Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens put on a spectacular and brutal match at the Royal Rumble. Both men took each other to the absolute limit and put the other through a world of hurt. Unfortunately, the perfect match was spoilt by a botched ending, where the referee stopped the count to ensure Reigns could get up in time.
Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens suffers from botched ending
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The champion and challenger beat the living hell out of each other at the Rumble. Owens flew off every surface he could find, while Reigns flat out tried to kill Owens with a golf cart. The spots in the match were glorious and violent, but the ending really left a foul taste in fans’ mouths.
Twitter exploded at the botch, with many claiming Owens was screwed out of the title. While Owens wasn’t a victim of a Montreal Screwjob type scenario, it could factor into their already intense storyline. Reigns has required help to beat Owens in the past, and recruiting a referee might not be out of consideration.
@VinceMcMahon the last man standing match was the worse match of the night. Kevin Owens had that match won 3xs over, but you gave it to Roman Reigns. You keep the same storyline with no changes. So glad I have AEW as an alternative to watch.
— Patti Giglio (@punvericht) February 1, 2021
Good match between Kevin Owens & Roman Reigns. Enjoyed watching this but felt like the finish got screwed up a little because of the handcuffs. If Ayers the new ref would have continued to count then @FightOwensFight would have been the new champion. #RoyalRumble #UniversalTitle
— Mridul Nair (@MridulMax) February 1, 2021
If Paul Heyman don't fuck up the handcuff thing, tbh I will give Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens 6.5/10.
Now its just 5/10 for me. The first half of the match is not good enough, but when everything starts in backstage area (especially the car attack), that's good
— Jock Po🇮🇩 (@pip0024) February 1, 2021
Before they botched the count, Paul Heyman was guilty of fumbling with the handcuffs. Owens handcuffed Reigns to a steel pole near the entrance ramp and had the champion down for the count. Reigns launched the referee into the pole to stop the count, allowing Paul to run down and unlock the Tribal Chief.
LOL 😂
— The Big Guy (@Ryback) February 1, 2021
Instead of unlocking the handcuffs with ease, Paul Heyman fumbled with the handcuffs for a significant amount of time. Twitter bit into this moment as well, citing mistakes like these are reasons for the match quality being dragged down.
Tribal Chief retains the title at Royal Rumble
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That wasn't a match. That was a WAR. #UniversalTitle #RoyalRumble @WWERomanReigns @FightOwensFight @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/OJn9leSxlx
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) February 1, 2021
Despite the botch, Roman Reigns retained the WWE Universal Championship in a brutal match. Reigns put Owens through the ringer. He tossed him from the ThunderDome screens through a table below. Reigns ran over Owens with a golf cart and smashed him with a Spear through the LED screens.
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The challenger tried everything in his capacity to destroy the champion. From a Swanton bomb from the top of a forklift, to a splash from a crate through a table, and a brutal powerbomb through the table. In the end, it was the guillotine choke and the botched count that led to Owens suffering another devastating loss.
