Royal Rumble including Spoilers

The Royal Rumble has been and gone. What are your thoughts?

Pre show saw Like Gallows and Karl Anderson won the tag team titles from cesaro and sheamus. I'm not that bothered about them winning the titles but I'd of rather the new day held the titles rather than putting two singles guys shoved together.

Charlotte victorious over Bayley to retain and Neville won the cruiserweight title from rich swan.

Kevin Owens retained the Universal title over roman reigns. Braun strauman interfered and costing reigns. Thought it was a good match.

The match of the night was WWE title match. John cena beat AJ styles to win his 16th world title, equalling ric flairs record.

Now for the royal rumble match. Randy orton won the royal rumble by eliminating roman reigns. Important points in my opinion.

Rollins wasn't on the show at all
Roman reigns entered at no.30
Goldberg eliminated brock lesnar very quickly - similar time to his survivor series match
Roman reigns eliminated Undertaker
It looked like Chris Jericho injured his leg
Luke Harper nearly sister Abigail'd bray wyatt

So going forward what do we think will happen?

1) the internet will never be happy. We had no kurt angle, fin balor or Samoa Joe so everyone says the rumble was rubbish and it was worse because reigns entered.

2) seeds are planted for undertaker v roman reigns at Wrestlemania

3) Lesnar and Goldberg will have another match. Lesnar will need a victory over Goldberg to convince himself he still has it

3) Randy orton faces the champ at Wrestlemania - I don't think it will be cena as the elimination chamber PPV is in a few weeks. I think bray could win that.

Rambles on a bit but discuss Rumble stuff here

I just don't know why the ending wasn't more like a storyline. Randy just won after Bray went out. Why would they not at least make it seem more important to the story. Bray could have jumped in front of a spear or something at least.

I thought the PPV was pretty cool, up to a point. I get if Orton is winning don't waste Balor's return or Joe's debut, but it didn't end as well as it should have considering writers knew what they had to work with I.e no shock entrant. I think Raw and SD will get a lot more done in terms of debuts, but you should probably end RR with at least some form of written and well executed ending after all the hype.

People really did hate that Reigns got an entry. WWE knew it would kill the crowd, but as he's cost Taker the Main Event of Mania it's forgivable if they are set on that match. I couldn't care less about Reigns facing Taker myself, but Taker seeking revenge will make good TV to fill space on Raw. It would have been so cool if it was Sting or someone with a character worthy of one of the most iconic



Ric Flair on SD this week, I imagine, and AJ in the ring with Cena and Flair will be great viewing. I just want them to keep feuding, but I can't see that happening for much longer now, but you can hope. What I'd kind of like to happen would be an open challenge at some point after Flair has given Cena his blessing, and Styles to beat up Cena and have Flair pin Cena for 17 and then hand the belt to Styles. But that's just me liking random shock storylines in wrestling lol.

I've always assumed AJ is getting a career big win, clean over Cena at WM. Since the rivalry started it felt that could happen. The storytelling in their match last night was great as always, and Cena had real anger and disgust in his eyes for a while at AJ kicking out of his best shots. There is gold there still to be mined from those two.

I think this is Vince's last run creatively (well as the main guy) before he hands over properly to hhh. Putting Reigns on has his name all over it. Storyline wise it could of been done better. At least come out when strauman was it. Could of put him on say 22 and push everyone back one place making taker 30. Don't think the crowd would of shit all over it as much that way.

Orton's win could of been better I agree, but I still feel it worked. Interesting to see how bray and orton collide in the future, and where Harper fits into it all.

Apparently Sami zayn has backstage heat but he put on a good performance, as did baron Corbin.


I agree with the surprise big name entrant being held to raw or smackdown. We had it at the rumble last year with AJ but he came in no3. It would be pointless for the surprise to come in no30. He wouldn't win so wouldn't have much ring time.

I suppose if people thought Reigns would win the Rumble it would have seemed better. To me it just seemed like Reigns had his storyline start in a big way, but Orton and Wyatt's didn't further itself as much as it should in front of a big crowd and large PPV audience. if SD gets a 3.0+ they can do it there to great effect still, but that's if the Cena and Orton wins boost the ratings way up.

The thing I noticed with Reigns was how they muted his entrancee music by switching off the mics in the crowd - that booing must have been immense!

It did also cross my mind that AJ kicking out of a lot of Cena's big moves, including the AA off the second rope - if Reigns kicked out of those, there would be outrage.

As for the Rumble, I really enjoyed it. All the matches were really good, that bump Owens took onto the chairs looked nasty as hell. AJ vs Cena was great, the Rumble was really enjoyable too.

Orton and Wyatt's story can't start until we know who orton faces at Mania. I'm guessing AJ gets his rematch on SD in the next couple of weeks, then into the Chamber. if Wyatt wins that, then the thing with Orton can kick in. If he ends up facing Styles / Cena / Elsworth, then Wyatt can start to get involved.

assuming, of course, Randy chooses to face the SD champ. I guess he could also go for Raw?

Orton and Wyatt's story has been going for 4 months lol. But it just felt a bit like it hadn't. Orton has Bray's trust, and he is now the only man Bray can trust. The Harper thing was cool, but I just thought one moment of Bray taking the bullet for Randy was earned, but it didn't come to that, Wyatt just happened to be eliminated first.


I'm only picking though, the show was good including the pre show, I don't think anyone really got dicked on in the Rumble either, they used all the big men pretty well. A surprise would always be nice, it was never going to be Kurt, and its good that they haven't wasted debuts, Dillinger was about the level you could expect, it doesn't matter if he gets chucked out pretty soon, Apollo Crews and Kalisto were a bit momentum killing, but usually their spot would go to Jim Duggan or Boogyman  And there is still plenty to go down on the tv shows.


Some of my favourite moments this week have been WWE production picking out all the Kenny Omega shirts in crowds. Vince still has that trademark humour going. I still think they should have projected a big Omega symbol with the lighting just to fuck with people though

I think they'll move away from the surprise entrants in the Rumble now, and go for using them in the Andre Battle Royal at Mania instead. Given the size of the main roster now, and the likes of Kane, R-Truth, Goldust, Heath Slater, American Alpha, Usos and others who weren't used, it doesn't make any sense for a DDP or someone else to suddenly get a spot.

Or, in kayfabe terms - how did Roman Reigns get number 30? Presumably he entered before his match with Owens as he would have to have picked a number, which suggests he thought he'd lose? or Foley and Steph are making their main guy look like a chump - giving him a no DQ, no count-out match with Owens, locking Owens' best mate in a cage, and then giving him number 30 in the Rumble just in case? Or am I not meant to think like that?

Yeah, using current talent is the right thing to do. And people will get used to it soon enough. The momentum killer was just because they were unannounced, when they could have just been a announced before hand. Jack Gallagher's moment as an unannounced entrant was done well, but he's over and has a cult following, like Dillinger.

Reigns would probably declare himself in every match, such is his character > "I think I'm the big dog and want to win everything" and he used to, to be fair to his character haha. He did win a lot of matches..

There were a few headlines saying people thought it was the worst Rumble ever. So Mackem your point one is bang on btw.

My own gripes are just picky little storyline ones, and that the hype gave the impression of a monumental ending.

If you can't say that the whole event, and the Rumble itself was AT LEAST pretty damn cool, why are you even watching wrestling lol? My own expectations and convincing myself Orton would win in one of the two ways discussed before the match did dampen it, but that's my fault and I know that lol.

Managing to set up Raw and SD without them seeming boring within 4 days of live shows under the WWE umbrella is pretty impressive too (not finished the weekly shows yet, but the set up is there in lots of ways for storylines with depth over the coming weeks)

9.99 is a bargain for Takeover, RR and EC too haha

Read earlier that Finn Balor was meant to be no30 but failed a medical mid week. Everything Roman Reigns did in the rumble match Balor was meant to do - eliminate undertaker, finish runner up etc.

How true that is I'm not sure

I think Reigns was always going to be number 30. WWE knew the reaction he'd get, so played up for it. They could have used anyone else in that role - got someone like Curtis Axel to start the walk nly for Seth to nick his spot, put 'Taker in earlier and had Brock eliminate him, used AJ in that position to set up AJ vs Taker...

Although thinking about it - if AJ had got number 30 instead of Reigns, the interweb would be saying it was the greatest Rumble ever. It certainly wasn't the worst, that's still the one Sheamus won in 2012.

I also think I get more excited by the prospect of the Rumble than 'Mania.

Also a quick word about Neville. The Rumble was the first time I'd seen his new heel character, and thought he was great. Liked the little touches, the black instead of purple, going to go up the turnbuckles but not, getting rid of his cool finisher for the submission, it was great.

Plus he beat Rich Swann, which has improved the division no end.

Everything he does is more methodical, there is a feeling that the cogs are now turning, in and out of the ring. The fact he is speaking more is great for him and the division too. And he looks comfortable doing what he is doing. (I always thought if the Brits just act like they are in Game of Thrones the Americans will understand what they are saying and sub subconciously accept their character)

He's dominated for weeks but then still won decisively, which is a good sign. I had a niggling feeling he'd randomly cheat and steal a cheap win for no reason. He may do to keep hold of the title at some point, but right now there is no need.

There is something there to base a division on now. Technical wrestling, heavy striking and devastating submissions. Whoever beats Neville will have to match his intensity and really earn it (you'd hope) and that is a good way to make a title seem legit right away.

Simply put. If the perceived skill of the champion is high, the prize looks like it is worth fighting for.

Aye, putting the title on Neville immediately gives the whole division an air of credibility, instead of dancing morons like Swann. I'd go with them in a Mania ladder match to open the show, and open to any 6 guys under 205lbs on the roster. Make it Neville, Kalisto, The Brian Kendrick, AA (if he's fit by then), Gallagher and Tozowa, maybe chuck Cedric Alexander in too, make it a really competitive match.

I agree with the ladder match then we can see the intercontinental title defended with some decent build up.

I don't watch 205live so only see little bits that is on raw but going on that, after Rich Swan has had his rematch, who will face Neville (a multi man ladder match sounds logic to me)

just got round to watching this and thought it was alright PPV, Reigns vs Owens was quality and had some great spots in the match, Jericho and Owens are just gold together. Cena Vs AJ was match of the night was a very technical match.

As for the rumble itself I thought it was very well booked a lot of the younger talent had very good rumble and looked strong Corbin definitely in line for a push. Loved the Harper face turn on the wyatts, id have rather seen Wyatt win the rumble and orton win title at EC and wyatt win it from Orton at mania giving him both world title run and mania moment.

I was bit disappointed with Reigns being number 30 id rather have seen HHH enter and rollins come down but understand it when booking.