WWE Royal Rumble 2021 Results, Grades, and Analysis

Sasha Banks (c) vs. Carmella w/Reginald for the SmackDown Women’s Championship

Result: Sasha Banks wins with the Bank Statement

Grade: A-, A great match

Another Sasha Banks masterpiece and a fantastic effort from Carmella, who gave the best effort of her career in this match. Although ‘Mella has been SmackDown Women’s Champion before, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that her third world title match against Banks at the Royal Rumble Pay Per View was the biggest bout of her career.

There were so many great counters and fluid technical wrestling between Carmella and Banks, whose familiarity with each other was easy to see. Banks has long been known as one of the best in-ring, trash-talkers in WWE, but Carmella’s verbal work in this match was worth praising, too.

We saw Reginald kicked out after Sasha hit him with a picture-perfect headscissors, and then Carmella followed that up with a vicious dive to the outside. I note this dive to point out the way Banks tapped Carmella’s back and quietly asked her if she was okay. As a wrestling fan, a part of me lives for those little moments of communication between the wrestlers.

Carmella and Banks feuded for a couple of months, but they saved their best effort for the biggest match. I had my skeptical moments at the beginning of the feud, but Banks and Carmella did an incredible job of building their rivalry up to the Rumble and delivering in the big match.