Edge made a surprising return at the Royal Rumble pay per view. What
was even more surprising was the fact that management chose him as the
guy to win the big battle royale.
Edge Wins Royal Rumble
Every year, WWE announces the official participants in the big battle
royale match at the Royal Rumble.
Of course, they always leave a couple
of spots open. Sometimes, they use it for celebrity guest appearance
(Drew Carey in 2001), an aging former wrestler, or a wrestler returning
from an injury.
This year was no exception.
Fortunately, though, we didn't see any celebrities or old wrestlers
looking out of place in a match that's supposed to be one of the most
important ones of the year. Instead, we got to see the return of Edge,
who had been sidelined since last summer by a torn achilles tendon.
Not only did he make his return, but Edge also ended up being the last
man standing. He became the latest guy to get to point to the Wrestlemania
sign as the cameras go off the air.
Poorly Received
There are certain fans that will accept and applaud any and every thing
that WWE throws on television. Then, there are fans that are quite vocal
about things and aren't afraid to give their opinions.
Some liked the fact that Edge won the Royal Rumble, but there was a
large percentage of fans who were not pleased with the way things went
down. Edge winning the match was not a well received move.
It's not that the fans dislike Edge. He still remains one of the most
respected wrestlers in the business because of his dedication to the
trade.
No, fans were upset that he won because it throws off the preferred
storylines heading into Wrestlemania.
Fans don't want to see Edge wrestling
the Undertaker again. They also don't want to see him working a match
against Sheamus either. Then again, not too many people enjoy watching
anyone working a match with Sheamus.
Others were upset by what is perceived as the writers not
being creative enough with the ending. Fans cited the fact that Edge's
return basically mirrored the surprise return that John Cena made at
the 2008 Royal Rumble.
Overall Rumble Reception
Edge winning the match was simply just one problem. It wasn't the only
thing that led to fans giving a thumbs down to the Royal Rumble match.
Usually, the Royal Rumble is one of the better booked matches of the
year. It takes a lot of work in scripting a match so big, but the writers
have managed to pull it off for years.
This year, it simply did not feel the same.
The pacing of the match felt rushed. The overall time of the match was
the same, but the storylines simply did not pan out as well as they did
in years past.
Some of the wrestlers felt like they were simply thrown into the match
to fill up the 30 man slots. Everyone knows that the majority of the
guys in the match don't have a chance, but it was blatantly more obvious
this year than ever.
Closing Thoughts
Like most people, I'm glad to see that Edge is back in action. He's
a gifted performer that deserves to be able to entertain the world. However,
him winning the Royal Rumble just didn't feel right. |
