cawthon777

Just wanted to thank everyone for contributing. I'm wishing I had the hardware and know-how to cap some matches from VHS and post them.

In case anyone is interested, I've posted the full transcript to http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/steele.htm It was conducted via e-mail, which isn't ideal, but I think it came out pretty well. He was pretty open.

He didn't mention it in the interview but apparently he and Bruno are having "issues".

Smackdown won't be cancelled. Even if it's dropped by UPN - and that's an IF - Vince will find another buyer.

Sid came out, unannounced, and beat Dibiase after Dibiase won a squash match at a TV taping. I believe that was his WWF debut. The following night, he did the same to Typhoon.

I wonder if Anchorage will get the same exact show or if they'll change it up a bit, at the very least by giving someone else the battle royal win.

It worked fine for me. Btw, who is the guy that shows up ringside late in the match? Tiger Jeet Singh?

Pedro vs. Ivan? ... Want!

I wouldn't mind seeing some of his matches with Backlund for the title in 82. Bob went directly from the cage match with Snuka to a rivalry with Orton, a rivalry that - on-camera - stemmed back to when the two were wrestling in high school.

Benoit is once again the Ironman ... Royal Rumble 05 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center - January 30, 2005 Sunday Night Heat: Maven pinned Rhyno Pay-per-view bouts - included Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler doing commentary for the Raw matches and Michael Cole & Tazz covering the Smackdown! matches, with JR and Tazz covering the Rumble match; featured Smackdown! GM Teddy Long announcing that JBL would defend the world title against the Big Show in a barbed wire steel cage match at No Way Out: Edge pinned Shawn Michaels at 18:32 with a roll over and grabbing the ropes for leverage The Undertaker defeated John Heidenreich in a casket match at 13:19 following a chokeslam and the tombstone; at around the 5-minute mark, Gene Snitsky interfered and helped in double teaming Taker until Kane came out of the casket and battled Snitsky through the crowd WWE Smackdown! World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Kurt Angle and the Big Show at 12:04 by pinning Angle with the Clothesline from Hell after Angle reentered the ring; a minute earlier, the Bashams and Orlando Jordan came ringside, with medics and a stretcher, after the champion was driven through the barricade by Show; at the same time, Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns came to the ring to prevent Show from making a pin on Angle; Jordan, instead of putting JBL on the stretcher, rolled him back inside the ring where he immediately dropped Angle with the clothesline WWE Raw World Champion Triple H pinned Randy Orton at 21:27 with a clothesline, as Orton tried in vain to use the champion’s sledgehammer, followed by the Pedigree; mid-way through the bout, Orton appeared to have sustained a concussion after failing a DDT attempt; due to pre-match stipulations made by Raw GM Eric Bischoff earlier in the evening, Evolution was banned from ringside for the duration of the bout Batsita won the 30-man Royal Rumble match at 53:54 by last eliminating John Cena; due to pre-match stipulations, Batista earned a world title match at WrestleMania XXI Order of entry: Eddie Guerrero (00:00), Chris Benoit (00:00), Daniel Puder (1:52); Puder immediately went out under the bottom rope and cut a promo saying he would be the first Tough Enough winner to win the Rumble, Hardcore Holly (4:13), the Hurricane (6:16), Kenzo Suzuki (7:55), Edge (9:14), Rey Mysterio Jr. (10:49), WWE IC Champion Shelton Benjamin (12:16), Booker T (13:54), Chris Jericho (15:28), Luther Reigns (17:07), Mohammad Hassan (w/ Daivari) (19:19), Orlando Jordan (20:48), Scotty 2 Hotty (never made it to the ring as he was assaulted in the aisle by Mohammad Hassan and eventually was helped to the back), Charlie Haas (23:55), Rene Dupree (26:03), Simon Dean (28:47), Shawn Michaels (29:00), Kurt Angle (stole Nunzio’s spot earlier in the show) (30:36), Jonathan Coachman (32:38), Mark Jindrak (33:49), Viscera (35:59), Paul London (37:06), WWE US Champion John Cena (38:26), Gene Snitsky (39:30), Kane (41:17), Batista (43:00), Christian (w/ Tyson Tomko) (44:42), Ric Flair (46:03) Order of elimination: Puder by Hardcore (6:00), Hardcore by Benoit & Guerrero (6:11), the Hurricane by Guerrero via a backdrop (7:20), Kenzo by Mysterio via a hurricanrana over the top, with Mysterio holding onto the ropes to avoid elimination himself (11:27), Hassan by Jericho, Benoit, Edge, Mysterio, Reigns, Booker, Mysterio, Benjamin, and Guerrero (20:13), Reigns by Booker via a clothesline (24:20), Orlando by Booker via a clothesline (24:25), Booker by Mysterio via a dropkick from behind, with Eddie pulling down the top rope (24:39), Benjamin by Edge after Benjamin failed a splash in the corner, landed with his feet on the top, and was pushed off (26:53), Eddie by Edge (28:13), Dean by Michaels via a clothesline (29:08), Haas by Michaels (30:16), Angle by Michaels via the superkick (31:13), Michaels by Angle when Angle returned to the ring, dumped Michaels over the top, hit him with the steel ring steps, and applied the ankle lock on the floor until he was pulled away by officials (33:55), Dupree by Jericho as Dupree was doing the French Tickler (37:34), Viscera by Cena (38:58), London by Snitsky via a clothesline as London was on the ring apron (40:21); following the elimination, London was taken backstage on a stretcher; Jindrak by Kane (42:03); Snitsky by Batista via a clothesline (43:08); Jericho by Batista after catching him attempting a crossbody and press slamming him to the floor (43:53); Kane by Cena via an FU (45:12); Coachman by Flair after a spinebuster from Batista (46:27); Christian by Batista via a press slam onto Tomko (46:51); Benoit by Flair & Batista after a spinebuster from Batista (47:29); Flair by Edge following a spear (48:02); Mysterio by Edge via a spear as Mysterio was on the ring apron (49:16); Edge by Batista & Cena via a double backdrop (49:38); both Cena and Batista were eliminated at 51:00 when Cena blocked Batista’s attempt at a powerbomb, with both men going over the top; after Raw referees declared Batista the winner and Smackdown! referees declared Cena the winner, Vince McMahon came ringside and ordered the bout to continue at 53:28; Cena by Batista following a spinebuster During the bout, Eric Bischoff came ringside at around the 14-minute mark to watch the action while Teddy Long did the same at around the 16-minute mark

I forget if it was mentioned in that issue or not but there was also talk of Orton and Cena being traded after Mania, with Orton reverting back to a heel before then (maybe even tonight).

For the record, here is the order of lasting time. Chris Benoit: 47:29 Edge: 40:24 Rey Mysterio Jr.: 38:34 Chris Jericho: 28:25 Eddie Guerrero: 28:13 John Cena: 15:27 Shelton Benjamin: 14:37 Jonathan Coachman: 12:51 Renee Dupree: 11:31 Batista: 10:54 Booker T: 10:45 Mark Jindrak: 8:46 Luther Reigns: 7:13 Charlie Haas: 6:21 Shawn Michaels: 4:55 Daniel Puder: 4:08 Kane: 3:55 Gene Snitsky: 3:38 Orlando Jordan: 3:37 Kenzo Suzuki: 3:32 Paul London: 3:14 Viscera: 2:59 Christian: 2:09 Ric Flair: 1:59 Hardcore Holly: 1:58 The Hurricane: 1:04 Mohammad Hassan: 0:54 Kurt Angle: 0:37 Simon Dean: 0:21

Exactly. Orton lost clean. Batista won the Rumble. No way Orton gets a title shot at Mania. It wouldn't make any sense. Or the WWE realizes Orton is a natural heel, turns him, and has him join back up with HHH against Batista. I'm not saying it would be a great idea, just an option. The heel turn I approve, joining back with HHH seems like a step backwards.

Batista got the good pop when he came out but after both men went out, Cena and Batista were getting cheered pretty equally, IMO. No clear favorite. Meltzer even said in the 1/31 Observer that they would be taking a risk pitting Cena vs. Batista in the Rumble, seeing as though the crowd would have to side with one over the other. Sounded like the crowd reaction was pretty even to me.

I'm sure we'll get a lot more hints tonight and Thursday as to the direction they're taking, but here's an idea. WHT: Batista vs. Triple H © WWE Title: Cena (US Champ) vs. JBL © Taker / Kane vs. Snitsky / Heidenreich (stipulation) HBK vs. Angle Eddie vs. Rey Bashams © vs. Booker / Show - if not these then Booker / Rey / Eddie vs. Bashams / Orlando Orton vs. Edge (unofficial #1 contenders match) Raw Tag: Benoit / Jericho © vs. Christian / Tomko I can't think of any good options for Benjamin aside from someone like Simon Dean or Maven. So, given the options, I'll pick Mohammad Hassan vs. Shelton for the IC. A Cruiserweight title match involving Kidman, Chavo, London, Funaki, Spike, and Moore.

Benoit went 47:29 Edge went 49:38 - 9:14 = 40:24

Actually, this time around they set it at 90 seconds. The entry times are when they got IN the ring, not necessarily when the buzzer sounded. Dean was doing a workout on the floor until the countdown began for HBK's entrance.

Who can remember that Flair's record was broken the following year by Bob Backlund and that record was broken last year by Benoit? Not the WWE.

I don't think it was clear at all. I don't even know if he was being pushed as strong as Hassan is today. The only guy of note he beat was Virgil. I think it came as a shock to many, especially since many were predicting Savage vs. Bret at Mania.

Judgment Day 00? Even with Benoit / Jericho and the Ironman? And the 5-second pose in tribute of the Kentucky-born jug band?

While on the subject of the Rumble, I think I've sat through about 6 or 7 of them this week in putting together the spcecifics for each match. The only one I have left to go through - that I have - is 91. If anyone can go through and help me out with the missing cards along with who eliminated who and how, I'd appreciate it. Here's what I have thus far: http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/rumbleppv.htm When it comes to getting Rumble match times, I don't trust the net.

I'm getting it. This is my first PPV since last year's Rumble.

This is from the Observer (1/31/05) which I received yesterday. "In Amarillo, they did a Rumble preview match with JBL, Angle, and Show, with JBL pinning Angle, which should be the Rumble finish (with, at the Rumble, Michaels costing Angle the mach after Angle costs Michaels the match with Edge since there is no logic in Michaels beating Edge, and Michaels isn't losing that one cleanly)."

Royal Rumble 95. Taker / IRS was pure filth. And what happens after? We get the beginnings of a Taker / Bundy feud. Hooray! Bret / Diesel was ... how does JR put it, like kissing your sister? The Rumble match itself was probably the worst to date. The lack of talent and the 60-second intervals killed it for me. Yes, Shawn went from bell to bell but when the match itself lasted all of 37 minutes ... big deal. Thankfully I missed out on KOTR 95. I bought GAB 95 the week before and my parents wouldn't let me get both. WrestleMania XIII was bad. It's a one match show, IMO. For several reasons (money, crappy product, college), that was the last WWE PPV I ordered until WrestleMania X-7. I'm very picky about what shows I'll drop $30 to see but I'll definately get the Rumble tonight.

I picked up a DVD recorder earlier this week, still trying to mess with it. I'd like to eventually convert all my VHS onto DVD but it's going to take a while and I'm not sure this is the best recorder for the job. Glad I kept my receipt. I've been watching a LOT of Royal Rumbles over the past week or so. So far, from the tapes I have, the only Rumble I haven't gone through and timed out the entire Rumble match for is 91. I may do that later today before the PPV. I think this past week alone I've done 96, 98, 03, 92, 90, 93, and 95. Also picked up some uber cheap DVDs from Amazon. I think with shipping and handling, I didn't pay more than $7 for any of them. - Vengeance 01 - KOTR 00 - Insurrextion 02 - IYH: Rock Bottom I had not seen any of them and my major purpose in watching was just to get mass match details for my website. And now that I have ... I'll probably get rid of them soon. They aren't classics.