Best and Worst Booking Decisions of 2023 WWE Royal Rumble Results

WWE Royal Rumble 2023 was definitely one for the books. The event made up for its lack of surprises and non-stop action with high drama and the spectacle that the company does better than anyone else.

For better or worse, WWE excels at creating moments. Sometimes, its pursuit of a memorable occasion can come off contrived. However, the company can still surprise us and knock one out of the park with the right cast of characters and an engaging storyline.

Royal Rumble delivered some amazing appetizers to wet fans' appetites for WrestleMania 39. The correct winners came out on top in both men's and women's iterations of the iconic stipulation match. More importantly, WWE masterfully advanced its biggest storyline, leaving the viewers dying to see what happens next.

All in all, the company had more hits than misses on the first show on the road to The Grandest Stage of Them All. These are the best and worst booking decisions from Royal Rumble 2023.

Best: Cody Rhodes' Royal Rumble Win

It would be easy to say that Cody Rhodes' triumphant return to win the men's Royal Rumble match was predictable. Most of us could see it coming a mile away when he joined the fray as the final entrant.

Nevertheless, WWE told a tremendous story within the 15 minutes he was in the match. Gunther looked unstoppable as this year's iron man. The reigning intercontinental champion entered the battle royale as the first participant and lasted for an hour and 11 minutes, racking up five eliminations.

So, once it got down to the final threat The American Nightmare and Seth Rollins reluctantly worked together to try to eliminate him. This was an excellent way to revisit their rivalry and illustrate that their priority was to win the match at all costs.

Ultimately, Logan Paul stepped in and removed Rollins from the equation, which will likely set up a showdown between the two at WrestleMania. This was brilliant because it stacked the odds against Rhodes.

Now, he was standing across the ring from a wrestler he mocked during his time with AEW. Even more, the scenario involved an outsider who would've probably landed a better position than him with WWE seven years ago.

To continue his journey, the second-generation wrestler had to outlast his biggest rival since his return, a well-known influencer, and a man who has turned others' chests into hamburger meat fresh off a pectoral injury. It was a fun ride that made an anticipated win feel even more rewarding.

Worst: Rey Mysterio's Absence

Rey Mysterio's clash with his son Dominik was anticlimactic, to say the least. Their dysfunctional relationship was one of the most interesting sub-plots heading into the men's Royal Rumble match, and the latest development happened off-screen.

After Mysterio never made it to the ring, Dom entered the match as entrant no. 18 wearing his father's mask. Then, he noticeably struggled to tear his trademark mantle in half as he slowly made his way down the aisle.

The implication was that he attacked the world-famous luchador before his entrance, leaving him unable to compete. It's a solid idea to give Dominik the spotlight and continue to prolong their inevitable one-on-one match.

However, the execution made it unclear, and we never got an update on what actually happened. This probably would've worked better with some fine-tuning because it came off as a bit of an afterthought when WWE devoted so much screen time to it before the event.

Best: Rhea Ripley's Return to the Top of the Mountain

There was plenty to like about this year's women's Royal Rumble match.

Asuka made a show-stopping return in the clown makeup she wore as a freelancer in Japan. Damage Ctrl dominated until Becky Lynch finally arrived and eliminated the women's tag team champions.

Liv Morgan's defiant performance as the second entrant delivered. Piper Niven also officially dropped Doudrop and went back to her original ring name, which was a pleasant surprise.

Still, the finish of the match was an outstanding use of the outcome of the 2021 iteration. Last week, Rhea Ripley vowed that she wouldn't let friendship get in the way as she did with Bianca Belair. The Aussie wouldn't smile, get back in the ring with someone, and give them a chance to beat her again.

This time, she is going in to win and head to WrestleMania. The Eradicator was true to her word as she watched her former tag team partner flail around on the apron after Asuka blinded her with green mist. Ripley narrowly escaped The Empress of Tomorrow and decisively eliminated Morgan instead of coming to her aid.

Showcasing the evolution of her character since she finished as the runner-up two years ago was a nice touch. It adds another layer to her bid to challenge Belair for the WWE Raw Women's Championship.

Worst: Chelsea Green's WWE Return

Chelsea Green's return to WWE as entrant no. 20 was a great surprise. Nevertheless, it wasn't much to write home about because she only lasted five seconds.

One could argue that it created a controversial spot that will spark discussion about her. After all, it's better to have fans talking about you after a long match instead of a forgettable performance.

Still, Green is an entertaining wrestler with more to offer than a one-note joke as an exit. New fans didn't get to see what she could do. Their first impression is that she couldn't hang with some of the best superstars in the women's division.

To put this in perspective, Michelle McCool, the only legend in the match, even lasted for 13 minutes and 53 seconds.

Her return could work out in the long run. Regardless, it seems counterproductive to reintroduce someone and immediately illustrate why she can't hack it for a quick laugh.

Best: Sami Zayn Turns on Roman Reigns

The aftermath of Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship was easily the highlight of the night.

The tension between Reigns and Sami Zayn has been building up for weeks and WWE gave us an incredible pay-off to its hottest storyline. After The Tribal Chief annihilated the challenger, The Bloodline gathered in the ring and attempted to make an example of their most persistent nuisance.

Finally, Zayn stepped in to stop the carnage and defend his longtime friend. In the end, the Honorary Uce stood up to The Head of the Table. The Canadian star poetically hit him in the back with a steel chair just as Seth Rollins did when he turned on The Shield in 2014.

As we saw last year, Reigns never truly forgave The Architect for his betrayal. That festering wound could've fed his insecurities and demand for unwavering allegiance as The Tribal Chief.

For his troubles, the undisputed champion and The Bloodline beat Zayn down and banished him from The Island of Relevance. Everyone else fell in line except Jey, who refused to hurt his newfound friend and went backstage.

The end of Royal Rumble 2023 was a masterpiece. WWE couldn't have handled the end of this chapter of the story any better. This segment was a fantastic example of everything we love about pro wrestling storytelling.

The reaction when Zayn hit Reigns with the chair was deafening and it worked so well because it felt earned. The culmination of weeks of decompression felt satisfying because we've been along for the ride with all of these characters for so long.