In Perspective: The Hits and Misses of the Royal Rumble and WWE RAW

Archive

Everyone’s said before me, in every way possible, how the WWE Royal Rumble was a huge disappointment. I’m not going to disagree with them. So much to be desired, and some stuff that should have never gotten even on the magic wiping board as matches in the first place.

The Royal Rumble itself was passable. Not overly exciting, I’ve never noticed how two people were able to hang on to the ropes during most of the match in past Rumbles like I noticed with Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Triple H. Everyone’s concern is how the WWE using Eddy Guerrero’s name up, down and sideways in the current storylines and pushes. I’m concerned yes, exploited is a term being said that is close, if not completely accurate to what’s happening now. I don’t mind that Mysterio dedicates the Rumble the memory of Eddy Guerrero, that’s fine, it gives the show a feel good moment and if he is able to keep his match going against Kurt Angle and wins, it gives everyone a emotional release for Rey’s biggest match of his career on the biggest stage in the industry. I felt if they were going to go in the direction of having Mysterio in the main event at Wrestlemania, they should have saved the lowrider down to the ring for Wrestlemania. I can live with all of this, if this is the last time Eddy’s name is used in storylines. Let the family get all the proceeds from the books, DVDs and t-shirt sales – but please spare them that Eddy Guerrero affects every storyline involving Chris Benoit, Dave Batista, Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr. for the rest of their respected careers. I think it’s fair to say that Eddy wouldn’t want that. These men worked their way up the ladder and had careers outside Eddy Guerrero. I love and want Eddy’s memory honored as much as the next fan, but I don’t want that love whored out because that’s the only way writers can write storylines now instead of actually developing plots that involve people on the active roster. I think Rey is a great choice for Wrestlemania because he’s always the underdog, fans can easily pull for him even as Kurt is a tweener/baby face. The idea that somehow Randy Orton or Triple H will be in the spot is completely disheartening and cheap shots the experience and importance of the Royal Rumble. Another disappointment is why not leave the feel good moment of Rey winning as the last moment of the PPV? Instead, we’re left with two duds disguised as WWE Championship Matches.

The WWE couldn’t be any more desperate to protect the illusion that John Cena is the number one baby face of the company when they have to make a chain gang bridge gimmick on the Royal Rumble for him to stomp his way to the ring on. That grandstanding is saved for Wrestlemanias. The fake crowd shot at the end and the fact that Cena is allowed no offense in the match against Edge further drives the point that the WWE has unrealistic hopes of having John Cena being a champion without their protection. John Cena is a lot stronger character when he’s the underdog and having to fight his way up the ladder, this quick return to carrying the belt again was far too soon. The teasing of Lita hitting Edge at the end of RAW, for a possible turn, serves no purpose unless she’s setting up a rouse to be with John Cena and allow Cena to turn heel on WWE’s own terms. Nothing would kill the women fan base like having the one woman they no doubt hate join forces to be apart of the Chain Gang. The only reason why people (mostly men) are even remotely interested in cheering Edge is he’s the anti-Cena and he’s anti-authority (what Matt Hardy should have been). WWE has a lot of work to do to clear this mud.

It’s embarrassing that Kurt Angle actually had a bad match with Mark Henry and perhaps worse, it closed out the PPV. There’s nothing memorable about the entire match, with the exception of the Undertaker using special effects like lightning and collapsing the ring to make Kurt Angle scared and to set up the next PPV match for Angle. The Undertaker and Triple H are in the same category, when they take such a backseat on their respected brand shows, you don’t even realize that they should be apart of the main show. I think The Undertaker and Kurt Angle could tell a good story in the ring but it seems out of left field. The only way that the match would be hard to call a winner is if it was at Wrestlemania: “will Undertaker actually lose a Wrestlemania for the first time in his career or capture the WWE Title defeating Kurt Angle, the wrestling machine?”

Rob Van Dam, who did get a pretty decent spotlight in this year’s Royal Rumble, has to fight mismatched Gene Snitsky the following night? Two completely different athletes that can’t compliment each other in the ring. I’m fine with RVD challenging Carlito, however, I’m more intrigued at the teasing of a good storyline between Chris Masters and Carlito and turning Chris Masters face. Carlito is at his best when he’s a smirking heel and Chris Masters is at his best when he’s more himself than a Lex Luger clone. The moment I got excited at a possible storyline with RVD was during the Royal Rumble, for when three seconds the camera stopped on him fighting another competitor in the ring that isn’t on his brand: Chris Benoit. There’s a possibility that’s waiting to happen for the right time and right storyline. If I were to write it, I’d have Chris Benoit get fed up and frustrated on Smackdown, surprise appearance on RAW, looking for some fresh competition and change, with a red hot RVD moving up the ladder, to be stopped by the Canadian Crippler for what would surely be some incredible matches. That would put Benoit in a heel position, however, Benoit is a lot like Angle, he’s gotten so much respect that there isn’t any way to really put him as a hardcore heel.

The Women’s Storyline with Mickie James, Trish Stratus and Ashley, which bombed on the Rumble, turned itself back around on RAW with the Celebration of Trish Stratus segment. Ashley has no business being in a wrestling ring, however, she is a great foil to Mickie, as “competition” for Trish’s attention. They are doing a good job with it and let’s just say, let’s hope they don’t miss a opportune Valentine’s Day before RAW, which I will be attending to keep this storyline going in the obvious direction it’s going.

Finally, I felt the Shawn Michaels/Vince McMahon story on RAW was well done this week and for once, believable. There was a lot of naturalness to it that has lacked before, Shawn’s passions seem alive and well and able to help execute this to believability. Shane McMahon as the hit man, excuse the pun, for his father in HBK at all the right moments works for doing his father’s dirty work. It’s made it more intriguing as Shawn who will undoubtedly keep getting screwed over, is forced to keep reacting outside the Born Again Christian box that his character is sometimes in, depending on how you view it. I would like to see Shawn actually have a friend in this (besides John Cena, because that’s the usual cop out – having a baby face supported by the other baby faces by default) and hopefully someone from his past. It’s scary to ask this from the WWE, but WWE, surprise us.

The WWE State of the Union has a lot to work on before Wrestlemania considering the reviews the WWE is getting on the Royal Rumble, which is supposed to set the stage and build storylines for Wrestlemania. Let’s hope the WWE takes into consideration the commentary and feedback fans have been leaving into the direction they are wanting to take and that’s putting it in perspective. Thanks for reading, and thanks to those of you who read and took the time to write me feedback regarding last’s week’s Jim Cornette interview that I conducted, peers and wrestling fans alike. I hope we at insidepulse can bring you more interviews in the future from all aspects of the sport.