Some places do strength ratings. Here at Cageside, we do an inventory report.
In this weekly series, we identify three superstars (or groups of superstars) who are on their way up, and three who are moving in the opposite direction. After a busy week that included Raw XXX and Royal Rumble 2023Lots of fortunes changed.
With that in mind, let’s see which stock fell the most this week:
Stock #3: Uncle Hoody
Royal Rumble 2023 It was a very good show, with the only lackluster parts of the action being connected to Uncle Howdy. The surreal image of Howdy diving into the abyss after a Mountain Dew Pitch Black match, missing his goal, and then exploding for no reason perfectly sums up why this stunt makes no sense and feels like a huge waste of everyone’s time.
Stock #2: Elias and Baron Corbin
Elias and Corbin had the two shortest survival times of all 29 wrestlers who made it to the ring in the 2023 men’s Royal Rumble match. Corbin was only there to be chewed and spit out by Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins, while commentators openly wondered if he had Elias any fans. These guys were quickly kicked out of the Rumble match like a couple of chumps.
Stock #1: Carrion Cross
Speaking of chumps, no one had a worse week than Carrion Cross. Kroos has spent the last month or two threatening to quit Rey Mysterio, only to lose the match to him SmackDown. Cross followed that up with a totally memorable performance in the Royal Rumble match. Commentators called him a harbinger of death, but he lasted less than five minutes and was the second man eliminated in the match. He had absolutely no effect on the Royal Rumble, and was indistinguishable from a low card jabroni.
Now let’s see who has gained the most this week:
Stock #3: GUNTHER
GUNTHER is a man made after his absolutely stellar performance in the Royal Rumble match, where he broke Rey Mysterio’s record for the longest stay in a 30-man Rumble match. Gunther lasted from start to finish, single-handedly eliminated Drew McIntyre and Sheamus, had a confrontation with Brock Lesnar, and went toe-to-toe with Cody Rhodes for over seven minutes to seal the match.
Stock #2: Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley
Rhodes and Ripley won the Royal Rumble matches, locking in their spots for title matches and potential main event matches WrestleMania 39.
Ripley did it the hard way, lasting over an hour and joining a very small group of wrestlers who won the Rumble match as the first entrant. Cody had a much easier path due to his lucky tie as No. 30.
Bianca Belair and Roman Reigns have dominated WWE for most of the past two years, but it looks like these Royal Rumble winners may finally be the ones who can take out the current champions in WrestleMania.
Stock #1: Sami Zayn and the Bloodline
Sami Zayn Khan Roman Reigns V Royal Rumble, and hit the tribal chief in the back with a steel chair after putting him in an impossible position. This was all part of the show’s closing angle that lasted over 13 minutes and garnered a “best of all” level of praise for its storytelling and phenomenal long-running performances from Zayn, Reigns, Jey Uso, and everyone else in the ring. Cody rhodes may have the title secured in WrestleMania 39but the match everyone wants to see on the big stage is Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn.
There you have it, Cagesiders. Who do you think changed the most this week?
