Mid-carder winning the Royal Rumble??

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Here's what I think.

 

HHH and Orton will be a solid WM Main event. I've watched the main event from Unforgiven three times. The match itself is decent, but the last 5 minutes is *extremely* heat-filled, with false finishes and the crowd going nuts for Orton. I think the program will work will leading up to Mania.

 

Everyone is like "Orton wins the Rumble..."

 

Does he need to? I think the Orton/HHH program will have enough heat to not require a Rumble win. In fact, I think they'll do the "Orton MUST win the Rumble to get a title shot" deal, only to have HHH/Evolution interfere and cost Orton the Rumble.

 

Orton can win a "mini Raw Rumble" or something in February.

 

So what remains?

 

I predict JBL will successfully defend the WWE Title at WrestleMania.

 

I also think, with Orton/HHH being a focus, that they need to have someone win the Rumble that is only a slight favorite, or maybe not even a favorite.

 

So I think that having say, Rey Mysterio win the 2005 Royal Rumble would do many things:

 

- Put a solid, OVER talent in his home base (California) going up against the established champion.

- Truly, for once, establish the Rumble as "ANYONE can win it!"

- Fool us into thinking he could win it.

 

So go Rey Mysterio, my pick to win the 2005 Royal Rumble.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

No more mini Rumbles. Orton WILL win because they are building to Taker/Angle on the SD side, and neither of those guys should even BE in the Rumble. Oddly enough, they both seem to be too far above the rub winning it gives.

[Guest Anglesault]

No more mini Rumbles. Orton WILL win because they are building to Taker/Angle on the SD side, and neither of those guys should even BE in the Rumble. Oddly enough, they both seem to be too far above the rub winning it gives.

ditto

[Aero 0]

I definitely agree with you about an HHH-Orton WM main event not needing the Rumble win. They just need to make sure they don't overdo the HHH-Orton match between now and then if they really want the match to be big.

 

If you're actually serious about Rey winning, then I think you're insane. As long as the winner goes to WM rule is still going, no mid-carder like Rey will ever win the Rumble.

 

Here's how I see it. Undertaker wins the title tommorrow night, and holds it until WM. John Cena wins the Rumble and, and at WM, is the one to FINALLY beat Undertaker and end the WM streak. Many people say to keep Taker's WM streak perfect, but at this point, all of his matches are getting too anti-climatic. Think about it though. Cena is likely to lose to Booker tommorrow because he's shooting his movie, so after fighting for the US Title since July and failing to regain it, why should he go back to it?

[cbacon 0]

They could throw a curve ball and have RVD win it. Of course that's just wishful thinking.

[The Mandarin 0]

They should have RVD come in at 4, get eliminated, and come back in at 20.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I don't think JBL is losing the title anytime soon.

 

Taker doesn't need a World Title run. That'd be terrible.

 

And how are they "hinting" or "heading" toward Angle/Taker for WM? Because they've not interacted with each other at all yet. I don't even get the "feel" they'd cross paths.

 

Taker just DID the "fight through a stable to get to the title" thing.

[JoeDirt 0]

I don't see Rey winning it. And from everything Meltzer is saying, it's looking like Angle/Taker at WM.

 

I think that if you weren't a smark last year the Benoit win at the Rumble would have been SLIGHTLY surprising, even though they built him up with the "you'll never get a title shot again and you have to be #1" thing. I kind of wish I hadn't known ahead of time he was probably going to win.

 

Orton is definitely winning the Rumble this year. I'd be really surprised if he didn't.

[JoeDirt 0]

Taker doesn't need a World Title run. That'd be terrible.

 

And how are they "hinting" or "heading" toward Angle/Taker for WM? Because they've not interacted with each other at all yet. I don't even get the "feel" they'd cross paths.

Of course Taker doesn't need a title run. But you're looking at things logically here, we can't have that.

 

Angle and Taker will probably have interaction by the end of the year. They usually start their push towards WM around the new year anyways.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I was going by reports that Angle and Taker wanted to have a world title feud, being as they believe they are both "the top of the Smackdown brand". It only makes sense they would go into WM with it and I don't expect anything less at this point.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

There is no doubt in my mind that with all the Angle/Undertaker plan for Mania(that WILL happen, as they pretty much get to choose what they do)that the Undertaker will defintely win the rumble. Especially because it would be the first time he has won it, then they get to have him and Angle at Mania for the WWE title.........and of course Taker wins and kepts the streak alive.

 

Oh. FUCKING. JOY.

[Brett Favre 0]

They could have Cena win the Rumble, and beat Taker at WrestleMania in a spot where Taker's going for the "Old School" walk on the rope, and Cena hits him with a lock or his fist, whichever, Taker falls onto Cena into the F-U, and presto. A new superstar.

 

But we're getting Taker/Angle, Orton/HHH.

[Enigma 0]

If you really think Rey Mysterio is going to win the Royal Rumble and get a title shot at WM21, you're Eugene.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

This year needs a SmackDown winner, since the WM main event has been set in stone for the past few months.

 

So, if they'd have a midcarder do it, who would be a good idea? Cena? Mysterio? Van Dam? I'd love to see Eddie do it, actually. Have Eddie enter at #30, and then he cheats constantly to make sure he doesn't lose (eyerakes, lowblow's, going THROUGH the ropes and getting weapons, etc.). Final two are Eddie and 'Taker. Team Angle 2.0 interferes, but they don't know who to attack, so they attack both. Eddie gets tossed over, 'Taker gets tossed over, but Eddie skins the cat back in. This does two things: 1) Gives Eddie Guerrero the rematch with either JBL or Angle for the WWE Title at WrestleMania (either way, it would be a pretty good match with a solid story behind it), and 2) Emphasizes that the 30th entrant has an advantage over others. Not ONCE has #30 won a Rumble, and I think it's time that happens.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I agree w/ what you said about the #30 entrant, Corey. It's always been built up as the "can't loose" position IMO makes the entrant themself look weak when they can't pull it off, Goldberg and Taker being the last two to have that honour.

 

Your Eddy scenario works well but it's a red herring. #30 never wins because frankly nobody wants to see somebody come in and win the whole thing 10 minutes later. Last years Rumble was probably the best example of how to build a story throughout the match but not allow it to dominate while still referring back to it.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Maybe they do need to make the number 30 mean something, but I could really see them doing that with Orton. If Evolution does NOT want him anywhere near them, they would make sure to keep him out of the Rumble (or put him at a very low number) somehow, so maybe a match could be made where the winner gets 30 and the loser gets 1, say Orton vs. Batista or Kane (yes i know, but hear me out).

 

In the Batista version, Evolution would come down and try to help him out, but would be unable to stop Orton from winning even after tons of interference. Orton gets the 30. Batista gets the number one spot and does well, but is tossed by Kane or something.

 

In the Kane version, Evolution would again try to step in, only for them to completely screw up and hit Kane. Kane attacks them, and then turns right around and into an RKO for a win. Kane would then enter at number 1 and Matt Hardy (?) could enter at number 2, giving the crowd a good heated moment to start the thing off, with Kane unable to toss Matt until more people come around. Kane could then stay in for a long while, maybe even getting to the end but not winning.

[Guest Quik]

There is no doubt in my mind that with all the Angle/Undertaker plan for Mania(that WILL happen, as they pretty much get to choose what they do)that the Undertaker will defintely win the rumble.  Especially because it would be the first time he has won it, then they get to have him and Angle at Mania for the WWE title.........and of course Taker wins and kepts the streak alive.

 

Oh. FUCKING. JOY.

No. This is like last year when everyone said Trips wouldn't drop the belt to Benoit at WM. You don't waste moments like this. It would make ZERO sense to waste a Rumble victory on a nostalgia act. He doesn't need that credibility at this point in his career, especially when Randy could really use it. If anything, we should be bitching about the fact that we're getting the same angle we had last year: virtuous face gets screwed out of the title, and goes to the Rumble hoping to finally get his shot and dethrone the evil HHH. That WWE booking team... so original.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

There is no doubt in my mind that with all the Angle/Undertaker plan for Mania(that WILL happen, as they pretty much get to choose what they do)that the Undertaker will defintely win the rumble.  Especially because it would be the first time he has won it, then they get to have him and Angle at Mania for the WWE title.........and of course Taker wins and kepts the streak alive.

 

Oh. FUCKING. JOY.

No. This is like last year when everyone said Trips wouldn't drop the belt to Benoit at WM. You don't waste moments like this. It would make ZERO sense to waste a Rumble victory on a nostalgia act. He doesn't need that credibility at this point in his career, especially when Randy could really use it. If anything, we should be bitching about the fact that we're getting the same angle we had last year: virtuous face gets screwed out of the title, and goes to the Rumble hoping to finally get his shot and dethrone the evil HHH. That WWE booking team... so original.

I agree with you Quik.....unfortunately they don't care what kind of crap they keep shoveling out.......enough people will pay for it.

[Guest Quik]

"Enough people" means breaking even or just barely going over... and eventually you can't rely on that past profit margin to keep you afloat. Maybe if this company stopped booking to get "enough people" to watch, they wouldn't have to tarp off the upper decks during TV shows.

[Guest Coffey]

I miss the days of when they would show the wrestlers drawing their numbers in the back. They didn't have to tell you what number they drew in particular, but you could tell from their emotions if it was a high number or a low number.

 

The worst thing that WWE ever starting doing was going out of their way to establish both number one and number thirty each year. It takes the element of surprise away.

 

I remember when Ax & Smash of Demoltion were number 1 & 2. I went crazy. Of course, I was just a young mark, but those days don't happen anymore. Instead, we get Raw having four man battle royales to determine number thirty, and then Rikishi and Too Cool dancing mid-Rumble.

 

There should always be a "dark horse" too. Someone that no one expects to last as long as they do. Remember the Royal Rumble where Diesel just went crazy and eliminated like ten people in a row? Each guy that came out couldn't take him one on one. Virgil went down. Bob Backlund went out. It wasn't until Randy Savage came out that Diesels spree was slowed. Going into the Rumble that year, I forgot about Diesel even being in it. It turned out the be the highlight of the Rumble that year, and he wasn't even the winner!

 

I agree that the winner of the tournament shouldn't be so predictable either. I mean, as much as WWE talks about Kane being a threat and a monster in battle royales, you think they'd have let the son-of-a-bitch win one by now. He doesn't seem anymore of a threat to me, as a viewer, than say...Hardcore Holly.

 

I'm a big fan of "guest" entrants as well. Like when we had The Godfather & Goldust come out of nowhere to be in the Royal Rumble. It was a nice little surprise and something for fans of longer than a month to mark out for. Afterall, you don't have to show EVERY wrestler draw their number in the back.

 

It's always the little things. WWE hasn't cared about the little things since the days of Hulkamania.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

Orton-HHH at Unforgiven was really boring. If thats what they end Mania 21 with, it'll be a flat finish, unless Orton gets really big in the next few months, which seems unlikely.

 

If Taker is going to win the title at Mania, then it would make sense to have him win the Rumble.

 

I think Cena should be the one to win, and go on to face Angle at Mania. Cena seems the most likely guy to me that might be able to connect with the fans as a top guy, so why not pull the trigger?

 

As for a mid card guy, thats good in the sense of having a surpirse. But I think with the brand extension there is enough of an intrigue to make the match interesting. I mean say its clear heading into the Rumble that Angle/Taker and HHH/Orton will headline, we still dont knwo forsure who would win between Orton and Taker.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Cena vs. Angle should be the SD Main Event with Cena winning, after he winning the RR, but who knows. I mean we're all assuming Angle isn't injured by that time, a lot can still change on the SD side.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

"Enough people" means breaking even or just barely going over... and eventually you can't rely on that past profit margin to keep you afloat. Maybe if this company stopped booking to get "enough people" to watch, they wouldn't have to tarp off the upper decks during TV shows.

Once again Quik....I agree totally with you on that. I didn't say they SHOULD try and get enough people and that's it........but that's what they do.

[Guest Kevin]

I love your Idea there Orton wins a mini rumble like smackdown did and have him face Triple H at WM XXI but Have John Cena win the Rumble because he really needs to go to Wrestlemania and win the belt from either JBL or Undertaker or anyone else that maybe win it!

[ChrisMWaters 0]

I love your Idea there Orton wins a mini rumble like smackdown did and have him face Triple H at WM XXI but Have John Cena win the Rumble because he really needs to go to Wrestlemania and win the belt from either JBL or Undertaker or anyone else that maybe win it!

And that, ladies and gents, is the perfect example of a run-on sentence.

 

Find the best place to put punctuation and breaks for sentences.

[Guest Loss]

I'm expecting Angle/Taker, Bradshaw/Cena (for the title) and HHH against Someone Who Isn't Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit or Chris Jericho. Most likely Edge.

 

That's not what I want to happen, but that's what I think will happen.

[Guest Loss]

To elaborate, they are probably thinking Orton now, but they will panic when he's still heatless in January and go in another direction. Benoit and HBK will be considered rehashes and we will never see HHH and Jericho face each other again most likely. That leaves Edge. It's not too late to back out of the heel turn, but they really need to focus on getting him over again.

[Just call me Dan 0]

I'd put my money on Angle winning the RR. He never has despite winning everything else. He's playing his cards backstage. Taker will get the belt soon, Angle wins the Rumble. SD side of things will be cut and paste WM build formula and Raw will keep trying to make us think HHH/Orton is not the ME until the last second while continuing to build the feud.

[Guest Loss]

The main issue with Angle winning is that I don't see a heel taking the Rumble, and I don't see a face defending the title at Mania.

[Just call me Dan 0]

I don't either in pre-2002 WWE. We'll Have Orton chase HHH and Angle establish himself as the HHH of SD until Cena dethrones him at SS.