RedsFan4Life

Nice quick start to the show with a lot announced which I liked as it got the rest of the show over for the rest of the evening. Big Show suggesting that Edge wrestle was odd, and then Vicky agreeing seemed off, but the main event should be awesome with all four of those guys going at it. Looking forward to seeing who's in that battle royal as well.

Not a shocking result to see the Edgeheads retain, as the Colon's are obviously heading towards their demise. Good choice I thought to open up the show and it made sense as the Edgeheads were already out there. Match seemed decent enough with a lot of talent in their and I'm liking the development of the break-up between Carlito and Primo.

Not gonna get used to divas matches on SD!, but the two went at it here aren't too terrible. It was also needed to get Neidhart over as she is gunning for Phoenix this Sunday. I could see other lady coming out on top, and it should be a fairly good match.

Big Show and Vicky together, like sexually? Lol, creepy. Either way, like the segment as I can see Show being in Hardy's corner this Sunday as if Hardy retains, Show will get his shot at the title. Just not sure if Show can take on La Familia on his own.

Benjamin vs. Kennedy is a tremoundous match up and could be really something special when it goes on PPV. I like Kennedy picking up the win here, and the development of a new finisher, which sounds devastating, the double-underhook Tombstone. I wonder when the rematch is gonna happen, No Way Out maybe?

This is crazy going on's backstage. Vicky changing the main event three times already this evening. Not really a big fan of it, but it does show how strong Edge's pull just is. Either way, the match should be pretty good.

Decent little battle royal as I find that these are always fun right before the Rumble as it gives the fan's a nice preview. Show picking up the win in the end was nice, and it elevates him some more, as he is obviously not going to win the Rumble. I'm a little disappointed to see Miz and Morrison go so early, as they are great talents and hopefully they can recover by having nice showings in the Rumble match itself.

I don't have the slightest idea as to who is debuting, or returning to Smackdown, but hopefully it's somebody good.

A big main event with a helluva lot of star power in this one. The two main fueds on the show really shone through in this match, which was the way it should be. Edge picks up a huge win before the PPV, as Edge ends the night standing over Hardy. The end was a little weird with HHH spitting in Edge's hand, and he doesn't retaliate, instead HHH Pedigrees Taker. Both HHH and Edge are standing tall as the show ends, I like it.

Overall, the show seemed really quick, but it's understandable as it's the show before a PPV. Are you going to write the Rumble out in full? I can understand if you don't want to, as the Rumble as your first PPV may be a little difficult, as the Rumble match alone, has to be a huge pain. Decent last show, so here it goes, my predictions:

Confirmed Matches:
- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match -
(Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal)

- WWE Title Match -
(Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge)

- World Heavyweight Title Match -
(John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels)

- ECW Title Match -
(Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov)

- Undisputed Women's Title Match -
(Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)

- Belfast Brawl Match -
(Finlay vs. Randy Orton)

- Extreme Rules Match -
(The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)

My winners are in red, and definitely will be checking out the Rumble, best of luck on it.

__________________
TNA: Becoming Number One

A real TNA story...

TheShaman

SmackDown review

-Vickie Guerrero opening the show is getting slightly stale, and it's also very similar to what's happening in real life. There was no need to go to the ring just to announce a main event. Could've been done backstage.

-I presume Primo's going heel and Carlito's going face. Good for the midcard division, but awful for the tag division. You have Hawkins & Ryder, and they have no challengers! Jesse & Festus aren't credible.

-Good win for Natalya. Should be good at the RR.

-The very thought of Big Show and Vickie Guerrero having a relationship makes me sick. It is however, a very good way of splitting Edge up from her. Tension's brewing between them anyway.

-From what I've seen on the SmackDown side of things in this thread, Benjamin is losing too much. He lost to Big Show a couple of weeks ago if I recall, and now Kennedy.

-The main event changes again then. This only makes the opening promo seem even more pointless!

-Great decision to have Big Show win the battle royal. I expect him to have a good showing in the Rumble itself.

-This star thing has got a lot of hype. I'm going to give a few theories here. The Rock is obviously returning to Raw, and I would back him to win the Rumble, so, this guy would have to be Christian. I'm not sure how that relates to star, but he may be involved in Edge's match, either helping or costing him the title. Alternatively, it could be someone completely random like a Lesnar or an Austin. I'm excited to see who it is I'll admit.

-Seemed like a good main event. Not much to add. Triple H and Undertaker are going to have an inevitable confrontation at the Rumble, and I'm enjoying Triple H's heel run. The ambush afterwards was a good way to end a go-home show ahead of the Rumble.

OVERALL: Lacking in promos. Vickie Guerrero's opening spot could've been given to Triple H or Jeff Hardy. The Undertaker/Triple H feud has weak build so far. It's obviously going to pick up after the Rumble. The booking of your champions is also questionable. Jeff and Shelton were both pinned tonight, and on previous shows they've looked weak. Convinces me that Edge will take the title at the Rumble.



Can't review the other shows at the moment, but I thought Raw was the show of the week. The only questionable decision was Santino opening it up. That's one thing you'll need to address. The opening promo should usually be the champion/challenger in my opinon. Good luck on the Rumble. You're typing it in full I think I saw you say. I'll try and read and review it, although I'm not really a match guy.


Predictions

- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match -
(Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal) Other: The Rock

-Three possible winners I see are The Rock, Christian or Batista. However, there's one spot left, and I think it'll be The Rock, setting up an epic 'Mania encounter with either Cena or Michaels...

- WWE Title Match -
(Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge)
-Going out on a limb, but I see Christian returning and helping his former tag team partner get the title. If he loses, you'd be going for Hardy/Show at NWO, which doesn't sound great!

- World Heavyweight Title Match -
(John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels)

-Very hard match to predict. This has the best build on the card, and since I've gone with The Rock to win the Rumble, I have to think which would be better; Michaels/Rock or Cena/Rock. I'd have the say the latter - it's been done less in BTB, so I'll go Cena.

- ECW Title Match -
(Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov)

-Another tough one to predict. Hardy retains though I'd presume. Kozlov's streak is already over, so there's nothing really in him holding the belt.

- Undisputed Women's Title Match -
(Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)

-Should be a great match. I see Beth taking this...

- Belfast Brawl Match -
(Finlay vs. Randy Orton)

-Interesting match-up, but the most predictable on the card. Orton wins.

- Extreme Rules Match -
(The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)

-Sounds like a ghastly match if I'm honest. Keep it as short and painless as possible. Dreamer wins.

This card is pretty good overall, and very unpredictable. I can see all three main titles changing hands, and I can see three different people winning the Rumble. I'll look forward to it.

TheIrishProdigy™

Confirmed Matches:
- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match -
(Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal)

- WWE Title Match -
(Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge)

- World Heavyweight Title Match -
(John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels)

- ECW Title Match -
(Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov)

- Undisputed Women's Title Match -
(Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)

- Belfast Brawl Match -
(Finlay vs. Randy Orton)

- Extreme Rules Match -
(The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)

S2H

Smackdown Review: The opening promo was ok but like others have said it wasn't too necessary however Vickie opening the show and making an announcement is quite realistic so at least you are keeping some realism to your BTB. One thing I didn't like about this promo was how easily Vickie backed down when Big Show made that suggestion. Normally she would be willing to do anything or make any match that would give Edge an advantage so I couldn't see her adding Edge to that match so close to the big match. Apart from that this segment did what it was meant to do and worked pretty well.

The tag team match that followed the opening promo served it's purpose in building towards the obvious feud between Carlito and Primo whom I think could put on great matches and should be good to read.

The womens match I think was pretty good but Natalya winning was obvious, not much to really say about it but the match at the Royal Rumble should be pretty good between the two top divas in the company at the moment.

Looks like there is going to be a few matches between Edge and Big Show in the coming months. I am assuming that there is something going on between Big Show and Vickie(god I hope not.) and it may culminate in a match where the winner will get the power on Smackdown. Although it will probably be a pretty entertaining storyline I don't think they could put on a great match but I don't know which way you are taking this storyline so I can't really comment.

I enjoyed the match between Kennedy and Shelton and I think at some point down the line they will be given the opportunity to compete in what will be an even better match I hope. There isn't really anything I can do to fault this match and I would just like to add that I really like the new finisher you have come up with for Kennedy however in real life unfortunately would be band, but I guess that is the beauty of BTB, it isn't real life.

Another Edge promo and Vickie changing the main event again...twice, seems to be a bit of overkill but it serves it's purpose in building hype for the Royal Rumble and the potential Big Show v Edge feud.

I always like pre-Royal Rumble battle royals and this one was pretty good, Big Show winning was the obvious choice due to his size and the fact that you have built him up throughout the show.

The match it self was pretty good but it was the aftermath that got a bit confusing. First off I assume Jeff is retaining at the Royal Rumble due to losing cleanly to Edge only a few days before. After the match Undertaker got buried which isn't good for his character and there was a lot going on and I couldn't tell who was doing what and where for the most of it.

Overall a pretty good show and the Royal Rumble should be pretty good.

WildeThing

Weekly Recap (19th Jan - 25th Jan)

Quote:

Dolph Ziggler vs Santino Marella w/Beth Phoenix - Double DQ The Legacy (Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr. & Manu) def. Cryme Tyme CM Punk w/Kelly Kelly def. William Regal w/Layla John Cena & Shawn Michaels def. JBL & Snitsky Chris Jericho def. Batista, Kane & Rey Mysterio

Quote:

DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox def. The Miz John Morrison def. Ricky Ortiz Jack Swagger def. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea Matt Hardy def. Chavo Guerrero Mark Henry def. Tommy Dreamer

Quote:

The Edgeheads def. The Colon Brothers Natalya def. Michelle McCool Mr. Kennedy def. Shelton Benjamin Big Show won a 10-Man Battle Royal Triple H & Edge def. Jeff Hardy & The Undertaker

((I was initially going to address some issues raised by reviewers, but instead I'll do that either after the Rumble, or after Raw/Smackdown, as well as some news and other stuff. The Rumble should be up some time this week.))



Royal Rumble Preview

Undisputed Women's Title Match



Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart

One month ago Maryse and Natalya defeated the duo of Michelle McCool and Maria and got a chance to face off against Mickie James and Kelly Kelly the following week, with the woman who got the pin in the match-up going on to face Undisputed Women's Champion Beth Phoenix at the Royal Rumble. Natalya got the win, and became the No. 1 Contender. Since then the two dominant divas have been in each other's faces and on each other's faces, even having Beth's beau Santino face off against a man of Natalya's choice: Dolph Ziggler. Tomorrow night these two will finally face each other, will Natalya bring the title to her brand, or will Beth retain?

Extreme Rules Match



The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer
* If Tommy Dreamer loses, he is fired from ECW *
* If Tommy Dreamer wins, he becomes GM of ECW *

More than a month ago, after Armageddon, Vicky Guerrero fired The Great Khali for refusing to fight Jeff Hardy in a Gauntlet Match. ECW General Manager Teddy Long soon acquired his services, and has used him as a pawn ever since. Now he is looking for Khali to fight and maim Tommy Dreamer, who ever since the last PPV has been a thorn in the GM's side. Badmouthing the direction of the brand, Dreamer was the force behind the current changes made to the Extreme Brand. Unlike the Board of Directors, Long was not content with Dreamer's actions, and had Khali ruin his hances to fight Matt Hardy for the ECW Title, and also didn't give him a place in the Royal Rumble Match. Instead, he placed him in a match with Khali, with Dreamer's future on the line. Dreamer then went to Board and managed to turn the match into an Extreme Rules match, which also had Long's job on the line. Will Khali help his boss retain his job, or will Dreamer shock the world and start a new era on ECW?

Belfast Brawl Match



Finlay vs. Randy Orton
* If Randy Orton loses, he is fired *
* If Randy Orton wins, he receives a World Heavyweight Title Shot at No Way Out, and Finlay is prohibited from ever being in the same brand as him *

This all started six weeks ago, when Randy Orton formed The Legacy, a group of multi-generational superstars who claim to be the future of the WWE. With Manu and Cody Rhodes by his side, Orton's group proved dominant, defeating many and attracting the attention of the diminutive Hornswoggle, who wished to join. Orton refused, and when Hornswoggle persisted and nearly cost him a match, he punted him in the head. This sparked the ire of Finlay, Horny's father, who went on to cost Orton a title match. When Rhodes and Manu failed to stop Finlay from getting his hands on him, Orton hired new members, one of them being Ted DiBiase Jr, who returned from his injury and attacked Finlay. Since then the war between these two waged on, with Evan Bourne allying himself with Finlay and helping him against the arrogant Raw superstars. Orton finally agreed to the match-up but only after being allowed to choose some stipulations for the match, which included a title shot at No Way Out and also protected himself from any further attacks from the Irishman. With The Legacy in Orton's corner and Bourne in Finlay's, will a father avenge his son or will a snake slither away in victory?

ECW Title Match



Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov

Matt Hardy cost Kozlov a title shot when he managed to last long enough to stop the Moscow Mauler from beating his brother's time in a Beat the Clock challenge. The two faced off at Armageddon where Kozlov got the win in a non-title match, but their rivalry was far from over. Kozlov attacked Hardy at every opportunity, leading the ECW Champ to do the same, infuriating Vicky Guerrero, who refused to have her show being filled with so many interferences. Consequentially, after losing for the first time to a returning Umaga, Kozlov was transferred to ECW, where he beat Mark Henry in a Cage Match and 5 other wrestlers in a 6-Man Last Man Standing Battle Royal to become the No. 1 Contender, despite Hardy trying to stop this from happening. Kozlov then went on to defeat John Morrison and Jack Swagger, both of whom objected to his quick rise to the top, while they had already prove their worth, and the result meant that neither man would be included in the match-up at the Rumble. Since then, Hardy had been on a roll, defeating several Extremists, but will it be enough to stop Kozlov?

World Heavyweight Title Match



John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels

John Cena and Shawn Michaels have the utmost respect for one another, but that won't stop them from giving their all tomorrow night. Michaels became the No. 1 Contender after his employer, JBL, interfered in his match and helped him defeat Kane, which caused the Big Red Machine to seek retribution in the Fatal 4-Way Match for the No. 1 Contender's Spot the following week. The match was called off and Michaels won the rematch, with Kane preoccupied with JBL. The Self-Made Millionaire then demanded HBK hand over his spot at the Rumble Match, what with him having been hired by Layfield when Michaels became immersed in financial difficulties. HBK was about to do when Cena informed him that his status as No. 1 Contender and potential Champion came with financial perks of their own, leading Michaels to turn on his employer. Will The Icon capture the title and reach financial tranquility?

WWE Title Match



Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge

Obstacles. That is the one word that describes Jeff Hardy's tenure as WWE Champion, and what he does best is overcome them. Whether it be Handicap Matches, Gauntlet Matches, underhanded assaults or unfair threats, Hardy has seen it all in his mere 6 weeks as champion, and it all comes down to two people: Vicky Guerrero and Edge. Having managed to even turn Triple H against him, and by pitting some of the toughest superstars around against him, Vicky has managed to make Hardy's reign a living hell. But despite all that, at the Royal Rumble, Hardy will give a 110% to overcome yet another hurdle, and beat the Master Opportunist. Will Hardy resist the siege of La Familia, or will his reign be cut short?

Royal Rumble Match



(Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal)

This is what tomorrow's PPV is all about. 30-men, 1 winner, and the chance to headline Wrestlemania 25. But who are the contenders for this match? One-by-one, we will analyse the participant's (those most likely to triumph, so no Snitsky analysis) chances in what is sure to be one of the most exciting bouts of 2009:

Batista: The Animal will be starting the Rumble as one of the first entrants, with the No. 1 taken, he would most likely christen the match with the No. 2, a number that has seen several winners in the past, despite the distinct disadvantage. Batista has won the Rumble before, and is one of the top contenders to win it again.

Big Show: The Largest Athlete in the Universe won a Battle Royal on Smackdown this week, and has consistently been one of the men to beat at the Rumble Match. He has come short repeatedly, but with Vicky Guerrero seemingly backing him up, this might be his year.

Chris Jericho: Y2J will enter the Rumble as one of the final participants as a result of the same match that sees Batista enter at a disadvantage. That coupled with his superb skill and recent performances could see him swiftly return to the World Title scene, and headline Wrestlemania.

CM Punk: Cinderella Man has recently won the Intercontinental Champion to become the fastest Triple Crown Winner since Diesel. A win at the Rumble would cement Punk's legacy in the WWE, but does he have it in him to outlast 29 other men?

Kane: The Big Red Machine IS the Royal Rumble, and has continuously wreaked havoc in the ring, having also once eliminated 11 men in a single match to set a record. Will this be the year he finally wins the Rumble?

Mark Henry: The World's Strongest Man needs to win the Rumble, and his weight and abilities might make that so. Henry will not be able to challenge for the ECW Title untill after Wrestlemania, but a Rumble win could be his ticket out of limbo.

Rey Mysterio: The Master of the 619 is another past winner of the Rumble match, and despite being an underdog, is definitely one of those in contention for the win. Will his high-flying skills be enough to get the win?

Triple H: The Game, yet another past winner of the Rumble match, is going into the match with a distinct handicap. The King of Kings will not only have to start the match as No. 1, but will also be having The Undertaker gunning for him as soon as he enters the match. Can the Cerebral Assassin mastermind a huge win?

Umaga: On his return Umaga ended Kozlov's undefeated streak and since then has gone from strength to strength. He has already notched wins against the current ECW and WWE Champions, as well as an impressive showing on yesterday's Battle Royal. This could very well be the year for the Samoan Bulldozer.

The Undertaker: Whenever The Undertaker makes an appearance in a Rumble match, you know you're in trouble, and this year should be no different for The Phenom. But with The Deadman preoccupied with his conflict with Triple H, will he be able to focus on the real goal, and come out on top in the match?

Other: Those were the 10 men pinpointed as the most likely winners of the match, but who else could defy the odds and come out on top? John Morrison, Jack Swagger, Mr. Kennedy and Shelton Benjamin have all had impressive build-up to the Royal Rumble, with their performances repeatedly rated highly by on-lookers. The Miz will be looking to turn his recent bad streak around in spectacular manner and The Legacy, all three of them, could work together to assure their stay in the match. We also have the final, unknown entrant to the Rumble. Whoever he is, the element of surprise could work for him, and a win would catapult him to the top.

((I intended on putting up a questionnaire for people to answer with predictions, but it seems some guys beat me to it. Anyway, if you'd like to see the extra questions, PM me, and I'll put them up, should anyone feel like answering them. Thanks to all the reviewers and I hope you enjoy my first PPV))

__________________
WildeThing presents:
Road to Wrestlemania XXV
The Royal Rumble, my 1st PPV, is now up!

Favorite Wrestlers
Shelton Benjamin
Bryan Danielson
Chris Jericho
Jack Swagger
Randy Orton
AJ Styles
CM Punk
Kane
Edge
MCMG

Backlash

king of scotland

Predictions
- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match -
(Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal)
- WWE Title Match -
(Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge)
- World Heavyweight Title Match -
(John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels)
- ECW Title Match -
(Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov)
- Undisputed Women's Title Match -
(Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)
- Belfast Brawl Match -
(Finlay vs. Randy Orton)
- Extreme Rules Match -
(The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)

WildeThing

I've decided to put up the questions anyway. Since people have already placed their predictions, you can skip those. Any Rumble review (and I mean review, not recaps or half-assed stuff) will get 1,000,000 credits. Whoever gets the most questions right, and reviews, will get 20,000,000.

Royal Rumble Questions:
1. Who will win each match? (8 pts available, 1 per match, and 2 for the Rumble match)
2. Will JBL interfere in the World Heavyweight Title Match? If yes, who will he attack? (2 pts)
3. Who will get the most eliminations in the Rumble Match? How many will he get? (2 pts)
4. Who will the Final Four be? (2 pts)
5. Who is the unknown entrant? (1 pts)
6. Who will enter No. 30? (1 pts)
7. In how many matches will weapons be used (including the Hardcore Matches and the Royal Rumble)? (1 pts)
8. How many people will bleed in the PPV? (1 pts)

There it is. Just something fun I thought I'd add. Only 2 more matches left to write, so expect the Rumble soon.

__________________
WildeThing presents:
Road to Wrestlemania XXV
The Royal Rumble, my 1st PPV, is now up!

Favorite Wrestlers
Shelton Benjamin
Bryan Danielson
Chris Jericho
Jack Swagger
Randy Orton
AJ Styles
CM Punk
Kane
Edge
MCMG

JD-T4CKTiiCKz

TheShaman

I'll answer all of them, just so it's easier for you to see a clear winner.

1.) The Rock, Edge, John Cena, Matt Hardy, Beth Phoenix, Randy Orton and Tommy Dreamer.
2.) Yes. Cena.
3.) The Undertaker - 5.
4.) Undertaker, Triple H, Batista and The Rock.
5.) The Rock.
6.) The Rock.
7.) Three.
8.) One.