The Custom Made News Report 01.27.08

Welcome, wrestling fans, to the Custom Made News Report. This is a huge weekend in the world of wrestling, and I’m ready to go with all of the biggest stories from across the nation and across the world.

PPV Preview: WWE Royal Rumble (Part 2)

(Due to the sheer size of the Royal Rumble match, there are two installments of the Custom Made News Report’s preview of this pay per view. Last week, the single matches booked for the show were covered. That column can be read here. This week, the Rumble match itself is being covered.)

The 2008 Royal Rumble Match

– This will be the twenty-first annual Royal Rumble match.
– This will be the twentieth consecutive year in which the Royal Rumble match has featured thirty participants.
– The first time that the Royal Rumble match was held, it involved only twenty men.
– As of press time, twenty-four individuals have been confirmed as Rumble participants by WWE.com
– As of press time, thirty-three individuals are on the WWE roster who are neither injured nor announced as appearing for the Royal Rumble match.
– Because there is no way to determine which of these thirty-three men will be the final six Rumble entrants, this feature compiles Rumble match statistics for every current member of the WWE roster who is neither injured nor wrestling in a title match on the card.

Sidelined

Chances are good that current roster members Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley, The Boogeyman, Gregory Helms, Kenny Dykstra, Lance Cade, and Stevie Richards will not be appearing in the Royal Rumble match due to injuries.

Title Matches

Chances are good that current roster members Rey Misterio, Edge, Randy Orton, and Jeff Hardy will not be appearing in the Royal Rumble match due to the fact that they are competing in title bouts on the Rumble card. Current roster member Chavo Guerrero, Jr. will likely not be appearing because, though he is not scheduled to defend his belt, he is the reigning ECW Champion.

The Newcomers

Hornswoggle, Ken Kennedy, Jamie Noble, Cody Rhodes, and Santino Marella are all confirmed by WWE.com as being competitors in the 2008 Royal Rumble match. These five men will be making their first Rumble match appearances.

If they are selected to compete, this will be the Royal Rumble match debut for Brian Kendrick, Harry Smith, Robbie McAllister, Rory McAllister, Brian Major, Brett Major, Dave Taylor, Deuce, Domino, Drew McIntyre, Festus Dalton, Shoichi Funaki*, Jesse Dalton, Jimmy Yang, Shannon Moore, Balls Mahoney, Elijah Burke, Matt Striker, and Mike Knox.

(* Funaki did make repeated run-ins ruing the 2000 Royal Rumble match but was not an official entrant.)

Montel Vontavious Porter

– Montel Porter has only made on prior Royal Rumble match appearance.
– In Porter’s one prior appearance, he was eliminated by the Undertaker.

Kevin Thorn

– Thorn has made only one prior Royal Rumble match appearance, which was in 2007.
– In his one prior appearance, Thorn made one elimination.

Super Crazy

– Super Crazy has made two appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his two appearances, Crazy has made no eliminations.

William Regal

– William Regal has made only one Royal Rumble match appearance.
– In his one appearance, Regal made no eliminations before being tossed by Test.

Charlie Haas

– Charlie Haas has made three appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his three appearances, Haas has made two eliminations.

C.M Punk

– C.M. Punk has made one prior Royal Rumble match appearance, which occurred in 2007.
– In his one appearance, Punk participated in one group elimination before being tossed by the Great Khali.

Ron Simmons

– Ron Simmons has made five appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In those five appearances, Simmons made five eliminations.
– Simmons is one of a handful of WWE wrestlers who has eliminated himself from the match, which occurred in 1997.

Chris Jericho

– Chris Jericho has made four appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his four appearances, Jericho has made ten eliminations.
– Jericho has the dubious distinction of being eliminated from the Rumble by a woman, as Chyna tossed him in 2000.

Paul London

– Paul London has made one appearance in a Royal Rumble match.
– In his one appearance, London made no eliminations before being tossed by Gene Snitsky.
– However, London’s elimination was one of the more memorable moments of the 2005 Rumble, as it involved a sick flip bump from the apron to the floor after a Snitsky clothesline.

Gene Snitsky

– WWE.com currently confirms that Gene Snitsky will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Gene Snitsky has made only one appearance in a Royal Rumble match.
– In his one appearance in 2005, Snitsky eliminated Paul London before being tossed by Dave Batista.

Fit Finlay

– WWE.com currently confirms that Fit Finlay will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Despite his lengthy career, Finlay has only appeared in one prior Royal Rumble match.
– That match, which in 2007, saw Fit being eliminated by Shawn Michaels.

The Great Khali

– WWE.com currently confirms that the Great Khali will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– The Great Khali has made only one prior Royal Rumble match appearance, which was in 2007.
– In his one appearance, Khali eliminated seven different wrestlers before being taken out by the Undertaker.

Johnny Nitro

– WWE.com currently confirms that Johnny Nitro will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Nitro has made two prior Royal Rumble match appearances.
– In his two prior appearances, Nitro has made three eliminations.

Little Guido

– Little Guido has made only one prior Royal Rumble match appearance, which was in 2004.
– Little Guido has never eliminated another wrestler from a Royal Rumble match.
– In 2005, Guido was attacked backstage before he could make his scheduled appearance in the Royal Rumble match. His spot was stolen by Kurt Angle.

Mike Mizanin

– WWE.com currently confirms that Mike Mizanin will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Mike Mizanin has made only one prior Royal Rumble match appearance, which was in 2007.
– In his only prior Royal Rumble match appearance, Mizanin was eliminated by the Great Khali.

Tommy Dreamer

– WWE.com currently confirms that Tommy Dreamer will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Tommy Dreamer has made two prior Royal Rumble match appearances.
– In his two Royal Rumble match appearances, Dreamer has made no eliminations.

Jim Duggan

– Hacksaw Duggan was the winner of the first ever Royal Rumble match in 1988.
– At this time, the Rumble was not a pay per view event but rather a special on the USA Network.
– In total, Duggan has made three appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his three appearances, Duggan has made four eliminations.

Umaga

– WWE.com currently confirms that Umaga will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Umaga has made only one Royal Rumble match appearance.
– This appearance was in 2003, when Umaga wrestled under the name Jamal.
– In his one appearance, Umaga made no eliminations before being tossed by the Undertaker.

Bob Holly

– WWE.com currently confirms that Bob Holly will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Bob Holly has made six appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his six appearances, Holly has made five eliminations.
– However, three of these five eliminations occurred in the 1994 match and featured Holly working with three or more other wrestlers to eliminate large competitors.

Chuck Palumbo

– WWE.com currently confirms that Chuck Palumbo will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Chuck Palumbo has made only one Royal Rumble match appearance.
– In his one appearance, Palumbo formed an unusual alliance with Christian.
– The two worked together to eliminate both Prince Albert and the Godfather.
– Palumbo was eliminated in his only Rumble match appearance by Steve Austin.

Carlito

– WWE.com currently confirms that Carlito will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Carlito has made two appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his two appearances, Carlito has made two eliminations.
– Carlito’s father, legendary Puerto Rican wrestler Carlos Colon, was a guest participant in the 1993 Royal Rumble.
– In the ’93 Rumble, Colon eliminated Damien Demento before being tossed by eventual winner Yokozuna.

Val Venis

– Val Venis has made four appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his four appearances, Venis has made only one elimination.
– It is interesting to note that Venis has only been eliminated from the Royal Rumble match by former WWF Champions.
– Triple H took out Venis in 1999, Kane eliminated him in 2000, the Undertaker tossed him in 2001, and Steve Austin axed him in 2002.

Shelton Benjamin

– WWE.com currently confirms that Shelton Benjamin will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Shelton Benjamin has made five prior Royal Rumble match appearances.
– In those five appearances, Shelton has only been responsible for one elimination.
– Shelton is one of very few wrestlers who have been eliminated by the same man in consecutive years. Shawn Michaels took him out of the match in both 2006 and 2007.

Trevor Murdoch

– Trevor Murdoch has made only one appearance in a Royal Rumble match.
– In his one Royal Rumble match appearance, Murdoch made no eliminations and was tossed by Shawn Michaels.
– Dick Murdoch, the man from whom Trevor takes his ring name, made a guest appearance in the 1995 Royal Rumble.
– In that match, Murdoch formed an unlikely alliance with Crush. The duo worked together to eliminate both Billy and Bart Gunn.
– Dick was ultimately eliminated by Henry Godwinn to end his time in the ’95 Rumble.

Viscera

– WWE.com currently confirms that Viscera will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Viscera has made eight prior Royal Rumble match appearances.
– In his eight prior appearances, Viscera has made eight eliminations.
– It has frequently taken multiple wrestlers to eliminate Viscera. In 1994, 1999, and 2007, it took more than two wrestlers to oust Vis.
– In 2006, Carlito and Chris Masters had to double team the big man before he could be tossed.
– The only men to toss Viscera without help were Lex Luger, Yokozuna, Rikishi, and John Cena.

Kane

– WWE.com currently confirms that Kane will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Kane has made nine prior appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his nine appearances, Kane has made a whopping twenty-seven eliminations.
– Kane is one of a handful of wrestlers to have eliminated himself from a Royal Rumble match, which occurred in 1999.
– Kane received some good Royal Rumble-related news when Booker T. left for TNA, as Booker had eliminated the Big Red Machine from both the 2004 and 2007 matches.

Mark Henry

– WWE.com currently confirms that Mark Henry will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Despite having been a WWE employee for over ten years, Mark Henry has only appeared in three Royal Rumble matches.
– Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that Henry, the “World’s Strongest Man,” has only made two eliminations in his three appearances.
– Henry is also notorious for being eliminated by midcarders, as Faarooq took him out of the match 1998 and Chyna took him out in 1999.

Ric Flair

– Ric Flair has made five prior appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– Flair was the winner of the 1992 Rumble, which was for the vacant WWF Title (currently the Raw Title).
– In his five prior appearances, Flair has made seven eliminations.
– Flair is one of few Royal Rumble participants to be eliminated by the same wrestler twice, as Edge took him out of the match in both 2005 and 2007.

Mick Foley

– WWE.com currently confirms that Mick Foley will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Mick Foley has made five appearances in three different Rumble matches.
– The unique statistic above is a result of the fact that, in 1998, Foley entered the Rumble match three times: Once as Cactus Jack, once as Dude Love, and once as Mankind.
– Foley also has entered the Rumble match once in 1997 as Mankind and once in 2004 as Mick Foley.
– In his three Rumble matches/five Rumble appearances, Foley has made six eliminations.
– In the 1998 Royal Rumble, all three of Foley’s personas were involved in at least one elimination.
– Foley eliminated his good friend Terry Funk for the Royal Rumble match in two consecutive years, 1997 and 1998.

Shawn Michaels

– WWE.com currently confirms that Shawn Michaels will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– With ten appearances, Shawn Michaels has more Royal Rumble match experience than any other member of the current roster.
– Michaels is also the only member of the current roster to have won more than one Rumble, with his victories occurring in 1995 and 1996.
– In his ten appearances, Michaels has made a whopping THIRTY-TWO eliminations, more than any other member of the current roster.

Triple H

– WWE.com currently confirms that Triple H will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Triple H was the winner of the 2002 Royal Rumble.
– Triple H has made five appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his five appearances, Triple H has made eleven eliminations.

Dave Batista

– WWE.com currently confirms that Dave Batista will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– Dave Batista was the winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble.
– Batista has made two appearances in Royal Rumble matches.
– In his two appearances, Batista made seven eliminations.
– The only person to eliminate Dave Batista from a Royal Rumble match is his recent rival the Undertaker.

The Undertaker

– WWE.com currently confirms that the Undertaker will be wrestling in the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
– The Undertaker, one of WWE’s longest-term employees, has made eight prior Royal Rumble appearances.
– UT was the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble. He was the first man to win the match after entering at number thirty.
– The Undertaker has made TWENTY-NINE different eliminations in those matches.
– Taker also has an odd tradition of getting revenge on people who eliminate him from the Rumble match.
– What do I mean by revenge? In 2002, Taker was eliminated by Maven. UT then eliminated the Tough Enough Champion in 2003.
– In 2001, Taker was eliminated by Rikishi. UT then eliminated Rikishi in 2002.

I know that I’m a little bit late to the party on this one, but I just got around to watching this particular video a couple of days ago, and I was BLOWN AWAY. What we’ve got below is the ROH Video Wire from January 7. The last several minutes consist of a promo on Tammy “Sunny” Sytch by Lacey, and it is GENIUS. It may be the single greatest promo that I have ever heard a woman cut. You must watch this now.

To view videos that have appeared in previous editions of the Custom Made News Report, be sure to check out my new YouTube page.

Low Ki to New Japan

Last month, word came out that Low Ki had given his notice to TNA and would be leaving the company. However, Ki apparently gave several weeks worth of notice, as he kept appearing and appearing and appearing and appearing on the promotion’s Impact television show. It got to the point that many people were speculating that he never actually left. Well, if you had any doubts, a recent announcement from New Japan Pro Wrestling should make it clear that Low Ki is out of TNA.

Yes, the former Senshi will be working a full schedule for New Japan during their February tour. He will be joining a stable in the company known as RISE, working as a replacement for injured member Milano Collection A.T. Other RISE members include reigning IWGP Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko, Hirooki Goto, Minoru, and Prince Fergal Devitt. Ki’s stint in NJPW is currently scheduled to consist entirely of tag team matches with these men as his partners. Though he’s not receiving an opportunity to be showcased as a singles star, Ki will be going up against some veritable legends of Japanese wrestling as well as some of the game’s best current superstars. His opponents in the former category include famed names such as Riki Choshu, Masa Chono, and Jushin Liger, while his opponents in the latter category include Yuji Nagata and Togi Makabe. Though Ki has been to Japan before (for both Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE and Pro Wrestling NOAH), this is certainly the highest level of competition that he has ever faced, and I look forward to seeing how he steps up his game.

Indy Preview: CHIKARA Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One

After their traditional end of the year hiatus, the fine folks at CHIKARA are ready to kick off 2008 with their “season preview” show. It’s been given the bizarre name “Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One,” and it’s being held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania TONIGHT. Times, ticket prices, and directions are all available at CHIKARApro.com, but you need to go no further than this very column for a rundown of all the matches that you’ll be seeing on the big card.

Sara Del Rey vs. Kylie Pierce

Oh, poor Kylie. Though I understand that this young woman has really stepped up her game over the last several months and may soon be a breakout star on the independent women’s wrestling scene, there’s only one reason that random ladies are brought in to CHIKARA and put up against Del Rey. That reason? DEATH.

Worker Ant vs. Vin Gerard

Until the closing weeks of CHIKARA’s 2007 season, Vin Gerard was known as Equinox. He was supposedly a young lion of lucha libre, having come north to Pennsylvania for more seasoning before returning to his homeland of Mexico. Then Equinox lost a hair versus mask match to Chris Hero, and the youngster’s face was revealed, letting the world know that he was not Mexican at all. Instead, Hero explained, “Equinox” was actually Vin Gerard, a man who came to train at CHIKARA’s Wrestle Factory but couldn’t cut it. Because he couldn’t handle the rigors of the school, Vin decided to pose as a luchador in order to backdoor his way on to the company’s cards. With Gerard’s deception revealed, he was shunned by the rest of the roster, particularly the company’s masked technicos. Vin has sworn that he will get his revenge on these men, and his match against Worker Ant is the next phase of that campaign. Beware, young Ant, beware. This man is dangerous.

The Colony vs. Team FIST

The Colony of Fire Ant and Solider Ant had a breakout year in 2007, scoring several surprising victories, particularly in their rivalry against BLK OUT. Things did not go nearly as well for FIST members Icarus and Gran Akuma, as their Kings of Wrestling stable fell apart around them, AND they managed to lose CHIKARA’s coveted tag team titles. Icarus and Akuma did get good news on the promotion’s third pod per view, though. Normally, in order to receive a title shot, a team in CHIKARA will have to win thee consecutive non-title matches. However, because FIST lost the straps in a match in which Chuck Taylor was substituting for the injured Gran Akuma, CHIKARA’s Director of Fun Leonard F. Chikarason announced that the former champions can receive an immediate title shot in 2008 without having to amass the requisite winning streak. That makes this particular tag bout very important for the Ants. Not only do they get one step closer to a crack at the belts if they win, but they would also be gaining a victory over a duo who may have the tag straps by the time that the Colony qualifies for their shot. That would certainly be a huge psychological advantage for the insects in the potential title contest.

Cheech & Cloudy vs. UltraMantis Black & Crossbones

Speaking of breakout years, 2007 saw Cheech and Cloudy become one of the most popular acts in all of CHIKARA. Their partnership with and later match against Delirious and Hallowicked put them on the map in a big way, and 2008 may be the year that they finally turn their popularity in to championship gold. To do that, they’ll have to get through two long-time members of the CHIKARA roster, UltraMantis Black and Crossbones, collectively known as the Order of the Neo Solar Temple. While the C&C had an excellent 2007, things weren’t that great for the Order. They managed to pick up a victory here and there, but their overall win-loss record wasn’t nearly as good as what one would expected from two of the more experienced wrestlers in the company. They look to turn their fortunes around in the new year, though Cheech and Cloudy’s recent dominance will make that goal a difficult one to attain.

Shane Storm vs. Eddie Kingston

After having an excellent young with CHIKARA’s Young Lions’ Cup in 2005, things really started to fall apart for Shane Storm in 2006 and 2007. His role in the company was greatly reduced, and the exemplary crowd reactions that he used to receive died down every so slightly. Unfortunately for Shane, he’s not in much of a position to reverse his downward momentum. Eddie Kingston ended 2007 on an absolute tear, repeatedly destroying Hallowicked and picking up his most important title to date in IWA Mid-South. The only question I have here is whether this match or Pierce/Del Rey will be the bigger squash.

Hallowicked vs. Larry Sweeney

This is being billed as a first-time ever meeting, and, at least on paper, I can see why. These two gentlemen definitely wrestle different styles, with Hallowicked typically bringing a hybrid of lucha libre and US indy style to the ring, while Sweeney favors an old school American style plucked straight from the heyday of the territories. Simply put, this has the potential to be a styles clash of epic proportions. However, that potential does certainly not rise to the level of a guarantee. ‘Wicked and Sweeney have spent ample time training together in the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory, and it wouldn’t be surprising if that familiarity allowed to two to put together a solid bout despite the fact that the typical contests of the two men do not resemble each other in the slightest.

Claudio Castagnoli, Lince Dorado, & Ophidian vs. Mike Quackenbush, Tim Donst, & Amasis

This match is brought to you by an old lucha libre gimmick, namely TRIOS INCREDEBLAS~! The idea is to book three individuals who would normally never team together in to a unit, technico and rudo lines be damned. This particular match sees two technicos (Claudio, Dorado, Quack, and Donst) teaming with two rudos (Ophidian and Amasis) on each side of the ring. Frankly, I have no clue where this match is headed. There are certainly many different dynamics at play, and I’m not certain which of them will dominate. On one hand, you’ve got regular partners fighting each other, as Amasis and Ophidian usually combine to form the Osirian Portal. On the other hand, this is the first match for Lince after a brutal looking head injury that he suffered in what was supposed to be the blowoff match of his feud against Mitch Ryder. On yet another hand (yes, a third one), Quack and Donst have been positioned in a student/teacher relationship lately, and that fact could give their team an edge. Regardless of the fact that I am completely incapable of predicting where the story of this match is going, all six of the competitors are talented enough given their experience levels that it should turn in to an entertaining affair worthy of its main event slot.

And that does it for another edition of the report. Whether you’re going to spend the rest of your Sunday watching the Royal Rumble on pay per view or huddled around with a couple hundred other folks checking out CHIKARA, I hope that you enjoy the conclusion of your Sunday.