OAO 2007 Royal Rumble Thread.

[Epic Reine 0]

The point of the Royal Rumble is to create a new star or elevate a star. I can't think of two people in the WWE right now that need less elevating than HBK and Taker.

 

I told my friend today (who stopped watching wrestling in the late 90's) that the last two people in the 2007 Royal Rumble were Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker and he looked at me and said "Those two are still around? is this 1997?". That says it all right there.

 

Cena should face HBK at Mania, simple as that.

 

Batista isn't worth giving Taker's streak rub to. I can easily see Batista out of the business within the next two years, it simply isn't worth giving that sort of elevation to a guy on his last legs.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The point of the Royal Rumble is to create a new star or elevate a star.

The point of the Rumble is to get over the storyline that will create the best possible buy rate for WM. Given the big Streak vs. Title storyline has a lot of potential for it, and that the build for Batista vs. Undertaker has been great, slow burning stuff, last night's Rumble did it's job.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Batista beating Undertaker and breaking his WM streak would be similar (but not as bad for business) to Nash beating Goldberg at Starrcade 1998. You'd have the guy whose heart isn't into it, and is riding the residue of his hot angle from 2 years ago, ending something that has been hyped for years as a major accomplishment. Plus, regardless of the fan backlash (they could easily make Batista into a monster heel if that's the case), it's that Batista has lost his work ethic, his fire, he's injury prone, and he's not likely to improve. He's not long for the business, either by personal choice or by suffering another injury, so why waste the streak?

 

Will it be a "money match"? Yes, because the marks believe in both men, and both are draws for their brand. Will it be a pretty match? Odds are no, it won't be. But Batista should not be the one having the torch passed to him by Undertaker. Kennedy would work. A heel Lashley would work. Edge or Orton would work. Not Batista.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

It will be a money match, I think their first ever match or at least their first one in a long time. Undertaker always works hard at WM, and he's going to have to work hard to get something out of Batista who has been nothing short of terrible since he returned from injury. It should be no longer than fifteen minutes, and should end with Undertaker winning. Whether Undertaker should ever lose at WM or not, and I think he ideally should at some point, it shouldn't be to Batista for all the reasons everyone's stated.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

A heel Lashley would work.

 

Lashley is as bad as Batista is, and less believable to beat Taker.

[evilhomer 0]

I enjoyed the show last night. I thought the opening tag match match was very, very good. That's how tag team wrestling should be. Hell, I can't remember the last time we've seen the "ref didn't see the faces make the tag" spot, honestly.

I liked the use of the spot, but they compeletly fucked it up. The spot is, face makes tag that ref doesn't see AND gets dragged away from his corner afterward. How stupid does a ref have to be to not realize that the guy sitting in his own corner was able to make the tag.... oh right WWE logic.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

The point of the Royal Rumble is to create a new star or elevate a star.

The point of the Rumble is to get over the storyline that will create the best possible buy rate for WM. Given the big Streak vs. Title storyline has a lot of potential for it, and that the build for Batista vs. Undertaker has been great, slow burning stuff, last night's Rumble did it's job.

 

Undertaker had to win. When you are doing a streak storyline like they are doing, it would kill the feud out of the gate to job him right away. Both Batista & Undertaker need to be kept strong going into Mania as that is the appeal of the match. Orton/Edge/HBK didn't need to win, even though at least one of them will be challenging for the other world title. HBK is much more of an underdog character so he can lose here and not hurt anything. Orton & Edge are both cowardly heel types that tend to get things through the back door. Taker was 100% the right choice to win here as the RAW match would gain nothing from having the challenger win, but the Smackdown match would be hurt significantly if Taker didn't.

[Angle-plex 0]

Since when is the Rumble about elevating young talent? Most rumbles just have a monster that does eliminations, a young star that looks ok (like Punk this year) and the main eventers at the end. I can't think of a young talent that has won that wasn't a main eventer beforehand (Brock is probably the closest, maybe Batista, but he didn't need it either by that point). Plus, despite the fact the the final two could have been the final two in the rumble thirteen years ago, they are millions of times better than any of the bland "young stars" WWE tries to sell us on.

[Zack Malibu 0]

A heel Lashley would work.

 

Lashley is as bad as Batista is, and less believable to beat Taker.

Lashley's not a great worker, no, but he has upside. Workrate wise Lashley is more athletic than Batista, although that's not much of a compliment, seeing how Batista is old and injury prone and broken down. Still, with their intent on pushing Lashley as a superman, and with him being young enough to be groomed for a long standing role within the company, that's why he's more deserving. You can't look at workrate when you're thinking of who will benefit from this, you just have to think about people who are going to have to mean something long-term.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Michaels and Taker are "old guys," but it's not a couple of "old guys" like Hogan or Piper or whatever legitimately old fuckers they drag out every now and then for a major event. These guys can still move at around 75% of their prime forms and blow away the lion's share of the company (which is either sad for the current state of the roster or showing how damn good both of them once were). You know Taker won't have a heavy in-ring load going into Wrestlemania, so he'll be in good shape and wanting to make his last money match as a somewhat regular worker a good one in front of a stadium. Batista should have to sign a new contract that allows WWE to sack his ass six months after beating Taker if he doesn't hold up his end and get motivated again.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Taker's probably a better wrestler now than he was in his prime. He certainly is much, much better than he was in 1991 or 1992 where he didn't do much beyond choke his opponents.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

And you'll never guess the main event to ECW on Sci-Fi tomorrow night.....

[JPopStarKami 0]

And you'll never guess the main event to ECW on Sci-Fi tomorrow night.....

 

Lashley vs Test?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

And you'll never guess the main event to ECW on Sci-Fi tomorrow night.....

 

Lashley vs Test?

Yes.

 

And it'll be the TV match getting the clean finish, again.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

WWE Presents ECW sure does suck. I wonder if Marquis de Sade will attack Lashley and reveal OMG THEY WERE ONCE FRIENDS FROM "DA STREET", NOW BITTER ENEMIES. ECW ECW ECW.

[cabbageboy 0]

Test jobbing again to Lashley?

 

I agree on the Taker, though I think in 1991 or 92 he was mostly locked into his gimmick and that produced his usual matches from the time. Once the shackles of the gimmick were taken off and he was a more human character, his matches picked up big time. I'd say starting with the Diesel feud in 1996.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

It always amazes me how fast Taker can actually move, considering the early 90s was slow, plodding, destructive Taker. I still kinda miss that version of the gimmick because it was one of my favorite things ever when I first started watching.

 

The same thing happens when I watch HBK/Diesel from WMXI ... Nash just TAKES OFF at the beginning of the match, and you know within like two years he just couldn't even do THAT anymore.

[uhftv 0]

how did Benoit get eliminated? It always bothered me when someone who did well in previous years or previous winners end up as nonfactors, unless it sets up a feud with someone else.

 

they didnt HAVE to have a younger guy win the Rumble but they couldve, which tells you how forward think they are, or arent. You can argue whether it's good or not. But the problem is the last 2 or even the last 4 dont need the win. You could say the same thing 6 years ago. Rock and Austin were always going to be in the main events so why waste Rumbles on them? It DOES tell a better story, but it all depends on if you like the guys on top or not.

 

It also tells you what the rest of 2007 is going to be about.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Benoit went out, I believe, while the cameras were showing Miz's entrance.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Benoit went out, I believe, while the cameras were showing Miz's entrance.

 

By Khali.

[The Niggardly King 0]

I just got to know who lays out the Cena/Umaga matches. They have been the best story type brawls that the WWE have done in a long time.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

I just got to know who lays out the Cena/Umaga matches. They have been the best story type brawls that the WWE have done in a long time.

 

Definitely. Cena/Umaga, while the result, even though obvious, pissed me off, was the most enjoyable match of the night, and probably the best of Cena's defenses in quite a while. There were a few times where I thought Umaga was done (after the splash through the table, the monitor to the head, the first choke out), and when he got back up each time I got a second of hope that he would win the match, but it wasn't to be.

[CBright7831 0]

Taker is jobbing at Mania!

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Cena/Umaga absolutely stole the show. People mentioned how good UT/Shawn's mini-match was, but it totally paled in comparison to Umaga and Cena just beating the evil loving crap otu of each other.

 

What gets me, is if they kept the Umaga gimmick going full blow like he was here, he'd be easily the most feared wrestler in the WWE...but every so often, they'll fuck up his gimmick and have him get laid out by a chair or something. Here, he was hit by EVERYTHING and he just kept coming like he didn't freaking feel the pain. A small note that many don't point out, is Cena had to do the Ropes + STFU *TWICE* because Umaga started stumbling to his feet half out cold the first time causing Cena to desperately dive onto him to reapply it.

 

Some of the stuff would have killed a lesser character, like the TV set smash into Umaga's face. Instead, Umaga just kept coming back for more. Great booking.

[packwingfn 0]

When Viscera come out, did anyone pick up on the repeat of the 94 rumble. Everyone tries to elimate Viscera when Shawn sneaks in the pile and helps eliminate Big Vis. I thought that was pretty neat.

 

And I loved the Kip up/ Sit up by Taker and Michaels.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I didn't think HBK even touched anyone (outside of Finlay) before Viscera got taken out, and then he and Shelton got into it.

[billdynamite 0]

When Viscera come out, did anyone pick up on the repeat of the 94 rumble. Everyone tries to elimate Viscera when Shawn sneaks in the pile and helps eliminate Big Vis. I thought that was pretty neat.

 

Yeah but like 94, intentional or not, they missed it. You'd have to be like us and looking for it. I think HBK was slightly off cue though.

[packwingfn 0]

Then I like how JBL mentioned how Shawn almost tried to eliminate UT by superkicking him like he did Diesel in 1996.

[Slickster 0]

Best thing I just noticed: immediately after Khali tosses 3643784 people, keep your eye on HBK (who's lying on the mat). He starts yelling 'HARD CAMERA!" to Khali and pointing toward one side of the ring. Immediately, Khali taunts at the hard camera - and the director gets a great shot.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Best thing I just noticed: immediately after Khali tosses 3643784 people, keep your eye on HBK (who's lying on the mat). He starts yelling 'HARD CAMERA!" to Khali and pointing toward one side of the ring. Immediately, Khali taunts at the hard camera - and the director gets a great shot.

 

I thought I heard someone yell "hard camera" over our PPV group chatter but was not sure who said it or why.