Backstage Royal Rumble News

[Guest BoboBrazil]

The word I have gotten from backstage was that most people in the company were very down on the Scott Steiner-HHH match. The feeling among most was that neither man looked good last night. Steiner showed ring rust and H showed he wasn't able to carry him to a good match the way his idol, Ric Flair, did throughout his career. Originally, the plan a few weeks ago was for HHH to beat Steiner clean but then the company changed gears when the program started getting over and the Raw ratings rose (which will happen, in my opinion, if they continue to freshen things up at the top of the card). The finish was then changed to a DQ because the feeling was if Steiner jobbed clean, the program would be over and the momentum would be killed. Since they didn't want to put the belt on him however, they chose to go with the DQ finish. I give WWE credit for making that change, as it was the right move for business and they didn't know last night's match would end up being so disappointing.

 

On the other side of the coin, the Kurt Angle-Chris Benoit match was put over universally backstage as the classic that it was. The Boston fans giving Benoit the standing ovation said it all as far as I am concerned. It was a great match.

 

1wrestling.com

[Guest jester]

The original plan was to have HHH beat Steiner clean?

 

[bangs head repeatedly on keyboard]

[Guest BoboBrazil]

Of course, as I said before HHH won't lose the belt until his buddy Nash comes back.

[Guest The Old Me]

It kind of sounds like we haven't seen the last of HHH vs Steiner.

[Guest candie45]

Gee, what a surprise. So that means we have to sit through another month of HHH/Steiner? And another month of Dawn/Torrie? *shoots self*

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Steiner showed ring rust and H showed he wasn't able to carry him to a good match the way his idol, Ric Flair, did throughout his career.

HHH's idol is himself. And how could he compare himself to The Man? HHH was arguably the best in the business for about a 2 year period. Flair was the man for close to a decade.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I hate the match turned out like that. even without Steiner being gassed, it would not have gone over **, but it could have been prevented.

 

THE WHOLE MATCH was Steiner on offense. HHH should have been mount punching him or lock on one of his main event sleepers, hell Steiner could have gotten a Recliner in the middle of the match for a while to rest, pop the crowd and give the illusion that HHH might tap. There were too many open places for a rest and HHH got basically no real offense.

 

That is no excuse, Steiner can't be in the mains if he can't hang, but HHH even in this pathetic form should be able to transition a little better.

 

Steiner threw about 15 suplexes and was running around beating on HHH and trying to overpower him the whole time.

 

Go back and watch Goldberg/Steiner from Fall Brawl 2000. Evenly match with a lot of power and Steiner looked fine. BECAUSE he wasn't trying to do everything. He had time to rest and he still looked impressive.

 

Both men are to blame, and I don't think everyone should blame Steiner. I don't personally like him, but this is what Vince does, signs guys like him. I can deal with it, but any new guys shouldn't be in there with Hunter who just hangs them out to dry.

 

I swear HE tried to get the match like this and make Steiner look like a fool, and he could come out smelling like a rose. Poor Hunter almost got dropped on his head and had to be in there with a gassed , over the hill wrestler. But he toughed it out and continued the match. What a guy. *pukes* Fuck that. HHH is getting way out of hand.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

The problem with the idea of having a Recliner in the middle of the match for a rest spot or to get the crowd into it is that he's not done the Recliner yet in WWE, and probably only half of the fans would recognize it as his old finisher.

 

Still, a DQ finish was the right finish, but the match itself was really terrible.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I disagree. The announcer's could have shilled for it hard. Add the fact that nearly everyone recognized Steiner upon his entrance and the ratings went up slightly, enough people know Steiner, and therefore probably know the recliner. He ended the match with it (DQ) and it could have helped add some emotion AND much needed rest to the middle of the match rather than 35 overhead belly to belly suplexes.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Maybe they could have shilled it, but without seeing it on TV first in any form, it would have gotten an anemic pop. Better than being booed, of course. Since I couldn't hear commentary much, I don't know if the announcers talked about the Recliner as he had it on Trips after the match.

 

I think the crowd was more pissed off about the suplexes because they'd already seen the overhead belly-to-belly suplexes in the Brock/Show match. But that argument is invalidated by Angle and Benoit doing it also and making it look great.

[Guest teke184]

This match shouldn't have gone over 10 minutes and should have been DQed while the action was still hot, as to keep the fans salivating for a rematch.

 

Because they went 20 minutes and the DQ was, in effect, a mercy killing, the fans were pissed that they sat through MUCH longer than they should have been subjected to.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

Well where the hell would the rest of the time be devoted? The PPV ended way early as it was.

 

The build for HHH/Steiner was ridiculous. Steiner didn't wrestle anyone as a preiview to the match to showcase his moves, and the pace and structure of the match (as dictated by HHH) was horrendous.

 

My basic argument is Steiner got screwed, but proved he couldn't habndle any mishaps in a match. If he were to get into a spotfest with Rock, it could work. Anyone else he's in there with for 15+ minutes, the match better be totally choreographed with no messups. That's the problem. He should have never been in there with H in the first place, and the stupid son of a bitch should have NEVER been a babyface where he got most of the offense in a match. He can't handle it.

 

Better booking would have saved this match and possibly his career.

[Guest teke184]

If they hadn't had a case of the Premature Entries in the Royal Rumble, they wouldn't have ended early.

 

They announced 2 minute intervals, JR quickly changed that to 90 seconds, and by the end they were coming in every 40 seconds.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

That hurt the rumble if you ask me. There could have been more time to get some people OUT of the ring rather than it being jammed up for so long. People like Rosey, Jamal, Cena, Test, etc. had no chance of winning and their exits weren't even memorable. They should not have been in the ring that damn long. Dragged down the match a lot.