women's Royal Rumble performance
The Women's Royal Rumble match was arguably the weakest of the four in terms of star power, but for the fourth year in a row, WWE got the winner right. Bianca Belair joined Asuka, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair as a Women's Royal Rumble winner, but her individual performance was far better than any of the other three.
At 56 minutes, Bianca Belair put on the greatest individual performance in the history of the Women's Royal Rumble. She was the third entrant, after Bayley and Naomi.
She didn't get a high number of eliminations at the Royal Rumble, but she got four pivotal ones in the form of Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Rhea Ripley. It was the latter who she last eliminated to win the Royal Rumble. It's going to be interesting to see how WWE sets up her WrestleMania 37 match post-Royal Rumble. Some Superstars take faster than usual to rise to the top, and Bianca Belair might be one of those exceptional talents.
#2 Drew McIntyre has leveled up after his Royal Rumble win over Goldberg?
Drew McIntyre vs Goldberg for the WWE title opened the Royal Rumble PPV. It was a good way to start the show since it was never going to be a long match. To add to that, putting it in between matches would have made it a cool-off match, and fans would have likely had less interest either.
As expected, the WWE title match at the Royal Rumble lasted less than three minutes and comprised of three moves - The spear, jackhammer, and Claymore Kick.
It was an entertaining 2-and-a-half minutes nonetheless, and thankfully, Drew McIntyre retained the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble. It's WWE's way of saying that Drew McIntyre has taken it to the next level. As great as all his WWE title defenses have been, Goldberg is the biggest win he's had since Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
After the Royal Rumble, we can't see anyone else walking into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion. Drew McIntyre has been too good to deny. If Goldberg couldn't take the WWE title off him at the Royal Rumble, nobody can until the time is right.
#1 Roman Reigns finally finishes Kevin Owens at Royal Rumble 2021
Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns faced off in what is hopefully the final battle of their feud at the Royal Rumble. While they had a great TLC match, a solid Steel Cage match, the Last Man Standing bout at the Royal Rumble was by far the best.
Perhaps it helped that it wasn't plagued with interferences. Like the last two occasions, Kevin Owens proved to be on a very similar level - almost winning the Universal Championship.
When Kevin Owens had Roman Reigns handcuffed, he did it low enough that The Tribal Chief couldn't get up. But in a moment of brilliance, Roman Reigns saved the title at the Royal Rumble. He took the referee and slammed him away with one hand - stopping the count at 9.
What was good about the feud from TLC to Royal Rumble was the fact that Kevin Owens was protected thoroughly and never made to look weak. Roman Reigns is the right man to hold the Universal title now, so it's unfortunate timing for Kevin Owens.
