Royal Rumble, Come and Gone...What Happened?

Yesterday was the 2015 Royal Rumble, and in my last blog update, I made some wild prediction.  I'll be honest, I felt pretty good about them, so how did I do?

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Megan Elice Meadows

NOT SO GOOD!

New Day

Match #1 was Kofi Kingston and Big E of New Day, versus Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.  First off, I thought it was a six-man tag-team match, but I was wrong right there.  It was just a tag-team.

I predicted New Day would beat their rivals will plenty of cheating to go around.  I was incorrect, as Cesaro and Kidd took the match, however, there was a bit of cheating.

But what I really predicted was that this match wouldn't matter, and I was right.  The Philly wrestling fans booed New Day, and when the match was over, and they lost, it was like it never happened.

The Ascension vs New Age Outlaws

This one I got right.  I picked The Ascension, and they took out the not so New Age Outlaws, who catered quite well to the Philly crowd, but were dominated in a short match with the colorful young upstarts.

However, I'm still of the opinion that The Ascension is a sideshow that won't get much respect, unless they can take on the Usos, and win.

The Usos vs The Miz and Mizdow

Speak of the devil, The Usos are really the only cool horse in the tag-team race, at this point.  Miz and Mizdow put up their typical bafoonary, as expected.  Mizdow never really got in the match, and The Usos defended their tag-team championship belts.

Again, I love the Usos high-flying, but without a rival that makes any sense, they're only as good as their competition.  Is The Ascension the rival they're looking for?  Was this a set up for Wrestlemania?  Maybe...But who knows.

That's two-for-three, so far, but that's the last match I predicted correctly.

Paige and Natalya vs The Bella Twins

Natalya and Paige, hold up Brie Bella, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Dave White

In a short match, as is usual with the divas, the Bella Twins, took down Paige and Natalya.  It was a little disappointing, because I thought Paige was the big up-and-comer of this match, and this was a chance for her to shine, but she did't get much screen time at all.

Instead, Natalya battled the Bella's, nearly on her own, as the twins tagged back and forth, keeping the blond Canadien girl under control.  There was a short battle between Brie and Paige, but not much to say.  

I also thought Paige was the bad girl of this bunch, and I expected more cheating from her, but the UK Goth didn't do much out of control.  The Bella's looked more out of control than her.  It was a little disappointing.

Still, I'm hopeful this will just fuel the feud between the divas.

Triple Threat Match, Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Mr Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins

This match was off the chain.  It was well worth the disappointment on who won, for all the carnage that was caused.

The Philly fans seemed thrilled with Lesnar, and even a little with Rollins, but they booed Cena.  That was surprising enough that even one of the commentators said something.

The match had everything--AAs, F5s, curb-stomps, Lesnar was thrown by Cena through a baracade, and then set up on the announcers table, for Rollins to launch himself off the turn buckle, and into Lesnar's chest, breaking the table.

It looked like a two man race, with Lesnar out, and Paul Heyman shouting for a medic.  They wheeled out a gurney to carry off the wounded defending champ, as Rollins and Cena traded pin chances, and big moves, including Cena's five-knuck shuffle, that garnered boos from the crowd.

But then, Lesnar appeared, from the apron, took out Cena, then Rollins, and pinned Rollins in the middle of the ring, to retain his title for another day.

It was awesome!

30-Man Royal Rumble Match

This was the first time I'd ever seen a Royal Rumble, and I didn't really know what to expect, but I have to say, I thought it was a little lame.  It was so long, and so many guys came in that just shouldn't have been there, like Diamond Dallas Page who looked like he just came in from an old folks home.

Or the Boogeyman, who spent about 30-seconds posturing, and trying to out freak-out Bray Wyatt, before Wyatt finally dispatched him with a single move.  Or what about The Miz, and Mizdow, who had their little tiff at the side of the ring, only to be thrown out in under 10-seconds, each.

I guess the biggest loser of all came when Titus O'Neill trash talked his way down the ramp, and into the ring, only to be tossed right out, in under 4-seconds.  Poor Titus just can't get a break.  There were others I can't really remember, but to be honest, there were so many moving parts to this, it was hard to keep track.

I had made my prediction that Daniel Bryan would come out victorious, so when he entered at #11, and only lasted until about #17, I was a little heart broken.  So much so, that I couldn't really enjoy my real favorite guy in the match, which was Dean Ambrose.

I knew Ambrose wouldn't win, but I like his whole disheveled look, as if he just woke up in a gutter, realizing there was a fight, and charged in with reckless abandon to help out his friends.

It came down to Ambrose and Roman Reigns, the old Shield buddies, versus Big Show and Kane.  Ambrose would be taken out first, leaving Reigns to be man-handled by the two big men.

But in a moment where Kane was about to toss Reigns, Big Show saw an opening to eliminate them both, and took it.  This led to a shoving match between the two giants, that Reigns was able to take advantage of, for the win.  Big Show and Kane re-entered the ring, though, and began the beatdown of Reigns, until some unsuspecting help arrived.

THE ROCK!

That's right, The Rock showed up to help his cousin Reigns in the ring.  After that, it turned out Rusev was still eligible, so he came in for about 10-more seconds, before Reigns easily tossed the fat Bulgarian out, and then pointed at the Wrestlemania sign.

So, there you have it.  The main event at Wrestlemania will feature Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar.  Who will win?  I have a sneaky suspicion that with Lesnar's contract ending in March, Reigns will find a way to beat The Beast.

The thing is, this opens up some interesting narratives.  Obviously, Reigns has a rivalry with Big Show, Seth Rollins and The Authority, so this brings up a number of possible story lines for him.

The Philly crowd, and much of the WWE Universe was disappointed that Daniel Bryan didn't win, but after thinking about it, I have to agree, Bryan is better kept as an underdog.  I enjoy his charisma, and I especially enjoy when he enters the ring angry.

There's another factor here, as well.  When Bryan defeated Kane in his first match back from injury, he was jumped by The Authority, but Ambrose and Reigns came to his rescue, to even the odds.  Then Triple H decided those three would have a six-man tag versus Big Show, Kane and Rollins, and Bryan won the match.

So, I don't think losing the Royal Rumble takes Bryan out of the storyline.  In fact, I think it brings him to the forefront.

Some Other Notes:

Bubba Ray Dudley, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Nick Noid

Did you see who came in at #3?  That was Bubba Ray Dudley, or Bully Ray as he's called in TNA Impact.  That was his first appearance in the WWE, since very early on.  I thought he was great.  His presence in the ring was very interest.

I saw toughness, humor and a lot of character.  I especially liked his stand-off with Bray Wyatt.  I think those two could have a hell of a rivalry.

Kurt Axel never actually made it to the ring.  Does that mean he has a legitimate complaint as to having not been eliminated?

The truth is, Axel wouldn't have had much of a chance, because standing there was Wyatt and Luke Harper, obviously as a team waiting to pounce.  Erick Rowan entered, instead, and the three went at each other until Rowan was tossed along with Harper.

What is up with that guy Boogeyman?  Please WWE, do NOT bring him back.  He was just gross.  I was glad to see him gone, so quickly.

And will there be any kind of repercussions for Damien Mizdow with The Miz for what he did?  I'm kind of curious, and I'd like to see The Miz versus Mizdow, at some point.  I'm just saying, I don't get the schtick, anymore.  It was funny for a while, but enough already.

After this title loss, what happens to John Cena?  Will he continue to go at Lesnar, or will there be another target.  In The Royal Rumble Fallout, Cena was seen going head-to-head, literally, with Rusev.  Does this mean, Cena will now go after the United States Champion belt?  That's kind of a step down for him.

Roman Reigns, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Megan Elice Meadows

But most importantly, can you see Roman Reigns as the WWE Champion?

The Royal Rumble Is Almost Here! My Predictions!

Daniel Bryan, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Megan elice Meadows

Sunday night, in Philadelphia, PA, will be the 2015 Royal Rumble, which will set up the championship match for Wrestlemania on March 29, 2015.

Some people know, I've become somewhat of a WWE fan in the past year, and although I won't be at the Royal Rumble, I will most definitely be watching.

Now, I'll admit, I'm an older man, and I certainly don't watch wrestling for the excitement of wondering who is going to win.  The truth is, I almost nearly watch with a preconceived idea of who will win.  It's not about the winners and losers.  I just watch for the entertainment.

But one thing is, I've become rather proficient at picking the outcomes, and since the Royal Rumble is a big event, I'd like to make a few predictions on the matches.

New Day vs Adam Rose, Cesaro and Tyson

This is a six-man tag-team match, and it's a rivalry that's been over-used in the last few weeks.  I'm not sure how many times these guys have faced off, however, I do believe New Day has always won, and they are likely to win this one.

Winner: New Day

However, that's not really a prediction.  The prediction I'd like to make is, the most entertaining part of this fight will be watching the women who travel to the ring with Adam Rose, Cesaro and Tyson Kid shake their booty's.  Everything after that will be a snoozefest.  New Day and the other three nobodies should be put to bed.

The Ascension vs New Age Outlaws

The Ascension was originally cast as being one of the most dominant tag-teams to enter the WWE, since the Road Warriors, however, all they've done is behave like bafoons, and lose matches.

The New Age Outlaws have outlived their time, and they aren't likely to win this match, but The Ascension beating them will be kind of like watching Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy on Sponge Bob try to win a wrestling match.

Winner: The Ascension

But my real prediction for this match is, if The Ascension doesn't beat a legitimate tag-team, like The Usos, forget about them ever rising to the top.  They will forever be a sideshow.

Natalya and Paige vs the Bella Twins

This match sees the first belt appear, and likely will be the first match with any real relevance.  The divas of WWE don't usually get much time to wrestle, and they don't get to develop any kind of decent rivalries, but the Bella Twins have been the hot item among the divas for some time, now.

But since Paige exploded from NXT, won the Divas Championship belt from AJ Lee, it appears that she is the rising star, and a rivalry has brewed between her and Nikki Bella.  Natalya and Paige have had their way with the Bella Twins in recent weeks, and they will probably do it again this week.

Winner: Natalya and Paige

The real prediction, however, is Stephanie McMahon will likely make an appearance, and indicate that this victory demonstrates that Paige is the number one contender, and at Wrestlemania, Nikki Bella will have to defend her Divas title against Paige.

GO PAIGE!!!

The Usos vs The Miz and Mizdow

The Usos are the current tag-team champions, and they'll have to defend their titles against the tag-team they won it against, The Miz and, and his quirky stunt-double, Mizdow.

The Usos have easily handled The Miz in the past, and they recently tried to sew the seeds of dissension into their opponents by telling Mizdow to be his own man.  What really makes this strange is The Miz and Mizdow, are both entrants in the later 30-man Royal Rumble main event, so how can they put up much of a fight here, and then expect to win the Royal Rumble.

Winner: The Usos

However, my real prediction, is that The Miz and Mizdow will continue their bafoonary, and this will be their final match as a tag-team.  Mizdow will go on to eliminate The Miz in the Royal Rumble event, and all in attendance will cheer.  HURRAAAAAY FOR MIZDOW!!!

Unfortunately for Mizdow, this will mean he will go back to being the disconnected B-list wrestler he was before.

John Cena, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by edin designs

3-Way Threat Match, Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins

This is one of the matches I'm really looking forward to, and after what John Cena did on Raw the previous week, I am even more excited.  Something like that doesn't happen just to have a guy lose his title shot--not in WWE, anyway.

So, I expect that this match will be long, full of action, back-stabbing, curb-stomping, top-rope jumping and all sorts of body throwing.  I also expect The Authority to get their dirty little hands involved.

The thing here is, I've come to realize that Brock Lesnar isn't much of a WWE wrestler, or a champion.  Sure, he's a physical speciman of perfection, but hand him a microphone, and don't expect much.

Also, I learned that Brock Lesnar is leaving the WWE in March to rejoin the UFC, where all he needs are his muscles, not his brain.  He can handle that.  So, I'm thinking someone else will win the belt, right here, and headline Wrestlemania on March 29.

Winner: John Cena

But, whoa whoa whoa, not so fast.  I did say that The Authority would probably get involved, and that is my prediction, here.  The face of the company, the champion, will have just enough time to stand shirtless and soaked in sweat swaying from the excessive body-slams, to hold the belt up to the crowd, before...

BIG SHOW, KANE, J&J SECURITY AND MR. MONEY IN THE BANK himself, get involved.  They'll gang up on him, and sucker punch him, until Rollins inevitable curb-stomps him into unconsciousness.  Then, with Cena down motionless, the evil Rollins will cash in the briefcase for another shot at the title, right then and there.

WINNER: SETH ROLLINS

30-Man Royal Rumble Match, Main Event

Going into something like this, there's plenty to think about.  There are a number of cool names to consider as possible winners, but there was a bit of a give away this past Thursday, on Smackdown.

On Smackdown, Daniel Bryan, in order to qualify for the Royal Rumble match, had to defeat Kane in a no-disqualifications match.  To try and ensure victory, Kane brought J&J Security with him to help from ring-side.

The two smallish security guards were not enough, as the buzz-saw, Daniel Bryan took down J&J, and then pinned Kane.  His victory set off a sneak attack from Big Show, that brought Bryan into a 4-on-1 beatdown that also included Kane and J&J.

The other wrestlers that had to qualify, however, came to Bryan's rescue, that included Dolff Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowen.  More wrestlers poured out of the back, and into the ring, until it was probably thirty-men, all shoving one-another out.

The last standing men, were Ziggler, Ryback, Bryan, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, with Kane and Big Show on the apron.  These are the who's who of who actually matters.  However, not all of them actually will.

I've already predicted that Seth Rollins will win the championship belt, and the winner of this match will face him at Wrestlemania, it needs to be someone that will make sense.  Big Show and Kane will obviously be gone.  Ziggler, Ryback and Rowen have different rivalries, so Rollins isn't in their picture.

The three relevant players are Bryan, Ambrose and Reigns.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Reigns is the favorite, but you don't fight off Kane as well as J&J Security for the win, to come up short.  At least not in the WWE.

I look forward to seeing Daniel Bryan versus Seth Rollins at Wrestemania.

YES! YES! YES!
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Megan elice Meadows