Wednesday 27 January 2016

Royal Rumble 2016 Review

Image result for Royal Rumble 2016


     The Royal Rumble, my father's favorite wrestling event where we all sit around the television to watch the event with all of us choosing a number for the Rumble. (My number was 19 and I did quite well this year if you watched the Rumble). Now let us waste no more time and review the first WWE pay per view of 2016. Will it be a hit or a miss? 

     The opening promo hypes us the main story heading into the Rumble, that being the odds being stacked against Roman Reigns as he defends his championship against 29 other superstars in the Royal Rumble match. Great work here by WWE as always. Cole welcomes us to the action in Florida, announcing that this is the 29th Royal Rumble.




 Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens(Intercontinental Title Last Man Standing Match)

      Ambrose enters the ring first which is frustrating as he is the champion and the champion should enter the ring last(Little nitpick number 1!). Back and forth exchange between the two before Owens and Ambrose have a miscommunication and mess up a move. Owens shouts as Ambrose that its going his way, chopping Ambrose into three corners while Ambrose asks for more before chopping Owens in the corner. Running Bulldog by Ambrose, Owens powders so Ambrose hits a suicide dive sending Owens over the announce table into Michael Cole(Ha I love it!). Ambrose grabs a kendo stick going to town on Kevin Owens' ass before a superkick by Owens knocks Ambrose down, Owens smashes Ambrose through the barricade with a cannonball onto Ambrose. Clothesline and senton combination by Owens, Ambrose will not stay down. Owens brings in several chairs and gives Ambrose a taste of the chair. Owens takes a seat in the ring on the chairs as the crowd applauds. Rebound clothesline by Ambrose leaves both men on the mat. Chair shots to the back by Owens who continues to taunt the champion. Owens attempts a powerbomb onto two chairs but Ambrose reverses as Owens smashes through the chairs. Ambrose attempts the suicide dive but gets caught and eats the steel steps as Owens rams in repeatedly into the steps. Two tables are stacked on top of one another outside of the ring as Owens tries a suplex. Unfortunately, Ambrose has other plans, Owens attempts the pop up powerbomb but hurricanarana into the Dirty Deeds by Ambrose. Owens makes it to his feet at 9 by rolling to the outside of the ring(Great little way to survive the count). Elbow drop through a table by Ambrose as the referee begins his count. Chair shots by Ambrose to Kevin Owens who tells Ambrose that he hates him as he is beating the crap out of him. Another table enters the fray as it looks like Ambrose is sending Owens through the table but it is a reversal by Owens who sends Amnrose crashing throiugh the table with his own suplex. Up at the count of 9 for Ambrose. Powerbomb by Owens as Ambrose lays prone in the ring. Ambrose stands up at 9 again as frustration is building for Kevin Owens who starts stacking chairs. Owens lays Ambrose on the chairs and ascends the turnbuckle for what looks like a moonsault. Ambrose brings up off the chairs and pushes Owens through the two tables placed on the outside of the ring. Owens doesn't answer the 10 count and we have a winner and still champion...Dean Ambrose. Fantastic match from two individuals that I love to watch, I thoroughly enjoyed this match and was entertained from start to finish. They were given the time to shine and they made the most of it. Great Rumble opener and possibly one of the best matches of both men's career and Rumble history.




New Day vs The Usos(Tag Team Title Match)

       Opening promo by The New Day which is great as always, I feel bad for anytime put against these guys because they are almost untouchable in the tag team division. We mourn the loss of Francesca before Xavier introduces Francesca 2 and all was well in the world. The Usos enter the ring. Kofi and Jimmy kick off the match, Jimmy and Jey have the advantage early on as they throw Kofi to the outside and he is clothesline by Jey, it is really strange as it is like The Usos are working as heels but they don't keep it up as the match goes on. Don't get me wrong, The Rock was super effective at working as a heel if the crowd was turning on him, he would show heels tendencies but The Usos seem to play with the idea of being heels but never go as far as they could have gone. Jey Uso takes the brunt of the beating by The New Day which makes sense as the announcers bring up that he was injured for a number of months. Hot tag to Jimmy, Samoan drops and Umaga hip attacks by Jimmy. Whisper in the wind by Jimmy, he climbs the top rope as Kofi is attacked by Jey who Kofi sends over the barricade. Big E attempts his suicide dive but s topped by Jimmy's knee, Kofi returns but is knocked down by Jey and Big E hits the suicide dive on Jimmy. All four men are down before Kofi and Jimmy are left in the ring. Trouble in Paradise misses but Jimmy's superkick does not miss as Jimmy tags Jey who climbs to the top rope. Splash and pin but Xavier places Kofi's foot under the ropes, breaking up the pin. Jimmy continues to punish Kofi before Big E makes the blind tag and as Jimmy prepares to splash Kofi, he is caught in mid air by Big E who drops him with the big ending 1...2...3. Good ending to a good match, The New Day are over like crazy and they deserve to be champions, nobody can touch them at the moment. What's next for The New Day? I am interested to find out!





 Alberto Del Rio vs Kalisto(United States Title Match)

       After losing the title back to Del Rio, I found it very hard to be interested in this feud, Kalisto should have held the title until the Rumble. Win or lose, he should have had the title going into the Rumble but obviously Vince had other plans and Kalisto was portrayed as a loser and didn't really get over as a result of the poor booking decisions. Del Rio begins by softening up the ribs of his opponent, ten punches in the corner as Kalisto kicks Del Rio  over the top rope, following up with a plancha. Running enziguri by Del Rio, Kalisto fires back but Del Rio nails an tilt to whirl backbreaker. Hurricanrana by Kalisto on the outside, Del Rio nails a lungblower reversal to a headscissors(Awesome counter right there). Kalisto hits a dive onto Del Rio before being cut off with the kick to the head for a two count. Del Rio misses the armbreaker and the enziguri, gets caught with a tornado ddt. Two count so Kalisto continues his offence with more kicks and diving attacks but Del Rio hits a reverse suplex from the turnbuckle, flattening Kalisto. Del Rio attempts his finishing stomp from the second rope but misses and falls into the Salida Del Sol. Kalisto cannot believe it as Del Rio reaches for the ropes breaking the count at two. Del Rio catches Kalisto with another lungblower after a springboard attempt. Exposing the turnbuckle, Del Rio looks to smash Kalisto face into pieces but with a hurricanrana, Kalisto sends Del Rio into the exposed turnbuckle and plants him with The Salida Del Sol. We have a new champion in Kalisto. The finish felt flat and that is the best way to sum up this feud as Kalisto should have never lost the title but there is nothing we can do about it, Kalisto is champion and I hope they do something with him so this chance is not squandered because if you want to be popular with the Latino fan base, give them a credible star to cheer for and Kalisto should be that man if they are using Del Rio as a heel.





Becky vs Charlotte(Divas Title Match) 

        Wow Charlotte, the champion actually came out second, I am so happy about this you have no idea. Anyways, on to this match, good wrestling from both with Charlotte asking for a break. Charlotte takes over on Becky after Ric Flair kisses Becky? Wasn't expecting that and can't say I am glad I witnessed that moment. Moving swiftly along, the crowd is into Becky as Charlotte continues to heel it up in the ring. Headscissors by Charlotte as she continues to wear down the challenger, Becky fires back with clotheslines and exploder suplexes(Akiyama would be so proud!). As the match continues, Charlotte does her best to keep Becky down with spears and figure eight attempts but Becky counters her at every turn, resulting in Becky locking in the disarmer. As she has Charlotte beaten, Flair throws his jacket at Becky who is now distracted. Taking advantage with a poke to the eyes, Charlotte hits the spear for the win. Charlotte continues to attack Becky until Sasha Banks enters to a huge pop from the fans. Banks kicks Becky to the outside before attacking Charlotte. This was a great moment as she stayed true her character, they didn't try to make her bland or change her from what she was in NXT. Make no mistake about it, Sasha Banks has everything to lead that Woman's division and I am sure she will establish herself as the main diva's wrestlers sooner rather than later. I wish Becky had won the match though, it felt like it was her time to win the title and Becky vs Sasha Banks would have been a great match and easy to book as it would be heel vs face. With this story you have heel vs heel even though Banks is cheered by the fans. Nonetheless, it looks like an exciting time for the Diva's division.






The Rumble Match(WWE Title on the line)


           I am not going to go into huge detail on this one, I am just going to talk about a few things I like and disliked about this year's rumble. First positive of this rumble was we have feuds that can be made purely based off the Rumble. The likes of AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt vs Brock Lesnar, Jericho vs Ambrose, and Reigns vs Triple H. The stories for all these matches were put into motion in the Rumble and I like that, it makes like the Rumble had more than one purpose such as making the people feel bad for Roman. Another positive is AJ Styles, some may argue he did not do enough in the Rumble but it was just awesome to see him finally get his chance in WWE. Most sites are reporting his shirt sold out in two hours after the Rumble and we all know what WWE thinks about those who sell a lot of merchandise, I really don't see WWE screwing this up for some reason but maybe I am just an optimist. The last positive I have coming out of the Rumble was the finish to the match. Having Reigns not be eliminated last was a great move as the fans thought that there was a possibility of Ambrose winning and my god did they do a great job of fooling us to believe he could win. It was great story telling as Ambrose gave it everything he had but due to the injuries and the beating he had taken at the hands of Kevin Owens during the Last Man Standing match, he was simply exhausted and Triple H became a 14 time World Champion. The negatives of this Rumble was there was a lot of dead weight wrestlers in this Rumble. The match seemed very slow and boring in different parts as we were treated to jobber after jobber entering the ring. Where were the legends this year? It is such a little thing but I wanted to see some legends come back and hit their moves before being tossed out. They also brought back Sami Zayn who logically went to kill Kevin Owens, tossed him out and then did nothing for the rest of his time in the Rumble. To me, it seemed like a waste but perhaps they will do this feud at Fastlane as Ambrose seems to be staying in the title picture for the moment. The other negative for me in this match was the lack of logic displayed  in this match. For example the League of Nations destroyed Reigns so that he would be taken out of the match. Seems logical but it fails for two reasons. Why destroy him and not roll him into the ring so he can get eliminated? It wouldn't take any effort to throw him back in and there is no disqualifications in the Rumble so why couldn't they have eliminated him? Second reason this fails is you are trying to make Roman Reigns look like the ultimate tough guy and a badass so why do you have him get off the stretcher only to walk to the back and rest for 20 minutes? It makes no sense at all if you are trying to make him look tough. Anyone with a brain could figure out he was coming back well rested and ready to fight so I thought this was a stupid move. The other stupid moment was the Wyatt family eliminating only Brock from the ring and leaving after his elimination. Why? Why not help Bray, your leader win? Nobody can tell you to stop, it is no disqualification, it just made no sense at all to me from a logical standpoint. However, I think the positives outweigh the negatives and this was a good show overall.





I hope you enjoyed my review of The 2016 Royal Rumble. WWE put on a good show and they have started 2016 with a bang as Mania season begins. The next few months will be a very interesting time in WWE so I will be keeping a close eye as I am sure all of you will be doing too. For now, it is goodbye and see you next time!


Sunday 24 January 2016

Royal Rumble Match Predictions




         Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, the Royal Rumble is nearly upon once more and this is where so many of us fans get excited for the product because we love the rumble, we love the surprise entrants and we love the road to Mania. The Rumble match this year could be considered lacking as so many top tier superstars are injured such as Cena and Rollins and the promotion for the event has been build up on one man's shoulders and that is Roman Reigns. Before the pay per view begins, I am here to give you 4 of my picks to win the Rumble.





                                                                    Roman Reigns


              The champion entering at number 1, he can't possibly survive can he? Well we all know that Reigns is likely to be in the final two men in the ring. Vince has done everything within his power to make Reigns look like an unstoppable monster. Some of his techniques have worked, others have fallen flat but if you expect Reigns to be eliminated before the final four, you must have been watching a different show to everyone else. It is possible that Reigns will run through everyone in this Rumble and the fan reaction to this happening would be less than pretty. My prediction is Reigns is the runner up in the Rumble after being eliminated by...
.




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Triple H


             The above picture perfectly captures the reaction of every die hard WWE fan if my prediction is to come true. I know it is 2015, I know he should be nowhere near the main event of Wrestlemania at his current age but his father in law owns the company and the story practically writes itself. Suffering injury and humiliation at the hands of Roman Reigns, Triple H makes his return to screw Reigns out of the title by winning the Rumble himself similar to how Vince won the 1999 Rumble. They are trying to make Reigns like Austin so why not copy the entire story by simply replacing Vince with Triple H? It is genius, I should be working for the creative team(I expect their phone call any day now!). I do not want to see this happen, this is just the wrong move in my opinion but we all know Hunter's ego and we all know that this nightmare might become a reality tonight.





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Brock Lesnar


               One can never count out the beast Brock Lesnar and with Lesnar entering the Rumble, you have to have him as a favorite to win. On the last edition of Raw, Lesnar was assaulted by the Wyatt Family which leaves me leaning towards Bray eliminating Brock through shenanigans to build to a Mania match but a part of me also believes Lesnar may come out on top as champion. I would have no problem with Brock winning the championship and dropping the belt at Mania to Roman or defending the championship against Bray Wyatt. Whatever the result is , expect Brock to have a big part to play in this Rumble and a lot of people getting taken to Suplex City.







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The Undertaker



         Ok hear me out on this one, it is looking likely that this is Taker's last year in wrestling. He has performed at two of the big four WWE events of the year, wrestling at Summerslam and Survivor Series. We know Taker will be at Mania as he always is and it is in his home state of Texas. Would it not be incredible to see Undertaker enter the Rumble and defend the championship in Texas for his last match. It would be a great story to tell and a fitting end to the career of one of the most iconic and legendary superstars to ever step foot inside a wrestling ring. You may argue that a younger superstar should win the Rumble and they should not focus on part timers or veteran superstars but to see The Undertaker win would be a great moment and a real shock to everyone as we all feel either Triple H or Roman Reigns is walking away with the title.







          So that's it they are my predictions for the Rumble, as always I choose a number beforehand and this year I am feeling lucky with number 19. Last year I got DDP which didn't go to well for me but at least he laid a few people out with diamond cutters. This year is really feels like a two horse race between Reigns and Triple H, I guess the only thing left to do is sit back and enjoy the Rumble. Until next time, see ya!













Wednesday 20 January 2016

WWE: Stuck in A Time Machine?


Hmmm Looks a lot like....



So I have seen this before.....



      I could stop this review right here, there would be no need for further explanation. WWE is trying to make Roman Reigns this generation's Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, this is not the major issue for me as a viewer. I want to see Reigns beat people to death, I want him to fight and win against The Authority and banish them from out tv screens, I truly want this to take place! Many people consider Reigns as the silent beast who takes no crap from anyone, his speaking ability is an issue but WWE should be able to recognize this and accentuate the positives and hide the negatives. WWE's handling of Reigns is a topic for another day, today I will be addressing why I feel WWE is stuck in a time machine.




                                                      

Same Story for almost 20 Years

         With the exception of Mick Foley and Steve Austin's terms as General Managers of Raw and the occasional guest GM, we have been treated to the same story of the good guy trying to overcome the authority or those who are in power. Mr. Mcmahon vs Austin was the most successful story in the company's history as so many people loved Stone Cold and hated Mcmahon while also being able to relate to the story of the employee finally sticking it to his boss for treating him like garbage. It was fresh, it was different but you cannot survive off the same story in 2016. There are a number of factors for this but I am only focusing on how blatantly WWE is trying to make Reigns be Stone Cold. From the beatings he gave Mr.Mcmahon to having him arrested to being drawn as the number 1 entrant in the Rumble. We know Austin did all these things and they were awesome because he was as popular as he was ever going to be and he was not copying anything that had been done previously. Mcmahon and Austin's story ended in the Summer of 1999, with Austin having neck surgery, a new faction took hold of the World Wrestling Federation and this was Triple H and Stephanie Mcmahon.






       Triple H and Stephanie Mcmahon held control of the WWF until Wrestlemania 2000 where they aligned themselves with Vince and Shane. Thus, giving birth to the Mcmahon-Helmsley Faction. This was 16 years ago and this faction made things difficult for the likes of The Rock, Chris Jericho and The Dudley Boyz. During that time period the only person who ever got the upper hand on The Mcmahons was The Rock as he defeated Vince, Shand, and Triple H in a 6 man tag for the title at King of The Ring 2000. It might be disheartening for an attitude era fan to admit but if you are complaining about Reigns being the only one to make fools of The Authority while the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Dean Ambrose are made look like complete losers, think of The Mcmahon-Helmsley Faction and how many people they made look like fools in the process. Take Chris Jericho, he won the WWF championship and had to surrender it back to Triple H, he also lost a Last Man Standing match to Triple H at Fully Loaded before being pushed down the card to continue his rivalry with Chris Benoit. Think of Kane and The Undertaker, they never defeated Triple H in a one on one match during the Mcmahon-Helmsley era. They would beat the likes of The Radicalz or X-Pac or Road Dogg which we all knew were clearly not on Kane's or Undertaker's level. WWE were not creating stars during this era due to the dominance of that faction and The Authority is doing the same thing!




          Mick Foley posed the question after the 2014 Royal Rumble does WWE hate its fans. As the years have passed, the answer seems to be a resounding yes, there was a time where WWE would listen to its fans. Vince made Bret champion because the people wanted Bret and not Luger, the fans wanted Stone Cold Steve Austin after the King of The Ring 1996 speech and they gave us Austin opening a can of whoop ass every single night. Where did they go wrong? Why must we endure week in and week out of The Authority bullying whoever they want and there being no consequences. Why as a fan should I care for Dolph Ziggler or a Dean Ambrose if I know The Authority is always going to come out on top? How can I cheer for Roman Reigns when I know that they are trying so hard to push him like Steve Austin? Enough is enough and it is time for a change! The WWE has been living off the storyline of the heel corporate faction that controls everything being in the way of the face(good guy) who has to overcome the odds and here is a few ideas that I think could .......




                                    Commissioner


            A face authority figure that could appear from time to time would do wonders for this company. Remember the days of Jack Tunney? or what about Gorilla Monsoon? Too far back for you? Ok why can we not have someone similar to Shawn Michaels or Mick Foley? Anytime Vince overstepped his bounds, Michaels would always make a ruling in favor of fair play, he would do what was best for the fans and that's why the fans would keep watching and believed in the character because they would make the matches and the decisions that the fans wanted. It is not rocket science, it is not difficult to figure out what the fans want to see or want to happen but for whatever reason that only Vince knows, he books The Authority to be so hated and despised that nobody cares for the matches they make because we never receive a satisfying conclusion, we never get to see the face overcome the heel. For example, the last three shows so that's Raw and Smackdown have all had main events with no decisive finishes. For me as a viewer, there is no point in watching because the babyface never beats The Authority and week after week we are subject to these long-winded promos that lead to matches which never have a proper ending. So, I think having a face commissioner or power figure would be beneficial as we could at least have someone giving the fans what they want.




                                          
A Different Kind Of Heel



                A more plausible option would be to change the character of  The Authority as we all are starting to believe that The Authority is never going away(Or at least I am but I cannot be the only one who is losing their mind right?). The Authority operates on the premise that they own the company and they want their perfect champion so the rest of the world has this perfect image of their company. This is why Randy Orton was chosen over Daniel Bryan because he is the perfect specimen, he is tall, muscular, good looking etc. I cannot remember why they do not want Roman as champion, I hope there was a reason given to why they hate him so much but in theory it doesn't really make sense. Roman does the make a wish like Cena, he is a professional and there was the advertisements of him playing with his daughter. So in theory, Reigns should be loved by The Authority, he is everything they could have ever wanted.

 Therefore, I believe a change in philosophy is needed for The Authority and this change would be they own the company and they do no want a certain champion, they want to put on the best matches imaginable because they want to make money. Crazy right? It is so simple yet so effective. Would this work? Well take a look at Lucha Underground, another wrestling promotion with a heel promoter who screws over the wrestlers but his motivations are different, he creates matches to make the most money because he doesn't care about the wrestlers, he cares about the money. What makes money? A great product! How do you create a great product? Put on the matches they want to see, give the people what they want instead of boring them each week and never rewarding the fans for sticking with you during the difficult times.







       Well that is the end of my mini rant, I hope you had fun reading through and maybe took one or two points from the argument I proposed. Feel free to like or comment on this piece. Share this blog if you really enjoyed it =) I am now available on twitter and facebook so if you have any suggestions for reviews I will leave a link to both the Facebook and Twitter pages at the end of this entry. Thank you for your continued support and until next time, see you later space cowboys!






Tuesday 19 January 2016

Royal Rumble 1993 Review



                Welcome one and all once more to another installment of Sean's Wrestling reviews! With only days left until the 2016 Royal Rumble match, I thought it would be a nice idea to review an old Royal Rumble PPV. This PPV was chosen at random so it looks like I will be taking a look at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Let's waste no more time and indulge on some old WWF Action!



The Steiner Brothers vs The Beverly Brothers

            Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan welcome us to the broadcast which is live from Sacramento California. Our opening match is The Steiners vs The Beverly Brothers. The Beverly Brothers enter first with their magnificent capes and pants which are covered in stars(Yeah they look ridiculous but what are you going to do about it?). The Steiners make their way to the ring with Howard Finkel referring to the two as only "Rick and Scott" which makes Heenan quip that Finkel is a moron. Bill Alfonso is the referee for this match as Scott out wrestles Beau of the Beverly Brothers with wristlocks and hiptosses. Beau complains Steiner is pulling the hair before catching him off guard and slamming him head first into the mat. Beau sends Scott off the ropes who reverses the move into a tilt to whirl slam with Beau powdering to the outside to recuperate from his injuries. Blake tags in and smacks Rick Steiner in the face who is standing on the apron, drawing him into the ring before the referee removes Rick Steiner. The Beverly Brothers are beginning to frustrate the Steiners with their cheap shots and time wasting. Scott tags in Rick who returns the favor to The Beverly Brothers by knocking Beau off the apron to the floor. Blake and Rick take turns powerslamming each other with Rick gaining the advantage before Scott enters the ring with a belly to belly suplex. Beau illegally enters the ring and clotheslines Scott Steiner(How deliciously heelish of him). Beau smashes the lower back of Scott Steiner as they use the lower back as a weakspot. Quick tags are frequent between the Beverly Brothers as they continue to assault Scott and his lower back. Behind the referee's back, Blake chokes Scott with the piece of rope the wrestlers clutch onto when waiting for a tag.(I do not know the correct terminology but I am surprised I haven't seen this move used more often!). Blake applies the boston crab as Beau assaults Steiner who is trying to escape the submission. Beau enters the ring, hoping to suplex Scott Steiner who reverse the suplex in an act of desperation. Beau cuts Scott off and looks to hit a big back body drop. As he lowers his head, Scott nails him with a double underhook suplex. Both men look to make the tag, Scott reaches his corner and Rick is in the match, the crowd are cheering like crazy. A big back body drop and a nasty looking german suplex are on the menu for Blake while Beau is knocked down by the power of Rick Steiner. Beau shoves Rick into Scott who is now the legal man and Scott unloads fists on top of Beau's head. However, Blake comes from behind and props Scott onto his shoulders as Beau signals for a clothesline from the top. Unfortunately for Beau, he crashes and burns as Scott ducks the clothesline and victory rolls Blake 1... 2... kickout by Blake who sends Scott into the ropes who reverses and hits a Frankesteiner for the victory. I really liked this match, the crowd were into the match and The Beverly Brothers made The Steiners look great in this match. The heels got their moves in and drew heat while also feeding for the faces' comeback. It was a great opener to The Royal Rumble.





Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty(WWF Intercontinental Title Match)


            A promo package tells you all you need to know. These two were The Rockers, one of the most popular tag teams in the WWF. They had some difficult moments but they had patched things up on Brutus The Barber Beefcake's Barber Shop and they lived happily ever after. But no, it was not meant to be as Michaels superkicked Jannetty before throwing him throw a glass window and ripping up a picture of the two, signifying the end of the tag team and their friendship. Marty's return is shown as he attacks Michaels before Michaels throws Sensational Sherri in front of himself like a true heel and Jannetty smashes a mirror over her head. Sensational Sherri makes her way to ringside as the announcers question whether she is supporting Michaels who The Brain claims she loves or Marty Jannetty the man who did not use her as a human shield. Jannetty enters the ring as we wait the arrival of the champion. Michaels enters the arena looking full of himself, he really was a great heel and I wish he played the role more often than he got to. Anyways, Michaels motions Sherri to his corner but she refuses to move as Michaels strips everything off himself for once. Michaels walks up to Jannetty and tells him exactly what he thinks of him. Michaels is horrified to realize Jannetty was not just going to stand there and take it like a man as he drops Michaels with a right hand who escapes to the outside. Jannetty gives chase and makes Michaels pay with an atomic drop leaving Michaels in serious pain. A knee lift knocks Michaels to the outside, who is jerked back into the ring and clotheslined out again by Jannetty. Sherri looks at Michaels on the ground with a conflicted look on her face. She doesn't know whether to watch Michaels suffer or help him to his feet (Good storytelling right there). Jannetty dives through the ropes, he is all over Michaels who cannot catch a break in this match. Jannetty goes for a dive one too many times as Michaels smashes Jannetty in the ribs before ramming him into the turnbuckle shoulder first two times. Shoulderbreaker by Michaels who is relentless in his assault on Jannetty's left arm. Michaels slams Jannetty onto the floor while the crowd cheers for Jannetty to return to the ring. Michaels goes high risk with a double axe handle on the injured arm of Jannetty. Close ups are shown of Jannetty wincing in pain, giving the fans an idea of the pain in which he is suffering. Michaels executes an armbar on Jannetty who fires back but it is Michaels who remains in control thanks to a single arm ddt. Scoop slam by Michaels who ascends to the second rope, looking to hit something but Jannetty places his foot into Michaels face. Michaels recovers to send Jannetty into the ropes but Jannetty has other plans as he reverses Michaels and sends Michaels's shoulder crashing into the turnbuckle. Both men are down as the referee continues to count, they exchange punches as Jannetty hits a big clothesline but Michaels throws Jannetty to the floor. Jannetty suplexes Michaels to the floor! Sherri walks over to Shawn as it looks as if she has chosen his side but she slaps the taste out of Michaels' mouth. Michaels falls victim to a back suplex from Jannetty and kicks out at 2 and a half. Jannetty punishes Shawn resulting in a massive powerslam and Jannetty is going to fly. Jannetty looks for a dive, Michaels moves out of the way, Jannetty lands on his feet and big ddt this one could be over!1...2... and kickout by Michaels. Michaels is sent into the corner, jumps over Jannetty, looks for a superkick but Jannetty ducks and hits a superkick of his own. Another kickout by Michaels, this is exciting these last few minutes have made the crowd go absolutely insane. They all want Marty to win the belt. Michaels hits the referee as Jannetty grabs a full nelson on Michaels, Sherri enters the ring. Sherri takes her shoe off and inadvertently strikes Jannetty in the face. Michaels threatens Sherri in the ring as she has no idea of what to do, Michaels backs away from Sherri, picking up the carcass of Marty Jannetty. Sweet Chin Music to Jannetty and your winner and still champion... Shawn Michaels. I loved this match it was really fun seeing these two battle one another. They were given the time to tell a story and they told a great story. I was interested to see who's side Sherri would pick, I was interested to know whether Marty could gain revenge on Michaels or whether Michaels could weasel his way out with his championship. As previously mentioned, the last few minutes of this match were great and I am hoping there are more matches like this to come on this PPV.





Bam Bam Bigelow vs Big Bossman

         Bigelow wastes no time by assaulting Bossman from behind and crushing him with a body splash in the corner. Trash talk from Bigelow to The Big Bossman who is agony on the canvas. Bossman is thrown to the outside as Bigelow continues taunting his opponent. Bossman struggles to make it back into the ring, Bigelow attempts a clothesline but Bossman fires back with his own clothesline knocking the other big man off his feet. Repeated punches from the Bossman who is showing no mercy. Back drop by Bigelow who looks to be in control but Bossman had Bigelow well scouted as he moves out of the way of a headbutt attempt by Bigelow. Bossman signals for a clothesline over the top rope but Bigelow sends Bossman crashing over the top rope. Bigelow continues working the back, pausing to taunt the fans. Bigelow squeezes the life out of Bossman before Bossman  escapes before Bigelow hits a stun gun. Quick cover and there is a two count. Bigelow repeats the spot of squeezing the Bossman which looks like a weird form of hugging. Bossman blocks a suplex but Bigelow is relentless in his attack of the lower back of The Bossman. Another headbutt to the lower back, stomps and punches are focused on the lower back also. Bossman shows signs of life as he hits a combination of moves, punches, back body drops, and clotheslines. It looks as Bossman is going to overcome Bigelow, sending him into the turnbuckle but Bigelow comes flying out of the corner with a huge clothesline and follows it up with a diving headbutt for the 1..2..3. This was ok, that is all I have to say.



Razor Ramon vs Bret Hart(WWF Championship Match) 

           I am excited for this match, I forgot that these two wrestled for the world title. This can only be a good match right? right? Razor Ramon in the weeks prior had attacked Bret's younger brother Owen. Bret places his glasses on a child at ringside before Razor tosses his toothpick at the young boy. A slugfest begins with Razor taking control of Bret. Ramon misses a knee in the corner and pays for it as Bret goes to work on Ramon's leg. Figure Four leglock by Bret but Ramon reaches the bottom rope. Hart continues working the leg of Ramon who is really struggling in this match. Ramon sends Hart flying into the ringpost, damaging the ribs of Hart in the process. Backbreakers by Ramon to further injure Hart's ribs. Trademark fallaway slam by Ramon who continues to stomp the ribs of Bret Hart. Abdominal stretch applied by Razor which Hart reverses with an abdominal stretch of his own. Razor reverses as the two men battle for control until Razor knocks down Bret with a shoulder block. Hart hits a cross body followed by a sunset flip for a two count. Ramon executes a camel clutch and then a bearhug to squeeze the life out of Bret Hart. Hart does not give up, bites Ramon and sends him flying over the top. Suicide dive by Hart takes out Razor Ramon. Rolling back into the ring, Hart grabs Razor in the corner and mounts him for punches. Razor shrugs off Hart, but Hart will not quit as he continues to punch the face of The Bad Guy. Inverted Atomic Drop and a clothesline for two by Hart. Backbreaker and a second rope clothesline by Hart for two again. Running bulldog and it is a two count once more. Hart decides to finish it with the sharpshooter but Razor has other plans. Using the referee as a shield, Razor escapes the submission, regains his vertical base and goes after Hart's ribs. Hart lands a back suplex, setting up Ramon for the second rope elbow drop. Ramon plants his foot firmly in the face of Hart who crumbles in a heap on the canvas. It's time for The Razor's Edge but no, Hart counters into a backslide 1..2.. Kick out by Razor! Razor continues kicking Hart who is on his knees, Hart counters a kick attempt into a pin and then into the sharpshooter in the center of the ring. The Bad Guy had nowhere to go and he submitted to the sharpshooter. A great match between these two great wrestlers, I wish Razor sold the leg more as the match continued but that is a minor nitpick from me. The action was good, the psychology was good and it was a great title match, both men should be proud of their performances. We also have the debut of Lex Luger as The Narcissist which is cool , Heenan puts Luger over with his commentary as Luger does a pose down in front of mirrors. Another cool little moment from this show!





The Royal Rumble Match


         1-10:  Thirty men enter and only one can win and headline Wrestlemania IX. Strange introduction as a Julius Caesar and Cleopatra sell the event in full Roman costume. I understand why they did it but I felt it was unnecessary and I would have preferred if Howard Finkel explained everything. Ric Flair is the number 1 entrant, having one the event from number 3 the previous year. (I wonder how he will do in this match considering his bizarre treatment from the WWF). Bob Backlund enters the ring at number 2. Backlund beats down Flair for two minutes straight. Papa Shango is number 3, and he is eliminated first by Ric Flair(That was fast!). Flair and Backlund continue to fight as another competitor makes his way to the ring. Ted Dibiase enters at number 4, he teams up with Flair to decimate Backlund. Brian Knobbs of The Nasty Boys enters at number 5, and he runs straight for Dibiase and Flair. Virgil is number 6 in the rumble. Knobbs looks to eliminate Dibiase but Dibiase pulls the rope down as Knobbs sends himself over the top with his own momentum. Jerry Lawler enters the rumble at number 7. Max Moon comes in at number 8. Moon is eliminated after missing a spinning heel kick on Lawler in the corner. Tenryu enters at number 9 and that is just awesome seeing Mr. Puroresu kick ass in the WWF. The 10th entrant is Mr. Perfect as Heenan is going wild on commentary fearing for Ric Flair's safety.


     11-20:  Skinner enters the rumble at number 11. Flair and Perfect are battling all over the ring. Perfect eliminates Flair with a clothesline. Koko B Ware enters at number 12(yay?). Skinner is dropkicked over the top by Mr. Perfect. Samu is in at number 13, Berzerker is in at number 14, Perfect eliminates Lawler with a backdrop before getting eliminated by Dibiase with assistance from Lawler. Perfect and Lawler brawl on the outside after their respective eliminations. Virgil is eliminated off camera(Poor Bastard). The Undertaker is in at number 15, quickly eliminating Tenryu and Samu from the rumble. Number 16 is Terry Taylor, Dibiase dumps  out Koko and Taylor as Undertaker dumps out Dibiase. Giant Gonzales  enters illegally  as Undertaker eliminates the Berzerker. Gonzales eliminates The Undertaker as Damien Demento and IRS enter at 17 and 18 respectively. Tatanka is number 19 as The Undertaker recovers from his attack by Gonzales. Jerry Saggs makes his way to the ring as number 20, Backlund is still in the ring after entering at number 2.


       21-30:  Typhoon enters at number 21, number 22 is  Fatu (Rikishi). The ring is full of low to lower mid card guys so you can sense they will all soon be annihilated by a new entrant. Earthquake enters at number 23, eliminating his partner Typhoon. Carlos Colon makes his entrance at number 24. Colon eliminates Demento as Tito Santana is number 25. Fatu is eliminated after missing a clothesline on Backlund. Number 26 is Rick The Model Martel, Earthquake eliminates IRS, Yokozuna enters at number 27. Tatanka is eliminated by Yokozuna, Colon is eliminated by Yokozuna, and Yokozuna eliminates Earthquake with a belly to belly suplex. Owen Hart enters at number 28, Repo man is number 29. Randy Savage enters at number 30. Yokozuna eliminates Tito Santana, Owen Hart eliminates Jerry Saggs, Yokozuna eliminates Owen and Savage eliminates Repo Man.


         We are down to our last four: Yokozuna, Randy Savage, Bob Backlund and Rick Martel. Backlund eliminates Martel with a right hand. Backlund turns his attention to Yokozuna but ends up being eliminated as Yokozuna is just too strong. Savage and Yokozuna are the  final two, Savage is taking the beating of a lifetime. Savage hits two double axe handles as Yokozuna takes to a knee. Superkick from Yokozuna to Savage as Savage lays limp in the middle of the ring. Yokozuna uses a hip attack in the corner on Savage, he tries for a second time but Savage dodges the attack and Yokozuna falls to the canvas. Savage drops the elbow and pins Yokozuna. Yokozuna kicks out and sends Savage flying over the ropes for the win. This ending was awful. Why would Savage pin Yokozuna? It is not his first Rumble, he knows the rules. Secondly, they did not even make it look like he was attacking Yokozuna. Monsoon blurts out on commentary there are no pins in the Royal Rumble so even the commentators make Savage look idiotic for attempting a pin in the rumble. They do not try to cover it up by saying Savage is trying to punch Yokozuna or keep him grounded, it is ridiculous and a bad ending to an ok Rumble match. The roster was not as stacked as the previous year and they were not many memorable moments or feuds in this rumble. A highlight was Backlund's appearance where initially, the crowd were not into Backlund but by the end of the night, they were booing when he was eliminated.