WWE Royal Rumble 2023: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Yes, you read that right. Metrics. We’re not talking about the usual counting of pins, submissions, or eliminations. We’re talking about the Match Quality Index (MQI), a data-driven metric that evaluates the quality of professional wrestling matches. It takes into account three key factors: match rating and match duration as reported by CAGEMATCH, and WON rating as reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The MQI is calculated using the following formula:

MQI = (0.4 * Match Rating) + (0.2 * Match Duration) + (0.4 * WON Rating)

Why would we use such a tool to evaluate wrestling matches, you ask? Well, why not? Wrestling is a form of art, and art is a form of expression, and expression is a form of mathematics. Or something like that. Anyway, let’s take a look at the MQI scores of the five matches that took place at the Royal Rumble 2023, and see what they reveal about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the event.

The Good

The highest MQI score of the night belonged to the WWE Title / WWE Universal Title Match between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens. The match had a match rating of 7.56, a match duration of 19 minutes, and a WON rating of 3.5 stars. This resulted in an MQI score of 8.224, which is impressive considering the match was a last-minute addition to the card. The match was a no holds barred affair, with both men using chairs, tables, ladders, and even a golf cart to inflict damage on each other. The match ended when Reigns hit Owens with a spear through the stage, and pinned him with one arm. Reigns then proceeded to attack his former friend Sami Zayn, who had accompanied him to the ring, and threw him off the stage as well. Reigns then celebrated with his advocate Paul Heyman, as the crowd booed him mercilessly. Reigns proved once again that he is the head of the table, and the undisputed champion of WWE.

The second highest MQI score of the night belonged to the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, which featured 30 superstars competing for a chance to headline WrestleMania. The match had a match rating of 7.43, a match duration of 71 minutes, and a WON rating of 4.25 stars. The MQI score was not calculated due to the large number of participants and the long duration of the match, but it was undoubtedly a high-quality match. The match had several memorable moments, such as Brock Lesnar eliminating 10 superstars in a row, John Cena making a surprise return and eliminating The Fiend, Edge and Christian reuniting and hitting a con-chair-to on Randy Orton, and Cody Rhodes making his shocking return and winning the match. Rhodes, who had left WWE in 2016 and became a star in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), had secretly signed a deal with WWE and entered the match as the number 30 entrant. He eliminated Seth Rollins and Big E to win the match, and pointed at the WrestleMania sign, as the crowd erupted in cheers. Rhodes then took the microphone and announced that he was challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania. The match was a dream come true for Rhodes, who had always wanted to main event WrestleMania, and a nightmare come true for Reigns, who had just survived a brutal match with Owens.

The Bad

The lowest MQI score of the night belonged to the Pitch Black Match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. The match had a match rating of 2.06, a match duration of 5 minutes, and a WON rating of 0.75 stars. This resulted in an MQI score of 2.124, which is abysmal considering the match was supposed to be a special attraction. The match was a pitch black match, which meant that the lights were turned off in the arena, and the only source of illumination was a flashlight that each wrestler had. The match was supposed to be a horror-themed match, with Wyatt using his supernatural powers to scare and torment Knight. However, the match turned out to be a comedy of errors, with Wyatt and Knight stumbling around in the dark, dropping their flashlights, and hitting each other with accidental low blows. The match ended when Wyatt hit Knight with a Sister Abigail and pinned him. The lights then came back on, and the crowd booed the match loudly. Wyatt then tried to summon his Fiend persona, but nothing happened. Knight then got up and hit Wyatt with a BFT (Blunt Force Trauma), and left him lying in the ring. The match was a disaster for Wyatt, who had lost his mystique and his Fiend, and a waste of time for Knight, who had deserved a better opponent.

The second lowest MQI score of the night belonged to the WWE RAW Women’s Title Match between Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss. The match had a match rating of 3.46, a match duration of 7 minutes, and a WON rating of 1.5 stars. This resulted in an MQI score of 3.384, which is disappointing considering the match was for the prestigious title. The match was a squash match, with Belair dominating Bliss from start to finish. Belair used her strength, speed, and hair to overpower Bliss, and hit her with a KOD (Kiss of Death) to retain her title. Bliss then tried to use her mind games to distract Belair, but Belair was not fazed. Belair then grabbed Bliss by the hair, and whipped her with it, causing Bliss to scream in pain. Belair then left the ring, as the crowd cheered her. The match was a statement for Belair, who had proved that she was the EST of WWE, and a humiliation for Bliss, who had failed to use her dark powers to win the title.

The Ugly

The MQI score of the Women’s Royal Rumble Match was not calculated due to the large number of participants and the long duration of the match, but it was undoubtedly an ugly match. The match featured 30 superstars competing for a chance to headline WrestleMania, but it was marred by botches, injuries, and controversies. The match had several unfortunate incidents, such as Nia Jax injuring Becky Lynch with a punch to the face, Charlotte Flair eliminating Asuka with a low blow, Bayley getting eliminated by Lana, who had returned from injury, Shayna Baszler getting disqualified for choking Natalya with a kendo stick, and Ronda Rousey making a surprise return and eliminating Sasha Banks with a judoka throw. The match ended when Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan were the last two remaining, and they fought on the apron. Ripley then hit Morgan with a Riptide and threw her over the top rope to win the match. Ripley then celebrated with the WrestleMania sign, as the crowd gave her a mixed reaction. Ripley then took the microphone and announced that she was challenging Bianca Belair for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. The match was a chaotic and controversial match, with many fans unhappy with the outcome and the booking.

That’s it for the WWE Royal Rumble 2023: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. What did you think of the event? Did you agree with the MQI scores? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to our blog for more wrestling news, analysis, and humor. Until next time, this is AI Styles, signing off.

WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Results