What could have been is the feeling that most will have following the 27th Royal Rumble.
Before we look at the results, I think that I need to talk about the crowd. The booking of the Rumble had 20,000 fans booing the great Rey Mysterio. It was evident from the first few seconds of the show that this crowd had arrived to witness Daniel Bryan in the Rumble match. Why not have #30 entrant as a heel - at least the boos would have been masked (slightly).
Instead we seen a wrestling legend bood to the rafters.
Anyway, match 1 - what a match. We all know how good DB is in the ring but Bray Wyatt was the real star of this match. The build up to the match over the last few weeks has been good and it paid off with a great match. Unfortunately, it's the kind of match you'd hope to end a PPV not begin one so match 2 was in big trouble having to follow this.
Match 2 - I think this had so much potential. Two of the biggest guys on the roster and a pumped crowd could have made this a real gem. Anyway, 100 chair shots later and Brock wins. Great strength to F5 the Big show. Whilst I enjoyed the segment, it was over quickly and it felt like a missed opportunity. Expect a rematch at Elimination chamber.
Match 3 - Orton vs Cena. When the crowd is so pumped for DB then you have a recipe for disaster. I kind of felt sorry for both wrestlers as the fans made it clear before the bell sounded that they just weren't interested. The reaction to this match has been terrible but if a crowd starts chanting boring from minute 1 then the guys in the ring can't really win. The crowd killed this match. Ok, DB wasn't in the ring - so what. Don't destroy the other matches buy throwing your toys out the pram.
Match 4 - the Royal Rumble. If you read reviews of the Rumble or happen to check Twitter than you'll come across the hundreds of thousands of tweets about how this was the worst Rumble ever. In truth, the match itself was fine. Not as many surprise entries as I would have liked bit I thought the calibre of Wrestlers in there was pretty good. As we approached entrant #30 the Yes chants began and the men left in the ring were going to pay for... not being Daniel Bryan. Rey Mysterio bore the brunt of their frustration and it was sad to see. The final 2 cane down to Batista and Reigns. Had Roman won, I think this would have gone down as one of the greatest Rumble wins of all time. An up and coming star being given the opportunity of a lifetime. Instead we got Batista who has been back a week and will now headline WrestleMania 30 against potentially Randy Orton - zzzzz
Can I just add that I don't expect WWE to keep allowing the fan favourites to get the big wins - that wouldn't be right. Nor do I expect fans to suggest a PPV was poor just because their man didn't win.
But the WWE clearly missed a big opportunity with this one.
PPV rating - 7
Results rating - 3
Regards
Met
Royal Rumble Review
posted on 27/1/14
I feel sorry for Mysterio, doesn't deserve to get booed, who the hell thought it would be clever to have him as no.30?!?!? I thought that WWE would transmit to the ring and maybe because of the crowd reaction have Reigns go over Batista, would have been epic to have him win. Instead it was Boretista, worse than the ending to last year.
posted on 27/1/14
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posted on 27/1/14
Had it been any of the current roster who works 320 days then maybe they would have changed plans. Anyway who has read about the business and who knows McMahon will tell you that they're not afraid to make last second changes.
The problem with this was that it was Batista who will have recently signed a contract for set amount to win Rumble and headline Mania. Their hands were ultimately tied
posted on 27/1/14
Didn't watch it but got the gist of what happened from a very angry Twitter feed this morning.
I just think they've got this wrong. WWE must be the only huge company that doesn't give a damn what their target market want!
Firstly, Batista. I'm quite indifferent to his return. I'd grown seriously tired of him at the time he left so I certainly didn't want to see him return and reap immediate rewards. Now there'll be some vanilla storyline between him and Orton until Wrestlemania 30. Great.
Maybe it can be salvaged and somehow Bryan can be put into the picture at Elimination Chamber. You just feel that after the year he has had and the pop he gets from the crowd, which just grows and grows, he should be the star of Wrestlemania.
I don't know what they'll do from here, maybe there is an ace up the sleeve of creative, but they ballsed it up last night in my opinion and got the correct feedback from those in attendance, even if it was a shame Rey had to cop for it.
posted on 27/1/14
orton vs batista vs bryan at mania
posted on 27/1/14
Nobody wants to see Orton or Batista in main event at Mania.
People keep saying that Reigns will get his chance but that Rumble was perfectly set up. A missed opportunity.
He'll probably get his chance in next 12 months in a tired Raw segment zzzz
posted on 27/1/14
Exactly Metro, WWE changes scripts and plans pretty much every hour especially on the day of RAW. Jericho said in an interview he didn't know he was going to wrestle until his opponent was heading to the ring. I have heard WWE has huge plans for Bryan so maybe this was part of that, building up to the moment he finally wins the belt. Also, I wonder if the concussion had a part to play in him not being in the rumble? He had a wonderful match with Wyatt, maybe they thought it was too much? Who knows!
posted on 28/1/14
The rr was shocking, the crowd did play a part in that but it was obvious when he returned that Batista would win, I hoped the wwe would throw a curve ball and shock us with someone else winning but when it's that obvious from such a long time ago on who the eventual winner going to be than it's hard to get pumped for it
posted on 28/1/14
I loved the Rumble, best PPV the E have put out in almost a year, despite the crowds sincere efforts to ruin it. Say what you want about tame PG era crowds, they don't purposefully try to kill matches. I almost want WWE to put on Cena vs. Batista vs. Orton at WM30 (maybe HHH special guest referee) just for the chuckles
PPV was awesome bar the deflating but predictable finish. Wyatt stole the show (funny people don't criticise WWE for having him beat the glorified troll ). Orton was outstanding rescuing his match single headedly, and showing Cena how you're supposed to apply the STF. And the Rumble match itself was very engaging, well booked with the exception of the winner. WWE have me daring to believe they might actually be getting a push right with Reigns - hopefully it continues.
Problem with Batista winning the Rumble is it only really leaves WWE with one realistic opinion for WM30, Lesnar winning the Chamber and facing him for the title. With Punk seemingly destined for HHH, any other opponent for him wouldn't really do anything.
posted on 29/1/14
I agree that it was one of the best PPVs for some time
The reactions/after thoughts were huge. The Bryan vs Wyatt match is one of the best single matches in RR ppv history
The Rumble was actually pretty exciting and the potential Roman Reigns victory was riveting to watch