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January 30th
On this day in history in ....
1904 - George Hackenschmidt defeats Ahmed Madrali in London, England to become the recognized undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, outside of North America. Hackenschmidt, who had been claiming the title for four years by then, had already won World Championship tournaments in Austria, France, Germany and Russia in 1901. He would gain worldwide championship recognition on May 4, 1905, when he defeated American Heavyweight Champion Tom Jenkins in New York City, New York.
1948 - Yukon Eric defeats Sonny Myers for the Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas.
1951 - Ben and Mike Sharpe defeat Primo Carnera and Sandor Szabo to win the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Title, beginning their third reign.
1959 - Maurice and Paul Vachon defeat George and Sandy Scott to win the Stampede International Tag Team Title in Calgary, Alberta.
1963 - Édouard Carpentier defeats Killer Kowalski in Montreal, Quebec to win Montreal's World Heavyweight Title. This began Carpentier's third reign and ended Kowalski's 12th.
1964 - Fred Blassie wins his fourth WWA World Heavyweight Title in Los Angeles, California, defeating Édouard Carpentier, ending his second reign.
1965 - Larry Hennig and Harley Race defeat The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser for the AWA World Tag Team Title in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ending Bruiser and Crusher's second reign.
1967 - The WWWF held an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
- Ricky Sexton defeated Tony Nero by disqualification.
- Bobo Brazil and Arman Hussian defeated Luke Graham and Tank Morgan.
- Baron Mikel Scicluna and WWWF United States Tag Team Champion Antonio Pugliese fought to a draw.
- WWWF United States Tag Team Champion Spiros Arion defeated Bill Miller.
- The Ox defeated Smasher Sloan.
- Gorilla Monsoon defeated Lou Albano (subbing for Louis Cerdan).
- The Sheik defeated Miguel Perez.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Bull Ortega.
1967 - Jackie Fargo and Herb Welch defeat Professor Ito (Umanosuke Ueda) and Tojo Yamamoto to win the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1968 - Billy Red Lyons and Fritz Von Erich defeat Spiler #1 (Don Jardine) and Gary Hart for the NWA American Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.
1968 - Lloyd and Orest Antonation defeat Jake and John Banman for the Madison Wrestling Club All-Star Tag Team Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1968 - Frank Dalton defeats Eddie Sullivan for the NWA Louisiana Heavyweight Title in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1970 - Abdullah the Butcher defeats Dave Ruhl to win the Calgary NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta, ending Ruhl's fifth reign.
1970 - Nick Bockwinkel defeats Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow) for the NWA Georgia Television Title in Atlanta, Georgia.
1970 - Danny Hodge wins the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title for the fifth time, defeating Umanosuke Ueda.
1970 - Aiko Kyo and Yoshiko Miyamoto defeat The Masked Killer and Masked Marie in Tokyo, Japan for the American Girls' Wrestling Association International Tag Team Title.
1971 - The Professional (Doug Gilbert) defeats Takachiho (The Great Kabuki) in a tournament final for the vacant NWA Beat the Champ Television Title.
1971 - Ciclón Negro defeats Tarzan Tyler to win the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Title in Miami, Florida.
1972 - Eddie Sullivan and Rip Tyler defeat Mike Boyette and Bob Kelly for the Gulf Coast NWA United States Tag Team Title in Pensacola, Florida, beginning their second reign.
1976 - Dusty Rhodes defeats The Spoiler in Atlanta, Georgia to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title, ending Spoiler's second reign.
1982 - El Modulo defeats Rocky Morton for the Mexican National Featherweight Title in Azteca, Mexico.
1982 - Woody Farmer defeats Mike York to win the California State Heavyweight Title in Bakersfield, California.
1983 - Jacques Rougeau defeats Terry Taylor for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1984 - World Class Championship Wrestling held a Wrestling Star Wars event in Fort Worth, Texas at the Terrant County Convention Center. The results:
- The Junkyard Dog defeated Kamala by disqualification.
- The Super Destroyers (Bill and WCCW Television Champion Scott Irwin) defeated WCCW American Tag Team Champions Brian Adias and Iceman King Parsons to win the title, beginning their second reign.
- The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes) defeated Kerry Von Erich and WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion David Von Erich.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair fought Mike Von Erich to a draw to retain the title.
- WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion Chris Adams defeated WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Garvin to win the Heavyweight title. This ended Garvin's second reign and began Adams' second.
1986 - Dos Caras defeats Canek in Toluca, Mexico to win the UWA World Heavyweight Title, ending Canek's sixth reign and beginning his second.
1987 - Makhan Singh (Mike Shaw) defeats Owen Hart for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta, beginning his second reign.
1991 - WCW held Clash of the Champions XIV: Dixie Dynamite at the Georgia Mountains Center in Gainesville, Georgia. The show aired live on TBS, earning a 3.9 rating. The results:
- Sting and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) by disqualification, when Simmons threw Sting over the top rope.
- WCW World Television Champion Tom Zenk pinned Bobby Eaton with a backslide.
- The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) defeated Allen Iron Eagle and Tommy Rich, when Garvin pinned Eagle following a double-team DDT behind the referee's back. The referee was getting Rich out of the ring after he tagged in Eagle without the referee seeing the tag.
- Sid Vicious pinned Joey Maggs after the powerbomb.
- Terry Taylor pinned Ricky Morton, when Morton landed on his head after missing a dropkick and bouncing off the ropes. During the match, Alexandra York came to the ring and a pre-taped promo played announcing Taylor as the latest member of the York Foundation.
- Ranger Ross pinned El Cubano with a sunset flip.
- Arn Anderson and Barry Windham defeated Chris and Mark Youngblood, when Anderson pinned Chris after a lariat and a superplex from Windham.
- Brian Pillman pinned Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker with a crossbody off the top.
- Missy Hyatt defeated Paul E. Dangerously in an arm wrestling match, after Dangerously became distracted by Missy's cleavage. Two-time Billboard Disc Jockey of the Year, Warren "Rhubarb" Jones of WYAY 106.7 FM in Atlanta, Georgia, was the ring announcer for the match.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair fought WCW United States Tag Team Champion Scott Steiner fought to a draw to retain the title. The winner of the match was to defend against New Japan Pro Wrestling's Tatsumi Fujinami in Tokyo, Japan in March.
1992 - Tarzan Goto defeats Big Titan to win the FMW World Martial Arts Title in Osaka, Japan.
1993 - Terry Gordy and Steve Williams win their fifth AJPW Unified World Tag Team Title, ending the second reign of Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa in Chiba, Japan.
1994 - The Universal Wrestling Association held its 19th Anniversary Show at El Toreo in Naucalpan, Mexico. The results:
- Pequeño Goliath and Fuercita Guerrera defeated Pequeño Chucky and Micro Konnan.
- Blackman II and Shogun defeated Bad Boy I and Lobo Rubio.
- Adrian el Exotico, Pimpinela Escarlata and Luis Mariscal vs. Nuevo Audaz, Super Pinochio and Super Ratón ended in a draw.
- Super Astro, Halcon Dorado, Jr. and King I defeated Black Power, Shu el Guerrero and UWA World Tag Team Champion Villano IV.
- Karloff Lagarde, Jr. defeated UWA World Welterweight Champion Celestial to win the title, ending Celestial's third reign.
- Villano III, UWA World Light Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion Villano V and Yamato defeated UWA World Heavyweight Champion Canek, UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champion Gran Hamada and Transformer.
1997 - Chad Ripley defeats Spice Richards to win the Canadian Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1998 - Chip Fairway wins his second IWA Mid-South Television Title in Lexington, Kentucky, defeating Cash Flo, ending his second reign.
1998 - Robert Thompson defeats Michael Modest to win the All Pro Wrestling Universal Heavyweight Title in San Jose, California. This ended and began both men's second reign.
1999 - Robby Royce defeated Hysteria for the NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ending Hysteria's second reign.
1999 - Brickhouse Brown defeats Don Brodie in Cleveland, Mississippi to win the NWA Southern Television Title.
1999 - Pat McGuire defeats Gator B. Long for the Future of Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Oakland Park, Florida.
1999 - Rik Ratchett defeats Lupus to win the Independent Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title in Verona, New Jersey, to begin his second reign.
1999 - Iron Cross defeats Steve Flynn in Kingsport, Tennessee for the Southern States Wrestling Appalachian Heavyweight Title. At the same event, Frank Parker and Roger Anderson win their seventh SSW Tag Team Title, ending the fourth reign for Bam Bam and Danny Christian.
2000 - The PRIDE Fighting Championships held Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The event featured the opening round of that year's 16-man Openweight Grand Prix Tournament, PRIDE's first-ever tournament. The winners advanced to PRIDE's next event on May 1, also at the Tokyo Dome, featuring the remainder of the tournament. The results of the show were:
- In an opening non-tournament bout, Wanderlei Silva defeated Bob Schrijber by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:42.
- Gary Goodridge defeated Osamu Tachihikari by submission (forearm choke) at 0:51.
- Akira Shoji defeated Ebenezer Fontes Braga by decision after 15:00.
- Kazuyuki Fujita defeated Hans Nijman by submission (choke) at 2:48.
- Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Guy Mezger by forfeit after 15:00. The forfeiture occurred due to Mezger and his corner refusing to continue into overtime, citing the conditions of his PRIDE contract, which stated that he would only fight 15 minutes with no overtime.
- Mark Coleman defeated Masaaki Satake by submission (neck crank) at 1:14.
- Igor Vovchanchyn defeated Alexander Otsuka by decision after 15:00.
- Mark Kerr defeated Enson Inoue by decision after 15:00.
- Royce Gracie defeated Nobuhiko Takada by decision after 15:00.
2000 - Minoru Tanaka defeats Naoki Sano in Tokyo, Japan for the Independent World Junior Heavyweight Title.
2001 - Tony Jones is awarded the vacant UPW Southern California Heavyweight Title in Santa Ana, California, after he made Frankie Kazarian submit in a six-man tag team match.
2003 - Danny Doring defeats The Bruiser to win the Maryland Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Glen Burnie, Maryland, ending Bruiser's fifth reign.
2004 - The first NWA New South Cruiserweight and Heavyweight Champions are crowned in Greenville, Mississippi, as Krazy D defeats Chris Sanders for the Cruiserweight title, and Doug Gilbert defeats Black Jack Tatum for the Heavyweight title.
2005 - WWE holds the 18th-annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view event, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. This event made Fresno the first city to host more than one Royal Rumble event. San Antonio, Texas and New York City, New York would join that list in 2007 and 2008, respectively. In the main event, Batista won the Royal Rumble match from the #28 entry position, last eliminating #25 entrant John Cena. Both men had gone out of the ring at the same time, ala 1994 with Bret Hart and Lex Luger, prompting Vince McMahon to come to the ring to start the match, McMahon was injured while getting into the ring, slamming his thighs into the metal frame on the side of the ring, resulting in a double quadricep tear. The ironman of this Rumble match, for the second straight year, was Chris Benoit, who was the second man in, and lasted 47 minutes and 26 seconds, and was one of the final five men in the ring along with Batista, Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Ric Flair, before being eliminated by Flair.
Here is Buck Woodward's original report on the event:
2005 ROYAL RUMBLE REPORT
by Buck Woodward
The Royal Rumble PPV broadcast opened with a video package on the history of the Royal Rumble (different than the one that closed Heat), followed by the "West Side Story" Rumble commercial, with action clips inserted.
Edge vs. Shawn Michaels.
Edge charged Michaels as he entered the ring, but Michaels backdropped him and clotheslined him from the ring. Michaels skinned the cat back into the ring, leaving Edge frustrated on the floor. They locked up in the ring, and Michaels hit some chops in the corner, then rammed Edge headfirst into the opposite turnbuckle. Michaels went for a backdrop, but Edge caught him with a neckbreaker. Edge slugged Michaels to the mat over and over with punches, but Michaels responded with a series of rights. Edge raked the eyes of Michaels, but HBK caught him with a Thesz press and hit a series of rights. Michaels flung Edge over the top rope and to the floor. Michaels missed a baseball slide, and they slugged it out on the floor. Edge drove Michaels into the floor by the back of his head, and went back into the ring. Edge hit a baseball slide, and rammed Michaels face first into the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Edge hit a series of punches, then whipped Michaels hard into a corner. Edge kicked Michaels, and used the ropes to jump up for a kneedrop. Edge elbowed Michaels in the back of the head, but Michaels fought back with chops and punches. Michaels went for a rana, but Edge dropped him into a powerbomb for a two count. Edge applied a chinlock and bodyscissors on Michaels. There was blood on Edge's arm, I believe from a cut on the arm. Michaels fought out of the bodyscissors, but Edge maintained the chinlock and turned it into a sleeper. Edge slugged Shawn Michaels to the mat and mocked HBK's pose. Edge whipped Michaels hard into a corner, but HBK backdropped Edge to the apron. Edge grabbed Michaels and pulled him throat first across the top rope. Edge picked Micheals up off the mat and threw him down by the hair.
Edge went for a back suplex, but Michaels shifted his weight and landed on top for a two count. Edge came right back with a clothesline and returned to the chinlock. Michaels mounted a comeback, hitting two reverse atomic drops and a back elbow. Michaels hit a series of rights in a corner, and when Edge tried to grab Michaels, he went into a sunset flip for two. Michaels catapulted Edge into the corner and cradled him for a two count. Edge bailed out of the ring and headed up the aisle, but Michaels went after him and hit a chop, then rammed him face first into the ring apron. The referee tried to stop Michaels from fighting on the floor, which gave Edge the opening to spear Michaels on the floor. Michaels barely got in at the nine count.
Edge measured Michaels for a spear, mocking HBK's stomping in the corner. Edge hit the spear, but Michaels got a shoulder up at two. Edge put Michaels on the top rope for a superplex, but Michaels fought him and headbutted Edge to the mat. Michaels hit a top rope elbow, but was unable to make a cover. Michaels got up and started stomping in the corner. Michaels went for the superkick, but Edge ducked it and hit the electric chair for a two count. Edge whipped Michaels across the ring, and Michaels went for a sunset flip, but Edge rolled through it and applied his modified Sharpshoooter. Michaels went for the ropes, but Edge pulled him back into the center of the ring. Michaels finally made the ropes to force the break. Edge went for the move again, but Michaels turned it into a small package for a two count. Edge went for a slam, but Michaels floated over, and they traded reversals on a rollup, with Edge getting the three count by using the ropes for leverage at the nineteen minute mark.
Winner: Edge.
Edge was ecstatic over his win, while Michaels glared at him.
Backstage, Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long were arguing over who had the better brand. Torrie Wilson and Christy Hemme were with them, to assist in the number draw for the Royal Rumble. Ric Flair and Eddie Guerrero came in first. They both drew, and Ric Flair was happy with his number, while Guerrero was not happy with his. Guerrero shook hands with Flair and hugged him, wishing him luck in the Rumble. Guerrero left, and Flair realized that Guerrero switched numbers with him when they were hugging.
Backstage, Heidenreich talked about how he hated caskets. Gene Snitsky entered, and told Heidenreich that he hated caskets too, but he liked Heidenreich. They stared at each other, breathing heavy, for a long time.
The history leading to Undertaker vs. Heidenreich was shown.
Undertaker vs. Heidenreich - Casket match.
The four druids wheeled the casket to ringside, then left. Heidenreich came out, then Undertaker made his big entrance. Undertaker grabbed a side headlock at the bell and pulled Heidenreich towards the side of the ring where the casket was. Undertaker hit a shoulderblock, blocked a Heidenreich hiptoss, and hit his own hiptoss and followed with an armdrag. Taker dragged him near the casket again, but Heidenreich broke free. Heidenreich grabbed a headlock and hit his own shoulderblock. Heidenreich grabbed a headlock again, and hit another shoulderblock. Undertaker grabbed a single leg takedown and applied a single leg crab. Heidenreich went for the ropes, and after the break, left the ring. Heidenreich tried to regroup on the floor, but Taker went after him, hitting a knee to the midsection. Heidenreich reversed a whip and sent Undertaker back first into the casket, then rammed him head first into it twice.
Back in the ring, Heidenreich hit a series of punches in a corner and stomped Undertaker down. Heidenreich went to work on Taker's ribs with bodyshots, yelling "My World". Undertaker jumped up and applied a triangle choke while lying across the top ropes (which is legal, since this is a no-DQ match). They fell off the ropes, and Taker maintained the triangle choke. Gene Snitsky ran in and attacked Undertaker, hitting a clothesline. Snitsky helped Heidenreich up, and they gave Undertaker a double suplex. Heidenreich and Snitsky dropped elbows on Undertaker, and dragged him towards the casket. The referees opened the casket, and Kane popped out of it. Kane attacked Heidenreich and Snitsky, taking both men out of the ring. Kane battled Snitsky into the crowd, leaving Undertaker and Heidenreich.
Back at ringside, Heidenreich was wheeling the casket away from ringside. Undertaker rammed Heidenreich into the casket, but Heidenreich reversed a whip and sent Taker into the ring steps. Heidenreich pulled up the padding at ringside. Heidenreich rammed the casket into Undertaker, then took him into the ring and applied a cobra clutch. Undertaker was placed in the casket, but Heidenreich couldn't close the lid. Undertaker came back, and legdropped Heidenreich on the casket, but when they went back into the ring Heidenreich hit a sideslam. Heidenreich tried to cover for a pin, but there are no pins in the match. Heidenreich rolled Taker into the casket again, but Taker grabbed Heidenreich by the throat and battled out. Undertaker hit a chokeslam, then delivered the tombstone and rolled Heidenreich in for the pin at the 13 minute mark.
Winner: The Undertaker.
Backstage, Theodore R. Long wanted Eddie Guerrero to give him back the number. Evolution busted in demanding the number. Triple H called Guerrero a "jumping bean". Eddie played dumb, then gave Ric back the number. Long then told Guerrero to give "it" back. Turns out, Guerrero had also taken Flair's wallet. Guerrero and Long left, while Triple H and Batista argued over whether they should go over the game plan for Randy Orton now, or whether Batista should go draw his number. Flair made the peace.
Christian drew his number, and was very happy. John Cena entered, and Christian got in Cena's face, saying rapping wasn't that hard. Cena dared Christian to freestyle right now. Christian asked Tyson Tomko to give him a beat, and Tomko said no. Christian did a silly rap about winning the Rumble. Cena responded with a rap making fun of Christian's sexuality.
WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Kurt Angle vs. Big Show.
Angle came to the ring first, then Big Show, the JBL made his usual limo entrance. The match started with Big Show dominating JBL in the ring, slamming him and dropping a leg, while Angle watched from the floor. Angle ran in when Show covered JBL, and broke up the pin. Show swatted Angle around, whipping him hard into a corner. JBL tried to suplex Show, but Show reversed it. Show hit Angle with a big boot. Show clotheslined Angle and JBL over the top rope and to the floor. Show punched JBL and rammed Angle into the ring steps. Show whipped JBL into the ring post, and gave Angle a butt-butt. Show cleared off the announce table and set up the ring steps next to it. Show set up to chokeslam JBL through the table, but Angle hit Show with a lowblow. Angle hit Show with a TV monitor, and Show fell off the steps and through the table.
Angle then went after JBL, ramming him into the security wall. In the ring, Angle armdragged JBL and put him in an armbar. JBL fought out of it, but missed a big boot, and Angle applied a top wristlock. Angle droped his knee into JBL's arm, but JBL came back with a right hand. JBL clotheslined Angle in the corner, but missed a charge and Angle hit a German suplex. JBL fought off a second attempt and went for the Clothesline From Hell, but Angle ducked it and hit a second German suplex. Angle went for the Angle Slam, but JBL floated out and hit a boot to the face for a two count. Big Show made it back into the ring and cleaned house with clotheslines and headbutts. Show slammed JBL, then slammed Angle on top of him.
Show whipped JBL and Angle into the corner together, gave them a reverse avalanche, and clotheslined both to the mat. Show went for a double chokeslam, but Angle kicked his leg. Angle gave Show a chopblock and JBL gave Show a clothesline at the same time. Angle gave JBL a German suplex, then covered Show for a two count. Angle gave Big Show an Angle Slam, but JBL kicked Angle out of the ring. JBL set up for the Clothesline From Hell, but Big Show gave him a chokeslam. JBL got his foot on the bottom rope at the two count, then rolled out of the ring. Show rammed JBL with a shoulderblock at ringside, and they went through the security wall. Angle was in the ring with a chair, JBL was laid out at ringside, and Big Show headed back into the ring.
The Bashams came out to check on JBL. In the ring, Angle went to use the chair, but Show gave Angle a flapjack, with Angle going headfirst into the chair. Show covered Angle, but Mark Jindrak pulled the referee out of the ring. Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak attacked Big Show, ineffectively, in the aisle. Orlando Jordan came out and threw JBL back into the ring. JBL hit Angle with a clothesline and got the pin at the twelve minute mark, while Show was fighting Jindrak and Reigns in the aisle. Show tried to get back in, but was too late to break up the pin.
Winner: John Bradshaw Layfield.
Post-match, JBL celebrated in the aisle, while Show stared at him from the ring.
Backstage, Carlito Caribbean Cool sucked up the Batista, and asked him to sign his petition to get rid of Theodore R. Long. Batista said he wouldn't, and Carlito was about to spit apple, when Batista reminded Carlito of what he did with La Resistance last week on Raw. Batista said Carlito should imagine what he could do with a petition.
Batista went to draw his number, and Eric Bischoff was making fun of Theodore R. Long for all the interference in the previous match. Long said that everyone knew Evolution would be interfering in the Raw World Title match. Bischoff then said he would ban Evolution from ringside. Bischoff asked Batista if he wanted to tell Triple H about the new stipulation. Batista smirked and said he would.
A commercial for Wrestlemania was shown, spoofing Forrest Gump, with Eugene playing Forrest.
The history leading to Orton vs. Triple H was shown.
World Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton.
Triple H was bragging about being the champion before the bell, and Orton slapped him. Orton quickly grabbed a backslide for a two count and worked over Triple H with right hands, then hit a backdrop. Orton went for an RKO, but Triple H shoved it off and went to the floor. Orton followed him and rammed Triple H into the ring apron. Orton hit a dropkick for a two count, then beat Triple H down in a corner. Triple H hit a knee to the gut to stop Orton's momentum, then delivered a series of punches in a corner. Orton came back with a reverse atomic drop, then went for an RKO, but Triple H tossed Orton over the top rope and to the floor.
Triple H pulled Orton into the ring, and stomped him and choked him down. Triple H hit Randy Orton with a right hand, but ran into a boot to the face. Orton hit some right hands, but Triple H floated over a slam and clipped him knee. There was a brief "Randy sucks" chant. Triple H rammed Orton's leg into the ringpost. Triple H hit a chopblock to the leg, then dropped an elbow on it. Triple H lifted Orton by the leg and slammed his knee into the mat. Triple H yanked at the leg, the dropped an elbow on it. Triple H applied a leglock, then dropped a knee across it. Triple H went for a figure four, but Orton reversed it into a small package for two. Triple H went back after the leg and applied a figure four leglock.
Orton struggled in the hold for a long time, then made the ropes. Triple H went after the leg from the floor, but Orton kicked him into the Spanish announce table. Triple H made it back into the ring, and Orton a side neckbreaker. Orton hit a series of right hands and a neckbreaker for a two count. Orton hit another neckbreaker for another two count, then a powerslam for another two. Orton armdragged Triple H off the ropes, then hit a top rope bodypress for a two count. Orton complained about the count.
Orton went for a backdrop, but Triple H hit a facebuster on his knee and went for a Pedigree, but Orton countered it into a catapult. Orton went for an RKO, but Triple H shoved him into the corner and hit a jumping knee for a two count. Orton was bleeding from the mouth. Triple H went for a Pedigree, but took too long, and Orton spun out and hit a clothesline for a two count. They went to the floor, and Orton rammed Triple H into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Orton hit a series of punches and forearms in the corner. Orton went for a DDT, but Triple H hooked the top rope and Orton fell hard to the mat. Orton fell to the floor, dazed, as the announcers talked about how the back of his head hit the mat. The referee stopped a countout and asked Orton if he could continue. Orton slowly made it into the ring, and the referee was checking on him, when Triple H rammed Orton into the referee, knocking out the ref and sending Orton back to the floor. Triple H went under the ring and pulled out a sledgehammer. Triple H went towards Orton, but Orton grabbed Triple H by the trunks and sent him face first into the ringpost. Triple H rolled back into the ring.
Orton, still dazed, got in the ring and picked up the hammer, but Triple H hit him with a clothesline. Triple H picked up the hammer, but seeing the referee starting to get up, dropped it at ringside. Triple H hit a Pedigree and got the three count at the 21 minute mark.
Winner: Triple H.
The announcers were selling that Orton had suffered a concussion from the DDT attempt.
Backstage, we saw that Nunzio had become the final Smackdown entrant in the Royal Rumble, and he already had his number picked. Kurt Angle grabbed his number, and asked Nunzio if he wanted to fight over it. Nunzio backed away, and Angle took the number.
JBL and his cabinet came into the Rumble drawing room, celebrating with champagne. JBL said he was going to buy Theodore R. Long a "40-ounce of Malt", and was acting drunk. Long informed JBL that at No Way Out, he would face Big Show in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match. JBL quickly sobered up after hearing that.
Jim Ross and Tazz got to call the Rumble together.
The Royal Rumble.
Wrestlers will enter in 90 second intervals. As always, I will do my best to keep up with the action.
Eddie Guerrero was number one. He made his entrance in a lowrider.
Chris Benoit was number two.
They locked up, and struggled on the ropes. They locked up again, and Benoit hit an armdrag. They mat wrestled, with Guerrero grabbing a hammerlock and a headlock. Guerrero snapmared Benoit and applied a headlock. Guerrero hit a shoulderblock and Benoit retaliated with a chop.
Daniel Puder was number three.
Guerrero and Benoit were fighting it out in a corner, and Benoit stomped down Guerrero. Puder stalled on the floor, then took the mic and said the fans were about to witness history. Puder said he was going to be the first Tough Enough champion to win the Royal Rumble. Puder got in the ring, and was beaten down in a corner by Benoit and Guerrero. They took turns chopping Puder hard in the corner, then gave him a double suplex. Benoit gave Puder a back suplex, and Guerrero gave him the Three Amigos.
Hardcore Holly was number four.
Holly picked up Puder and chopped him in the corner while Benoit and Guerrero watched. Guerrero said he wanted to hear who chopped louder, so Holly and Benoit took turns. Then, Guerrero took a turn chopping him. Holly hung Puder on the ropes and kicked him in the gut. Holly gave Puder the Alabama Slam.
Hurricane was number five.
Holly threw Puder over the top rope. Daniel Puder is eliminated.
Benoit and Guerrero tossed Holly over the top rope as Hurricane was coming out. Hardcore Holly is eliminated.
Benoit and Guerrero went after Hurricane, but Guerrero turned on Benoit and tried to eliminate him. Hurricane hit Guerrero with a blockbuster, but Benoit chopped him.
Guerrero backdropped Hurricane over the top rope. Hurricane is eliminated.
Kenzo Suzuki was number six.
Guerrero dropkicked Kenzo, and Benoit hit a snap suplex. Kenzo tried to battle back with chops, but Guerrero and Benoit double teamed him. Guerrero hit a back suplex on Kenzo, then Benoit grabbed Guerrero and tossed him over the top rope, but Guerrero landed on the apron.
Edge was number seven.
Edge rammed Guerrero in a corner with shoulderblocks, went to fight with Benoit and Kenzo, then went back to Guerrero, hitting a dropkick. Edge tried to dump Guerrero out, but Eddie held on. Edge then went to work on Kenzo, but Benoit chopped Edge and hit a clothesline. Kenzo went after Benoit again.
Rey Mysterio was number eight.
Mysterio went after everyone when he first got in, and gave Edge a bulldog. Mysterio dropkicked Benoit.
Mysterio used a headscissors to pull Suzuki over the top rope and to the floor. Kenzo Suzuki is eliminated.
Guerrero hit Mysterio and Benoit with tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Edge went after Eddie in a corner, choking him.
Shelton Benjamin was number nine.
Benjamin hit Edge with a reverse elbow, then punched Eddie Guerrero and backdropped him. Benoit kicked Mysterio in the corner. Benoit tried to dump Mysterio, and Guerrero tried to dump Benoit. They all twisted together in the ropes. Benoit teased eliminating Guerrero with a suplex. Mysterio gave Benjamin a spinning headscissors.
Booker T was number ten.
Rey Mysterio and Benjamin went over the top rope, but both kept their feet off the floor. Eric Bischoff came down, cheering on Edge.
Chris Jericho was number eleven.
Jericho gave Benjamin a reverse elbow, then chopped Edge in a corner. Jericho gave Edge a back suplex. Benoit chopped Benjamin. Booker T worked over Jericho on the ropes. Theodore R. Long came down, cheering on Mysterio. Bischoff was cheering on Jericho now.
Luther Reigns was number twelve.
Reigns went after Jericho, choking him in a corner. The fighting settled down into a four on four, Smackdown vs. Raw fight. The fans went nuts as they lined up, staring at each other, and then started brawling. Guerrero backdropped Benjamin to the apron, but he held on.
Muhammad Hussan was number thirteen.
Everyone stopped fighting to watch Hussan walk to the ring. They surrounded him as he entered the ring, and pounded him down.
Rey gave Hussan a 619, then everyone lifted him and tossed him out. Muhammad Hussan has been eliminated.
Orlando Jordan was number fourteen.
Jordan went right after Luther Reigns, but Benoit started chopping him. Benjamin beat Jericho down in a corner. Mysterio was on the apron, hiding from the action. Jericho was put on the apron, while Benjamin tried to punch him off. Mysterio went after Luther Reigns with a kick.
Scotty 2 Hotty was number fifteen.
Hassan attacked Scotty as he was coming to the ring and put him in a camel clutch before leaving. Benoit and Mysterio tried to put Jordan over the top rope. Benjamin gave Edge a Stinger Splash and dumped him over the top rope, but Edge landed on the apron.
Charlie Haas was number sixteen.
Booker gave Haas a spinkick and Jordan a superkick.
Booker T eliminated Luther Reigns and Orlando Jordan, one after the other.
Mysterio dropkicked Booker T in the back, sending him towards Eddie Guerrero, and Guerrero pulled down the top rope so he would fall over it and out of the ring. Booker T was eliminated.
Scotty 2 Hotty was helped to the back from the Hassan attack, so he is eliminated due to being unable to compete.
Benjamin gave Mysterio an exploder suplex.
Rene Dupree was number seventeen.
Haas and Benjamin double teamed Dupree, using their old tag team maneuvers.
Benjamin charged Edge, Edge ducked, and Benjamin jumped onto the top rope, but Edge shoved him off the top and to the floor. Shelton Benjamin is eliminated.
Simon Dean was number eighteen.
Mysterio gave Guerrero a rana, and a facebuster.
Edge grabbed Guerrero and threw him over the top rope to the floor. Eddie Guerrero is eliminated.
Simon Dean was warming up at ringside, entering just before the next one came out.
Shawn Michaels was number nineteen.
Michaels went right after Edge, then clotheslined Simon Dean over the top rope and to the floor. Simon Dean is eliminated.
The fans chanted for Eddie Guerrero as he was walking to the back.
Haas and Michaels went at it, while Benoit went after Dupree. Jericho joined in on stomping Dupree. Rey kept ducking away from Edge.
Michaels backdropped Haas over the top rope. Charlie Haas is eliminated. JR mistakenly called him Rene Dupree.
Kurt Angle is number 20.
Kurt Angle started suplexing and Angle Slamming everyone. Michaels went for a superkick, but Angle caught it and applied an ankle lock. Michaels escaped it and superkicked Angle, sending him over the top rope. Kurt Angle is eliminated.
Jonathan Coachman was number twenty one.
Coach hit Benoit, then scurried away form him. Benoit went after Coach, while Coach held onto the bottom rope as tightly as he could. Jericho straddled Dupree on the middle rope. Jericho tried to eliminated Rey Mysterio, with Mysterio trying to pull him out with a headscissors, but neither went over.
Mark Jindrak was number twenty two.
Kurt Angle ran back in, tossed Shawn Michaels over the top rope, then hit him with the ring steps. Michaels was busted open, and Angle mauled him with punches, then applied an ankle lock. Agents and referees came out to pull Angle away. I guess Michaels is eliminated due to being unable to continue, or due to Angle tossing him over the top.
Jericho and Benoit double teamed Coach.
Viscera was number twenty three.
Jindrak tossed Mysterio over the top rope, but Mysterio held on. Viscera knocked down Jericho and slammed Mysterio. Benoit fought Dupree. Edge stomped Coach.
Paul London was number twenty four.
London went after Dupree, and was thrown down on the mat. Dupree did the French Tickler dance, and Jericho grabbed Dupree and tossed him over the top rope. Rene Dupree is eliminated.
John Cena was number twenty five.
Cena went after everyone, until Viscera stopped his assault. Cena came right back and backdropped Viscera out of the ring. Viscera is eliminated.
Benoit and Cena went at it. Mysterio gave Coach a bronco buster.
Gene Snitsky was number twenty six.
Snitsky went after Edge, then Jericho. London jumped on Snitsky's back with a sleeper. Snitsky dumped London to the apron. Snitsky clotheslined London, who did a flip bump to the floor. Paul London is eliminated.
Cena lifted Snitsky for an FU, but Snitsky floated out and hit a boot to the face.
Kane was number twenty seven.
Kane hit Snitsky with a clothesline, then chokeslammed Edge, then Benoit, then Cena, then Jericho, then Mysterio, then tossed Jindrak over the top rope. Mark Jindral is eliminated.
They brought out a stretcher for Paul London. Coach went after Kane, then Kane grabbed him by the throat. Snitsky saved Coach, and gave Kane a powerslam.
Batista was number twenty eight.
Batista clotheslined Snitsky out of the ring. Gene Snitsky is eliminated.
Batista and Kane went face to face. They exchanged shots, and Batista powerbombed Kane.
Jericho dove at Batista, and Batista caught him and dumped him over the top rope. Chris Jericho is eliminated.
Christian was number twenty nine.
Batista was fighting Edge, Benoit was fighting Mysterio. Coach was hiding. Christian went after Cena.
Mysterio gave Kane 619, and Cena lifted Kane and dumped him out. Kane is eliminated.
Mysterio and Cena seemed to be talking about working together.
Ric Flair was number thirty.
Flair tossed Coach into Batista, and Batista gave him a spinebuster. Flair then tossed Coach from the ring. Jonathan Coachman is eliminated.
Batista eliminated Christian with a press lam over the top rope.
Flair and Batista eliminated Chris Benoit together. Chris Benoit is eliminated.
Flair tried to eliminated Batista, which didn't work. Edge and Rey Mysterio dropkicked Batista.
Edge tossed Ric Flair from the ring. Ric Flair is eliminated.
Final four are John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Batista and Edge.
Edge gave Batista a spear, then gave one to Cena. Edge measured Mysterio for one, but Mysterio leapfrogged him. Mysterio gave Edge the 619. Edge ducked a West Coast Pop, and tossed Rey over the top rope. Rey held on, but Edge speared him and knocked him to the floor. Rey Mysterio is eliminated.
Cena and Batista gave Edge a double backdrop over the top rope to the floor. Edge is eliminated.
Cena and Batista were the final two men. They traded punches, then Cena lifted Batista in a fireman's carry. Batista kept grabbing the ropes to block elimination and punched his way out of it. Batista lifted Cena for a powerbomb, but they fell towards the ropes, and both went over the top rope and fell to the floor.
The Raw referees said Batista won. The Smackdown referees said Cena won.
Vince McMahon, ran (yes, ran) to the ring, ticked off. He even slipped getting into the ring, and looked annoyed. (It was later revealed he tore his quad) Batista grabbed Cena and tossed him over the top rope again. Cena ran back in, grabbed Batista and tossed him over the top rope. Howard Finkel announced that, by order of Vince McMahon, the match be restarted.
Cena grabbed Batista and went for an FU, but Batista floated out and hit a spinebuster. Batista then tossed Cena over the top rope to win the match. John Cena is eliminated.
Batista is the winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble, and will be in the main event at Wrestlemania!
2005 - Puck defeats Pain to win the Italian Championship Wrestling Interregional Heavyweight Title in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
2005 - "Portuguese Princess" Ariel defeats Cindy Rogers to win the NWA North Jersey Women's Title in Passaic, New Jersey. Warpath also defeats Chris Candido for the NWA North Jersey Heavyweight Title at the same event, with Warpath then losing that title to Rockin' Rebel.
2005 - Dick Togo defeats MIKAMI in Tokyo, Japan for the Dramatic Dream Team KO-D Openweight Title, ending MIKAMI's third reign.
2006 - WWE held a "Supershow", airing a live RAW and taping the February 3 edition of Friday Night SmackDown! at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida. RAW got a 4.5 rating on USA Network, SmackDown! got a 2.9 on The CW. The results:
RAW:
- Rob Van Dam pinned Snitsky with the Five-Star Frog Splash.
- Triple H pinned Chavo Guerrero after the Pedigree.
- World Tag Team Champions Big Show and Kane defeated Carlito and Chris Masters, when Show pinned Masters after a double chokeslam.
- Shelton Benajmin (with Momma Benjamin) pinned Goldust after an Exploder suplex.
- Edge (with Lita) defeated WWE Champion John Cena by disqualification, when Lita grabbed the title belt and hit Edge in the head with it, to save him, as Cena had Edge up for the FU.
SmackDown!:
- WWE Tag Team Champions MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro (with Melina)) defeated The Mexicools (Psicosis and Super Crazy), when Mercury pinned Crazy after Melina hit Crazy with her boot.
- Bobby Lashley pinned Chad Dick (with James Dick) after the Dominator.
- Tsuki pinned Octagóncito with an armdrag into a crucifix.
- Chris Benoit defeated Finlay (subbing for the injured WWE United States Champion Booker T (with Sharmell), who did guest commentary) by disqualification, when Sharmell hit Benoit with one of Booker's crutches while Benoit had Finlay in the Crippler Crossface, with The Boogeyman making the save.
- Mark Henry (with Daivari) and Randy Orton defeated Rey Mysterio and World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, when Orton pinned Mysterio by blocking a sunset flip attempt.
2006 - Esteban Molina defeats Ruff Ryder Rashaan in Pound, Wisconsin to win the NWA Wisconsin Heavyweight Title.
2007 - WWE tapes the February 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown! and airs a live edition of ECW from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. ECW got a 1.7 rating on SciFi, while SmackDown! got a 3.1 rating on The CW. The results of the show:
ECW:
- Matt Striker pinned CM Punk by blocking a sunset flip into the ring and grabbing the ropes.
- Hardcore Holly pinned Rob Van Dam after the Alabamaslam.
- ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley pinned Test after a running powerslam. After the match, the lights in the arena went out, The Undertaker's bell sounded, and when the lights came back on The Undertaker, who had won the Royal Rumble Match two nights earlier, and Lashley stood alone in the ring. Test attempted to hit Taker with a chair but was chokeslammed for his efforts. Undertaker then motioned that he wanted Lashley's title.
SmackDown!:
- WWE United States Champion Chris Benoit pinned Finlay with a roll-up.
- Deuce 'N Domino defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick, when Domino pinned Kendrick after Deuce hit the Crack 'Em in the Mouth.
- Mr. Kennedy pinned Vito after the Green Bay Plunge.
- Ashley defeated Jillian Hall and Kristal in a bikini contest, hosted by JBL. Jillian opted to sing Britney Spears' 'Oops...I Did it Again' instead of disrobe, JBL took the mic from her and said that "Michael Hayes singing 'Badstreet' was better than that."
- The Miz pinned Matt Hardy after the Mizard of Oz, after Joey Mercury interfered and hit Hardy in the jaw with his protective facemask.
2007 - Peter Goodman defeats champion Lil' Nate, John Williams and Frankie Kazarian in a four-way match to win the Impact Zone Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Tempe, Arizona, beginning his second reign.
2011 - We're live in Boston, Massachusetts and our hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Matt Striker.
The World Title match is up first, and Vickie Guerrero comes out before the match to remind us that the spear is banned in this match, and tries to lead the crowd in a chant of spear. They don't follow her lead, so Vickie reminds us that if Edge uses the spear, he'll lose the title to Ziggler.
World Title Match: Edge vs Dolph Ziggler
They tie up and Ziggler gets a kick to the ribs and takes Edge to the corner and starts pounding him repeatedly with rights, but Edge gets an opening and whips Ziggler hard into the corner. Edge lays in a few kneedrops and covers for 2, then hits a gutbuster for another 2. Edge whips Ziggler to the ropes and gets a knee to the midsection for 2, and Ziggler rolls to the apron so Edge slides between Ziggler's legs to the floor and yanks Ziggler's legs out from under him and he crashes down onto the apron, then rams Ziggler into the barricade. Edge picks Ziggler up and dumps him on the barricade, then rolls him back in the ring. Edge is too slow coming in and Ziggler hits him with a running boot to the head and a neckbreaker over the second rope for 2. Ziggler puts the boots to Edge and chokes him over the second rope, then covers for 2. Ziggler gets a chinlock but Edge fights his way out and sends him to the corner, but Ziggler boots him in the face and tries a sunset flip from the second rope and Edge rolls through and catapults him into the top turnbuckle for 2. Ziggler with a neckbreaker for 2, then the Mr Perfect necksnap for 2 and then goes back to the chinlock. Ziggler drops the chinlock and gets a textbook elbowdrop for 2 and Edge rolls out to the apron, so Ziggler takes a run and rams Edge off the apron. Ziggler goes out and rols the champion back in and covers for 2, then goes back to the chinlock again. Edge fiths his way free and sends Ziggler to the ropes and they wipe each other out with simultaneous crossbody blocks. Edge pulls himself up in the corner and Ziggler charges him, but Edge move and Ziggler crashes into the turnbuckle. Edge gets a pair of forearms and a Turk flapjack for 2, but Ziggler with a head and arm jawbreaker for 2 and Ziggler goes for the Fameasser but Edge counters to a sitout powerbomb for 2. Edge climbs to the top rope but Ziggler nails him and climbs up top to try a superplex, but Edge blocks and knocks Ziggler into the ring. Edge gets a flying bodypress but Ziggler rolls through and gets 2, then dropkicks Edge for another 2. Vickie is looking impatient at ringside as Ziggler goes for the Zig Zag and Edge blocks, then picks Ziggler's legs and gets a modified Sharpshooter, then drives his elbow into Ziggler's ribs over and over until Ziggler somehow makes it to the ropes. Edge chokes Ziggler on the second rope and goes for a crossbody but Ziggler moves and Edge hits the ropes, and Ziggler immediately capitalizes and hits the Fameasser and hooks the leg deep, but Edge kicks out at 2. Crowd popped for that one. Edge reverses an Irish whip and hits a big boot and sets up for the spear, but then remembers that he can't do that, and the hesitation is enough for Ziggler to get the spear. Edge escapes and pulls the Edgecution out of cobwebs and covers, but Vickie pulls the referee out of the ring and slaps Edge. Ziggler tries a charge but Edge gets an O'Connor Roll for 2, then gets right up in Vickie's face and Vickie slaps him repeatedly until Kelly Kelly comes out, pulls Vickie off the apron, and beat her senseless. Edge stands there watching the whole thing and Ziggler comes out of nowhere and hits the Zig Zag for a very close 2. Ziggler is now very frustrated but pulls it together and stalks Edge, and gets a sleeper right in the middle of the ring. Edge starts to fade but then starts to Hulk up and swings Dolph around and accidentally wipes the referee out. Edge finally drops down and gets a jawbreaker, and with the referee and Vickie both down, Edge realizes he can go for the spear. Edge sets up for it and nails Ziggler with the spear, and then plays dead as the referee comes to. All the referee sees is Edge and Ziggler both down on the ground and Edge "comes to" and hits the Unprettier for the win.
Winner: Edge
Edge smirks at the con he just perpetrated as Vickie stands screaming and slapping the mat from the floor. Terrific match, Ziggler looked like a million bucks here and appeared to have Edge beaten several times.
We see a video package promoting Wrestlemania 27 on April 3rd, just 63 days away!
Miz cuts a backstage promo saying that all the critics are calling him a lucky champion, saying that Jerry Lawler would be champion if it weren't for Michael Cole, and Randy Orton would be champion if it weren't for Alex Riley. Riley says that tonight, he's going to outclass Orton, and then Miz says that he's going to silence the critics because he's the Miz...and he's awesome.
WWE Title Match: The Miz vs Randy Orton
Someone in the crowd has a "CONGRATS YAMATO" sign. I love it. Miz tries a swing at Orton but Orton blocks and beats Miz down in the corner and puts the boots to him. He tosses Miz to the floor and rams him into the barricade, then does it again, then runs Miz over with a clothesline. He rolls Miz into the ring and kicks him a bunch. Then he stomps on him a bunch. Orton catapults Miz into the bottom rope and covers for 2, then punches him in the corner, then whips Miz across the ring and charges, Miz gets the boot up but Orton doesn't dig that selling thing, so he doesn't, and continues to beat Miz down. Miz whips Orton to the ropes and Orton holds on, but Riley hops up on the apron and snaps Orton's neck across the top rope and now Miz gets the advantage. Miz whips Orton into the corner but Orton comes out with a clothesline and Miz is down again. Orton waits for him to get to his feet and charges him, but Miz moves and Orton hits the turnbuckle and now Miz stomps him. Miz hits the Sydal clothesline and covers for 2, then gouges Orton's face and chokes him on the second rope. Miz distracts the referee while Riley nails Orton from the floor and Miz covers for 2 then goes to the chinlock. Orton makes it back to his feet and headbutts Miz, but Miz whips Orton to the ropes and gets a knee to the midsection and covers for 1. Miz comes at Orton and...yep, you guessed it, stomps him. Miz does more punching and kicking and then Orton starts punching and kicking back at him. Miz gets a back elbow and Orton, the king of selling that her is, kicks out at 1 again. Miz drapes Orton off the apron and hits a running kneelift and covers for 2, then goes back to the chinlock. Orton reverses to a sleeper of his own and Miz switches behind him and goes for a suplex and Orton blocks and gets a suplex of his own. Miz wakes me up by catching Orton with a Yakuza Kick to the face for 2 and then climbs up top, but Orton nails him and slowly goes up top, stares at the crowd for 20 or 30 minutes, and then finally hits a superplex for 2. Orton and Miz exchange blows in the middle of the ring but Orton gets the advantage and hits his neckbreaker across the back, but Miz backdrops Orton to the floor and Riley comes over and puts the boots to him. Miz goes out to the floor and rams Orton back and forth between the barricade and the ring apron, then rolls him back in for 2. Miz goes up top and comes off with a double axhandle for 2. Miz tries several more covers but Orton keeps kicking out so Miz gouges at his face and we go back to the chinlock. Orton starts to escape so Miz tosses Orton to the floor, Miz goes after him and catapults him into the ringpost and then rolls back in and the referee starts counting. Orton comes back in and he's done with this selling stuff, and hits Orton with a Thesz Press and starts unloading with rights. Miz fires back with some shots of his own, but Orton comes out of the corner and starts running Miz over with clotheslines and a powerslam. Orton does more stomping, but Riley distracts Orton and allows Miz to hit the backbreaker/neckbreaker for 2. Orton goes for the RKO, but Miz blocks so Orton hits the Angle Slam for 2. Miz rolls to the floor and grabs his belt and tries to leave, but Orton nails him and tosses him back in the ring and they distracted me with a replay so I missed what Miz did after that, but it knocked Orton down so Miz could cover for 2. Miz goes for a running boot to the head and Orton rolls him up for 2, then a European uppercut drives Miz to the apron. Orton pulls him back in and gives him the suspension DDT, then he starts slithering and pounding the mat to set up for the RKO. Suddenly, Nexus (minus CM Punk) comes down to ringside and Orton just stands there staring at them. Riley tried to sneak up behind him but Orton saw him coming and LAUNCHED him over the top rope onto Nexus. Orton hits the RKO, but the referee is nowhere to be seen so CM Punk runs in and hits the GTS and Miz covers for the win.
Winner: The Miz
CM Punk takes Nexus and heads to the back as Miz celebrates in the ring. I'm glad Miz won, but this match was absolutely atrocious, and it made Miz look weak because it took Nexus, Riley, and CM Punk all interfering for him to be able to beat Orton. Orton kicking out of Miz's stuff at 1 didn't help either. Absolutely awful stuff, and I'm glad they got this match out of the way on a PPV where they weren't the focus.
Todd Grisham reads a statement from the injured Cody Rhodes, who says that he was going to win the Royal Rumble and headline Wrestlemania, but Rey Mysterio shattered his face and hasn't yet apologized, so he would like everyone to respect his privacy in this serious time.
We see a video package of the fans in Boston giving their thoughts on who is going to win the Royal Rumble.
Divas Title Match: Natalya vs LayCool
Wait a minute, the Anonymous GM rears his head, and he says that he's in charge since Teddy Long is on the shelf, and he's not going to allow for the possibility of LayCool co-holding the Divas Title, and is going to change the title match. He gets a lot of email about how annoying Michael Cole is, but he doesn't want email about LayCool doubling the spam in his inbox, so he's changing it to a Fatal Four Way.
Divas Title Match: Natalya vs Michelle McCool vs Layla vs Eve Torres
Layla and Michelle beat Eve down and then work Natalya over, hitting a double facebuster, but Natalya comes back and works the both of them over and catapults Layla into Michelle. Natalya goes for the cover but Michelle drags Layla to the floor. Natalya goes after her and Layla takes her head off with a clothesline. Now it's Michelle and Layla alone in the ring and they have a staredown, but before they can lock up, Natalya trips Layla from outside as Eve rolls McCool up for 2. Eve and Natalya take LayCool out and Natalya goes for the Sharpshooter, but Layla comes in and nails Natalya so Natalya lays her out and puts both Layla and Eve in a double Sharpshooter. McCool comes in and kicks Natalya in the face and Eve rolls McCool up, but Layla nails Eve and gives her a neckbreaker and kicks her to the floor. LayCool stop to confer but Natalya runs them both over with clotheslines and hits a Michinoku Driver on McCool for 2. Natalya rams Layla into the corner and hits a discus clothesline, then picks Layla up for a powerslam but Layla slips out just as McCool goes for a big boot and Nattie moves, so McCool hits Layla. Eve comes in and hits a moonsault as McCool rolls Natalya up, but the referee counted for Eve and awarded her the win.
Winner and NEW Divas Champion: Eve Torres
McCool is absolutely livid that Eve's fall was counted and hers wasn't, but goes back to check on her BFF Layla.
We go backstage to Daniel Bryan (with Gail Kim), and Josh Matthews asks him what it would be like to go from NXT rookie to winning the Royal Rumble in less than one year. Bryan says that people may think he's a nerd, but it would be great to win the Rumble after less than a year. The Bellas come in with flowers and apologize for the way they acted last week because they didn't know they were a couple. They say Bryan and Gail make a great couple because they're the same, and they're not as good as they are. Gail gets offended by that and attacks the Bellas, and it turns into a big catfight with all three girls rolling around on top of Daniel Bryan. I bet this beats spending 60 minutes getting pounded in the head by Samoa Joe.
We see a video package looking at the various stats of the Royal Rumble match, including the total weight of everyone who's ever competed in the match, the person who's eliminated the most people in a single match and of all time, who's won the most Rumble matches, and more.
Note: from this point on I'll try and update every five entrants. Once I get to #35, I won't update again until the end of the show.
Okay, here we go!
Royal Rumble Match
CM Punk comes in at #1, and at #2...all of the Corre comes out and surrounds Punk in the ring. They come in and beat Punk down but Nexus comes out and a brawl breaks out before the match even begins. The GM sends another email and Michael Cole says that the GM wants everyone to stop this now and tells the referees to restore order. The GM says the only superstar who has the right to be in the ring right now is CM Punk, and everyone else must leave immediately and failure to comply will result in elimination from the Rumble match. So everyone else clears out and #2 is Daniel Bryan! Punk and Bryan tie up and Punk comes off the ropes and takes Bryan down with a shoulderblock, but comes off the ropes right into a dropkick from Bryan. Bryan with a pair of clotheslines and tries to dump Bryan, but Punk blocks and tries to dump Bryan and Bryan blocks and comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick. Bryan goes for a running dropkick in the corner but Punk moves and Bryan crashes into the corner. Justin Gabriel is #3, and he runs in and goes right after CM Punk. Punk dumps Gabriel to the apron and then he and Bryan knock each other out with a double clothesline, and Gabriel goes up top for the 450, but Punk moves and Bryan dumps Gabriel. It's back to Bryan and Punk, and Bryan lays Punk out with a European uppercut and tries to dump him again as Zack Ryder comes out at #4. Ryder goes after Bryan and beats him down in one corner, then works Punk over and stomps him down in the other. Bryan catches Ryder with European uppercuts and backdrops Ryder onto Punk, then tosses Ryder out of the match. Bryan snapmares Punk and repeatedly kicks him in the back and then tries to toss him, but Punk blocks and tries to toss Bryan. William Regal is #5.
Regal comes in and tears through both men with suplexes and kills Punk with a running knee to the head. Regal and Bryan trade European uppercuts in the middle of the ring with Bryan getting the edge. Punk nails Regal from behind but Bryan knocks both Punk and Regal out with kicks. Bryan tries to toss Regal as Ted Dibiase comes in at #6, giving Bryan a backbreaker and a dropkick, and then has a dropkick for Regal and a clothesline for Punk. Dibiase tries to eliminate Punk but Punk clings on to the ropes so Dibiase stomps him instead while Bryan DESTROYS Regal with kicks before hitting a knockout kick to the head. Bryan comes behind Dibiase and dumps him to the apron, but can't get him out. John Morrison comes in at #7 and comes over the top with a dropkick to Regal and then tears through everyone in the ring. He hit a springboard Tidal Crush to Punk and a Moonsaultplex to Punk. Dibiase tosses Morrison to the apron and Regal rams him off, but Morrison clings to the barricade and, as Regal is tossed from the match, Morrison climbs onto the barricade and leaps back to the steps and back into the ring. That was an unbelievable spot. Yoshi Tatsu is in at #8 and he goes at it with Dibiase before getting nailed by Punk. We see another replay of Morrison's incredible save a moment ago as not much happens in the ring. #9 comes out, and it's Husky Harris, and he comes in and fights everyone off and then stands protectively in front of Punk. Everyone goes after Harris, but he manages to stay alive as Chavo Guerrero comes in at #10.
Chavo comes in and gives the Three Amigos to Dibiase, but Punk disrupts it at 2 so Chavo gives them to Punk, and Morrison breaks it up at 2, so Chavo does it to Morrison and now Bryan nails him so Chavo finally gets all Three Amigos on Bryan. #11 is Mark Henry, and he comes in and destroys everybody. Chavo tries a crossbody onto Henry but Henry catches and dumps him. Henry goes to work on Punk and then Tatsu nails Henry from behind, but Henry no sells and clotheslines Tatsu out of the match. Punk catches Henry with a kick to the back of the head and Henry goes down, and now Husky Harris joins Punk in beating Henry down. JTG comes in at #12 and goes after everyone as Daniel Bryan continues to rip into Punk with kicks to the chest. Harris comes over and saves Punk and tries to dump Bryan as Morrison goes after Dibiase. JTG tries to dump Harris but he can't get him up. Now it's #13 and Michael McGillicutty runs out to join Punk and Harris in the ring. McGillicutty dumps JTG and then chokes Morrison on the second rope as everyone piles onto Husky Harris. Harris and McGillicutty dump Dibiase as Chris Masters comes out at #14 and goes right after Nexus. Masters hits a spinebuster on McGillicutty and gets Punk in the Masterlock and tries to toss Punk over the top but McGillicutty saves his leader. Bryan and McGillicutty go at it as David Otunga comes out at #15.
The Nexus now have enough numbers to rule the ring, and toss Daniel Bryan, Chris Masters, John Morrison, and Mark Henry and Nexus is left in the ring. Tyler Reks comes in at #16 and gets gang beaten in the corner. Punk stands Reks up, gives him a knockout kick in the head, and tosses him to the floor. #17 is Vladimir Kozlov and he comes in with a big boot to the chest of Punk, but the rest of them beat him down into a messy heap, and then Punk picks him up and tosses him. R-Truth comes out at #18 and they immediately swarm him and he tries to get away, but Harris hooks him and puts him into the corner so Punk can hit the climbing knee and bulldog. Punk picks Truth up tosses him out. Great Khali is back and he's out at #19, Nexus tries to swarm him like they have everyone else but he tears through the bunch of them and tosses Husky Harris. Khali goes after Punk and Punk begs off, but Khali grabs him and flattens him with a big right hand, and now #20 is out, and it's Mason Ryan.
Ryan and Khali go at it in the ring and Ryan singlehandedly lifts Khali over the top and dumps him to the floor. So Nexus is back at four guys as "Can You Dig It, SUCKA?" rings out, and Booker T comes out at #21. Ryan nails him as he comes into the ring but Booker T lays Ryan out with a scissor kick and then nails Otunga with an axe kick. McGillicutty nails him from behind but Booker nails the Book End, and Booker give the crowd the look and soaks in the cheers, and he does it...THE SPINAROONI! Punk tries to toss Booker but Booker reverses and tries to toss Punk instead and McGillicutty comes from behind to toss Booker. Nexus is dominant here, and #22 is...yeah, you knew this was coming: John Cena. Cena comes in and goes right after Ryan, bulldogs Otunga, and suplexes McGillicutty. Cena tosses McGillicutty and then clotheslines Ryan and Otunga out and it's down to Cena and Punk. Nope, didn't see that sequence coming the moment Nexus first wound up alone in the ring! Cena sends Punk to the corner and charges but Punk gets the elbow up and goes for the GTS, but Cena slips out and they wipe each other out with a double clothesline. #23 is out and it's Hornswoggle. WHY. He and Punk have a staredown and Punk but butts him and then turns his attention back to Cena. Punk stomps Cena down and goes for the GTS again, but Cena slips out and gives Punk the Attitude Adjustment over the top rope and Punk is out. Cena goes over and helps Hornswoggle up, and Tyson Kidd is out at #24. Cena lays him out and Hornswoggle gives him a flying headscissors before Cena gives him an Attitude Adjustment, then Hornswoggle picks Kidd up and gives him an Attitude Adjustment as well while doing You Can't See Me. Cena tosses Tyson Kidd and now they await #25, and it's Heath Slater.
Cena lays Slater out and then Hornswoggle gives him a Stunner. They do a double Five Knuckle Shuffle and Hornswoggle hits the Tadpole Splash and Cena tosses Slater. Now we WAIT SOME MORE for Kofi Kingston to come out at #26, and what's going to happen? I mean, they're all friends, right? Cena and Kingston come face to face and then they look up at the WRESTLEMANIA BANNER! IT BEGINS ALREADY! They decide that friendship is out the window and they tie up, Cena whips Kingston in and Kingston reverses and hits a back elbow. Kingston gets a dropkick and then leaps to the top rope for punches, but Cena rips his head off with a clothesline as Jack Swagger comes out at #27. Swagger runs over both Kingston and Cena with clotheslines and hits a Vader Bomb on Cena and another one on Kingston. Swagger hits another Vader Bomb on Cena and yells stuff at the crowd, but Hornswoggle nails him from behind. Swagger gets distracted by him and Kingston comes off the ropes with a flying bodypress and then springboards off of Hornswoggle for the double legdrop. Kingston goes to eliminate Swagger as Sheamus comes out at #28 and goes right after Swagger, killing him with a short clothesline, then nails Kingston, and hits the Irish Curse backbreaker on Cena. Hornswoggle goes face to knee with Sheamus and shoves him, but Sheamus just knocks him on his ass. Hornswoggle fires up and hits the Sweet Shin Music, but that just makes Sheamus mad and he goes after Hornswoggle again but Cena gives him a back suplex and Swagger chokes Cena out as Sheamus bicycle kicks Hornswoggle off the top rope and he is mercifully eliminated. Rey Mysterio is out at #29 and slides into the ring and Swagger tries to gutwrench him but Mysterio gives him a flying headscissors, then one for Sheamus, then a pop up bulldog on Cena and goes for the 619 on Swagger but Sheamus kills him with a clothesline and sits him up top. Mysterio fights him off and Kingston hits Trouble In Paradise and then Swagger nails Kingston and charges Mysterio and gets dumped to the apron. Mysterio hits a 619 on the outside and Swagger is eliminated as Wade Barrett comes in at #30.
Barrett goes after Kingston and tries to dump him, but Cena nails him so Barrett gives Cena a Boss Man Slam and then goes at it with Kingston again. Kingston chops Barrett down in the corner with kicks, and Dolph Ziggler comes out at #31, the first man to ever enter the Royal Rumble at that number. Ziggler comes in and nails Cena with a dropkick and then beats Sheamus down in the corner. Cena, Kingston, and Mysterio all try to toss Barrett but Barrett fights his way free and then he and Ziggler try to toss Cena but Mysterio saves. Barrett beats Cena down in the corner and chokes him with his boot as Diesel comes out at #32. Barrett goes right after Diesel but he goes through him and everyone else in the ring. Crowd starts a BIG Diesel chant as Diesel gives Kingston a Snake Eyes and then lays into Ziggler with elbows in the corner. Diesel with a short clothesline on Cena and then rams knees into Sheamus in the corner. Drew McIntyre comes out at #33 and goes right after Diesel and he and Sheamus work Diesel over in the corner. Crowd is cheering HUGE for Diesel as he gets choked on the second rope. Mysterio hits a 619 on Diesel and gets booed. Diesel and Barrett go at it as Sheamus and McIntyre stomps Mysterio out. Alex Riley is out at #34 and Cena nails him the second he gets in the ring and Barrett boots Diesel over the top rope. Big boos for that and Diesel gets a huge reaction as he exits the ring. Miz joins the commentary team as Ziggler beats Mysterio down in the corner. Big Show is out at #35.
Big Show walks past Diesel and they have a staredown in the aisle, then he gets in the ring and plows through Sheamus, McIntyre, and Barrett. Show chokeslams Barrett as Cena and Kingston try to toss Riley. Big Show tosses Dolph Ziggler and then McIntyre goes as Ezekile Jackson comes out at #36. Zeke rams right through Big Show and tosses him out of the ring before killing everyone else in the ring. So now Barrett has some backup and the two of them will work together in the Rumble match. Jackson chokes Mysterio in the corner with his boot as Sheamus and Barrett go at it. Santino Marella is out at #37 and he goes right after Sheamus and then goes after Zeke, but Zeke no sells him and Sheamus boots Santino in the face, and Santino rolls under the ropes to the floor. Sheamus and Zeke go at it next, then Zeke turns his attention to Cena and tries to toss him, and Barrett comes over to help but Barrett slips back in. Alberto Del Rio is out at #38 and slowly makes his way to the ring as Mysterio yells at him to get in and fight him. Sheamus nails Mysterio from behind and Del Rio still is coming to the ring when Randy Orton comes out at #39, and nails Del Rio, tosses him in the ring, and hits the RKO. RKO for Sheamus. Orton ducks Trouble In Paradise and gives him an RKO. Orton tosses Kingston. Orton clotheslines Sheamus out. Orton and Cena are the only ones on their feet and they slowly turn around and, in a scene reminiscent of Ultimate Warrior & Hulk Hogan in 1990, stare each other down. Cena points at THE WRESTLEMANIA BANNER and they prepare to fight it out as Kane comes in at #40.
Everyone has entered the ring now, and Kane beats everyone down and then starts beating Orton up in the corner. Kane with a running clothesline and side suplex for Orton, but Zeke runs Kane over with a hard clothesline, then picks him up for a powerslam. Kane slips out so Zeke charges him and Kane ducks down and Zeke flies over the top. Kane rams Barrett hard into the corner and then nails Mysterio. Mysterio comes off the ropes and Kane catches him with a goozle, but Mysterio headscissors Kane over the top rope and then Barrett nails Mysterio and he goes out. We're down to four (in the ring, Santino's still on the outside), and Barrett tries to toss Cena while Orton tries to toss Del Rio. Cena fights his way back in and lays Barrett out and gives him a gutwrench suplex. Cena and Orton stare down again and circle each other, and then finally begin exchanging blows. Orton goes for the RKO, Cena escapes and goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Barrett nails Cena and gives him a suplex before putting the boots to Orton. Del Rio works Cena over and nails him with a running clothesline. Del Rio goes for another clothesline but Cena catches him and htis the Attitude Adjustment. Suddenly, Alex Riley runs back to the ring and Cena nails him, but suddenly Miz runs up from the broadcast booth and tosses Cena. Cena is not happy and he goes and says...something to Michael Cole that we can't hear, and then heads to the back. Orton, Barrett, and Del Rio circle one another and Orton goes after Barrett, but Del Rio nails him and Del Rio and Barrett double team Orton and choke him out in the corner. Orton clotheslines both of them and powerslams Barrett, neckbreaker over the back on Del Rio, and Orton sets for the RKO on Del Rio, but Barrett gets up first so Orton tosses him and Del Rio immediately comes up from behind and tosses Orton. Del Rio wins! Oh, wait a minute, Santino gets back in the ring and comes up behind Del Rio, sets it up, and hits the Cobra. Please no. Santino points to the Wrestlemania banner and goes to toss Del Rio, but Del Rio turns it around and tosses Santino, and it's now official...
2011 Royal Rumble Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Alberto celebrates in the ring as we get about 67,000 shots of Alberto looking up at the Wrestlemania banner.
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