$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 25, 2008 10:15:33 GMT -5
Hey folks! So who is going? I shun it, I enjoy the couch, comforts of home, company of the familly. I think it'll be a pizza evening. A couple of cold beers.
Really looking forward to this one. Royal Rumble is always one of my favorites slated on the agenda. I will let James kick off the predictions, I am more a recapper sort.
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MSBNYY
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 25, 2008 10:30:45 GMT -5
One thing I'm not really a fan of is the Ric Flair retirement angle. Seems obvious it's going to happen at Wrestlemania, but there is no one worthy of actually being the guy to "retire Ric Flair."
They don't hype this match nearly as well as they used to. It's hard to find the listing at WWE.com, because it's not listed prominently, and as of now, there are still 6 spots open.
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Post by thecaptain15 on Jan 25, 2008 10:33:34 GMT -5
I know I am not James but...I am thinking and taking Batista as my pick (but how can you discount the pull of Triple Haitch..lol)..Though I am aligned with Mrs. Brown in my HOPE that it is Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Kennnnnnnnnnnnnnedyyyyyyy...Kennedy.......
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 25, 2008 10:47:42 GMT -5
It will be HHH winning the Rumble. You can pretty much carve that on a rock. The only other name being realistically murmered about is the Undertaker, setting up the predicted Edge/Undertaker battle at Mania.
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 25, 2008 11:17:32 GMT -5
Neither of those guys winning the Rumble really would be impressive. I'd actually like to see WM headlined by someone new. I like that Hardy has a legit shot at the WWE championship. The top dogs are getting a bit stale. Time for some new blood.
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Post by cactusjames on Jan 25, 2008 11:18:10 GMT -5
I will be there, so I am extremly looking foward to it. Predictions are very tough this year, the Rumble match looks cut and dry HHH, but Batista could win it again. The problem with this is, Smackdown has won the past few years, so I could see him winning it. Kennedy is a good pick, but in that case, you're looking at Jeff Hardy getting the belt, but more on that later. Bottom line is, with Kennedy, obviously you need a face champ for him to go against, and it doesn't look like that will happen so I'd say no to Kennedy. And no shit, IO think HBK has a chance as well. They could move him to smackdown to feud with Edge, it'd be good cause HBK could work a lesser schedule than he is, and have something sort of fresh for Edge. HBK was the runner up last year so it's a stretch to pick him this him, but def not impossible. But that said, odds on favorite has to be HHH, he wanted the title match last year at Mania but fucked his leg up, so he does it this year to feud with Orton.
WWE Championship is very interesting. When it first got announced Hardy would challenge Orton, I think it's safe to say everyone expected Orton to win easily, but I think after the buildup, it's not so clear. Hardy has done a fantastic job in his role, Orton is good as usual, but Jeff has really stepped up, the crowd would eat a nugget out of his ass if he told them it was gold, to have him lose clean to Orton now kills any kind of steam and momentum he has so they have to protect him if they decide to job him out. However, I do think there's a small chance you could see a new champ, at least untill No Way Out, just to give Hardy a little more credibility. My pick is Orton, either by low blowing him and hitting an RKO for 3 or he intentionally gets DQed.
World Title Match, Same situation here except they have no plans for Rey in the title pic so he's obviously doing the job, they just have to protect him so look for the Edgeheads to interfere and Edge escaping with the belt.
MVP vs Naitch, I got high hopes for this. First off, Fliair's last Garden match, pretty big right there. US title match with Flair init has a nice feel to it as well. The crowd will be nuts unless they are spent from some title match or whatever. It won't be a hour long Flair epic, but it should be good and MVP is really getting a big spot here to shine and show what he could to. The Flair run continues as Flair comes out looking like a winner but MVP retains the strap.
JBL vs Jericho had a nice buildup as well. It's also a tough one to pick, JBL's first match back and Y2J already has a PPV loss since returning. My pick is Jericho but JBL beats him down after the match and keeps it going with Jericho for a little longer.
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Post by cactusjames on Jan 27, 2008 13:54:26 GMT -5
Heading to the tarin station in about an hour and a half for some pre show drinking and food at the Blarney Rock then a walk across the street to the Garden. The Rumble being my personal favorite PPV(since they got rid of King of the Ring....again!), I'm really getting anxious now. I shall be back on later tonight with a full run down and notes from the live perspective. I can't wait to play up the heel fan and piss all over the little Jeff Hardy fans. And hopefully HBK has a good rumble showing.
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MSBNYY
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 6:52:52 GMT -5
Come on James--where's the post-Rumble report? You were there for crying out loud.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 8:17:57 GMT -5
Yeah, James, what the Hell?
I myself will have more on the Rumble over the course of the day. Big notes to me were Mysterio getting crapped on by the tough NY crowd, the deflating loss by Jeff Hardy, the stunning return of John Cena (that one really was kept way under the radar) and all that. We enjoyed the show although it was far from the best I had ever seen. i am interested to poke around the normal stops, to see what the masses thought.
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 8:34:50 GMT -5
No doubt. I wonder if they will do something with the Hornswaggle thing.
Cool idea to have a Piper/Snuka cameo, though it might have been nice to let them go at it for a couple of minutes before the elimination. Small stuff though.
The Cena thing was well done. They either rushed him back too soon, or they planned it all along, overstating his injury.
I absolutely love that Mysterio got booed.
No Rumble can ever possibly top Royal Rumble 1992--the best PPV I have ever seen.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 8:57:42 GMT -5
Couple of things. Nothing to be done on the Hornswoggle thing. Its already been explained that once a wrestler goes backstage, he is eliminated. Hornswoggle left the ring area, and went backstage. Done.
The fans popped huge for Piper and Snuka, but they looked SO bad. I have no idea why Piper took his shirt off, he looked like Dusty Rhodes. It was fun for a minute, but i am glad they did not overstay their welcome. Thing is, why the heat? Since the "coconut" thing, they have done things together with no heat between the two, so the savage animal instinct to fight one another was forced.
The 92 Rumble was indeed great. I've seen it a few times since.
I do think Cena is ready, and they just kept it way under wraps. Like Cena or not, it was totally done to perfection.
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 9:06:34 GMT -5
It must be hard for Piper to keep in shape with all the health problems. I didn't see them in the ring, so I can't judge that. I'm not saying give them a 10 minute run, but given that it was the rumble, a battle royale, and they wouldn't have been the focus by any stretch, would it have been so bad to give them another 2-3 minutes on top of what they had?
I am not a Cena fan at all, but I'll admit that they plotted it well. I just don't want them to just hand him back the belt and make like nothing happened.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 9:13:58 GMT -5
Piper and Snuka got their due. They had a segment where they traded punches in midring while EVERYONE ELSE stopped what they were doing to watch. After a flurry of that, they made their way to the ropes, where they were summarily dismissed by Batista. The fans got to pop as the two traded punches.
I have no problem with Piper being out of shape, I just think he should have kept his t-shirt on.
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 9:33:56 GMT -5
Fair enough. But if you accept Mabel without his shirt, then there really isn't anyone who can't go shirtless. Blech.
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Post by grover on Jan 28, 2008 10:33:45 GMT -5
Didn't look into the inside scoops for this that much, so seeing that Cena won today is a bit of a shock, which is nice since it's been ages since I was this surprised.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 10:42:50 GMT -5
Thats the thing. Even Cena haters had to admit the surprise was worth it. I mean, NO ONE predicted Cena to win the Rumble, as no one figured he was in it. Funny, just this week Cena was out talking about how he would not even be back in time for MANIA. He also has another movie on the docket, which was even more a reason to think he was not coming back.
Hopefully this is leading into a HHH heel turn. As to Jeff Hardy, may not be baked yet, I am reading of some plans being kicked about, which include winning either the Elimination Chamber or Money in the Bank, and cashing in vs our friend Edge down the line.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 14:40:35 GMT -5
Check out these poll results, over on the Torch....
Which scenario would you have most liked to see happen at the Rumble if you had to choose just one? Selection Votes
Jeff Hardy beats Randy Orton to become WWE Champ 69% 241
John Cena makes his surprise return to win Rumble 12% 41
John Cena makes his surprise return, loses to Hunter 7% 23
Big Show made a surprise #30 entry to win Rumble 9% 30
MVP retires Ric Flair once and for all. 2% 8
Rey Mysterio beats Edge to win the World Title 1% 4 347 votes total
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 15:12:56 GMT -5
I think people are craving new wrestlers at the top tier. It's time for that. If anything, Cena's return takes up another top level spot, and continues the glass ceiling.
Hardy was poised to make that jump. Too bad.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 15:30:28 GMT -5
Well, on the other side of that, people are saying its smart for WWE not to "blow the load" so quickly. They can string this out. Someone made a good point...everyone wants the underdog to win....until he wins. Hardy, still chasing, may be worth more than a guy who comes out on Raw tonight with the belt, thanking the fans, as balloons drop.
I was one of those dissapointed with him losing last night. But I am starting to come around. We'll see where this goes. But you are so right in terms of people aching for someone to step up into the top tier.
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Post by IronHorse4 on Jan 28, 2008 15:33:48 GMT -5
I get what you're saying. I just don't think Jeff Hardy is that top guy, and I don't think he would have lasted long. Cena is gold (though I don't like him), so they go with what works right now.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 15:40:23 GMT -5
Good points on Hardy. Yeah, he is getting the mad pops right now, but it could be due to frustration at the stale stuff on top, or just how much people are trained to boo the guy he is fighting now. When you really think about it, and people are pointing this out....this is the same Hardy from the last couple of years.
His matches are the same, he has not added anything new to the arsenal. He has always been a flippity flip guy. His promos have been pretty good, but nothing spectacular. He is simply getting more mic time. I am one of those that am excited to see him in the mix, but thinking about it more deeply....has he earned a title win, cause the fans are going gaga?
Lets see if this holds up for him....he may be the flavor of the month. Hey, here's a funny addendum....the guy is still only 30 years old.
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Post by grover on Jan 28, 2008 16:00:47 GMT -5
I'm actually glad Hardy didn't win, because I figured a guy as over as he was going into the first big 4 PPVs of the year would have won.
Plus you also have to look at the flip side, and Orton as a well established heel. They want to keep him that way, and keep him in a position where fans know he is capable of holding onto a title for a good period of time after winning it. Orton is a guy who has what it takes to play heel or face even though he's a fantastic heel. Keeping the belt on him until say, Wrestlemania would make for a better story than a blip title change in between the Rumble and Mania
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 28, 2008 16:07:22 GMT -5
Also, wrestling booking 101 had Hardy losing. He has been getting the better of Orton week after week. Going by that, Orton needed his heat back, and was due for the win. If Orton did lose, and you did the math, he would have looked like a total wuss over the last couple of months.
I dont see this as a big slide down the card for Hardy, I think he's in a better place. But it would have been a heck of a pop, to win it in the Garden. Life goes on, though.
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Post by MSBNYY on Jan 28, 2008 18:05:55 GMT -5
It's not that Hardy didn't win, it's that the return of Cena likely means the end of Hardy as a main eventer. He'll now be upper card, but not top of card. Orton belongs where he is.
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Post by sancho231 on Jan 28, 2008 19:54:59 GMT -5
I was really digging this year's card. solid WWE title match really liked that ending sequence witht he twist of fate reversed in to the RKO. Flair's match a what i expected, nice opener everyone knew he was gonna win. i know know bout you guys but the MAria/Santino and ashley segement was totlally saved by Santino , his heeling with the crowd had me in tears. "ohh mosquetios lest go lose a de playoffs"
Piper and snuka doing there cameo was cool. and i was NOT expecting cena but when i saw i figured he was gonna win. overall i good show. Wrestlemania is looking like Cena vs Orton Flair's retirement match and Edge vs whoever wins the chamber.
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Post by grover on Jan 28, 2008 20:54:31 GMT -5
I'm sure HHH will go after Edge and grab that belt.
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Post by Ms. Jericho on Jan 28, 2008 21:00:00 GMT -5
They probably wanted to keep a lid on the Cena thing since Jericho's "surprise" return did not work the way they wanted. I thought it was awesome. I have mixed feeling about Cena. I really do like him though I got tired of him being champ. The thing is when you're a chick you can't really like Cena without people being all "of course you like Cena, you're a girl." He's totally a "girls and little kids" wreslter. (So is Hardy, but to a lesser extent.)
I was totally shocked. I even felt like Jim Ross for a minute there. Tom was like "that's not really Cena." And I'm like "That's Cena!! Cena's back!! He's totally going to win. If they brought him back, he's winning. " I should have thrown a "My God!" in there. Very well done. I was glad to see him back. Plus, I have this thing for his entrance music....
I thought the Jericho/JBL match was pretty cool. Jericho was all bad ass.
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Post by thecaptain15 on Jan 29, 2008 8:59:09 GMT -5
I thought it was going to be Big Show when they paused at #30.........I do hate when WWE almost makes a PPV meaningless or "defaces" the value as I always look forward to the Rumble winner getting the Wrestlemania shot and the ensuing two months of build up to the spectacle...Now they are having Cena/Orton at No Way Out.........No matter to me as I won't be ordering......I am not surprised Flair won put surprised they had MVP tap out, I figured Flair would win either by DQ or by some sort of chicanery......Looks like Mr. keenedy is next and now I am torn as they are two of my faves......
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 29, 2008 9:03:43 GMT -5
Well, here's the thing on the Rumble. I dont mind that they change things up afterwards, cause there are only so many people annually who possibly would win the Rumble...its way too predictable that way. With all the swerves and such, it changes things up. I dont mind that sort of bait and switch. We wont be ordering No Way Out either - we'll be away that weekend anyway, but the roster in that Elimination Chamber is as strong as it ever was. I am hearing some interesting ideas for where they are going, we'll see what happens.
Oh, Grover, no chance HHH mixes it up with Edge. He will never be a Smackdown guy, he is not interested and he calls his shots.
There is still some talk that MVP may end up getting another shot at Flair at Mania, but Kennedy is certainly the other option being talked up.
Cap, you never regaled us with your Flair tale of woe from this weekend.
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Post by cactusjames on Jan 29, 2008 13:16:16 GMT -5
Yeah yeah, sorry, I was too fucked up to move yesterday, even four feet from my bed to the computer. All apologies.
So Flair vs MVP was good. The match wasn't what it could have been, but since if was Naitch, it wasn't awful. The tap to the figure four was nice, even though technically it wasn't a "clean" win.
Y2J and JBL was a fucking brawl, yeah there were some moves and rest holds but Jericho blading, and being as vicious as ever was a nice touch and added to the feel of the match. Both guys were really over with the live crowd, Nyers were happy to be there for JBL's match and Jericho's first return to the garden.
The two title matches were really fucking good. Edge and Mysterio was not only a great match(I can't remember the last time I saw a bad Mysterio match live), it was awesome with the crowd reaction. Little kids and some chicks loved Rey. The rest of us were total Edgeheads(as I've been for a long ass time), so the reactions were fucking fantastic. And sitting there live, the section I was in were expecting one title change so when Rey hit the 619, the noise level just fucking shot through the roof. Then when Edge speared him out of mid air the fucking place exploded. Great drama with a great fucking finsih.
They would have also won match of the night if not for Hardy and Orton. Hardy got one of the loudest pops of the night(what else is new) and as in the previous match, kids and chicks loving Hardy, the rest of us heel lovers were pro Orton. If not for the crowd participation again, this match fucking ruled as just a normal match. And personally I was happy Jeff had a good one on one match without the use of mega big spots. And since Edge retained, I was convinced Hardy would pull off the upset, so when Orton reversed the twist of fate, it literally came out of no where and the place went ape shit. I don't agree with some of the online marks who said Jeffs push is done, well after Raw last night, the fact he didn't take the pin fall means they're still protecting him so I don't know why they think his push is done. Ok, Cena's back, Hardy is still over huge and this match should have solidified he can handle the main event spot.
Ok, the Rumble, a bit of happiness and rage to find out Taker and HBK were one and two. I was pissed cause I knew HBK wouldn't win, but happy cause Taker and HBK did put on a great rumble effort and carried the bulk of it from the beginning. Hornswaggle pissed me off, I guess they were afraid of breaking the little fellas knees dumping him over the top rope so they just mailed it in on that one.
So the Rumble is looking good, HHH is kicking ass and it looks like HHH and Batista will be the last two. Good news for me since I won't bitch about someone from the clique winning. Then out comes Cena. Rumble was over right then and there. The interaction between HHH and Cena was really good, made better by the crowd cheering from Hunter and booing Cena. Meant nothing. Reverse the pedigree into an FU over the top,the bitches and knee biters got one happy ending, I hope they cancer of the eyes.
Overall, it was awesome right from the top of thre card. The card wasa so good it wasn't hard fro the crowd to be noisy and keep it up all night, not one dead moment. By far the Rumble is the best ppv out out the 12 or whatever, next time it in the tri state area I'm going and would reccomend it to everyone else as well. Now I'm gonna go shit.
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