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| Royal Rumble 2008 - Madison Square Garden - 1/27/08 |
Now that's more like it. The '08 Rumble card displayed a somewhat rejuvenated product, two strong Title matches, and a Rumble match that actually felt stacked with potential winners. The WrestleMania Championship picture wasn't quite clear, so for the first time in a while the Rumble seemed like anyone's ballgame.
The opener was a "Career-Threatening" match for Ric Flair. Vince had decreed that Flair was getting too old to still be wrestling and that the next match he lost would be his final bout. Kind of a stupid ongoing angle really, but it ended well. Anyway on this night Flair faced and defeated MVP. Forgettable stuff but it was inoffensive. Moving on.
Second was the just-returned Chris Jericho out for revenge against the man who a month earlier had cost him in his WWE Title match with Randy Orton, JBL. At Armageddon JBL attacked Jericho in retaliation for Jericho accidentally knocking him over in the broadcast booth. The two began a heated rivalry, and this match was short but fittingly violent. JBL eventually won the match by DQ, but this was mostly memorable for Jericho's sick-looking blade job after being whipped into the ring post. Not a bad match.
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| This is about the only Jericho blade job I can remember seeing. |
Next was World Champion Edge defending against Rey Mysterio, in a match that was a little short but very well-worked. Edge was in the midst of his great heel run as Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero's husband, and her involvement helped him retain.
Probably the best match of the night was fourth as WWE Champion Randy Orton defended against I-C Champ Jeff Hardy. This was fast-paced and aided by a hot MSG crowd. Hardy seemed poised to finally become a main eventer, and there was an IWC backlash when WWE didn't pull the trigger on a Title run for him. As it turned out Hardy was suspended for another Wellness violation soon after this, so his intended Money in the Bank victory at WrestleMania was instead given to CM Punk. Anyway, damn good Title match.
The 2008 Rumble had quite a bit of star power and no fewer than five potential winners. Reprising their 2007 Rumble rivalry, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker started the match and both lasted over thirty minutes, carrying the first half beautifully. Batista also joined early and had his most impressive Rumble showing yet. Triple H entered near the end and it seemed the match would come down to Hunter and Dave. Then John Cena entered at number 30, to the shock of the crowd. Cena had been out with a pectoral tear and despite a predicted spring return, made his surprise comeback in the Rumble. The match now came down to three main event babyfaces, which made for a pretty thrilling final act. Cena outlasted both opponents to win the Rumble and then oddly decided to cash in his Title shot a month early at No Way Out. Even stranger, he was later added to the WWE Title match at 'Mania anyway. Pretty nonsensical and it further cheapened the significance of a Rumble win. Solid Rumble match though.
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| Dude, how'd you get back from a torn chest so soon?? |
Participants: Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Santino Marella, The Great Khali, Bob Holly, John Morrison, Tommy Dreamer, Batista, Hornswoggle, Chuck Palumbo, Jamie Noble, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Umaga, Snitsky, The Miz, Shelton Benjamin, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Kane, Carlito, Mick Foley, Mr. Kennedy, Big Daddy V, Mark henry, Chavo Guerrero, Finlay, Elijah Burke, Triple H, John Cena
Final Four: John Cena, Triple H, Batista, Kane
Long Man: Batista (37:40)
With the advent of HD programming, WWE was adjusting their presentation and moving toward a more family-friendly product. This transition brought positives and negatives, but most notably a sense of focus that had been missing in 2006 & 2007. PPVs especially in 2008 were a vast improvement over the offerings of the two previous years, and the Royal Rumble set the tone for a somewhat compelling WWE calendar year.
Best Match: Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy
Worst Match: Ric Flair vs. MVP - This was ok though.
What I'd Change: Not a whole lot. This was a solid show from top to bottom.
Most Disappointing Match: Nothing here really seemed like a letdown.
Most Pleasant Surprise: The whole show.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Better than WrestleMania XXIV, SummerSlam '08 and/or Survivor Series 2008? - No, Yes, and Yes.
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2007
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