WWE Royal Rumble (January 2008)

Original Airdate: January 27, 2008

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW), Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman (Smackdown), Joey Styles and Tazz (ECW)

Opening Career Threatening Match: Ric Flair v Montel Vontavious Porter: Porter is the WWE United States champion, but that isn't on the line against Flair's career. Seems kind of one sided. Thankfully, they do the classic MSG short aisle opposite the hard camera tonight, instead of some overblown set. Part of the charm of the Garden is that it is unique, and I can't stand when they try to dress it up like it's any other arena. Feeling out process to start, and MVP makes the mistake of disrespecting the Nature Boy with a slap, so Flair starts throwing them chops. Porter fires back with a running big boot and a neckbreaker for two, and some mounted punches are worth two. Snapmare sets up a crossface chickenwing, but Ric escapes and clips the knee to set up the Figure Four - blocked by Porter. Flair keeps coming, trying the hold again, but MVP counters with a cradle for two. He unloads on Ric in the corner, and a backdrop sets up a cross corner big boot for three, but the referee immediately calls it off because Flair's foot is in the ropes. As Porter argues, Ric sneaks up with a schoolboy for two, so Montel drills him with a clothesline for two. Butterfly suplex gets two, and a vertical superplex is worth two. He goes for the kill, but Flair escapes the fireman's carry, and they collide for a double knockout. Flair tries a quick small package for two as they recover, and a backslide is worth two. Porter fires back with a sloppy kneeling facebuster, but the Playmaker gets countered to the Figure Four, and Flair's career will continue at 7:50. Solid opener, though Flair was really showing his age in the ring at this stage. * ¾

Chris Jericho v John Bradshaw Layfield: Man, sitting at the commentary desk for a year and a half has not done Bradshaw's body any favors. Bradshaw is keen to stall as we get started, frustrating Jericho enough that John dumps him to the outside to avoid a charge. Unfortunately for him, Chris charges right back in, and beats him down for the Walls, but Bradshaw has the ropes. Bradshaw bails, so Chris blasts him with a baseball slide, and he sends Layfield into the steps out there. Back in, Chris charges again, but gets pop-up dropped across the top rope for his efforts, and Bradshaw clobbers him with a pair of short-clotheslines. Bradshaw with a catapult underneath the rope, and he grabs a sleeper to try and put Jericho away, but Chris escapes, and knocks John down with a clothesline. He's still pretty loopy though, and runs into a big boot before he can follow-up. Bradshaw throws him into the post to bust Chris open next, which is kind of weird given that he threw him shoulder-first into it. But whatever, it's a decent bladejob, let's not shit all over it. Jericho fights him off and hits the Lionsault, and a clothesline sends both men tumbling over the top, but Chris gets reversed into the announce table. Bradshaw preps the table for damage, but Jericho whacks him with a chair before he can do anything, though that surprisingly doesn't trigger a bladejob from JBL. Inside, Chris throws the chair at his head to set up some mounted punches, but still no blood. He brings in some electrical cable next, and tries to hang Bradshaw with it, but the referee has had enough, and calls for the DQ at 9:24. Nothing crazy, but sue me, I enjoyed it. ** ½

World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge v Rey Mysterio: In something of a reversal of fortune for the champion, he dominates a smaller man in the early going. Edge dumps him to the outside for a baseball slide, but the referee ejects the champion's doppelgangers before they can do any damage out there. That allows Mysterio to sweep Edge into the 619, but the champ bails before he can hit it, so Rey dives out with a plancha instead. Mysterio with a springboard seated senton for two on the way back in, but he gets too cute with Edge while trying to springboard around, and dropped on his head. Edge goes to work on the knee, so Rey uses a leg-feed enzuigiri to escape a half-crab, but Edge counters another 619 attempt with a powerslam for two. He goes back to the leg, so Rey uses a wheelbarrow bulldog, and starts making a comeback. Roundhouse kick gets two, and a seated senton is worth two. Rey goes up with a flying double stomp for two, and a rana sends the champion to the outside - Mysterio then sliding out of the ring with a tornado DDT on the floor! Cool spot, though it didn't quite come off as smoothly as I'd bet they'd hoped. It gets two on the way back in, but Rey runs into a big boot, and Edge tries a spear - only to miss, and end up in the 619! That sets up a flying splash, but Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero interrupts the count at two! Rey flips out, but stays on point with a springboard DDT, only to get countered with a spear for three at 12:36. The finish was another neat bit that was cool in theory, but probably didn't come off as smoothly as they were hoping. It almost looked like Rey hit the DDT. This was fine, but felt pretty underwhelming and disappointing overall. **

WWE Title Match: Randy Orton v Jeff Hardy: Hardy's WWE Intercontinental Title is not on the line, and the crowd is hot for this one. An extended battle over the initial lockup goes to a stalemate, so Jeff grabs a side-headlock, and sinks his teeth into it on the mat. Randy tries rolling it into a cradle, but that goes nowhere, so he uses a handful of hair to force a counter to a headscissors. Jeff escapes with a legdrop to the groin, and quickly adds a seated dropkick for two, but gets hammered on in the corner. Randy wastes time gloating, allowing Jeff to clothesline him over the top, and he follows up with a wicked baseball slide - Orton bouncing off of the barricade. Jeff then dives with a plancha, and heads back in, knowing that brawling with Orton on the floor might be a bad idea, but mindful to break the referee's count so Randy doesn't save his title that way. Orton is hip to this, and decides to walk out to force Jeff to chase, and once Orton has the high ground, he's able to thwart a springboard move by dropkicking Hardy all the way down to the floor! That was some nice psychology there. Orton heads out with a vertical suplex on the floor, and he rolls Hardy in to cover, getting two. Orton with a Garvin stomp, followed by a pair of kneedrops for two. Jeff slugs back, and manages to toss Orton over the top, then dives off the apron with a flying clothesline on the floor! He rolls Randy back in to cover for two, but a cross corner charge misses, and Jeff crashes right into the post. Orton covers for two, and he grounds his challenger in a chinlock/bodyscissors combo. Jeff escapes, but runs himself right into a powerslam for two, and Randy wrenches on a headlock. Jeff slugs free, and manages to drop Orton with a sling blade as he starts mounting a comeback. Whisper in the Wind gets two, and the leg-feed corkscrew kick sets up a slingshot dropkick in the corner. Swanton Bomb looks to finish, but Orton escapes to the apron before Jeff can dive, so Hardy changes course with a flying dropkick to knock Randy to the floor. Hardy follows out with a flying moonsault press, then back in for the Twist of Fate, but the champ counters with the RKO to retain at 14:06! Hot match here, with both guys working hard. I was half expecting the finish to involve Jeff doing some sort of crazy suicide dive off the entrance set as a callback to the 2000 Royal Rumble, but nope. *** ¼

Main Event: #1 Contender's 30-Man Royal Rumble Match: Ninety second intervals this year. Undertaker gets #1 and Shawn Michaels draws #2, which is a nice bookend to last years Rumble, where they were the last two guys in. Also interesting that these two did battle at the Rumble ten years prior as well, in a match that led to what was nearly the end of Shawn's career, before he came back in 2002 - only to have Undertaker end his career again, this time for real. Undertaker tries to corner him to start, so Shawn sticks and moves, but that doesn't work out well for him. They both work some nice elimination teases, until #3 draw Santino Marella joins us, but 'Taker and HBK gang up to quickly get rid of him. Shawn tries turning on him, but Undertaker shrugs it off, only to get slammed off the top while trying the ropewalk forearm. Michaels capitalizes with a pair of inverted atomic drops, as #5 entry Great Khali comes in. Undertaker chokeslams Michaels as Khali makes it into the ring, leaving 'Taker free to slug it out with the giant. They both grab chokeholds on one another, and Undertaker gets the better of it, dumping Khali. Michaels sneaks up on him, so 'Taker tries the Last Ride, and both guys nearly go tumbling over the top as Shawn counters. #5 is Hardcore Holly, and 'Taker destroys him, but Shawn still has unfinished business with the Dead Man, and goes for him. It's like a 1995 RAW reunion in there right now. #6 is John Morrison, and it wasn't until this very moment that I realized I'd love to see a Michaels and Morrison have a match. John tries going after everyone, but that ends badly, and Shawn hits him with a flying elbowdrop, but John counters the Superkick with an enzuigiri. #7 is Tommy Dreamer, looking fat. Shawn tries suplexing Morrison out, but gets snapped across the top rope to block, as #8 draw Batista runs in. Man, they're bringing it here so far. Batista knocks everyone around until only he and 'Taker are left standing, but Dreamer breaks up their showdown. That ends in Tommy getting tossed, allowing Batista to properly have at it with Undertaker. #9 is Hornswoggle, and everyone stops what they're doing to ready themselves to kill him, so the little guy hides underneath the ring instead. Okay. #10 is Chuck Palumbo, as Shawn teases an elimination for Holly. Also, I know they play around with the rules from year to year to suit their booking, but Hornswoggle should be automatically eliminated since he didn't get into the ring before the next entry, right? And also also, Chuck Palumbo? I forgot his ass was even around at this point. #11 is Jamie Noble, and he goes right for Chuck, but gets dumped in short order. #12 is CM Punk, as Morrison teases an elimination for Michaels. Punk comes in hot on everyone, but gets clotheslined by 'Taker while trying to bulldog Michaels. Chuck then superkicks Punk, but an elimination attempt gets reversed, and Chuckles is gone. Cody Rhodes draws lucky #13, and nearly tosses Punk right away, before Morrison saves. I never got the idea of saving guys in a battle royal, unless you had some sort of alliance. #14 is Umaga, who has switched to all red gear, apparently. He dumps Holly right away, and from the looks of things, someone has shit the ring. Seriously, there are little black pellets everywhere. I'm going to assume that 'someone' was Punk, simply because the thought of Punk shitting like a frisky deer puts a smile on my face. #15 is Snitsky, another dude I didn't even think was still around. Miz draws #16, looking like a total tool. He saves tag partner Morrison from Punk, and they double up on him for a while. #17 is Shelton Benjamin, and he makes a splash by knocking both Miz and Morrison off the top rope (to the mat), but gets quickly Superkicked over the top by Shawn. Shit, he was outlasted by Snitsky! Shame. #18 is Jimmy Snuka, looking like a fossil. Dude looked ancient when he'd come back in the 90s, let alone by 2008. He goes after Undertaker, probably so zapped that he thinks he's still at WrestleMania VII. Roddy Piper is #19, getting a huge pop in the process. He looks less like a fossil, and more like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Fuck it, I like where they're going with this. And, indeed, he wants Snuka! Everyone backs off and lets them do their thing, and it's a cute bit of booking for the venue. #20 is Kane, and that's it for both Snuka and Piper. Carlito gets #21, and blinds Cody with a face full of apple spit on the way into the ring. A lot of guys wearing yellow in there right now. #22 is Mick Foley, which is another fun, venue appropriate surprise for the crowd. He hits Kane with the double-arm DDT, and #23 is Mr. Kennedy. The ring is really starting to fill up here, and we need someone to clear some bodies out. And considering both Undertaker and Kane are in there, I'm surprised it hasn't been done already. #24 is Big Daddy V, as Undertaker dumps Snitsky - only to turn right into a Superkick over the top from Michaels! Shawn, in turn, gets immediately dumped by Kennedy, and then takes off running to avoid a beating from 'Taker. Something tells me their issue isn't settled. Nice sequence, too. Kennedy and Rhodes do a nice elimination tease, as #25 draw Mark Henry comes in. Hornswoggle pops out to help Kennedy toss Miz, then ducks right back underneath the ring. In kayfabe, dude must have a sixth sense to have known when to pop out there. #26 is Chavo Guerrero, and he gets into it with Punk, as Kane gets rid of Morrison. Henry pulls Hornswoggle in, leading #27 draw Finlay to run out ahead of the buzzer to save, but getting himself disqualified in the process. Elijah Burke is #28, as it becomes increasingly apparent that whoever the winner is going to be will be one of the last two. And #29 is Triple H, so it's probably going to be him. He clears Cody and Big Daddy out right away, and we get a showdown with Foley as a callback to their legendary brawl at the 2000 show. Hunter wins that one, and tosses Mick with along with Burke. HHH continues dominating the match, as the buzzer summons #30: a surprise entrance from John Cena to round out the field! Huge pop for that, as they actually manage to legit surprise the crowd! Bye Carlito! Bye Chavo! Bye Mark! Slugfest with HHH ends in Hunter hitting a rotating spinebuster, as Batista gets rid of Kennedy, then Umaga - leaving the final four as Batista, Kane, Triple H, and John Cena! Good field, as you could easily buy any of those four winning. Kane gets rather unceremoniously tossed by Batista and HHH, and the crowd goes crazy as the final three prepare the butt heads. Big slugfest results, with Batista getting control. He hits both guys with spinebusters, but a Batista Bomb on Cena fails, and HHH clotheslines the Animal over the top! And then there were two! Slugfest goes Hunter's way, but he runs into a spinning side slam, and it's Five Knuckle Shuffle time! Cena hits it, but HHH counters the FU in to the Pedigree, only for John to block! That leads to a double knockout spot, and Cena tries the FU again, but gets countered with a DDT this time. Pedigree, but Cena counters into a fireman's carry right over the top for the win at 51:30! Kind of interesting that we got twenty years of the number thirty draw blowing it, and then they book two guys to do it back-to-back. Really fun Rumble, with lots of action, good booking choices throughout, and some great surprises - especially with the Cena return. *** ½

BUExperience: I know it’s really expensive to run the Garden, and I know they don’t want to do anything but stadiums only for WrestleMania these days, but it’s shows like this make me long for more major MSG pay per views. The hot crowd and atmosphere here were huge pluses, bolstering the solid in-ring action, and making for a very enjoyable show. Well worth checking out. It's not veering into hyperbole to say that this is the best WWE pay per view in years, though it's also worth noting that a lot of the appeal is atmospheric. 


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