Royal Rumble Review
In regard to what you said before posting the PPV, I want you to know that I hope you can at least get to WM21 with this BTB. You are a very good booker and I hope everything works out for you.
Very interesting take on the opening video for the show. I liked that ‘Orton’ and ‘Cena’ were the two cops because they were the brightest stars in early 2005. Everyone fighting and then Vince coming out and saying that they need to go to the arena for the Rumble. I thought that the part with the great RR moments could have been longer but it was a good opening nonetheless, imo.
Going along with the trend of Wofly’s last RR, as well as KOM’s latest RR … a World Championship match gets the show started. I think that this is bigger than Cena-JBL and maybe the WWE Title match should have opened instead. These two have had great matches in the past … so I expect this to be no different. Good to see the action spill to the outside early and Edge gets the upper hand by throwing Orton into the ringpost, busting him open!! Edge has been dominating during the opening minutes and the headlock really took a lot out of the TLK, imo. The dropkick after the attempt from the top by Orton sounded pretty sick and gave the momentum back to Edge. These two have taken a lot out of each other and now Orton hits the backbreaker!! Only a two count was good but now I see a bunch of nearfalls the rest of the match. Edge got the momentum back but then Orton comes out of nowhere … RKO!!! Sorry to see that he couldn’t capitalize and now the match is up for grabs. Pulling out all the stops as Orton kicks out of the Spear and Edge kicks out of the impressive DDT off the middle rope. Tomko coming out to help Edge was shocking but I knew that Orton wasn’t getting pinned after that. Edge is in control until … SECOND RKO OUT OF NOWHERE!! Orton retains the title in a great match. ****
Classic Raw vs. SD smack-talk is good and here comes NAITCH!! I hated Flair as a heel with Evolution, just hated how much of a jerk he was. Angle is a solid tweener and should be turning face very soon, imo. Angle owns Flair and talks about all the backstage stuff with Triple H … and then making Flair think Batista was behind him was very funny. I see Angle vs. Flair or Angle vs. Triple H after this altercation, and either one is great.
The tag team feud between Mysterio/RVD and the Dudleyz has been very good the last three weeks and this is a perfect match for the Royal Rumble PPV. Rey and RVD are amazing as a team and they are able to dominate the greatest tag team of all time in the opening few minutes, which was kinda surprising, imo. D-Von is able to come back against Rey and the Dudleyz now have the momentum and get a few nearfalls, nothing too big this early. Mysterio is able to kick out of the 3-D!! Huge 619 to Five Star for the win by Rey and RVD!! This match was never really in doubt because Rey and RVD were awesome as champs and it was good that they beat someone so legendary. Very good match, many good spots. ***
JBL was on fire in this promo and he made some very bold statements. Having the Cabinet banned from ringside is good because we get to see Cena and JBL without any interference. Looking back, JBL’s title reign was damn impressive and he made a point to talk about his wins compared to John Cena’s. JBL usually delivers and I still think that he will retain tonight, somehow, as it isn’t quite Cena’s time, imo. You write JBL very well … maybe it’s because of your username.
Shelton and Y2J had a very good feud after WM21 in real time, and this feud has been very good. I like that they have a match over the IC Title and are also both in the RR. Jericho slapping Benjamin across the face to start just adds to his inevitable full heel turn. Shelton doesn’t take well to that tactic by Jericho, and the IC Champ dominates the opening few minutes. Shelton doesn’t do much to get a three count, nothing big anyway, and Jericho gets a few nearfalls as well. The belly-to-belly off the top rope by Shelton sounded sick and that was a very good way to kick this match into high-gear. Jericho hit some pretty cool moves but Shelton won’t stay down!! Shelton gets out of the Walls of Jericho by grabbing the bottom rope!! Shelton is able to stay on the top rope after Jericho launches him and Shelton gets the surprise pin!! Ending was a little spotty as the bulldog didn’t seem like it would do much damage, but a very good match nonetheless. I hope that this feud continues, but it probably won’t go until WM21. ***1/2
When did Eddie have an encounter with Batista?? Good exchange between Eddie and Bischoff, with some obvious hard feelings from their WCW days. Eddie has a good shot at winning the RR match, but HBK seems to have something to say about that. Could this be a little preview of a WM21 match?? I REALLY hope so, would be awesome.
Nice little segment between Cena and the Book Man, especially surprising since they just had a big feud not that long ago. JBL is scheming something for sure, and I don’t see Cena getting past the numbers that JBL has.
That was a GREAT video package to hype up the WWE Title match. Cena and JBL have only been in a feud for three weeks but I see the feud lasting until WM21, and it should be an epic one. Cena attacks JBL before the match begins!! Cena is taking it to JBL, really showing his hunger for the title. The bell finally rings and away we go!! Cena is running through the moves of DOOM~! … F-U!!! JBL kicks out!! Knew Cena wouldn’t win the belt there but JBL kicking out was impressive, imo. Cena dominates a little longer until JBL rakes the eyes and finally grabs the advantage. Good back and forth … with Cena and JBL both getting nearfalls and then Cena is able to stay alive in the sleeper hold. JBL nails the CFH … but CENA KICKS OUT!! A ton of huge moves don’t keep either man down and this is getting very interesting. JBL kicks out of the F-U once again!! Cena just won’t stop coming … BUT JBL KICKS OUT OF THE F-U AGAIN!! JBL is an awesome champion and here we go … CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL!! JBL is still the WWE Champion!! Very good and action-packed match and didn’t really have a dull sequence. I have a problem with JBL kicking out of the F-U three times … I know he is supposed to look strong and kicking out once is OK … twice is a stretch … but no way it happens three times.
Other than that, this was a solid match, although not as good as Orton vs. Edge. ***1/2
Evolution seems to be having some more problems. Batista is playing the perfect tweener at the moment, although I don’t see anything big happening in the match tonight … even though no one from the group is going to the main event of WM21, imo. Give this a little more time … before we get HHH vs. ‘Tista at WM21. Very intriguing storyline, has got me hooked.
I can’t really think of a better way for the RR match to start … Eddie and Angle are two amazing choices. These two have such good chemistry in the ring and seeming them for only a minute and a half is still worth it. Jindrak is here to help Angle but I don’t see Eddie going really early. Here comes my pick … Christian!! Richards is only in to get eliminated by Angle … should be the first of many for ‘The Wrestling Machine’. HBK!! Three amazing guys in the ring early and I guess we will see the dynamic between Michaels and Eddie early … no problem with that!! Jordan has a chance to last maybe ten minutes and I was disappointed to see Kidman go so early … I guess the Angle Alliance is too strong. Shelton is in the match but … Eddie is eliminated by HBK already?!?! Sad to see Eddie go out so early … I thought he really had a shot at being in the final four.
There goes OJ and now we got Show in the match, and he eliminates Jindrak very early. Hassan should do much better in this RR than he did in the real 2005 one … hope he lasts a while. Well there goes Hassan already and Angle is tearing through guys from the start. NO~! Christian gets eliminated by Benji!! I hope that CLB still gets a great push into WM21. Y2J get eliminated only about a minute into his time in the match?? Not that big a fan of these big names going so early but w/e. Bookman got off to a very good start by dumping that piece of garbage Conway. WOOO~! Naitch is here!! Now we got ‘Taker!! Big names are on the way, seeing as Flair and Undertaker have just made their way to the match. Big Show gets dumped by a plethora of guys … something I don’t have a problem with because I think that is lame when just one guy dumps the 500-pounder. Glad that Naitch got his first elimination … Bashams are useless, imo. Kane comes into the match but that is overshadowed because Eddie is back … and he ELIMINATES HBK!!! I guess the feud between the two is coming for sure and I was just kinda surprised to see that Eddie will be playing the heel … hope it works. The BOD get rid of Benji but the IC Champ had a pretty good performance, eliminating Y2J and Christian. Tajiri and ‘Taker kinda work together as Tajiri spits the mist and Deadman dumps Booker out of the ring. And there goes Tajiri … Angle is still a beast.
Business has just picked up~! Here comes The Animal~! London and Rey come out and now the ring is really starting to fill with competitors. Triple H!! There goes Luther … Angle is all alone now. Angle eliminates Flair … and then Kane!! Angle is like a man possessed!! RVD comes out and I know he and Rey will work together as a solid unit. Jobber Basham #2 leaves courtesy of Batista. Eugene!! Where is he?!?! Eugene is letting someone take his spot … AND IT’S CENA!!!!!!! Shocking to say the least, very nice surprise in this huge match. Cena eliminates ‘Taker!! Cena dumps RVD!! And there goes Rey … courtesy of Cena!! Regal and Tomko get dumped and now we only really have studs left in the ring. Triple H and Batista get into it … and there goes The Game!! Batista vs. Triple H at WM21 for sure as it seems like the alliance may have finally been broken. ‘Lito is number 30 and now we have the final four … Cena, Angle, Batista, and Carlito. I liked that you had a few minutes before Carlito got eliminated by Angle because I knew he wouldn’t make it to the final three but I didn’t want Cena, Batista, or Angle gone before CCC. All three men are on the ground and after nearly an hour of being in the ring … Angle gets eliminated!! He had a huge run and I really want to see him face Flair at WM21 … would be a very good match. So just like the real 05 RR, we are down to Cena and Batista. Great back and forth between the two young studs and I really didn’t think Batista had a chance because he is obviously feuding with HHH but the final exchange was great … AND CENA ELIMINATES BATISTA!! CENA WINS~!! This was a shock to say the least and I guess we are guaranteed to see Cena vs. JBL II … probably as the main event of WM21. Very good RR match … up there with the best I have read. ****3/4
So all in all … this was an amazing PPV and I was very pleased with the first full PPV that I read from you. Cena coming back and entering the RR was a nice touch and I think some will find it unrealistic for him to win after going through a match earlier but I loved it. You have the potential for some feuds heading into WM 21 (HBK vs. Eddie, Triple H vs. Batista, JBL vs. Cena and Angle vs. Flair) and I have NO idea where you are going with Orton and the WHC. Again, top notch read and I hope that this continues through WM21 … if not longer, 92/100.
WWE 2005: A Fresh, New Start
Re: WWE 2005: A Fresh, New Start
... tomorrow definatly.