Wanna re-live the return of John Cena? This year’s Royal Rumble will be available on DVD on February 26.
Here is a list of the matches:
John Cena earning a shot at the Wrestlemania 24 main event was certainly the biggest surprise of last night’s Royal Rumble.
Here are a couple images from other moments in the evening, though:
Santino doesn’t want Maria Kanellis posing in Playboy. We have a feeling he’s gonna be disappointed in two months.
Chris Jericho was left bloodied at the hands of JBL.
Thanks to reader Matt R. for sending in the following report.
I attended the Royal Rumble last night and the crowd was hot. Madison Square Garden fans always bring it! Here are some quick notes:
Biggest pops:
1. Triple H (by far)
2. Mick Foley
3. Jeff Hardy
4. John Cena
5. Edge (the crowd was almost completely behind him during match with Rey Mysterio)
Most heat:
1. Randy Orton
2. John Cena, during face-off with Triple H (lots of “Cena sucks!” chants)
3. JBL
4. MVP
5. Big Daddy V
There were signs everywhere for next weekend’s UFC 81 event. It marks the debut of former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Vote now in our new poll and let us know who will win this year’s Royal Rumble. Triple H? Umaga? Someone else?
Also, remember to check out our forum now and discuss the event with fellow WWE fans.
Here’s the current list of superstars ready to do battle at Sunday’s Royal Rumble. As always, the winner earns a shot at the title at Wrestlemania…
Raw:
- Umaga
- Snitsky
- Hardcore Holly
- Mick Foley
- Hornswoggle
- Cody Rhodes
- Carlito
- Santino Marella
- Shawn Michaels
- Mr. Kennedy
- Triple H
Smackdown:
- The Undertaker
- Batista
- Kane
- Jamie Noble
- Finlay
- Mark Henry
- The Great Khali
ECW:
- John Morrison
- The Miz
- Shelton Benjamin
Is this really necessary?
After scrapping the Jackass angle, which was suppose to happen at Summerslam, it appears there are plans to redo the story line for this January’s Royal Rumble.
Details are unclear at this point, but we’ll keep you updated on whether or not WWE officials actually go through with this plan.
The following report is courtesy of wrestleview.com …
MNM v. The Hardy Boys
MNM controlled the opening segment, keeping Matt Hardy at bay. Eventually Nitro gained the advantage after a brief Hardy comeback, and tagged in his partner Joey Mercury.
Mercury was tagged in only to be rushed to his opponent’s corner and watched Jeff tag in and drop kick him in the face. Mercury hit a low blow to save himself and tagged in Nitro who almost immediately was on the receiving end of an atomic drop and a leg drop to the groin.
Eventually, Jeff went for his diving splashes in the corner, but Nitro rolled out of the way of the second and almost scored a flash pin. Eventually Matt popped up and hit the twist of fate on Nitro. He went to hit Mercury with it, but Mercury grabbed him and bull rushed him out of the ring. Jeff capitalized and hit the swanton bomb for the victory.
Winners: The Hardy Boyz via pin fallTeddy Long and Coach were in the back looking at the number balls when Edge poppd up. Kelly Kelly popped up and told everyone she was the rumble tumbler for the numbers. Edge made fun of her until Orton popped up and gloated about throwing him over the top rope. They argued a bit and Edge wanted to see Orton’s number. Edge said he’d show Orton his if he showed him his. King Booker showed up and asked them if they just said that.
ECW World Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) v. Test
The two locked up and powered each other around the ring until the ref broke the clinch in the corner. The break wasn’t frienly though and Lashley speared Test backing up and rode him into the ring ropes.
Lashley hit some shoulder thrusts and went for a military press, but his arm gave way. While the referee tended to him, Test came out of nowhere and killed Lashley with the big boot. He went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at 2.Test went for his f-5 like finisher but Lashley wiggled out and shoved Test to the mat. Lashley waited for Test in the middle of the ring, but Test said he had enough and began walking back to the back and got counted out.
Winner and STILL ECW World Champion: Lashley via count out
After the match Lashley was apparently upset that he retained the title so he went after Test, brought him back to the ring and power slammed him.
World Heavyweight Championship: Batista (c) v. Mr. Kennedy
Batista bullied Kennedy to the corner but Kennedy hit him with a thumb to the eye and landed some forearms to Batista’s face. Batista quickly tossed him off the ropes and locked him up with a suplex and dropped him on his back.Batista went for a power slam, but Kennedy booted him in the back of the leg to regain the advantage. Kennedy came flying off the ropes, but Batista caught him and planted him with a spine buster, but looked like he injured his knee in doing so.
Kennedy kept putting the boots to Batista but he fought through the pain and hit some clotheslines and a body slam. Still favoring his knee, batista went for a fireman’s carry slam, but Kennedy held him up with some elbows. Batista hit the fallaway slam and set up the Batista bomb.
Kennedy shoved Batista off into the referee and hit a low blow and his swinging neck breaker but the referee couldn’t make the cover. Finally the Ref came to and Kennedy hit a DDT and got another 2 count on the cover.
Kennedy went for second rope double axe handle but got plastered with a lariat. Batista set up for the Batista bomb and connected with it, but not without Kennedy punching away at him all the way down. Batista made the cover to retain the title.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Batista via pin fall
WWE Championship - Last Man Standing Match: John Cena (c) v. Umaga
Cena rose to his feet after an initial beating at the count of seven. Umaga hit a body slam and then went to the outside and gathered some toys from the ringside area. Umaga tossed the ring steps into the ring and went to get back into the ring before Cena drop kicked him back to the floor. Cena picked up the steps and tossed them directly at Umaga’s head, cold cocking the challenger. Umaga stumbled to his feet at seven before getting back in the ring.
Cena had a brief advantage before Umaga nailed him with yet another clothesline. Umaga hit some more punches to the gut before slapping on a bear hug in the middle of the ring. Umaga held the hold on for two minutes or so before converting it into a belly to belly suplex.
Umaga hit a banzai drop but was met with knees on the second. Cena hit a bulldog onto the steel steps and then followed it up with his inverted suplex onto the steps. Umaga was draped on the steps as Cena set up and connected with the five knuckle shuffle. Cena went for the FU but he felt forward and Cena’s head smacked off the ring steps.Cena came too, but was bleeding badly. Umaga went right at Cena’s cut, Hammering away at Cena’s open wound. Despite a pretty bad fist-based beatdown, Cena rose to his feet at nine.
Umaga tied Cena upside down in the corner and went for his diving head butt, but Cena sat up, climbed to the top rope and hit a leg drop off the top rope. Umaga popped up though , so Cena tossed him into the ring post. Cena grabbed a TV monitor from the outside and slammed it right into Umaga’s forehead hardway, denting the TV monitor.
Umaga still rose to his feet before he was dumped back to the floor by Cena. Cena went for a suicide dive but was caught and slammed into the ring post and then summarily into the ring steps.
Umaga cleared off the announce tables and set up Cena on the Spanish announce table. Umaga ran across three tables and went for the diving head butt but missed and went crashing through the table.
Umaga went for the spike with the metal piece but missed. Cena began beating the hell out of Umaga with the piece of metal and slapped on the STFU using the ring ropes to choke Umaga out.
It looked like a real life strangling. Cena let go but Umaga began stirring before 10. Cena went right back to the well and literally strangled Umaga lifeless on the mat. The referee finally counted Umaga out as JR screamed “even a monster has to breathe!”
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: John Cena
The Royal Rumble MatchEntrant #1 is RIC FLAIR. Entrant #2 is FINLAY.
Finlay grabbed a headlock and hit a shoulder block to floor Flair. He bullied the 16 time World Champion to the corner and began hammering away at his chest before whipping him hard to the buckles and back body dropping him to the mat. Finlay looked for the elimination before Flair raked his eyes.
The #3 Entrant is KENNY DYKSTRA.
Kenny came in and he and Flair immediately went at it. Flair chopped the poo out of Kenny’s chest before Finlay came over and decked Flair. Kenny helped Finlay but then Finlay turned around and tried to toss Kenny, but Flair made an inadvertent save.
The #4 Entrant is MATT HARDY
Hardy came into the ring and hit the side effect on Kenny while Finlay worked over Flair. Kenny eventually gained the advantage. Flair swapped places with Hardy and the duos switched up a bit.
The #5 Entrant is EDGE
Edge came right at Flair and Speared him. He hit the same on Finlay before missing Hardy in the corner. Dykstra and Hardy double clotheslined each other leaving everyone down on the mat. Flair went to the outside and grabbed two chairs to ry and get revenge for the conhairto on Raw. Kenny low blowed him allowing Edge to dispose of Flair.
RIC FLAIR eliminated by EDGE
Kenny slapped Edge five only to get tossed over the top rope by the same man.
KENNY is eliminated by EDGE
The #6 Entrant is Tommy Dreamer
Dreamer went after Finlay but found himself nearly eliminated. Edge and Hardy grappled all over the second rope and neither really switched places for the entire time.
The #7 Entrant is SABU
Sabu went immediately UNDER the ring and laid out a table. Dreamer and Sabu went at each other before he hit an inverted swinging DDT on him. Edge worked over Finlay in the corner while Hardy came really close to eliminating Sabu.
30 Man Royal Rumble: Winner will earn main event title shot at WrestleMania
1. Shelton Benjamin
2. Chris Benoit
3. Carlito
4. Tommy Dreamer
5. Kenny Dykstra
6. Edge
7. Finlay
8. Ric Flair
9. Chavo Guerrero
10. Jeff Hardy
11. Matt Hardy
12. Hardcore Holly
13. Kane
14. King Booker
15. Chris Masters
16. Shawn Michaels
17. The Miz
18. Johnny Nitro
19. Randy Orton
20. Montel Vontavious Porter
21. CM Punk
22. Sabu
23. Sandman
24. Kevin Thorn
25. Undertaker
26. Rob Van Dam
27. Viscera
* The remaining three competitors will be announced soon.
WWE Championship - Last Man Standing Match
- John Cena (c) vs. Umaga
World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Batista (c) vs. Mr. Kennedy
ECW Championship Match
- Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Test
WWE has officially announced twenty five participants for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Five competitors have yet to be revealed:
WWE RAW: Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, Kenny Dykstra, Edge, Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, Chris Masters, Shawn Michaels, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Viscera
WWE SmackDown!: Chris Benoit, Finlay, Chavo Guerrero, Matt Hardy, Kane, King Booker, The Miz, MVP, The Undertaker
ECW: Hardcore Holly, CM Punk, Sabu, The Sandman, Rob Van Dam
It is currently being advertised that on the Best of Smackdown airing Friday, Teddy Long will be making a special appearance on the show to announce the Smackdown main event for the 2007 WWE Royal Rumble.
The most likely candidates to face Batista would be King Booker or Finlay. But it’s unknown at this time in which direction WWE/Smackdown will go.
