InsidePulse’s WWE Royal Rumble Report 1.30.05

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LIVE from Fresno, California
Hosts are Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Tazz, & Michael Cole

Rhyno vs Maven – Heat match
We come back from a commercial with Rhyno press slamming Maven. Maven gets a DDT for 2. Maven gets a clothesline for 2, 3 times. Rhyno misses a shoulderblock, and Maven uses the ropes for 2. Swinging neckbreaker gets 2. Spike tv’s picture goes out. We come back with with Maven getting a chinlock. Rhyno fights out, and sets up the GORE with a belly to belly suplex. Maven runs out, so Rhyno tries to sunset flip him, but Maven counters, and with the ropes, pins Rhyno.

Edge vs Shawn Michaels
Big pops for both men, really. They slug it out to start, and HBK clotheslines him out. HBK chops him, but Edge comes back with a swinging neckbreaker. Right hands, but HBK fights back. Edge thumbs his eye, but HBK comes back with a Lou Thesz press. They go back out, and Edge gets a modified Edge-O-Matic on the outside. Baseball slide, and the crowd gets behind Michaels. Edge counters a headscissors with a powerbomb for 2. Shawn fights out of a body scissors, but Edge pushes him back down and mocks him. He slings Michaels head on the ropes, but misses a top rope move, and HBK gets an Oklahoma roll for 2. Edge gets a boot for 2. HBK counters a back suplex with a body press for 2. HBK comes back with a couple of atomic drops, and goes for the 10 puch, and Edge fights out, only to gets sunset flipped for 2. HBK gets a roll up off a catapault for 2. Edge walks to the entrance, but Shawn follows. Edge gets a Spear on the outside however. Shawn manages to get in before 10 though. Edge tunes up the band for the…Spear. HA! It gets 2. “HBK” chants go up. Edge sets Shawn on the top, but HBK fights back, and drops the elbow. Sweet Chin Music is countered into a Electric Chair! It only gets 2. Edge rolls through a sunset flip and hooks on the Edgecator. Shawn makes the ropes. Edge goes for it again, but HBK gets an inside cradle for 2. Edge counters a roll up with his own, and, with the ropes, gets 3.

Bischoff and Long are backstage, along with Christy and Torrie. They argue some, until Eddie and Ric come in to draw #s. Ric’s happy about his pick, and Eddie goes in for a “hug.” And, to his surprise, Ric isnt happy about his number when he takes it out of his pocket. Ric goes searching for Guerrero.

Backstage, Snitsky and Heidenreich share their affections for each other, and Gene apparently has an idea for the Casket match.

Video Package for the Casket match.

Heidenreich vs The Undertaker – Casket match
Big pop for Taker. Taker pulls John with a sidelock to the casket, and he gets a shoulder takedown. Hiptoss and armdrag, into an armbar. John knocks Taker down with a shoulder, and another one. Taker goes to the legs, and hooks on a half boston crab. He goes to the ropes, ironically near the casket. John reverses a whip into one of his own, and Taker hits the casket. John gets in control as the fans get behind Taker. Taker gets a headscissors out of nowhere, and puts him in a triangle choke. Snitsky comes out of nowhere and beats the hell out of Taker. Clothesline flattens Taker, and the two double vertical suplex him. The casket opens, and Kane’s in it! He evens the odds, and takes Gene into the crowd. Back in the ring, John pushes the casket away, but Taker comes up and makes him eat wood. John reverses a whip however, right into the steel steps. He takes off the mat. Heidenreich punds on him some more, and rams the casket into him. John puts on a choke, and rolls Taker into the casket, but Taker gets his arm up. He now drags John into the thing, but only his head. Taker legdrops the casket lid onto Heidenreich’s head(!), but John manages to headbutt out of a Chokeslam. John hits a Modified Sidewalk Slam, and tries to drag Taker into the casket, but the Dead Man goozles him and fights out. Taker hits a DDT to set up the Chokeslam. Tombstone, and that’s all!

Backstage, Long and Evo terrogate Guerrero for Ric’s #. He hands them Ric’s wallet as well. Batista says he’s going to go get his #, but HHH wants to go over the stuff with Orton.

Meanwhile, Christian and Tomko are talking to Eric. Christian picks his #, and Cena walks in. Christian says that he could beat Cena anyday in a rap contest. He rhymes some, and it’s really not that bad. Apparently, tonight is like Christian’s sex life, his ass is going down. John also lets CLB pick his #, since he likes playing with balls.

Kurt Angle vs Big Show vs John Bradshaw Layfield(c) – WWE Championship match
Show and JBL slug it out, while Angle hangs on the outside. JBL comes off the 2nd rope, but Show catches him and gets a legdrop for 2, thanks to Angle. JBL stupidly tries to vertical suplex Show, but Big gets one of his own. Double clothesline to JBL and Angle sends them out. Show pretty much murders them on the outside, and sets up some stairs and clears the SD! table. He goes for a Chokeslam on JBL, but Kurt lowblows him and hits him with a monitor to crash him through the table! Back in, Angle gets 2 german suplexes, and pulls down the straps. JBL gets out of an Angle Slam, and boots Kurt for 2. Show comes back in and dominates. He irish whips them into each other, and splashes them as well. He goes for a double Chokeslam, but Kurt kicks him. JBL hits a Clothesline From Hell, with some help from Angle clipping the legs. Kurt takes JBL out with a german, and covers Show for 2. Angle Slam on Show, and JBL gets the cover for 2. JBL goes for another CFH, but Show gets a Chokeslam for 2. JBL goes out, and Show drives him through the barricade! Kurt gets a chair, but Show flapjacks him. It only gets 1 thanks to Angle’s boys. Jindrak and Reigns attack Show, while Jordan throws JBL back in the ring with Angle. Clothesline From Hell, and that’s it!

Backstage, Batista turns down the opportunity to sign Carlito’s petition. He walks into the GM room to get his #, and hears Bischoff saying that unlike Long’s Championship match, his won’t have a lot of interference, especially since Evo’s banned from ringside. Batista offers to tell HHH the news.

Video package for Orton/HHH.

Randy Orton vs Triple H(c) – World Heavyweight Championship match
Orton slaps him to start, and hits him with a shoulderblock. Backslide gets 2. Backdrop, and Orton goes for an early RKO, but HHH runs out. Back in, dropkick gets 2. Randy gets the snake eyes, and goes fo the RKO, but HHH pushes him over the ropes! HHH makes him eat steps him, and mocks the Randy pose. HHH goes to the knee, and works it over on the ringpost. He continues to work the knee, but Orton gets an inside cradle off a Figure-four attempt. HHH tries it again, and gets it. Orton gets his shoulders down a couple of times, but manages to turn it over. Orton manages to push HHH onto the spanish table, and gets a modified neckbreaker. Swinging neckbreaker gets 2. Inverted neckbreaker gets 2. Powerslam gets 2. HHH comes back with an atomic drop, and goes up. He gets the Ric Flair treatment though, and Orton gets a top rope crossbody for 2. HHH comes back with a facebuster, and goes for a Pedigree, but Orton catapaults him into the turnbuckle. He counters a RKO, and gets a high knee for 2. Pedigree, but Orton jumps out and gets a clothesline for 2. HHH counters a DDT by hanging on to the ropes. The ref looks at Orton, causing HHH to run into both of them. Sledgehammer time. Orton drives HHH’s face into the post though, and Orton really looks glazed. He goes for the sledgehammer, but HHH kills him with a clothesline. Pedigree gets 3, and HHH is still the World Heavyweight Champion. Randy reminded me of Brock from WM 19.

Backstage, a drunken JBL comes in to the GM room. Long makes Show/JBL at No Way Out. In fact, he makes it a barbed wire steel cage match.

The Royal Rumble
Tazz and JR are doing commentary again this year. #1 is Eddie Guerrero, and #2 is Benoit. Benoit grabs an armdrag, and the two take it to the mat. Crowd gets behind Eddie as he gets a snapmare. #3 is Puder, who says that we’re about to witness history. The Radicalz team up, and it’s a chop fest. Double vertical suplex, and a back suplex from Chris. Triple verticals from Eddie, and Hardcore Holly is #4, and he beats on Puder as well. Puder’s chest is really looking scary. Alabama Slam and the Hurricane is #5, while Puder gets eliminated. Then Holly by Benoit and Guerrero. Eddie looks to trick Benoit out, but to no avail. Eddie and Benoit eliminate Hurricane, and #6 is Kenzo. Guerrero dropkicks him, and Benoit gets the snap suplex. Eddie gets a back suplex, and Benoit tries to eliminate Guerrero, but to no luck. Edge is #7. He tries to eliminate Eddie, but Guerrero hangs on. #8 is Mysterio, with PYRO! Huge pop. Modifed Bulldog! Headscissors on Kenzo eliminates him. Eddie kills Benoit and Rey with backbreakers. #9 is Benjamin, and gets a reverse elbow on Edge. Backdrop to Eddie, while Benoit tries to eliminate Rey. Rey gets one hell of a headscissors on Edge, and Booker is #10. Bischoff comes out, and starts rooting on his men. Benoit apllies the Sharpshooter to Eddie, and Y2J is #11. Long now comes out to cheer. #12 is Reigns. The RAW and Smackdown! guys square off, in a cool moment, and the two brands go at it, much delight to the fans. Hussan is #13, and everybody jumps him. 619, and all the guys throw him out. #14 is Jordan. Shelton tries to eliminate Y2J, and #15 is Scotty 2 Hotty, who gets jumped by Hussan. #16 is Haas. Reigns gets clotheslined out by Booker, and Jordan also gets eliminated. Spinaroonie, but Rey kicks him and Eddie pulls the top rope down to eliminate him. T-Bone Suplex on Rey. #17 is Dupree, who gets the old school legfrog from Haas and Benjamin. Edge pushes Benjamin off the top rope to eliminate him. Simon Dean is #18. Rey counters a powerbomb into a faceplant, and Edge eliminates him. #19 is HBK, and he immediatley clotheslines Dean out. Dupree also gets eliminated by Michaels. Angle’s #20, and it’s suplexes for everybody. Angle Slam on Edge and Dupree. Sweet Chin Music is blocked into the Ankle Lock, but Shawn rolls out and gets the Sweet Chin Music to eliminate him. #21 is Coach. Rey and Y2J fight over elimination, and Jindrak’s #22, and Angle comes back in to take out Michaels. He busts him open and hooks on the Ankle Lock on the outside. #23 is Viscera. London’s #24, but gets the terror of the French Tickler. Y2J eliminates Dupree however. #25 is Cena, and he eliminates Viscera. #26 is Snitsky, and he eliminates London with VIOLENT clothesline. Cena and Snitsky go face to face, but Gene counters a FU. #27 is Kane. Chokeslam to Edge. Chokeslam to Benoit. Pumphandle Slam to Kane. #28 is Batista, and he eliminates Gene. Kane and Dave go face to face once again, and Batista gets a Batista Bomb on him. Y2J gets thrown out. #29 is Christian. Kane gets the 619 and FUed out. #30 is Ric. Spinebuster to Coach, and Flair eliminates him. Whip into another spinebuster on Christian, and he gets millitary pressed out. Spinebuster on Benoit, and he gets eliminated. Flair tries to take out Dave, and he’s not happy. Spear to Ric, and he’s out of here. And Scott Keith’s work is easy right here. Spear to Batista. Spear to Cena. Rey ducks his, and gets the 619. Edge manages to eliminate him however. Batista and Cena eliminate Edge, and now it’s down to 2. Cena tries to FU him out, but Batista goes for his powerbomb, and Cena takes him out with him. Vince comes out, and he’s not happy. Match is restarted, thankfully. Dave gets the Spinebuster, and it’s clear this time, Batista is our winner. Fantastic Rumble.

~Rave