Royal Rumble Results

[Strummer]

Meltz:

 

Royal Rumble match-by-match coverage

 

by Dave Meltzer

 

[email protected]

 

Welcome to our live coverage of the 2007 Royal Rumble from San Antonio. We're looking for your thoughts on the show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected].

 

MNM vs. Hardys open the show.

 

Good opener. Pretty much the match you'd expect. Finish saw Matt used a twist of fate on Nitro. Mercury tackled Matt through the ropes, but he tagged Jeff as he was going through the ropes. Jeff then pinned Nitro after a swanton.

 

It's Royal Rumble drawing time. Kelly Kelly was there and she had words with Edge. Orton came out. Edge and Randy Orton had problems and Orton said he'd throw Edge if he got the opportunity. When it came to their numbers, Edge said I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Booker walked up and said, "Tell me you just didn't say that."

 

Bobby Lashley vs. Test for the ECW title is now up.

 

This was a Test burial. Lashley clotheslined Test out of the ring. Test decided not to get back in when he could and was counted out. I guess someone watched that A.J. Styles/Rhino match on TNA and thought they came up with a brilliant finish. Post-match, Lashley gave Test the Oklahoma Stampede. At least the way it was booked, they guaranteed Batista doesn't get worst match.

 

They had a doctor tell John Cena not to wrestle. Cena said he was going to wrestle anyway. Vince came in and said that he didn't think Cena was leaving as champion.

 

Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy is now up.

 

They only barely beat out the last match based on at least having some selling and a better finish. Then again, a monkey with an etch a sketch could write a better finish then the last match. There was a ref bump, Kennedy used a low blow and made the cover but Nick Patrick was selling. When he recovered, Batista used the Batista bomb for the pin. Kennedy had to work for three men because Batista worked for negative one. He was brutally bad. At one point there was actually a decent sized "Kennedy" chant.

 

Dylan the Little Bastard tried to get a number. Coachman made a joke about picking a small number. Dylan went Mike Tyson on him and bit Coachman's ear and kicked him in the shin. Dylan walked into Khali, who picked three numbers. Coachman had to tell him to give two back. He dropped them. Kelly Kelly picked them up and said they were the biggest balls she'd ever held in her hand.

 

John Cena vs. Umaga in a last man standing match for the WWE title is up now.

 

Crazy match. The basic story is Umaga was a monster who kept standing up after sure defeat. At one point Umaga ran across the Raw & Smackdown tables to splash Cena on the ECW table but Cena moved. Umaga went through the table but still got up before the count of ten. The finish saw Estrada take down the top rope. Umaga tried to use the metal buckle as a weapon, but Cena ducked and gave him the FU. Cena then put the STFU on, while choking Umaga out with the ring ropes until Umaga finally passed out and lost.

 

Ric Flair now dancing with Kelly, Layla and Brooke.

 

The Rumble announce team is Michael Cole, JBL and Jerry Lawler. That's a slap in someone's face.

 

Rumble up now. See you in an hour.

 

Edge, Orton, Taker, Shawn are the last four. No surprises tonight. Michaels recovered and eliminated

Edge & Orton. So it's Michaels vs. Undertaker as the final two.

 

A hell of a finish with Michaels vs. Undertaker. These guys were awesome. They survived each others finishers and kept teasing eliminations. Michaels went for a second superkick, but Undertaker ducked and finally threw him out. I thought this was one of the best Rumbles they've ever done, largely due to the last 8-10 minutes.

All this talk around the net makes me really want to see a Shawn/Taker singles match and program. They haven't wrestled each other in nearly 10 years so it could still be fresh. And yes this is 2007. Oh and I know it's bizarre, but this might be the most over Shawn Michaels has been in his entire career. Again it is 2007.

[sek69]

I kinda dig how Shawn's been doing the Terry Funk: Crazy Old Texan gimmick. It's like watching ECW only HBK has more functional knees. It makes it more believeable that he can beat multiple people by himself when he's going around punting them in the balls like he did to Edge and Orton.

[Loss]

If Shawn keeps the reinvention he's made the past few weeks as a hyped-up brawler going, I might become a fan of his again.

[Resident Evil]

Shawn Michaels, the darling of the internet again?

[sek69]

Shawn Michaels, the darling of the internet again?

 

 

Funny how freshening up your character will do that. He's been the do gooder born again Christian since his return except for that program with Hogan, and even that was more of a vintage HBK hissy than actual character development. Even in DX he's still been the naiive guy that HHH has to trick into leaving the room so he can make dirty jokes.

 

Angry brawler HBK who's not Mr. Nice Guy anymore is a refreshing change. He's got a real reason for hatred now, and mofos are going to pay. He's not dressing like it's 1996 anymore and I think that is going to help get him over more than anything else. He was quickly getting to almost Al Bundy "I scored 3 touchdowns in one game" levels of hanging on to the past.

 

I stil hate the nip-up thing, but I just accept that it's just one of those things like Hulking Up that you just have to let slide or you'll go insane.

[goodhelmet]

OK, just got back from the Rumble and here are my thoughts on the matches from being there live.

 

The tag match was very good live. Matt played FIP first as they kept working over his face. Loss told me the backstory and it made perfect sense. After a Hardy double-team, Jeff injured his ribs and MNM did a great job of working over the ribs and Jeff working FIP. The finish was creative and I have no complaints at all.

 

Meltz was spot on with the next 2 matches. Horrible to watch. He was also spot on with Kennedy trying hard to make it work. At this point, I was wondering if the show had peaked.

 

Cena-Umaga was entertaining as hell. It was basically a big spotfest with some truly holy shit moments. The gimmicks and blood added to the match live because you are left wondering what they will do next.

 

The Rumble goes by much quicker live than watching on TV. There were some noticable dead spots but the last 15 minutes or so had people going crazy. I was saddened by Benoit's demise but there were several people who lasted far longer than I thought they would (Punk and Finlay). Without a doubt, HBK was the most over guy in the building and I can't complain about him being there in the end at all. The entire arena was deflated when Taker won but then they remembered he was supposed to be cheered and they cheered him on as I was out the door.

[Resident Evil]

 

Shawn Michaels, the darling of the internet again?

 

 

Funny how freshening up your character will do that. He's been the do gooder born again Christian since his return except for that program with Hogan, and even that was more of a vintage HBK hissy than actual character development. Even in DX he's still been the naiive guy that HHH has to trick into leaving the room so he can make dirty jokes.

 

Angry brawler HBK who's not Mr. Nice Guy anymore is a refreshing change. He's got a real reason for hatred now, and mofos are going to pay. He's not dressing like it's 1996 anymore and I think that is going to help get him over more than anything else. He was quickly getting to almost Al Bundy "I scored 3 touchdowns in one game" levels of hanging on to the past.

 

I stil hate the nip-up thing, but I just accept that it's just one of those things like Hulking Up that you just have to let slide or you'll go insane.

 

nip-ups aren't that bad. It's not as if they take up that much extra energy or something. Lots of other moves theoretically take away more from you than the nip up.

[Dylan Waco]

Al Bundy scored four touchdowns in one game FWIW