Monday’s edition of Raw emanated from WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, due to the winter storm that smashed into the east coast. Instead of cancelling the show, the company decided to air the entire Triple Threat match from the 2015 Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship as part of the broadcast.
Most of the fans who witnessed the Royal Rumble pay-per-view live understood how great the Triple Threat was at the time, but after watching the match again, it was clear that the bout had saved the PPV from being regarded as one of the most disappointing in recent history.
The success of the WWE Championship bout was due largely to Brock Lesnar. The former NCAA collegiate wrestling and UFC heavyweight champion is an absolute physical freak, and his ability in the ring is unparalleled. After watching him throw challengers John Cena and Seth Rollins around like rag dolls, there is no questioning the raw strength of The Beast.
One aspect of Lesnar's game that doesn't get nearly as much credit is his ability to sell. Whether it was making Cena or Rollins look strong, Lesnar has the ability to help the WWE Universe believe his opponents have a shot to win against him by selling moves properly.
The man who truly stole the show Sunday night was Rollins. This was his first real opportunity as a singles competitor in the WWE to shine on the big stage. With two of the biggest names in the business around him, Rollins looked extremely confident, and it showed throughout the match.
Using huge moments that included diving from the top turnbuckle through the Spanish announce table and hitting the Phoenix Splash on Cena, Rollins made it clear that he was the most gifted technical wrestler in the match and one of the top high-flyers on the roster. Add in his ability to react to the contrasting styles of Lesnar and Cena on the fly, and Rollins proved the future of the WWE is very bright.
As much as some fans don't like him, another major reason this Triple Threat was successful is Cena. The 15-time champion has the ability to rise to any occasion and bring his performance level to the caliber of the challengers he is facing. With two of the best in Rollins and Lesnar standing in front of him, Cena understood the magnitude of the match and shined bright.
Cena’s versatility was on full display, and his willingness to make both look strong at times is one of the reasons he has been on top of the mountain for so long. There is no doubt he got plenty of offense in during the bout, but Cena made it clear that this match was a vehicle to further Lesnar as a dominant champion and Rollins as the future face of the company.
With each participant in the Triple Threat taking this opportunity and running with it—and the correct wrestler earning the victory in exciting fashion—this was an almost perfect match. The crowd in Philadelphia loved this bout, and the fans sitting at home were treated to a fully immersive Royal Rumble moment.
While the 30-man Battle Royal that closed the PPV disappointed many in the WWE Universe, the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship will be regarded as one of the best of the year and the saving grace of this event.
For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics, or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).
No comments:
Post a Comment