Sami Zayn & The Bloodline is the Best Storyline in Years - WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Review

[@wezleeclinton5850]

The countdown and the buzzer botching for the first time in a LONG time happening just as Nia Jax enters might be the most perfect coincidence I’ve ever seen.

[@djpegao]

That's not coincidence, that's just Nia being Nia

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I was thrilled to see her.

[@SamsarasArt]

The first thing Nia does upon her return was botch her own fucking entrance lmao

[@tyrone5969]

She even botches the production equipment!

[@MrBeardsley]

Yeah, I also enjoyed Cole mentioning that the most notable thing she’s done in her career was carelessly break Becky Lynch’s nose.

[@Max-vu1od]

That bray wyatt match was by far the best Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match i've ever seen

[@darius8715]

LOL 😂😆😆 well it Did the Dew!

[@TVindustries5000]

it certainly was a match that happened

[@whaduzitmatr]

@@TVindustries5000 definitely one of the matches I have ever seen

[@man.thegreat]

@@whaduzitmatr It is definitely one of the matches of all time in history

[@briantonkin7737]

Also the best sponsored match I've ever seen, lived up to exactly what I thought it would be

[@Hains22]

Gunther’s Ironman performance is epic. Also, it broke my heart to watch Jimmy beat up Sami, they were so close in The Bloodline. Cinematic excellence.

[@tyklug2013]

GOONTAH is so good that I was actively rooting for him the entire 2nd half of the match, would've been great to see an Intercontinental Champion actually win the Rumble for once, since as far as I know it's never happened

[@claymathewselevator8121]

The Ring General

[@ericdouglas7039]

Gunther is a guaranteed future WWE Champion

[@makeabrae]

be similiar to Hogan Warrior mania title vs title match if Gunther had just Warrior didnt win the rumble

[@EnclosedPoolArea]

Jimmy was two-faced. Jey was truthful when he told Sami that no one in the Bloodline actually liked him. Jey is the only one who is straight-up.

[@SteamTeamRedubUK]

This was the best example of what long-term storytelling can accomplish. From Jey walking out to Sami done acknowledging Roman, this proved to be the best storyline WWE has done in years. To think, Sami with the Bloodline was never supposed to be taken seriously and was supposed to be dropped after only a few weeks. When a PPV closes with a much anticipated payoff with a potential double face turn from Sami and Jey, you know they did something right.

[@christiankallio8586]

No way StreamTeamRedubUK crazy seeing you here. Love your videos just saw your review of Friendzy like an hour ago. Had no idea you're also a wrestling/wrestling with wregret fan. This is surreal

[@AzureRoxe]

It absolutely should NOT have been stretched for YEARS when it comes to Roman himself, but as long-term stories go, this is pure perfection and it's crazy to think that it started as more of a joke with Sami wanting to join the Bloodline.

[@Disneymagic24]

@@AzureRoxe you would be the minority if you didn’t like Roman

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Sami Zayn is such a great wrestler

[@Drb854]

Excatly! Its been incredible, and to think people are defending brays spooky stuff that is going no where as "great long term story telling"

[@AzureRoxe]

Idk if Dom being unable to rip up the mask was legit or not, but it played beautifully on his heel character since his entire thing is that he's fake tough.

[@SakAttack87]

He couldn't rip it.

[@tyrone5969]

Lol, perfect. But yeah, even big men who've done the whole "tearing off the mask" thing with Rey have difficulty doing it and need to spend time with it, even when they've gotten the mask and are actually trying to tear it up.

[@jagenigma]

Yup like the false king in Robin Hood.

[@Njbear7453]

You guys realize that a Lucha mask is made specifically so it doesn’t rip? Lol. It’s supposed to cover their faces for a reason

[@AzureRoxe]

@@Njbear7453 I mean, it's REY MYSTERIO'S SON. He's the first one that should know that. That's why idk if it was a "he's trying to rip it but fails because his gimmick is that he's fake tough" or "he tried to rip it normally for real and failed"

[@jcace13]

Gunther is really getting the respect he deserves on the main roster, a solid title reign so far and now a record-setting Rumble performance, you can't ask for much more right now. Cody and Rhea winning were really the only choices but both were impressive. The whole Sami thing has been the most compelling storyline on TV and it's only going to get more and more compelling as we go to Mania, RAW and Smackdown this week are unmissable.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Gunther is awesome

[@nikoadventures]

We’re on the road to wrestlemania!!!

[@jeremyhegg9367]

I kinda hope Gunther is the man to finally surpass Honky Tonk Man's IC Title record. They've been going after a lot of longstanding records lately, would be something to see someone break a record that has stood for almost 35 years and who better than Gunther to do it?

[@jackburton2680]

Do they use Sammi and possibly the exiting Uso brother being attacked and brutalized by the Bloodline as the motive/setup for The Rock's return, challenging the chief at mania?

[@Supervillain725]

I'm surprised Vince didn't turn him into a comely act. Have him goosestep and dress like COL Klink or something like that(HA HA. It's GOOD SHIT, pal).

[@Vol4Life75]

I’ve never been this early for a Brian Zane video

[@Dadude54378]

Same queen

[@EmHunt]

Congratulations my friend

[@MrNegativecreep07]

Bray's career feels like it could be summed up as "well it looked good on paper."

[@alexpereiraslefthook]

2013-2014 was his best work imo

[@michaelrivera8360]

It proves maybe too much creativity can be a bad thing

[@wezleeclinton5850]

It’s kinda starting to look bad for him after all these chances. Admittedly his first 2 runs weren’t really his fault, but he’s started to lose steam compared to peak Fiend.

[@moralesharold87]

@@wezleeclinton5850 If anything, it is looking like Vince was trimming the fat from his ideas and now he is doing his own thing and it is not that good. I want to like it but is not hitting.

[@skyatollah2skyharder276]

Some people are saying we need to have patience, but there's a difference between a slow burner and no progress, and no progress seems to be Bray in a nutshell.

[@thescott7539]

One of my favorite parts was finally seeing the teammates turning on teammates meme getting retired. Friends and allies worked together, from New Day to Sheamus and Drew, to Damage Control. It was refreshing to see it strongly used in both Rumble matches.

[@y0_jimb0]

Some day I'd love to see them finally answer the question that gets asked by commentary on every single Royal Rumble - what happens if a team is the final two?

[@TheSuckoShow]

Loved that. It doesn't even make sense to go friend vs friend unless they're the last two

[@BmanTheChamp]

Well, that was certainly refreshing but another thing I'd like to see gone forever is when a participant saves another from being eliminated. Well, unless they're trying to save their tag partner of course. It makes no sense, why would you save someone from being eliminated? Just means one less guy to worry about.

[@syxodude91]

@@BmanTheChamp Glad Cory Graves called that out during the rumble.

[@ConfusedProud]

Its not really a meme though is it? Its a fun little moment that makes kayfabe sense, and on of the rare opportunities you get to see partners fight while still a team. Hell, even NJPW makes teammates get serious against each other in the G1. Its a just a super logical storytelling device, nothing that deep to it.

[@yenkocamaro6965]

Gunther is really the MVP of the night. He was in there for almost an hour when he picked Braun up for a slam, damn impressive. Also, the commentary was fresh and hilarious tonight

[@michaelrivera8360]

And that pop he got for the Lesnar staredown😀😀

[@juliooquendo220]

Damm he put in the work Gunther

[@alonsoarana5307]

"For the folks watching on the Cockpeak, I mean Peacock" had me in tears lmao

[@claymathewselevator8121]

The Ring General

[@icetray2727]

I’m glad he lost all of that weight because I don’t think he would’ve lasted that long if he didn’t lose it.

[@rhedosaurus2251]

I really liked how Gunther was presented as a final boss in the Royal Rumble. Doing so while being the Intercontinental Champion also did a lot to further heighten the title and Gunther as well.

[@whaduzitmatr]

people were complaining there was no IC title defense but I think the rumble performance was much better for his character

[@zyshawnmoore551]

What a night for WWE! Both Royal Rumbles (in my opinion) were fantastic. Cody & Rhea got Rumble wins, Gunther had a star making performance, Liv had a great performance, Asuka brought back the Kana paint, A real emphasis on the showcase of the current stars of today and my god Sami Zayn & The Bloodline should win a Oscar.

[@austinwilliams7919]

@@goby1764 you're right, it was a very by the numbers type of Rumble, not too flashy. I like that there weren't any real surprises, but I would've genuinely liked the pop that Cody would've gotten if they kept that a surprise.

[@owl509]

A pro-wrestling segment with actual heat, you love to see it

[@starbreaker269]

Didn't even have to insult the fans and make fun of the local sports team

[@trystinlindsay5674]

I kind of liked the lack of surprises in the men’s rumble, shows how deep the roster is atm

[@cOnT3ST]

Idk Rumble is time for surprises and returns. Deep roster is a thing for regular TV programing

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

@@cOnT3ST Worked for me, as someone who hasn't been watching Smackdown and Raw. Besides, the surprise entrants are usually novelty pops or novelty confusion, who never factor into the whole thing. You know they aren't giving the win to someone who isn't under contract or can't put on a Wrestlemania main event.

[@gravitykat714]

@@cOnT3ST the problem is a lot of those surprised caliber people are to old for that now. I would’ve loved to have seen bron breakker make an entry tho

[@cOnT3ST]

@@gravitykat714 True. But I don't want them to enter title runs a-la Kevin Nash for example. I want a one-n-go performance. P.S. Bron is 100% future face of the company alongside Walter

[@oliverquach9614]

@@cOnT3ST Cody Rhodes, Edge, Booker T, Logan Paul were surprised and returns though.

[@talldarkandginger]

As someone from the UK who has no idea who he is, I'm really digging that "supposed" in reference to "country rock star, Hardy"

[@kingbrahma5005]

The fact Roman fell the same way he did when Seth turned on the Shield was hilarious

[@darius8715]

Beautiful storytelling!

[@ImionLordred]

Oh yeah you are right! Missed that

[@wstine79]

I'll have to say both men's and women's Royal Rumble matches were awesome. Gunter's dominance, Asuka's KANA, Roxanne Perez, and Cody's return where my favorites.

[@Flow_Easy]

Baby Face Zane strikes again! What really got me was Jimmy screaming at Jey: "THIS is your brother?! I'M your brother"! And just lays into Sami. Goodness what a storyline

[@KoolKeithProductions]

Exactly. But I really don't get what BZ means by if Sami and Kevin beat the Usos for the belts, "so what"? Um, so it means the destruction of the Bloodline is underway, and Sami was the key all along. I always said that once the Usos drop their belts, then so would Roman. Hell, it might happen in the same night, and all because he couldn't just accept Sami for who he was. He had to try to make Sami burn all his bridges along the way, and it's gonna backfire at WM. This is amazing storytelling.

[@j.r.765]

Past PPVs from the Triple H era are so well put together, this felt different. I think this was the first time that I expected the Rumbles to be booked more in Vince's style with more veterans and such. Like a withered trope, I was expecting some real surprise entrants. However, the post main event story told by the Bloodline was nothing short of brilliant, felt like a cutscene on Shakespearean proportions.

[@michaelrivera8360]

IMO I prefer the current roster getting shined and more using Rumble to build matches at Mania

[@joegardner851]

The thing that I noticed about this rumble is different from previous Vince’s era. Partners didn’t betray each other. Drew and Sheamus helped each other til they were eliminated. Damage control helped each other out.

[@stingrey1571]

i loved roman's reaction to sami's chairshot. he kind of no sold it. the way he reacted was more like,"Ah shit, im getting betrayed again?!?" it was a call back to the shield break up.

[@jamesprice6015]

Gunther and Sami are top tier talents and I honestly want to see them wrestling at Summerslam

[@pdill900]

Perfectly said about the closing segment of the show. Storytelling like this is the reason I watch pro wrestling

[@TheDatabaseNetwork]

There's only one solution to this: Cody Rhodes: WWE Championship Sami Zayn: Universal Championship Idk which night is gonna be which for this to happen. But this is the only solution.

[@mattheweubanks6163]

My only thoughts are simply that Gunther gave the IronMan performance. I'm hoping after this and his epic match against Sheamus, WWE will showcase the IC title more in their Preminum Live Events. Congratulations to Gunther, Rhea and Liv for becoming the 6th, 7th and 8th people to go coast to coast in a Rumble

[@BmanTheChamp]

I completely agree, having a midcard title on the line on TV is fine here and there, but I'd like to see them featured on PLEs more often, especially if the champion is in a feud.

[@SpanishFly120]

The whole situation at the end of the Reigns/Owens match with Sami, with Jey, with Roman himself, and everything else was crazy and amazing. The payoff and build for it was phenomenal, with how built up it all was. It's amazing storytelling, not just "from a wrestling perspective", but in terms of media in general.

[@tghooker5123]

Sami being able to get himself so over made this work as well as it did. Great acting by Roman as well.

[@westnile21]

Cole shitting on Top Dolla has become one of my favorite parts of his commentary

[@EzraDair]

The best part of the post match angle is when Roman was hesitant for the first time he gave his back to Sami - listen to the crowd gasp- he is still having PTSD from the shield betrayl that was so subtle but so fucking good!!

[@badyacht]

i dont remember the last time i heard a crowd explode like when sami hit roman with the chair. it was genuinely awesome and i cant wait to see where this storyline goes

[@alexs7670]

Not quite austen returning to clear the ring for the rock, but closer to linda standing up at x7. Really good stuff.

[@noUGames]

Noticed a lot of production botches. Also Elias can use his guitar in the RR but funny seeing the ref fight with Xia Li over bringing her spear to the ring.

[@adribbs]

If I may interject some kayfaybe, a guitar is viewed as a music item, not a weapon. Elias and Jeff Jarrett only get in trouble if they use it as a weapon. As for Xia Li, the staff is already classified as a weapon so no good. I know the RR is supposed to be no DQ but what I'm thinking.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

I mean, a spear is a weapon meant for literal murder. There's not a lot of lethal damage one can do with a guitar.

[@joegardner851]

they could’ve saw what Elias did and started to enforce that rule lol

[@Ryan13489]

That super phantom driver got the biggest pop/laugh from us. So random and perfect, and hilarious 🤣

[@castformer17]

Rhea Ripley's knee (or shoulder) dislocated and popped back into place around the start of the match. She's insane.

[@kendoncameron7229]

NFL Conference Championships and a new video from the Z man, What a day!

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Not a good day for 49ers fans 😬

[@hulk6785]

I'm so ready for Bray Wyatt's American Badass phase.

[@Tsweeney12584]

Bray Wyatt isn't even the drizzling shit juice from the end of the Undertaker's food poisoning diarrhea. Seriously, it's actually a bit annoying that they are trying to "pass the torch" between the two of them. Mean Mark is just 8 gajillion times the character Wyatt is.

[@Gabe413]

@@Tsweeney12584 is he? 99.9% of the "mystique" of taker was created by the fans.

[@Tsweeney12584]

@@Gabe413 yes. Because to get built up by the fans like that, you’ve gotta have a charisma all your own. He took a lumbering cemetery worker and made it a thing. He took a literal satanistic extension of that and got that over. He turned into a biker and got that over.

[@theodoretekkers]

I was surprised that the men’s rumble was the first event

[@keenanbeasley9440]

Me, my wife, and brother in-law, were there last night and that pop was totally insane when Sami hit Roman with the chair!!!!!

[@Maniac_Matt]

It sounded super loud on the broadcast!

[@JMC1396]

Man , I said that while I'd be happy for cody to get a deserved win (and I was) I'd still be upset because sami winning would be my favourite moment of all time. But what they did instead, like the rest of the story, was absolute perfection and I am just happy to see where it all goes from here because I have so much faith in this story. I think its my favourite wrestling story ever, everything just builds and builds, everyone's character is just so defined and makes complete sense, Jey hating sami but opening up once he realised he was always trying to help and never giving up on him, defending him, walking away when they attacked this person he now sees as a brother, it makes even more sense as jey was the original one to defy roman. Jimmy just doing what he's told without question and feeling offended when his own family won't do the same, Solo just being a hit man and wanting to hurt people, heyman just trying to look out for himself and follow whatever he thinks roman would want, not caring who he throws under the bus on the way. Roman feeling like hes in the right, no matter how despicable and manipulative he is. Feeling like sami is betraying him, the chair shot being like the shield breaking up, him convincing himself no matter how much sami is done he, sami is tearing the family apart and not him. Sami just wanting a sense of belonging initially being cowardly but becoming more and more brave the more accepted he felt, but conflicted whenever he felt he wasn't doing what was right, with finally his good nature coming out when he witnessed what they were doing to his old friend. Him conflicted with a chair reminded me a lot of r evolution when he struggled whether or not to hit neville with the chair. He did the right thing then by not using the chair, but this time he did the right thing by using the chair. I just love everything about this story and there's so much more left to be told about where everyone goes from here. I'm all here for it!

[@zxmoore1]

I’m so glad you mentioned the attire in the women’s rumble match. There was so much hair color and neon outfits that at one time I couldn’t tell who was who.

[@pillsburidoughboi]

The main event reminded me of Django Unchained, when Dr. King Schultz shoots Calvin Candie then looks at Django knowing his time was up. Sami Zayn finally seeing the monster Roman has become and couldn't continue to go on.

[@joeolivo8847]

I compared Sami's reaction to hitting Roman to the scene in Django when the dentist shoots Calvin candy. It was so amazing

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Great movie

[@SakAttack87]

The Bray match reminded me of my 8th birthday party when they did the laser lights at the bowling alley.

[@AndersonTenecela]

The two Royal rumble matches were decent, the pitch black match is prove that sometimes giving someone too much creative freedom isn’t the best😬, but the main event and the ending… I was at a bar watching this PPV and the shocking and screams coming from that moment was unbelievable😱🥺. Also Zelina Vega as Juri was 😍

[@michaelrivera8360]

Yeah poor Bray all this stuff is not getting him over

[@nickrzeczkowski9531]

That match was waaaaaay too short (feels like they realized they needed to cut time very early on and this match ended up being a victim). Pinfall would have been better if it had been after the Uncle Howdy dive

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

A 1000 year old man stage diving?😂 Uncle howdy moving up in the world Next will he's gonna be in Mosh pits.

[@TapathyWR]

lol Bray is the only one where people blame him instead of the company. It wasn't even that bad.

[@punklover99]

The MTN dew sponsorship didn't help

[@EzraDair]

The irony that it was the one who resented Sami all this time to be the one who never hurt him. Jimmy accepted Sami cause Jimmy is as his catchphrase “my dog” he is super loyal to Roman while Jay started to accept Sami from his heart cause he is acting on his own

[@cghensi]

I went to a bar to watch the Rumble. At first it was just me, the manager, and one of the guys staying there (the bar was in a backpackers hostel). We were making some noise and a bunch of people kept poking their heads in to see what was happening. Some of them were lapsed wrestling fans who stuck around to watch some more, some had never seen wrestling before but were kind of intrigued, and the rest just brushed it off as "that fake wrestling crap". That is, until the main event. Damn near every eye in the bar became glued to the TV during Owens vs Reigns, but even more so after the match. The feed actually started buffering when they handcuffed Owens to the ropes and everyone was hoping it would stop. The feed finally became stable again and then Roman handed the chair to Sami. Cue the murmuring among the bar. And when Sami hit Roman with the chair, I couldn't even hear the TV anymore because everyone in the bar who was watching absolutely exploded with joy. And I just found myself thinking, wrestling is a beautiful thing when done right.

[@11sdownie]

You’re the man Brian Zane! Love this channel.

[@NotsoseriousNick]

Fun fact about Zelina's SF6 collab: she was revealed to be an in game announcer too. EDIT: Another fun fact: this is the first rumble since 2014 I want to say where Dolph Ziggler has not been a part of it!

[@mychaeljones7526]

I love 💕 the Zelina Vega

[@allencarnes2477]

Roman got Shield flashbacks when he got hit with that chair by Sami.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Roman Reigns stay away from wrestlers holding steel chairs with names beginning with S

[@Aztyph]

"Wrestling is better than the things you like." - John Oliver, 2019

[@kenterminateddq5311]

I feel Ucey when Brian Zane reviews a major PLE/PPV. :)

[@silverback9572]

This was the best example of storytelling in years. I can’t remember the last time I was this invested in an angle

[@williammoore6128]

Throughout the show I couldn't help but notice Michael Cole throwing mad shade at Top Dolla☠

[@anthonyrivera2306]

Not only was Rhea busted open, she also dislocated her knee during her entrance stomp

[@SamsarasArt]

Also also also, that spot where Roman slams the back of Owens' head into the stairs was brutal

[@jasontidwell260]

The first time looked like a botch at first. I completely bought into it being a real injury.

[@SamsarasArt]

@@jasontidwell260 yeah it did. It was uncomfortable to watch

[@brianb99]

For the first time in YEARS, I'm actually going to watch Raw tomorrow night

[@ModestMcMichaels]

Bray Wyatt is the wrestling version of Tim Burton. Visually super creative, very little substance after his early days, some messed up hair, and has partners in his personal life way are absolutely gorgeous

[@heartgenerator4967]

Am I having a stroke or does the last half of this comment make no sense

[@yeehawmckickass]

You’re not. It fell apart at the end. I think I understand it but it took a few reads.

[@atenchifan]

I loved Bray Wyatt's tribute to Brodie Lee after uncle Howdy jumped!

[@GetOnMyHypeJP]

All the teenagers and kids in my house loved the Pitch Black match, I thought it was alright. It was easily the thing that they most connected with. Made me think that maybe I'm just not the target audience anymore which is 100% ok. We see so much of the same over and over again in wrestling, I respect Bray for taking chances on new things. Specially in this day and age when people shit on everything that doesn't align with their tastes.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

That's why I like Bray Wyatt because he makes you think what's gonna happen next. Too many fans nowadays are impatient and want instant gratification

[@punklover99]

I remember it being a big deal that Green signed to the wwe again. So glad they're using her to her full potential

[@MrBeardsley]

What’s really amazing about this whole Bloodline story is it started back when Vince was in charge and booking everything week-to-week. But somehow over the past six or seven months, Hunter and the creative team have been able to pull all the loose threads together and turn this into the most compelling thing in professional wrestling.

[@BmanTheChamp]

And that's the thing, were Vince still booking this would have been over months ago and nobody probably would have even remembered it.

[@MyDamnToys]

Was there front row for this show & My God. What a truly unforgettable experience. Great review!

[@deadwafflez9685]

I had a good laugh when Cole mentioned watching the monitor for 25 years like he was told when Corey told him to watch the action in the ring.

[@alexdan4ev375]

i was drinking water when the Bryan Danielson joke came up,and wow haven;t laughed like that,since forever also nearly died lol

[@JamFamSpooQ]

Baby Zane hating the Pitch Black Match is the most on-brand thing from this channel 😂

[@lunaitc]

The worst angles which aren't overtly sexual are always defended as "the kids like it", so showing that the kids do not in fact like it is a pretty good way to destroy that narrative.

[@LucaBlight25]

I love how Roman mentions to Sami before it all went down that if it wasnt for Roman, Sami would still be "doing Jackass sh*t" or something along those lines lol

[@GreatHealer.]

I think the reason why the POP at the end was so huge was because it was built up for such a long time like Brian said. Modern day this never happens.

[@randiddy6386]

I haven’t been this excited to watch wrestling in a while if I’m being completely honest. The bloodline story is beyond good, really looking forward to what’s to come.

[@phantomdriver2010]

Honestly I thought the pitch black match stuff was cool and I dig the Wyattverse although I do see the Cody in AEW similarity. The biggest issue for me is the match was short, didn't have time to become a really cool epic like It should have been

[@MrFallingcats]

I used to watch every WWE PPV with my best friend in high school and then I moved away for college in 2017. We kinda tried to keep up but it just got lost because we weren't gripped enough by the stories and we kinda fell out of love with wrestling. We still came together to watch either a Royal Rumble or a Wrestlemania every couple years, including last year where frankly we both just didn't get into it at all and thought it was kind of the end of the road for us watching WWE. We gave it one last shot with this Royal Rumble. We're both transfixed. I've been watching Raw and Smackdown every week, we're meeting up with each other way more often to watch the shows and we're gonna watch Mania together. The Bloodline and Sami Zayn have genuinely rekindled one of my closest friendships from high school and have us making train journeys to watch the shows together again. I couldn't thank them enough. Also sidenote: once I was back into wrestling again my love for this channel skyrocketed again. I've always stayed subscribed and enjoyed the content even when I haven't been watching any wrestling but now I'm getting in that Mania spirit and I'm going Zane crazy! Thanks for all the great work, Brian!

[@greatnezz10]

I loved when they are walking up the ramp and Roman tells Solo “We’re at war now Solo we take no prisoners now”

[@tyrone5969]

It says SO much that, after being with WWE for 25 years, it took Vince being removed for Michael Cole to genuinely be able to enjoy the job while seeming like an actual human.

[@johnenigma8506]

Regarding the Pitch Black match, it was so nice of WWE to help out Wrestlecrap with their inductions. Sidebar Where the hell is this Uncle Howdy story going? Honestly, I loved the way Adam from PartsFunknown booked the Uncle Howdy storyline a lot more.

[@emirlsanchos6302]

There's definitely a contrast of "Long-Term Storytelling" unfolding in conjunction. On the one hand, you've got the whole "Sami Zayn Betrayal" swerve that was built up solidly and even when you knew it was coming that didn't take away from the intrigue because they were upfront at where they were headed. On the other, you've got Bray Wyatt's "Uncle Howdy" storyline where week after week, it's left cryptic with no straight answers. And at this stage, Bray really needs to start doing some major reveals because there's only so much cryptic, ambiguous riddles one can take before it gets boring and directionless.

[@michaelrivera8360]

@@emirlsanchos6302 and for months as well it would be fine if it was literally him returning last month but like Brian Zane said and many others can we just have a straight answer and not be criptic all the time

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

@@emirlsanchos6302 What kind of match were you expecting? A 5 star clinic?

[@BrandanTheBroker]

Give Jey his damn flowers, that man has developed into one of the most sympathetic characters in WWE in this entire story from the beginning. Sami has hit his role out the park, but seeing Jey go from against Roman than with Roman then on the fence with Roman now you don't know where he stands. It makes you want to watch and see how it unfolds.

[@nflmastermind3770]

I’d have Roman defend one belt in one chamber match, one belt in another. Maybe have one for Raw, one for SD. Have him win the one for Universal belt, but lose the WWE title. Cody challenges for the WWE title, which his story is all about winning that belt, and Roman vs Sami for the Universal belt to conclude this story. That too me is the best way of getting to Mania. Keeps Roman strong since he has to fight two brutal matches and only loses at the last minute, gives Cody his world title match, and gives us Sami Roman at mania.

[@TheRealMaxWolf]

At the end of the women’s royal rumble match, I was honestly starting to hope Liv Morgan would win, the flip she did when she was eliminated was so clean, it looked great. I also liked how she sold the mist the to the face. Liv Morgan honestly should have won the Royal Rumble match last year in 2022.

[@TheSuckoShow]

I've been an on and off fan most of my adult life, but with the Bloodline/Zayn angle I'm legit hooked. This is what wrestling storytelling looks like when it's done right

[@Mr22222n00b]

Here's how both Sami and Cody can fit into Mania. Triple threat match, night 2. FUCKING. BOOK IT

[@Aragorn7884]

Brian is *100%* correct about the "Pitch Black" match 😬😬😬

[@michaelrivera8360]

Yeah summed up my reaction to it

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

@@michaelrivera8360 I respectfully disagree. I thought it was cool

[@jerranspearman3369]

good review

[@PUNKEYE1]

Personally I liked the pitch black match and bray Wyatt and the fun house alive was freaky enough. Bray Wyatt would be good in cinematic matches almost exclusively

[@doodoocheeks420ballsac5]

That's what I was thinking the Fun House cinematic match was 10/10 but in traditional matches Bray leaves much to be desired. If we kept Bray to cinematic only it would be Money.

[@fatbean2000]

I love Uncle Howdy when he jumps out then it's hit the elbow.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Agreed. It is just the Internet complaining for the sake of complaining.

[@dyhall]

@@lancethefilmguy9392 I mean, I was there, and it certainly wasn’t just the internet that thought the match was underwhelming. Maybe people have different opinions than you?

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

@@dyhall Maybe. I just think that fans were expecting too much out of this match

[@andreaswiesheu2240]

Well, the problem with the spookie Wyatt is, that they have no opponent for him that makes sense....

[@glennwelsh9784]

I believe that Triple H has said that Bray has lots of great, ambitious ideas, but they all come out a mile of minute and he really needs someone to restrain him from going all over the place. He needs to focus on one idea at a time. Uncle Howdy might be leading somewhere, but we keep getting appearances from The Fiend and the Firefly Funhouse puppets and Bray's backwoods cult leader gimmick. He really needs to just work on building Uncle Howdy and maybe save the other characters and gimmicks to reprise later.

[@lancethefilmguy9392]

Most Honest Take On Here

[@scootstix]

For the love of God, don't let WWE waste LA Knight

[@AlexTheRed1985]

You know you’ve done something right when an angle at the end of the Royal Rumble PPV gets a bigger reaction than the rest of the show. We haven’t had storylines like this in a very long time… BUT… I’m scared they booked themselves in a corner like they did with Danielson in 2014… A LOT of ppl are going to want to see Sami vs Roman for a title after this…

[@kanebravo953]

Have Sami and Jey be the final two in elimination chamber, Jey lays down to give Sami the Wrestlemania shot.

[@mrdude88]

No, WWE haven’t corner themselves yet. Reigns have two titles, Wrestlemania is two night. Sami Vs Reign on the opening match on night one with Reigns retaining due to some interferences. Rhodes Vs Reign (battle of two wrestling family) main eventing the Night 2 for the WWE Championship, with interference like on night one but Sami prevents the disruption, which ends with Cody being the first Rhodes to win the WWE Championship. Reigns can then lose the Universal Championship on Backlash and disappear for a few long months while other superstars and new storylines gets written in his absence.

[@TSKyanite]

@@mrdude88 You got what I have but backwards. I have Rhodes only challenging for the WWE title because that is what he cares about, but interferences on night one causes Rhodes to lose, but he causes a lot of damage to Roman. Sami with help from Jey (who teams with Owens against Jimmy and Solo) and Cody to repel the bloodline, and Sami taking advantage of the damage that Cody caused to Roman the night before means that he walks out of Wrestlemania with the universal title. I then would have Reigns mad at Cody about the loss(he doesn't care about the title, its more about his place as the head, as shown by how flippant he was in telling Owens he could have a title match). This would lead up to Cody winning the title at Summerslam(I associate Dusty more with Summerslam than mania anyway).

[@tyrone5969]

Not just bigger than the rest of the show, that was genuinely one of the greatest crowd reactions ever. They were cussing out Roman and booing the Bloodline out of the building. It honestly nearly reminded me of Hogan turning in '96 and I'm genuinely surprised they weren't throwing trash in the ring. I still don't follow WWE beyond review/recap content like this, but I'll happily say that this is one of THE greatest storylines in pro-wrestling history. They've played this to absolute perfection and I hope they can nail the landing. Because if they even come close to nailing the landing it will be, with all sincerity, one of the best things we've ever seen in pro-wrestling.

[@decepticonxhunter4850]

It doesn't matter what the fans think they want, nor should it. The logical thing to do would be to pair Sami and K.O. up to go after the Raw tag titles. Cody is already going after the WWE title, and SD has better contenders for the Universal title than Sami. Sami can play the part of being a thorn in the Bloodline's side along with K.O.. Him being kicked out doesn't automatically mean he should be in a world title match.

[@Hoesphhoestarr]

My only problem with the bloodline storyline is that KO has betrayed Sami Zayan so many times he shouldn't be sp sympathetic towards him

[@emerje0]

As a big Transformers fan and writer for a popular Transformers news site, yes, every time I saw the back of Cody's tights my brain kept saying "Decepticon symbol? Nope, not a Decepticon symbol... Decepticon symbol? Nope, still not..."

[@nathantravis5659]

I wasn't much of a fan of the match but the lighting was really cool. The kindo stix 😆

[@MontyR053]

Looked like a lightsaber honestly. If only they added the sound effects...

[@venomousnate7263]

I was there live. Man it was a whole lot of fun. Crowd was white hot all night.

[@MrNegativecreep07]

Except for the Bliss Bianca match, could have heard a pin drop when she won.

[@michaelrivera8360]

Man that crowd pop for Sami betraying Roman must have felt insane live

[@venomousnate7263]

@@michaelrivera8360 absolutely. Everyone was cheering for Sami.

[@MarcoBeSomething]

This was the first pay-per-view I’ve attended and overall it’s a solid Rumble plus my picks for both matches won. Cody and Rhea were absolutely the right picks, also seeing the Logan and Ricochet colliding live was awesome. So good that after the impact I forgot Logan was still in the match and resting on the outside, I only remembered as I saw him slowly creep alongside the barricade before eliminating Rollins. The only match I thought was a dud was the MTN Dew match; it was hard to see the wrestlers and the ending was confusing, from where I sat I barely caught the pyro going off. The women’s championship match afterwards was alright but definitely the second lowest on the card. I’m going to be going to my first SmackDown for my birthday in April, I’m excited to have even better seats to view the action.

[@wstine79]

Looks like another Roman Reigns faction has fallen apart with a chair shot to his back. Good for Sami.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Roman Reigns stay away from wrestlers with steel chairs with names beginning with S

[@andrewbaker966]

Do you think Jey is going to break away from the bloodline

[@michaelrivera8360]

I don't think so I think he reluctantly joins them back but at Mania because of his friendship with Sami,he let's Sami beat him for tag titles

[@q.h.s5051]

I don’t know what kind of fan this makes me but I was really satisfied with everything that happened last night. The whole mens rumble was great and set up so many mania matches, very happy for Cody too. A neat match for Bray and La Knight YEAH, Bianca and Alexa was rough and tough like I expected I lost my voice over Rhea winning and knocking the unsafe injury machine down a few pegs and the main event was great with emotion and action. Just a super fun night Very satisfied with my full return to WWE viewings (since Wrestlemania 36)

[@tyrone5969]

It makes you a fan that enjoys what they watch? I'm genuinely asking, do you think that fans aren't meant to enjoy it or that it's not cool to enjoy the content?

[@feature.of.jarjar24]

@@tyrone5969 Sounds more like a rhetorical than a genuine question, but I get what you mean. A lot of folks earnestly watch their wrestling content and enjoy it, but others also hate watch and just kinda turn on auto pilot and not show any enthusiasm.

[@q.h.s5051]

@@feature.of.jarjar24 Exactly. So many bitter fans nowadays and I just want to have fun. Just wanted to know if I was back to normal or not

[@godlikecedar7877]

Felt with the pitch black match it was camp bullshit, and I loved it. Wish it went longer with more weapons spots but I liked it. The women’s title match was just meh for me but the rest of the night was great

[@adsavage1276]

Although there was some bad moments in the show, the Mens Royal Rumble, The last few minutes of the Women Royal Rumble, and everything about the Bloodline & Kevin Owens was just perfect

[@wstine79]

Looks like Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano are really excited to watch the latest Brian Zane pay-per-view review with some Mountain Dew Pitch Black soda.

[@SirDawkster]

Sami hitting Roman with the chair made me pop so loud.

[@MontyR053]

KZbin has been my sole way of keeping up with any WWE storyline for years now, but even I cheered Sami on when he was about to hit Roman. Right at the smack, I yelled "BOOM! Fuck you Roman!" You know a story is good when it gets a reaction like that 👍

[@chronovac]

Not to be a fantasy booker, but I feel like the safest bet would be to split the belts between Sami and Cody.

[@danieltuma]

I'm pretty sure that Cody's attire was based on Homelander, and I loved it.

[@peterversionone]

The pitch black match was an advertisement for Mountain Dew

[@punklover99]

Well... Yeah

[@Octoberavenged]

That pitch black match would be perfect for Naomi - it very much reminds me of her entrance

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Or Batman Forever

[@djpegao]

With that match and all the women's wearing Neon I thought she was coming back..... maybe foreshadowing??

[@brandonrorie2267]

I was telling my cousin last night I think they should've switched the rumble outcomes Cody should have came out #1 and Rhea should've came out at #30 it's a better story to me

[@mychaeljones7526]

Or both as #1?

[@brandonrorie2267]

@@mychaeljones7526 yeah that would've been dope too

[@decepticonxhunter4850]

Cody outlasting Brock, Lashley, Braun, and Omos wouldn't have been the least bit believable. It was hard enough for me to believe Cody could eliminate somebody like Gunther without him being booked as the winner.

[@brandonrorie2267]

@@decepticonxhunter4850 right no disrespect to Gunther But if Cody is supposed to have this triumph type story he should've been number 1

[@drenkrod9811]

Controversial opinion, possibly, but I think putting the Pitch Black match in the *games* would work really well, especially since you can use the black light material in custom attires. It does just seem like a no DQ match otherwise, but that's my go-to in 2K games anyway. Yeah it sucked, but I think that's purely down to the performance itself. Maybe don't book it in an actual show again, especially if the live crowd can't see it, but in the games, you can pretty much follow everything most of the time, and if they restrict it to a specific arena for it, that'd help visually as well.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

That would be cool

[@BlackWind-rx5il]

That main event was seriously one of the best things I've seen in wrestling, period. And I'm not a WWE diehard, I'm not into tribalism and brand loyalty, I love wrestling in general and I'll watch what entertains me. And I've not been entertained by WWE for a long time. But this level of storytellin, this attention to details, this patience in developing characters and motivations week after week....*THIS* is what me and a lot of people critical of WWE in the last ten-fifteen years have been talking about. This is what wrestling can be, what WWE can be. Professional wrestling IS entertainment. And look how good it can be when in charge of booking it is an actual professional wrestler who loves professional wrestling and not an old senile pervert narcisist. THIS is what people have been asking of WWE.