Royal Rumble 2009

[Epic Reine 0]

The Rumble match made me realize one thing: Too many guys wear short black trunks.

[Shelton Benjamin outta f'in nowhere! 0]

Looking at the stats from WWE, eighteen people had zero eliminations and five had one. Three of the the biggest reactions (MVP, Duggan, and RVD) had no eliminations. I think there's enough action in the rumble to go around. You can still advance fueds and make people look goos without them winning or being ironman.

 

I will say, Duggan and RVD had some great offense, but anyone looking at the stats won't see that.

 

[muzz 0]

2. Santino (at one point during the Women's Title Match, he motion over the the people cheering him to be quiet, almost out of character, like "I'm a heel, guys", but then a few minutes later encouraged it).

 

I remember him putting his finger to his lips at that point. I think he also broke character for a split second when Melina fell nastily.

 

People like RVD and MVP got to showcase some offense right off the bat, which is just as good as an elimination.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Opening video was nice and set the tone for things to come. Randy Orton has developed somewhat over the years on the mic, and character wise. That post about the death of the IWC dying, and using Randy Orton as an example is pretty weak considering he has improved over the last two years or so - though his title reign was pretty boring (but was that due to the death of the roster around him from injuries and suspensions?).

 

The selling of McMahon's injury by King and Cole was a nice touch at the beginning, though apparently quickly forgotten about after the opening pyros.

 

ECW Heavyweight Title

Matt Hardy v Jack Swagger

I'll admit it, I don't watch ECW so don't really know the program between these two. Though I'm confused why the All American Jack Swagger has Rage Against the Machine type music, which was pretty anti establishment, which isn't very American is it? The music doesn't fit him, he kind of looks like he should have been in Team Angle with Benjamin and Haas.

 

I am enjoying Matt Striker and Todd Grisham's commentary pairing, and might start to watch more ECW to hear how they work a show together. Its pretty by the books, but they give you a lot of information about the guys in the ring, why they're fighting. So, for people like me, it helps you get involved in the match if you haven't been following. A bit more emotion, so it wasn't so obvious they were scripted/being fed lines and I think they'll be pretty decent. Are they being groomed as the future announce team for Monday Night Raw?

 

I remember at the UK show back in November that I was at, the crowd totally lynched Swagger throughout the match with 'Who Are Ya?' every time he got in the ring. I had no idea who he was to be honest, though he must be high on the WWE's books to be pushed to ECW Champion within 3/4 months. Not sure what to make of him yet, though I get the feeling I could probably enjoy his work if he had a good heel character. Another reason to watch ECW a bit more, I guess.

 

Oh hey, a 'Ram Jam' sign! Real or planted to create talk for this proposed WWE/The Wrestler crossover?

 

I'm bored of Matt Hardy though, even though I don't watch ECW, I think I've seen too much of him lately over the last few months. He's a decent worker though, could probably do with a change of character or style, as he's been the same guy for... 4 years? Even a different hair style would do for me. Who knows this constant losing could be the start of a character change.

 

Oh, Swagger's finisher is a Gutwrench Powerbomb. Hmm, oh well.

 

--

 

Nice little video developing Orton's character some more - the most hated guy backstage!

 

WWE Women's Title

Melina v Beth Phoenix

 

Santino's ring side antics kind of distracted me away from the 'hatred' Melina and Phoenix were trying to put across in the ring after recent weeks. I like the guy and find him funny, but I think it might have been better if Melina had told Santino to stay backstage for this one.

 

--

 

Nice video contrasting the change in Michael's situation and why he's with JBL. Though surely it says something about WWE's development of wrestler's that even now, after nearly 20 years, Shawn Michaels is still one of the only guys on the whole roster able to put across any emotion or 'acting' into Storylines. He doesn't rely on shouty, pushy, generic acting (Cena), and I think that's what the WWE's missing at the moment. Too much by the book acting still, that I can't fall in and BELIEVE. Jericho v HBK, you could believe that. Flair & HBK great story telling and emotion. JBL/HBK you can believe that, and they've been some of the best segments this WWE Year (Mania - Mania) - Shawn Michaels Raw MVP?

 

And just when you thought you knew where it was going, the throw The Undertaker in, nice touch. Is this the start of HBK/Undertaker program? Does The Undertaker help HBK find a redemption and return to his former self by beating the crap out of him?

 

WWE World Heavyweight Title

JBL v John Cena

 

Detroit crowd still 50/50 on John Cena. Hmm, every JBL/Cena match seems to be the same. I mean, the first match was pretty cool, but that doesn't mean I need to see it over and over again.

 

Ah, guess that Undertaker thing wasn't leading into a program. Nice touch though.

 

WWE World Title

Edge v Jeff Hardy

 

So we're all waiting for Christian to debut... lets see if it happens.

 

Jeff Hardy's face paint always confuses me as it comes across pretty heelish, at least to me. Vickie Guerrero taking that one catchphrase and running with it, milk it for all its worth!

 

Man this is a pretty fun match. Holy shit... I said Matt Hardy needed to change and fuck he did. Jealous Brother angle huh? Nice! Wonder where Christian fits into all of this, if at all? So was it Matt Hardy running Jeff off the road? Hmm, this has just become really interesting, nice move.

 

Royal Rumble

Nice way to build The Legacy as working together, and the little bit with Goldust was good. HHH taking the GTS was interesting, but I think it was more of taking it in an environment that isn't really going to matter.

 

OOOOOH RVD! Didn't he come back for last year's Rumble too, or was that a one off Raw?

 

You just knew Santino was going in and out with that entrance. Its a pretty star studded Royal Rumble this year, which makes it a bit interesting.

 

Undertaker's elimination was a bit dodgy, guess the ref thought The Legacy did it.

 

The ending was a bit cheap after all the work built up towards it.

[Darthtiki 0]

 

 

This looks like if Jeff Kent stepped into OZ

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

I'm pissed my stream died literally a couple of minutes before RVD came out. I've gotta hope his entrance at least hits youtube soon.

 

ETA: Never mind I found it. Good quality too. Just his entrance though.

[Dandy 0]

Looking at the stats from WWE, eighteen people had zero eliminations and five had one. Three of the the biggest reactions (MVP, Duggan, and RVD) had no eliminations. I think there's enough action in the rumble to go around. You can still advance fueds and make people look goos without them winning or being ironman.

 

I will say, Duggan and RVD had some great offense, but anyone looking at the stats won't see that.

 

 

I hope that those who didn't watch the show don't get the wrong idea when scouring the boxscore this morning.

[IronManLUNG 0]

The Rumble match made me realize one thing: Too many guys wear short black trunks.

Seriously, black attire in general. Near the end there was like a dozen guys with black and Jericho was the only guy with a different color (red).

[Silence 0]

That's been one of my complaints for quite sometime about WWE, even though some find it trivial. They hardly let most wrestlers stand out with their ring attire and you can't tell Randy Orton apart from Dibiase or Rhodes.

[DCH 0]

I think the Orange tan glow, the massive sleeve tatttos and the excessive amount of oil give him away.

[Diamonddust 0]

 

 

This looks like if Jeff Kent stepped into OZ

 

Agreed.

 

Jericho looks as if he knows Big Daddy Taker isn't going to be "gentle" this time.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Was I the only one that thought Jesse/Festus was coming out after hearing the first note of the Priceless song?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I thought the Rumble itself started off fine but dragged terribly for the most part. It wasn't a bad Rumble, but there was nothing really memorable about it other than RVD showing up. The only spot I really hated was when Koslov was put over big by eliminating Khali all by himself only for Triple H to very casually dump him moments later; the least they could have done was have some kind of battle before Kozlov went out.

 

The Matt Hardy turn really will need a good explanation behind it if it's going to get over, and it needs to cover all the bases; as Lucky Lopez said earlier, if Matt Hardy was the one behind the attacks, Matt continuing to help Jeff is just too dumb. I half expect Christian to come in to help Jeff in this feud; he's going to be over big as it is, and they can play up the angle of brother against brother, maybe with Christian screwing Edge to allow Jeff to get the belt back, and saying how Edge isn't the only one who can get brother to turn against brother.

[red29 0]

I thought the Rumble itself started off fine but dragged terribly for the most part. It wasn't a bad Rumble, but there was nothing really memorable about it other than RVD showing up. The only spot I really hated was when Koslov was put over big by eliminating Khali all by himself only for Triple H to very casually dump him moments later; the least they could have done was have some kind of battle before Kozlov went out.

 

The Matt Hardy turn really will need a good explanation behind it if it's going to get over, and it needs to cover all the bases; as Lucky Lopez said earlier, if Matt Hardy was the one behind the attacks, Matt continuing to help Jeff is just too dumb. I half expect Christian to come in to help Jeff in this feud; he's going to be over big as it is, and they can play up the angle of brother against brother, maybe with Christian screwing Edge to allow Jeff to get the belt back, and saying how Edge isn't the only one who can get brother to turn against brother.

 

We'll see what Matt says Tuesday but Edge/Vicki gave no inclination they had anything to do with Matt. Heck, Edge even did a double take to make sure Matt wasn't going to hit him with the chair before he pinned Jeff. I thought that was a nice subtle touch by Edge.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

The Matt Hardy turn really will need a good explanation behind it if it's going to get over, and it needs to cover all the bases; as Lucky Lopez said earlier, if Matt Hardy was the one behind the attacks, Matt continuing to help Jeff is just too dumb. I half expect Christian to come in to help Jeff in this feud; he's going to be over big as it is, and they can play up the angle of brother against brother, maybe with Christian screwing Edge to allow Jeff to get the belt back, and saying how Edge isn't the only one who can get brother to turn against brother.

 

I think they'll just play off basic jealousy. He probably wasn't the one behind the attacks all along, but with all the loses Matt Hardy has had over the last few weeks, losing his title, and the years of Jeff being the #1 Hardy with the fans... he just finally snapped and gave in to that nagging voice in the back of his head. He probably didn't do it for Edge, but rather to satisfy his own feelings. That would work for me, and make Matt Hardy far more interesting then he has been for the last 2 years.