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WWE Royal Rumble 2022 had lofty expectations heading in based on an awesome pay-per-view lineup.
The Premium Live Event had plenty of noteworthy moments.
From the high stakes Universal Championship opener to Brock Lesnar losing the WWE Championship and then winning the men's Rumble match, there were many headlines coming out of the show.
The in-ring quality was consistently solid throughout the night, but the booking hindered things at times.
The roster of WWE stepped up and tried their best to deliver an entertaining night.
There was plenty of variety for the fans with a story-based Universal Championship Match, surprises in the women's Rumble match, a shocking finish from Lesnar vs. Lashley, and the memorable winner of the Men's Rumble.
In this article, let's take a look at the star ratings for every match at WWE Royal Rumble 2022.
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
From the onset, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship was an excellent way to kick off the show.
Rollins received a huge pop for his throwback Shield entrance in full gear through the crowd. The Visionary was in top form, clearly with a mental edge in this encounter.
Rollins powerbombed Reigns through the commentary table at ringside and almost got the victory with the Stomp. The latter and the Pedigree reversal of the spear were the closest nearfalls for the challenger.
Roman came close to a win with the spear for a nearfall. He then hit another, which Rollins responded to with a Shield fist pump and laughter.
The chemistry on display was tremendous. The in-ring work was top-notch, while the psychology was stellar. The finish worked for the story being told of Seth getting into Roman's head.
Reigns locked in the guillotine choke and made Rollins pass out, but the referee inadvertently placed Rollins' hand on the ropes.
The Tribal Chief didn't accept this and wouldn't release the hold, leading to the disqualification ending.
The post-match made things more acceptable with Roman calling back to the Shield breakup by battering Seth with a steel chair. Overall, this was a great match that may have been marred a bit by the finish.
Star rating: ***3/4
Women's Royal Rumble Match - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
The 30-Women Royal Rumble Match has become more exciting for fans than the men's iteration.
It was a fun contest to watch unfold, with WWE doing a wonderful job of spreading out the returning and rising stars in a way where there was always something interesting going on.
There were negatives like Sasha Banks lasting 10 minutes or Melina and Kelly Kelly having brief runs in the match. Bianca Belair was once again the "Iron Woman" for a third straight year, while IMPACT Knockouts World Champion Mickie James had a nice stint.
Ronda Rousey's return will be the most talked-about moment. She came in dominant and finished with four eliminations.
Rousey's final elimination of SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair finished off a rollercoaster of a ride that was the women's Rumble.
Star rating: ***1/4
Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop for the Raw Women's Championship - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and Doudrop had the inenviable task of trying to follow the women's Rumble match.
Not only were the fans given plenty to enjoy from the previous bout, but they were distracted by the burning WrestleMania sign following Ronda's pyro celebration.
Despite everything working against this contest, Becky and Doudrop put on a solid in-ring matchup.
The challenger used her power, size, and strength to control Lynch, while the champion pulled out new moves to throw her bigger opponent off.
In the end, Becky defeated Doudrop with a top-rope Manhandle Slam to retain the RAW Women's Championship.
Star rating: ***
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship was one of the most anticipated contests on the WWE Royal Rumble 2022 card.
The two men have had parallel careers, with many fans comparing the two for their physiques and amateur wrestling history.
The WWE Championship bout was what many expected, with the two superstars hitting huge moves.
They traded spears, german suplexes, and F-5s. The referee was taken out, which led to Roman Reigns interfering to cost Brock the title.
The finish was well executed, with Paul Heyman betraying Lesnar to align with Reigns, but the match fell short of lofty expectations.
Star rating: **3/4
Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz and Maryse was exactly what many fans could have imagined. Both couples looked stunning in matching attire.
The stars of Miz and Mrs. fit into their characters, with The Miz using his wit to gain an advantage on the competition. Maryse put in a MVP performance and looked out to prove to the wrestling world that she can still go.
The GRIT Couple looked amazing together and worked even better in execution. The Rated R Superstar pulled the crowd in with his selling and built well into the hot tag to the Glamazon. Beth getting her hands on Maryse felt satisfying for the fans.
The finish saw the GRIT Couple pull out a double spear and stereo Glam Slams to win.
Star rating: ***
Men's Royal Rumble Match - WWE Royal Rumble 2022
The men's Royal Rumble match always carries a lot of hype and buzz around it. The 30-men spectacle is often mentioned as the WWE Universe's favorite match of the year.
The lineup for the 2022 iteration didn't leave much enthusiasm, though. It was heavy on midcarders and tag team performers, which quickly became evident.
The match started with AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura calling back to their rivalry from a few years ago. There were a few tag team superstars and midcarders with celebrity cameo Johnny Knoxville and the gigantic Omos being standouts.
The contest didn't get truly interesting until Drew McIntyre returned at the #21 spot. He quickly disposed of his rivals, Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss.
Stars like Kevin Owens and Big E came in the later entries, but they did nothing to truly stand out, unfortunately.
This seemed like a men's Rumble where nothing seemed to go right. Kofi Kingston's yearly elimination was botched.
The surprise returns of Shane McMahon and Bad Bunny helped the St. Louis crowd pop. Still, they didn't result in much with interactions with Austin Theory and Damian Priest respectively not happening.
Rey and Dominik Mysterio weren't even in the contest at the same time after teasing for weeks.
Randy Orton got a huge reaction in his hometown, but he barely did anything outside of a RKO symphony with Riddle after his entry. It felt like the competitors and the fans were waiting for Brock Lesnar to enter.
The Beast Incarnate came in #30 and quickly dismantled the competition in the ring. He eliminated four superstars in convincing fashion.
It finally came down to Lesnar and his WrestleMania 36 opponent Drew McIntyre. Despite teasing a longer showdown, Brock quickly threw McIntyre over the top rope to win the men's Royal Rumble match.
Star rating: **
