WWE Raw - December 22, 2008

[Boxer 0]

Only thing I got from wwe.com were the pictures:

 

Kane vs. HBK

Punk vs. Jericho

Mysterio vs. JBL

Batista vs. Orton

 

Hopefully the crowd will be good from Toronto.

[Chazz 0]

Considering what happened at the end of last week's show, I don't think Orton vs Batista will take place tonight. Given how bad Orton's punt kick of doom is portrayed, it wouldn't surprise me if they say that Batista isn't medically cleared to compete. Or something.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

So who's winning the matches - I assume Batista will not be allowed to fight, giving Orton a bye. Also HBK and JBL should win setting up an interesting dynamic during the match. The only match I'm undecided about is Jericho/Punk because would the wwe really have a three heels in the fatal fourway? Or does Jericho and Punk lead to a non-finish where both are eliminated? This would open the door for Batista to fill the open spot in the fourway making it Orton vs JBL vs HBK vs Batista.

 

JBL wins when Batista and Orton are brawling on the outside and HBK is ordered to lie down for JBL. At the Royal Rumble JBL vs Cena happens before the RR main event. Cena wins, JBL takes HBK's spot in the RR. HBK gets a later spot when another entrant is unable to compete. JBL orders HBK out of the rumble as soon as he enters, but HBK says that he could help him stay in and eliminate folks if he stayed in for awhile. HBK later eliminates JBL "by accident" and goes on to win the RR.

 

[JPopStarKami 0]

Personally I don't think they need world title matches at the Royal Rumble. Focus all of the build on the Rumble match itself.

[Hawk 34 0]

The Rumble will always draw on its name value alone but they might as well have a stronger card which would require title matches. Outside of the first two Rumble PPVs and the '92 edition, World Title matches have always been a part of the Rumble event as it should. As for the build, rarely do the World Title matches outshine the Rumble itself. Last year was a notable exception due to Hardy being as over as he was and that the Rumble seemed like such an automatic win for Triple H or 'Taker.

[Scroby 0]

I also like to add that normally the Royal Rumble is the main event of the show.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

Personally I don't think they need world title matches at the Royal Rumble. Focus all of the build on the Rumble match itself.

 

Well, it makes no sense for the World Champions to be in the Rumble match, and keeping guys like John Cena and Jeff Hardy off the card would be a horrible decision.

[Enigma 0]

PWInsider is reporting that Batista is not backstage at the show, so that match will not happen.

 

Trish Stratus and Johnny Devine are backstage. Devine is getting a tryout match while Stratus is visiting. There's a chance she may make an on-air cameo.

[Psycho Penguin 0]

JBL vs Orton final, JBL wins

[cd213 0]

Good for Devine, but I really don't know what WWE can do with him. He is actually pretty good on the mic. At a TNA house show I was at in LI he cut a pretty good promo. If Shannon Moore was still under contract, I could have seen them being paried up, as they have similar builds, and have a similar wrestling style, with Devine being a little more mat oriented.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Woo! Devine WWE champion, 2012.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

According to his Wiki, Devine trained in Calgary under one of the Harts. He's too old (34) to be with DH and TJ though, maybe he could play the loose cannon Pillman role. "The Foundation" will need all the help they can get as Harry is bland as hell, and TJ can definitely work in-ring, but I don't know about his ability to make folks care about him.

 

Devine could use his grizzly stomach scar (from when he was knifed/mugged while with TNA) to build his character around.

[Diamonddust 0]

Welcome back Trish...

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Hmm, any chance John Chay-na gets some Stratusfaction?

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Hilarious open to Raw. I will never get tired of Goldust.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Kelly is much hotter than Torrie ever was imo

[Psycho Penguin 0]

Is that a YOU SCREWED BRET chant?

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Kelly is much hotter than Torrie ever was imo

 

No question.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

Hilarious open to Raw. I will never get tired of Goldust.

 

Santino is great. It's all the little things he does. His laugh at the end did it this week.

 

Was Cena ripping off Olbermann with his "Shame on you SIR" bit?

[cd213 0]

Shouldn't Manu have his own theme, not DiBiassi's? (sp?)

[garfieldsnose 0]

How do you not know how to spell DiBiase?

[foleyfanforever88 0]

KOFI WINS!

 

Nice finish.

[cd213 0]

Wasn't sure if it was si or se, chose the wrong one.

[Psycho Penguin 0]

I am hoping if they do split Dibiase apart from the group, he keeps that song and the group gets a new one. I guess WWE is working on one for Legacy now. I hope.

[The Niggardly King 0]

I wonder when the second group of 2nd and 3rd generation wrestler's show up to be the opposing face group?

[Diamonddust 0]

I think it'd be logical to have Snuka and Manu as the tag-team of the stable.

[RepoMan 0]

The Legacy-masters of homoerotic heavy breathing!

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

I much liked Shawn's reasoning for accepting JBL's help. It's frustrating, but also makes perfect sense.

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

I wonder when the second group of 2nd and 3rd generation wrestler's show up to be the opposing face group?

 

There is another Dibiase in developmental, Joe Hennig is there as well. Harry Smith though he's heading to SD! and TJ Wilson is basically a Hart as well. Taylor Rotunda and Dakota Darsow both just recently signed developmental deals. Jesse is Terry Gordy's son, then there's Goldust, Primo and Carlito, Chavo Guerrero, and of course Hornswoggle.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

WHY CANT KATIE LEA EVER GET A MATCH