David Levin brings you his 2o19 WWE Royal Rumble thoughts–was it a good way to start the WWE’s 2019 pay-per-view efforts?

The worst thing WWE could do was book the AJ Styles–Daniel Bryan match after the Women’s Royal Rumble match. The second worst thing it did during the Pay-Per-View was reintroducing Erick Rowan as a possible member of a faction with the current WWE Champion.

It’s hard to explain it, but the WWE Championship match that was supposed to one of the better spots of the night fell flat. There was no energy in the stadium. There was no life among the 48,000 fans in attendance. For two of the company’s best performers and a match that could have headlined WrestleMania, it is an unfortunate circumstance.

It also proved WWE needs to do a better job of booking one of the four biggest PPV events of the year. Don’t get me wrong in what I am saying. The Royal Rumble deserved a “B+” for what the creative team wanted to accomplish.

With Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch winning their respective Rumble matches and Brock Lesnar retaining his Universal Championship, there is a chance to build on progress. It is also a statement that even with the success of rising stars like Sonya DeVille, Andrade, and Mustafa Ali, sticking to a script that is familiar is the best way to go. Not having Samoa Joe, Dean Ambrose or Drew McIntyre in the final four of the Rumble left me feeling a bit empty, but it was still an entertaining match.

Dean Ambrose getting eliminated makes it far less likely that Roman Reigns shows up in this #RoyalRumble

— Alfred Konuwa (@ThisIsNasty) January 28, 2019

Seeing Lynch rise from an outstanding SmackDown Women’s Title match with Askua to walk into the Women’s Rumble match and face Charlotte Flair with a date in New Jersey on the line was a stroke of genius. And for what it’s worth, someone please push DeVille, Mandy Rose [so we can stop hearing Corey Graves gush] and Ruby Riott toward the top of the company food chain. These women are so deserving of a spot in the main event.

I’d love to see Lynch and Asuka once again, make that five times in five nights. Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks was better than I thought it would be.

It’s hard to get me to like PPV events. I pick them apart, analyze the miscues and hope for something better. It’s my job as a writer and a wrestling fan. Sunday, despite a few missteps, I was happy with the overall product. That’s what professional wrestling is supposed to do.

WWE’s biggest flaw is follow through. At times, I feel there are moments when Lucy Van Pelt is holding the football for Charlie Brown. The company gives fans a great segue for what could be a great angle and then lets it fall flat. This time, with the momentum to build on, Elimination Chamber must carry the torch further.

Fans demand the creative team to better themselves in three weeks. They also want to see how the company builds the storyline of Rollins and Lynch for the next three months. It’s not hard to create a buzz when the best of the best lead the way. It’s harder though to keep the moment going. Let’s see how the company responds to a night it should be proud of.