Title: Royal Rumble 2023
Producer: WWE
Running Time: 309 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: March 20 2023
(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)
This is our DVD review for WWE Royal Rumble 2023!
Royal Rumble 2023 Under Card
The opening match is actually the 30-man Royal Rumble, a first for the iconic PPV. As for the match itself: it’s a very entertaining bout that is easily superior to the 2022 edition. I do feel that it will receive less fondness upon future viewings in comparison to legendary years such as 1992, 2001, and 2004. But it’s still well worth watching, and of course, Cody Rhodes achieves his biggest victory to date by coming out on top. But the question is, can he go one step further and capture championship gold at WrestleMania 39? We will soon find out.
Next up is the highly divisive Mountain Dew Pitch Black match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. I personally liked the crazy lighting effects, but the match itself and its aftermath are just strange. That’s par for the course for Wyatt, but it’s like we’re watching a first draft of an idea play out. That Wyatt has since disappeared from TV again isn’t a good sign. Meanwhile, Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss is a Raw-level match, and the post-match scene has another Wyatt element. Considering how amazing his comeback was at Extreme Rules, this show suggests that the buzz surrounding Bray has evaporated.
Main Events Of Royal Rumble 2023
The women’s Royal Rumble match gets things back on track, even if it’s largely uneventful for significant periods. The highlights are the various surprise entrants, as well as the cool finishing sequence. Rhea Ripley’s victory elevates her standing, and now we wait to see if she can dethrone Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. Because surely Charlotte isn’t defeating Rhea at WrestleMania again … right?
Now, the final match sees Roman Reigns successfully defend his Universal Championship against Kevin Owens in a decent bout. But the real talking point is the post-match angle where Sami Zayn finally turns on the Tribal Chief. The crowd reaction to Zayn whacking Reigns with a steel chair is an all-timer. And the beatdown that follows for Sami makes this a defining angle of this era of WWE. In all seriousness, you could solely watch this angle and deem the show a major success on that alone.
Royal Rumble 2023 Summary
It’s a bit of a topsy-turvy production, really. The Rumble matches are strong, and should serve as the selling point. But the Bloodline segment at the end of the night steals the show and is essential viewing. The other matches, meanwhile, aren’t worth wasting your time on seeing. On the whole, though, it’s a rather enjoyable PPV that nicely begins the Road To WrestleMania 39.
