The Road To WrestleMania has officially begun, with plenty of finger-pointing taking place, the landscape of the biggest show of the year is starting to take shape. The Royal Rumble kicks that off in a big way every year, and the 2023 show was no different in that regard, with a fun night of wrestling getting people excited for the impending future.

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The show featured the two annual Rumble encounters, a couple of title bouts, and a brand new stipulation encounter, providing something fresh for everybody to enjoy. There was a range of quality in these matches with lots of great moments for people to enjoy, with each one offering something different.

5 Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight (Pitch Black Match)

LA Knight wrestles Bray Wyatt

Nobody knew what to expect from the Pitch Black match heading into it, and it's unlikely anybody wants to see another one. This was a dark match with lots of glow-in-the-dark paint, and while things popped visually, including Bray Wyatt's unique face paint, this once again highlighted the fact that WWE struggles to book matches for Bray Wyatt.

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This lasted just five minutes with very little in-ring action to get people excited. With this being his first match back, people did expect more and it was more about the post-match attack from Uncle Howdy than anything else. Sadly, the encounter itself was just lacking in overall in-ring quality to get anybody excited.

4 Bianca Belair (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women's Championship Match)

Alexa Bliss vs Bianca Belair

This match was absolutely fine, with nothing about it being offensive, yet at the same time, it was equally uninspiring and never truly kicked into the second gear to feel like a PPV-worthy title encounter. This was a rather basic in-ring encounter that was kept fairly short and sweet, but it didn't seem like it ever got out of second gear.

There was a lack of believable near falls in this one which was a shame because Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair are talented workers that are capable of a lot more. However, they told a simple story of Bliss showcasing her aggression as Belair overcame it to retain the title. All eyes are on Belair now as she may be destined to battle fellow young stud Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39.

3 Women's Royal Rumble Match

Rhea Ripley wins the Rumble

This wasn't the strongest women's Royal Rumble match in history, but it was still a solid encounter. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan were the stars of this show as they entered #1 and #2 and were the final two ladies standing as well. Their efforts were incredible and they helped thread the entire match together.

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The encounter had some great story moments from the return of Asuka with her darker character to the continuation of Bayley and Becky Lynch's issues, with Damage CTRL dominating the Rumble itself. There were some fun surprises to be had, most notably the return and subsequent lightning fast elimination of Chelsea Green, and there was also some great in-ring action overall which helped to tell a fun story throughout the entire match. Ripley stood victorious by the end and punched her ticket to a championship match at WrestleMania 39.

2 Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match)

Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns always puts a lot of effort into his major singles matches, and this was a good example of that as he and Kevin Owens went back and forth with a hard-hitting main event. This match had layers of story due to Sami Zayn's presence at ringside, and that helped to create a dramatic encounter.

Owens brought the fight to Reigns, connecting with a lot of major moves as he also refused to be beaten. Eventually, Reigns had to go to the extremes of launching Owens' head into the steel stairs, which was a brutal finish. But this match was all about the angle that followed. The post-match moments here with Zayn hitting Reigns with a steel chair is one of the greatest endings to a show in WWE history as he and Owens were left beaten down by The Bloodline.

1 Men's Royal Rumble Match

Men's Royal Rumble Cropped

This was the opening encounter and it kicked off the show in a fantastic way with a well-booked, competitive Royal Rumble match. There were several stories told in this one, from The Judgment Day dominating a good section of the match and Edge getting some revenge, Logan Paul setting up a future match with Seth Rollins or Ricochet, and Sheamus and Drew McIntyre looking great as a unit.

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But this was all about Cody Rhodes and Gunther. The Intercontinental Champion went from #1 right until the end, with Rhodes coming in at #30 to win it all. He got plenty of time inside the ring as well though, and the finish between the two men created a fascinating climax that had people on the edge of their seats. The encounter was full of storytelling, and that is when a Rumble is at its best.