WWE Royal Rumble, Monday 27th January 2020, 11am AEDT

Surely they aren't foolish enough to miss out on Ronda and Becky one v one again.

If they are actually serious about making nxt the third brand they should have Charlotte challenge Rhea. I wouldn't be opposed to that, would be something different and I think they'd have a good match

as long as Rhea wins...
 
No, I just think that if I put the time into explaining a concept that I've already articulated again I'll get another non-responsive post from you as the result of your either being unwilling or unable to respond to the substance. I mean, I expressly stated that I wasnt suggesting that he was jobbing in the post that you quoted, and you still think that claiming he's not struggling is a rebuttal.

Perhaps just consider this question: did he have a greater status before he returned, or now?

Why would I respond to that question?
 

nobbyiscool

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We should launch a class action. The "Entertainment" part of the name is false advertising.

I generally keep up with Raw and SD by podcasts or skim reading reports, watching the very occasional show. This was the first (non-NXT) PPV/major show/network special that I've watched since WM last year.

This show proves why. I don't really understand what the point of any of this is.

We've had Reigns and Corbin feuding forever. Reigns finally wins, but with all the interference it means nothing.

Why do we need Charlotte winning the rumble? Aside from Lynch she's already the biggest female star they've ever had. She doesn't need a rumble win to "make" her - she's already made. On the flipside, you have Baszler who came in hot, looked like a million bucks - and most importantly needs to move up to Raw as Becky's WM opponent having been overtaken as the top dog on NXT. And not only do you beat her, you make her look like a ******* idiot in the way that 1) she turned away thinking she'd won, and 2) she was eliminated by the stupidest method ever.

Then there's the little things. Why have your announcers talking about Nox as "The Shiniest Wizard"... for her to not hit her shining wizard? Why have Toni Storm appear in two major matches this weekend for her to achieve nothing? She didn't really look believable against Ripley, and she did literally nothing in this rumble. I'm not saying she needs to win it, but there had to be something to justify her being there. She's withering on the vine here, they're not going to do anything with her. And if they eventually do, it'll be too late. And the Iconics were your first womens tag champs and can't get a rumble spot? So they automatically don't matter

In some ways The Fiend typifies everything that's wrong. Entertaining, if overwhelmingly campy character. But that character lives and dies with being in the title picture. So you're going to put him on top for the 6 months until WM, and when he loses it he's nothing. Not only that, but knowing WWE Reigns is the guy who is going to beat him - Reigns, the guy who didn't get over beating Triple H, Undertaker or Lesnar. Reigns, the guy who didn't get over beating ******* leukaemia. So at the end of this whole Fiend build up and title run, you're left with nothing - you have a former champ (Wyatt) who isn't worth anything, and you have a champ (Reigns) that people will never give a s**t about.

Similarly, both the women's title matches were hurt by the fact that there isn't a person in the world that thought either title would change hands. About the only entertaining thing from either match was watching Kairi Sane ride every bump as Asuka's second.

On the men's rumble? Way to job out guys who should actually be significant players on your roster. The guy who was WWE champ 4 months ago. Your IC champ (Shinsuke's gotta get out of this joint). Your US champ a month ago. Your prolific tag champs. Your brand new North American champ and the guy who came out of the Survivor Series brand feud looking a million bucks. All looked like total chumps vs Lesnar.

I did enjoy Lee coming out and Lesnar turning to Heyman to ask "who's this mother*er?", and I enjoyed the method of elimination - Ricochet getting some revenge, and McIntyre physically looking great standing next to Lesnar.

But after all that... we get a winner who has done nothing for the last year, and that they've only spent about a month heating up cos they realised they had nothing else.

At least it's a new match. But who cares? We have no reason to care about or to get behind McIntyre.

One final note. I'm sure the internet collectively came itself for the Edge return. But he looks like more a mutant than he ever did. The story about Vince wanting to put a blue dot on Christian's face on account of him being ugly makes me wonder if Vince could ever tell the difference between Edge and Christian.
 
And the Iconics were your first womens tag champs and can't get a rumble spot? So they automatically don't matter

Bit hard for Peyton Royce to be in the Women’s Rumble when she’s on holiday in Sydney.

Neither woman has appeared on TV since November; there’s more going on than just them not ‘being used’— especially as Raw has used NXT guests in spots that the IIconic’s could’ve been in if they were healthy & on the roster.

I have a sneaking suspicion that one of them is pregnant & they are waiting until it’s far along to announce it. It’s easier to keep them both away from television than bring one back without the other.
 
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As a Drew fan who has been waiting for him to do anything in this company for years, I loved the result but not the actual match itself.

I feel like if you want to spend half of the Rumble match jeopardizing it's entertainment novelty by having Lesnar squash everyone then you should just go all the way and do it properly and gotten the most out of it. Lesnar should have returned and cost McIntyre the match - starting their feud towards Mania, and we should have had another winner to face The Fiend. Wasting half of the match for McIntyre to eliminate Lesnar then win anyways just seems like a wasted opportunity to me to push someone else too.

Also Edge looked like a ******* corpse LMAO, was clearly wearing old ring gear and didn't get any made for his current physique. Seriously thought he'd return at 30, so nice seeing him last a good amount of time in the ring on return. Will probably have one final run and finish up at Mania against Orton.

Also I hate that Becky Lynch is a "star". Absolute garbage wrestler. Making Asuka look bad two Rumbles in a row.

Actually really enjoyed all the other matches on the card and pre-show. Fiend & DB should have gone longer. Really good but could see them pacing. Corbin/Reigns really good too.

Women's rumble was much better than the men's bar the result, but who actually cares about the division outside of the in-ring when it's been booked like s**t for ages.
 
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As a Drew fan who has been waiting for him to do anything in this company for years, I loved the result but not the actual match itself.

I feel like if you want to spend half of the Rumble match jeopardizing it's entertainment novelty by having Lesnar squash everyone then you should just go all the way and do it properly and gotten the most out of it. Lesnar should have returned and cost McIntyre the match - starting their feud towards Mania, and we should have had another winner to face The Fiend. Wasting half of the match for McIntyre to eliminate Lesnar then win anyways just seems like a wasted opportunity to me to push someone else too.

Also Edge looked like a ******* corpse LMAO, was clearly wearing old ring gear and didn't get any made for his current physique. Seriously thought he'd return at 30, so nice seeing him last a good amount of time in the ring on return. Will probably have one final run and finish up at Mania against Orton.

Also I hate that Becky Lynch is a "star". Absolute garbage wrestler. Making Asuka look bad two Rumbles in a row.

Actually really enjoyed all the other matches on the card and pre-show. Fiend & DB should have gone longer. Really good but could see them pacing. Corbin/Reigns really good too.

Women's rumble was much better than the men's bar the result, but who actually cares about the division outside of the in-ring when it's been booked like s**t for ages.

Wish I could like this 10 times just for the Becky comment!!!
 
On the men's rumble? Way to job out guys who should actually be significant players on your roster. The guy who was WWE champ 4 months ago. Your IC champ (Shinsuke's gotta get out of this joint). Your US champ a month ago. Your prolific tag champs. Your brand new North American champ and the guy who came out of the Survivor Series brand feud looking a million bucks. All looked like total chumps vs Lesnar.

Could've done so much more with Keith Lee than they did. If I was booking it, I'd have had Lee and Strowman still in the ring with McIntyre and Ricochet. Except when Ricochet hit Brock with the Lesnar with the low blow, Keith Lee eliminates Brock. He then eliminates Strowman as well, and then stands over Strowman taunting him when McIntyre comes up from behind Lee and eliminates him, resulting in Strowman and Lee brawling to the back.

That way, they continue the build-up of Keith Lee from Survivor Series, as well as segueing him into a possible feud with Strowman on the road to WrestleMania.
 
Could've done so much more with Keith Lee than they did. If I was booking it, I'd have had Lee and Strowman still in the ring with McIntyre and Ricochet. Except when Ricochet hit Brock with the Lesnar with the low blow, Keith Lee eliminates Brock. He then eliminates Strowman as well, and then stands over Strowman taunting him when McIntyre comes up from behind Lee and eliminates him, resulting in Strowman and Lee brawling to the back.

That way, they continue the build-up of Keith Lee from Survivor Series, as well as segueing him into a possible feud with Strowman on the road to WrestleMania.

But there are not calling him (or seemingly anyone from NXT) up, so it’s pointless.

Let’s say Drew (and Roman) win their title matches at WM, who are the potential challengers? Rollins, Fiend, Corbin? Hardly inspiring matches there, even if the champions switch brands.
 
But there are not calling him (or seemingly anyone from NXT) up, so it’s pointless.

Let’s say Drew (and Roman) win their title matches at WM, who are the potential challengers? Rollins, Fiend, Corbin? Hardly inspiring matches there, even if the champions switch brands.

I thought the whole reason behind NXT "winning" Survivor Series was to elevate them as a 3rd brand alongside Smackdown and Raw, rather than a developmental product, which would mean Keith Lee working a program with Braun Strowman would be a lateral move, rather than a promotion.

I guess that requires some continuity in the booking though, something WWE struggles with.
 
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ULTIMATE_WARRIOR

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I find it interesting all the differing opinions on the Rumble.

I personally loved the Brock dominance early. It was a different story than the usual we get in the Rumble and it was entertaining to me! I don’t believe any of the talents who he eliminated will suffer any real credibility loss. Rightly or wrongly, Brock is on a level of his own. Whoever eliminated him was gonna be made and I’m thrilled it was McIntyre.

Funnily enough I thought the women’s Royal Rumble was woeful. Dragged on and I didn’t even know who half the girls were. I’m glad Charlotte won. She’s clearly the best female talent they have and it’s a realistic result to believe that the dominant talent on the roster would win.
 

ptrg

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I’d put everything on the original plan being edge v Styles at Mania. Styles can wrestle a broom and make it look 5 Star, and he’s the safest worker in the company.

No doubt they had an angle planned with styles and gallows/Anderson up against RatedRKO, but then Styles did a flip clothesline and popped his shoulder.
Him going over to Edge and asking him to elimate him makes even more sense if the original plan was Edge v AJ.

Fingers crossed it’s not major damage, and this feud can happen, as it could be a bloody good match imo.
 
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