Twitter Reacts to Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, Other WWE Royal Rumble Highlights

There is excitement and energy around the WWE product as WrestleMania season approaches, and as the first stop on the road to the annual extravaganza, the Royal Rumble pay-per-view trends heavily on social media, particularly Twitter.

Thanks to some dramatic matches, unforgettable moments and a massive mainstream debut, the event dominated the conversation on the popular platform.

From Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka's victories to Rey Mysterio's shocking return, these were the most tweet-worthy Superstars Sunday night.

Oh yeah...and Ronda Rousey.

Shinsuke Nakamura Wins Royal Rumble, Selects AJ Styles for WrestleMania

Despite facing seemingly insurmountable odds in the form of company golden boys John Cena and Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura won the 2018 Royal Rumble Sunday night in Philadelphia, much to the delight of the fans inside the Wells Fargo Center and those clinging to their phones and laptops, plugging away on Twitter.

Everyone from Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert to the NFL's Adam Rank weighed in on The Artist's victory and his announcement he will challenge WWE champion AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34:

The Wrestling Observer account gave fans a taste of the history between The King of Strong Style and The Phenomenal One:

Amid the energy and excitement of the victory, Fighting Spirit Magazine's Justin Henry snapped fans back to the reality of the situation:

The closing moments of the Rumble were phenomenal, with WWE Creative playing up the tension between the old (Cena and Reigns) and the new (Nakamura and Finn Balor) and creating genuine suspense over who would emerge victorious.

Nakamura, after months of questionable booking by management, is heading to WrestleMania to face Styles in one of the most anticipated matchups WWE has presented since Cena vs. The Rock in 2012.

Rey Mysterio Stuns in Royal Rumble

The 2014 Royal Rumble took place in the same state as Sunday's show. At that event, disappointment over Daniel Bryan's lack of involvement in the event's namesake match led to a rabid audience that greeted Rey Mysterio's entry at No. 30 with a chorus of boos (warning: some tweets contain NSFW language):

That was not the case when he returned Sunday night, turning in a strong performance as a surprise entrant in the Battle Royal. Wrestlers and mainstream outlets covered the return of The Master of the 619.

Unlike the 2014 match, wherein Mysterio was stale and looked a step off from the awe-inspiring luchador fans had come to respect and admire, the two-time world champion was crisp and looked like a competitor with one last great run in him.

Asuka Wins Historic 1st Women's Royal Rumble; Ronda Rousey Steals Spotlight

For the first time ever, there was a women's Royal Rumble match Sunday night. For the first time ever, the women headlined one of WWE's big-four pay-per-view extravaganzas.

After nearly an hour of competition, Asuka etched her name in the annals of WWE, making history as the first women's Rumble winner.

Frustratingly, her big win was overshadowed by former UFC megastar Ronda Rousey's debut, something ex-Superstars and analysts were quick to point out:

Yes, Asuka probably should have been allowed to bask in her victory more than she did, but at the same time, she stood shoulder to shoulder with both WWE women's champions and in the middle of the ring with an internationally recognized star who set Twitter ablaze following her appearance.

Asuka has been as protected and prominently featured as any female star on either NXT or the main roster since arriving in 2015. While the circumstances surrounding her victory were less than ideal, she will be just fine as she enters WrestleMania season with an opportunity to dethrone either Charlotte Flair or Alexa Bliss for championship gold. 

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN posted a photo of Rousey with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon:

Shelburne followed up with a touching tweet regarding Rousey, the late Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and the jacket she wore to the ring in her debut:

It was Shelburne who sat down with Rousey and officially broke the news of the MMA great's signing of a full-time WWE contract in a video from ESPN.