WWE Royal Rumble 2021

[Daaaaaad!]

For the last seven years I've been watching the Rumble with a few mates; since Covid obviously put a stop to that, we did a Zoom Rumble party (this evening, naturally, we're all 30+ now) and honestly it just helps a lot to have other people to react to stuff with. What that says about WWE's product, though, I guess I can't really say for sure.

Few thoughts without echoing everything already said: the golf kart bump was perhaps the first 'jump-scare' I've ever experienced in WWE. I thought it was hilarious and should definitely have been the end of the match. Roman fucking ran the guy over, ffs! And then the finish was... a choke? Jesus.

Christ, who let Hurricane do that spot again? I saw him in some article banging on about doing it in 2002 the other day as if it was Hogan slamming Andre. Someone must've read it and decided he was right.

Totally get why people aren't on board with Edge, but ehh, I'm fine with it. The bloke has worked his bollocks off and ultimately he's only going to be headlining one night of a two-night event. He gets his match in front of a crowd, which is nice. The spots with Christian were great to see too. Christian's introduction was probably about on par with Todd Grisham's "It's... Christian" from his redebut in ECW in 2009. Poor sod. I bet Vince still wants to put a red spot over his ugly face.

Show needed Brock, IMO. Count me in as another who was somewhat disappointed he didn't show. Guess he's waiting until the house matches his cheque.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

4 hours ago, Supremo said:

Bollocks.

Jerry Lawler either not getting the memo or just not giving a shit and calling it how he sees it was the highlight of the whole Women’s Royal Rumble match. Jerry is correct. Charlotte Flair is a heel. They might say otherwise, they might even think otherwise, but that’s only because they’re useless at writing characters. She’s a complete prick.

One thing I've noticed about Lawler in recent years is that he seems to flit in and out of his heel persona seemingly on a whim. He did it a lot when he commentated with Mauro on Smackdown. His whole tone and interaction with the other announcers during that was heel King all over. Face King is far more passive.

Charlotte absolutely is a prick though.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

8 minutes ago, Daaaaaad! said:

Totally get why people aren't on board with Edge, but ehh, I'm fine with it. The bloke has worked his bollocks off and ultimately he's only going to be headlining one night of a two-night event. He gets his match in front of a crowd, which is nice. The spots with Christian were great to see too. Christian's introduction was probably about on par with Todd Grisham's "It's... Christian" from his redebut in ECW in 2009. Poor sod. I bet Vince still wants to put a red spot over his ugly face.

Funnily enough, I actually thought the worst reaction of the night was Tom Philips to Victoria, where he seemed to register little to no surprise or even recognition of who she was. It's bad when Lawler had to jump in to be the one to give a shit. Major "It's Christian" vibes on that one. I get the feeling, like Cole, that Phillips isn't really a wrestling fan. He's got slightly more personality, but he doesn't seem to truly enjoy what he's calling. Maybe Vince has just beat all the excitement out of him. I remember enjoying his NXT work with Graves.

[SuperBacon]

Did someone really say, when Damian Priest and Matt Riddle traded blows: "Two of the best pure strikers in the game"? Oh, fuck off.

One of the worst Rumbles in history. 

[Kamaras-Tash]

I'd love to see a Bryan/Riddle match going from their exchange in the rumble last night 

[AndyUK]

Very solid show to be fair,

Great moment for Edge, I was hoping for a Bryan win but have no issue with Edge/McIntyre or Edge/Reigns. Can see it being the former as there's not many clear challengers, or they could stick Orton in there and make it a triple threat. Brilliant to see Christian back too and Edge looked made up.

Terrific last man standing match too.

[Lorne Malvo]

My main takeaway from this show is that 'archer of infamy' is one of the all-time shit nicknames. Terrible work there.

[WyattSheepMask]

5 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said:

My main takeaway from this show is that 'archer of infamy' is one of the all-time shit nicknames. Terrible work there.

It’s still better than of the ones Ranallo or McGuiness ever tried to get over. KENTA was struggling enough without being labelled ‘The Don from Nihon’

[PunkStep]

7 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

Did someone really say, when Damian Priest and Matt Riddle traded blows: "Two of the best pure strikers in the game"? Oh, fuck off.

One of the worst Rumbles in history. 

Pretty sure that was when Riddle and Nakamura were going at it. Then again, WWE call Undertaker one of the best pure strikers in the game for reasons I'm yet to understand. 

[The King of Old School]

Can't think of many more unappealing Mania main events than Drew/Edge. Drew/Sheamus maybe.

Edge/Reigns I can sort of buy so I hope they go in that direction, no idea who Drew faces though, hope Brock comes back.

This on the whole was pretty rubbish, but then again this is another nothing Mania so on the whole I don't suppose it really matters.

[tiger_rick]

Truth came out at 21 in the Women's Rumble saying sorry, wrong Rumble. Then didn't come out at 21 in the Men's. I know it's just Truth so no one gives a shit but it would have been clever to use him so it explained the earlier interruption. 

Having a big guy in the ring at the time would have been cool because he could have murdered that gang of losers who chase Truth everywhere. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

13 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Truth came out at 21 in the Women's Rumble saying sorry, wrong Rumble. Then didn't come out at 21 in the Men's. I know it's just Truth so no one gives a shit but it would have been clever to use him so it explained the earlier interruption. 

Having a big guy in the ring at the time would have been cool because he could have murdered that gang of losers who chase Truth everywhere. 

I know Alicia kept telling him "wrong Rumble" but I thought he just ran out there because he was being chased by the gang of losers? However, I may have already forgotten whether he also thought he was in the Rumble...

... so I will close the logic gap by saying that because Truth disappeared chasing after whoever's got the belt now, Ricochet, who had lost a qualifier to be in the Rumble, was offered his spot. Ricochet entered at number 12 ... not 21 ... but that is okay, because in addition to getting the Rumble wrong, Truth read his number the wrong way round.

Crystal clear!

[Arch Stanton]

My expectations for any WWE show are at rock bottom these days, so I find it pretty difficult to be disappointed. This was the first WWE I've watched in a few months, I haven't had a break from their shows like that in twenty years. Watching it completely spoiler-free and with a refreshed mind, I actually found it to be quite an enjoyable show. I'm not invested in any current angles and as such I enjoyed the matches at face value, without second guessing results or questioning the course of the story lines going forward.

[theringmaster]

Couple of thoughts now over 24 hours have passed.

 

Men Rumble was used to build up a near 50 year old star, doing a 'coming back from injury to win the Rumble' Storyline which he actually already did about 11/12 years ago (forget the exact year) and title match of this show also had a 54 year Legend getting  title shot....How does WWE really expect to build new stars? The Rumble was honestly depressing for how many 'middle of road' guys it featured, like how many of them do you ever see breaking through to anywhere near Main Event? Big E is the only guy i feel has a real shot. They have this massive developmental system but its not developing any stars, they don't know how to progress them from NXT to Main Roster, they used to but they have lost it along the way the past 3-5 years. What will we be watching in 10 years? 60 Year old Edge having 'one last shot' as Seth Rollins proves he's 'still got it'?

 

Anybody else notice how they always put Nia Jax into the Rumble late? It's pretty obvious her cardio isn't up to scratch and with this recent Yokozuna Documentary you would think they would be monitoring her a bit more? Just why does she have this massive free pass?

[BomberPat]

9 hours ago, Daaaaaad! said:

Few thoughts without echoing everything already said: the golf kart bump was perhaps the first 'jump-scare' I've ever experienced in WWE. I thought it was hilarious and should definitely have been the end of the match. Roman fucking ran the guy over, ffs! And then the finish was... a choke? Jesus.

Everyone I was chatting with found it hilarious. It's exactly the wrong balance to strike on a bump - something genuinely reckless and dangerous that everyone just thinks is a big laugh.

I don't mind the finish being a choke, it puts Reigns over as a killer without having to rely on weapons and gimmicks, and a heel win should drag the mood down and slow things down. But because of how long it took them to sort out the handcuffs, it felt far too abrupt, and like Owens just waited around and then leapt straight into Reigns' arms for it.

9 hours ago, Shane O' Mac Version 2 said:

I get the feeling, like Cole, that Phillips isn't really a wrestling fan. 

I disagree that Cole isn't a wrestling fan - on shows where he's less produced, he's come across as passionate and knowledgeable. The way he put over Meiko Satomura in the Mae Young Classic didn't come across as him just reading copy, but as someone genuinely excited to watch her work, and I don't think a non-fan would have opened the first UK Title tournament with a "greetings grapple fans!". When he gets to work lower pressure shows with talent that he's been involved in producing and developing, he's genuinely passionate and excited - he clearly sees a lot in Tegan Nox, and that comes across whenever he's called one of her matches.

That he's not like that all the time makes me think that Vince doesn't want him to be. I don't know if it's a hangover of the kind of logic that old-timers had that no one in wrestling should confess to actually being a wrestling fan, or if the idea is that an announcer should be an audience surrogate rather than an expert, but it's clear that the way Michael Cole commentates is because that's how WWE want him to commentate.

I'm normally very defensive of Michael Cole - as an announcer I think he has the hardest job any announcer has ever had in WWE; he has to call an overly micromanaged product, with Vince screaming in his ear, while also remembering every diktat about what you can and can't say, getting all the sponsor and Network plugs in, anchoring a three man team, and so on. As shit as the beer advert mid-Rumble was, it's something Cole can do that I don't think a Jim Ross or a Gorilla Monsoon would have managed to balance with their role. But in the men's Rumble I honestly think he was the worst he's ever been, and it's probably time he moved into full-time production.