Why I Love/Hate Wrestling 1.27.08: Royal Rumble (Part 1)

As is becoming a habit of mine, I am going to focus on a PPV with an early preview followed by a review of the card next week. Let’s go!

Chris Jericho vs. JBL
Ehh… I am mixed about this. JBL hasn’t had a ton of in ring action in quite a while, and Y2J is just working on bringing it back. But the promos and build has been great. I think this match will be so-so one the wrestling side but I think some story-telling will make this match something special. But there is another problem. Jericho has been made the fool in this feud. He has been dominated for JBL for the most part and logic would say that Jericho gets the win. However, JBL is just coming back and he needs a win on his return. This is a puzzling dilemma and I feel that the only way WWE knows how to go about this is Y2J winning on a disqualification on the part of JBL.
Winner: Y2J via DQ

Ric Flair vs. MVP – Career Threatening Match
This has the potential to be the sleeper of the night. MVP has come a long way from his debut and has established himself as a top level heel with the potential to deliver big time. Ric Flair, is….well… Ric F’N Flair. There isn’t much to say about him that hasn’t been said. While he wasn’t the young gun he was back in the day there is no doubt that he can go with almost everyone and carry them to an enjoyable match. I am actually looking forward to this and it could be a great testament to true wrestling talent. About the stipulation, it pretty much ensures Ric Flair winning because the is ABSOLUTELY no way Flair illustrious career is going to end at the Royal Rumble.
Winner: Ric Flair

Edge © vs. Rey Mysterio – World Heavyweight Championship
While this match would have had a lot more potential to be match of the night back in 2002, it should still be a decent match. It hasn’t received to much build and Edge seems unfocused on Rey and looks to be setting his sights on CM Punk already, most likely for No Mercy. This doesn’t look well for Rey Rey because it almost guarantees that he will not come out victorious in this match and he will most likely be traded to ECW for CM Punk and feud with Chavo, or something like that. While this may not be a bad thing, it just shows that Rey really has no chance. However, on a wrestling level, this match should be awesome. Rey and Edge have proven that they are capable of working really well together and have some great chemistry. I am actually looking forward to seeing a fast paced action filled match. But, like I said, there is no way that Edge will drop the title while he is on a crash course with CM Punk at No Mercy, and ultimately a Wrestlemania match against Undertaker. Plus, where would this leave his goons if he lost his title?
Winner: “The Ultimate Opportunist” Edge via shenanigans

Randy Orton © vs. Jeff Hardy – WWE Championship
If I were actually buying this PPV rather than watching it at Hooters, it would be for this match and the Royal Rumble. The build has been awesome and if Jeff Hardy would win the title in his career it seems like this is a perfect time. He has come-off as a main event star and has improved his mic work greatly. He has stepped up his game and kept his stuff together and has worked hard. Randy has been good at playing the cocky heel as well and has done his part in keeping his heat. This match has tons of momentum heading into the Royal Rumble and this should be and off the hook match. Jeff Hardy has gotten the upper hand as of late which would typically designate Randy the winner but I have a feeling Jeff is going to pull the win off. The match has the potential to be the match of the night seeing as how Jeff has been putting on tons of great matches with guys like Kennedy and HHH and Randy has been having awesome matches with HBK and HHH. Both guys are looking strong and this match will be full of tons of near falls and drama.
Winner: Jeff Hardy via Swanton Bomb

The Royal Rumble Match
I love the Royal Rumble. I love the concept, I love seeing confrontations that you wouldn’t normally see, and I love the unpredictability of it all. The Royal Rumble begins the Road to Royal Rumble in a couple ways. Obviously the first is the fact that is sets up the Wrestlemania main event. But another thing that has been shown by the Royal Rumble is that it sets up multi-brand feuds for Wrestlemania. A couple years back Wrestlemania’s MOTN was set up by a confrontation that occurred during the Royal Rumble. I, of course, am talking about HBK vs. Angle. The match has about five possible winners in my eyes. The first possibility is HBK, who put on a good showing last year. He has feuded with Randy before and if Randy maintains his champion status it would be an easy feud to rekindle. Another possibility is CM Punk. It didn’t seem like he had a chance of winning but since he dropped the title he has a chance. More so, though, is the fact that Edge cost him the title, so a feud with Edge would be interesting. A long shot is Kennedy but I think he has proven that he can go and he seemed primed for a title feud but got caught in the steroid scandal, so his feud was postponed. If Jeff wins the title it would make this more of a possibility, but altogether he still seems like the dark horse. Another big contender is HHH who recently got himself back into the match. With the leverage he controls backstage and a feud with Orton definitely a good possibility the Royal Rumble win would make sense. And even if Jeff wins the title, it would still make for an interesting Wrestlemania match. The final possibility is….Hornswoggle. Just kidding. It is really the Undertaker. The money feud for Wrestlemania is streak vs. streak. Undertaker showed last year that he can be the man and I have a good feeling that he will come out victorious. But on the match as a whole, I am definitely looking forward to seeing what feuds get started, which feuds continue, which feuds get reignited, and, of course, who wins the Rumble.