Richard Reacts Radio Featuring Royal Rumble Analysis & Why That Wasn't Supposed To Happen

Great audio, Richard. However there’s one thing that I just wanted to comment on.

I wouldn’t say I disagree with the whole “revamp the Royal Rumble on the fly” point that you made… I just feel it was implausible. Bryan is a pro, I get that… but how would everyone react to Bryan randomly entering? It would fall into disorganised chaos, surely. No-one would know whether Bryan was going over or not, what spots to work with him, e.t.c. Plus isn’t Batista promised a ME match at Mania in his contract? How couild they possibly un-do that legally binding contract to give Bryan his spot?

That being said, WWE just can’t deny the #YESMovement any more. Bryan single-handedly overshadowed the two biggest matches on the card without even being there. He needs a big-time Mania match… or the fans are going to turn on WrestleMania 30. Now that will be damn well embarassing.

The crowd didn’t care about the Wyatt’s interfering in the title match either other than thanking Bray for ending the match.

As a sports fan, I see WWE as light hearted entertainment. I watch it, not because I have favourite wrestlers, but because I like to see story lines unfold,

Watching the Royal Rumble Sunday night, I joined the live feed on WNW to see how others would react to how the PPV played out. Ill admit, I was surprised that Daniel Bryan wasn’t included in the rumble but at the same time, I can understand that the WWE has to build up other wrestlers too. I made a point to say that I didn’t want Batista to win it, because he was a ‘part time talent’ although I was corrected on this. I still don’t think he deserves it as he has just come back. I’d have loved Bryan to win it, purely because I get a kick out of how the audience would’ve reacted…. it would take me back to when I was a child watching and Stone Colds music came on, or the Undertakers music hit, it would’ve given me goosebumps.

For me, the bryan vs wyatt match was great, the crowd were pumped. the big show vs lesnar match a disappointment, but if they want to see lesnar as a human wrecking machine, he needed to do this. the cena vs orton match, yes ive seen it many times, but wasnt against seeing it again, I agree, the match was actually pretty good, and the crowd made it better, orton posing when they were chanting ‘we want divas’ made me chuckle, but for me, i wish superstars would react to the crowd like that more often, jericho was a great example of this, most of the time, i think the superstars forget the crowd are there and go through the motions… I’d love to see more superstar vs crowd during matches, it makes it more fun.

Then there was the rumble itself… I thought to myself throughout that I was impressed with the work from ALL the superstars, there was a lot of wrestlers at one time, and i dont think there was a time where there was only 2 superstars waiting for the next one to come in… It had a great flow.

Now, I love the old skool wrestlers, and love the rumble for bringing back former wrestlers to the match, but i dont think it was booked well. Nash (hunters friend) seemed an odd entrant, as did JBL. Id have preferred to see jake the snake, flair, michaels, ron simons or each hacksaw himself, i felt the old skool was a little lack lustre.

Ziggler and Seamus’s return was great as was an NXT entrant, but there were so many names missing… RVD, Jericho, brodus clay, xavier woods, barrett… This year wouldve been the best year to make it a 40-man rumble in my opinion.

The PPV lacked matches, but i enjoyed it thoroughly, to the point I couldnt wait to watch Raw due to the fact Bryan WASN’T in the rumble, and to see how it played out. I wouldn’t have been so keen if Bryan had won the rumble, and I don’t think im the only one out there.

Ultimately, the WWE has the best talent that it has ever had in my opinion, but the crowds are changing, they want interaction on facebook, twitter, the app… and now the crowd wants it live at events, give it to them. Its not disrespectful, its light hearted, and the superstars should play on it.

The rumble scored a C.. It wouldve got an A if the Tag Titles match was on the show, and the rumble had better old skool entrants. Thats my view anyways.