Official Pro-Wrestling Thread (WWE, TNA, ROH etc.)

[Barney Rubble]

Royal Rumble predictions, anyone? Dead excited about the event myself, should be a cracker.

ECW Championship Match
Jack Swagger (c) vs Matt Hardy

This match is likely to open the show, and I think we'll get a very good encounter from these two. Swagger looks to have a bag of potential and Hardy can always be relied upon. I'd imagine we'll see Swagger go over again here, how clean it is depends on how long they want the feud to go on, and what their WrestleMania plans are for Matt.

Women's Championship Match
Beth Phoenix (c) w/Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez vs Melina

This should also be decent. I'm expecting Beth to retain and keep the title going into 'Mania, so we'll mostly get a win from her thanks to interference from Rosa, just to keep Rosa's debut angle going.

World Heavyweight Championship Match
John Cena (c) vs JBL w/Shawn Michaels

Not expecting the Earth to move here in terms of the quality of the match, but the extent of HBK's involvement will provoke some interest. Expecting Cena to retain, but wouldn't be surprised if JBL steals the belt thanks to HBK and then loses it back to Cena at No Way Out.

WWE Championship Match
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Edge

This should be match of the night, IMO, barring the Rumble itself. The two guys have had very solid singles matches in the past with nothing on the line, and given their history in tag matches, their chemistry is fantastic. Everyone's expecting Christian to return here and cost Jeff the title, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that they'll have him return to screw Edge instead, and go with Matt as the man who's been making Jeff's life a living Hell recently.

The Royal Rumble Match
We all know the drill - 30 men, one ring, one winner. Conventional logic dictates that Randy Orton is almost a lock to win this, but WWE have been pulling the wool over our eyes consistently for the past year or so, so I can't help thinking they've got a surprise or two up their sleeve. I would think Orton will certainly be one of the Final Four, but whether he'll win or not is uncertain. Other candidates include Triple H, if they're going to go with Cena-Triple H III at WMXXV, Christian, if that's how they choose to do his return, and Matt Hardy, if they want to really push the boat out and have Matt come after Jeff's WWE title. Personally, I'm gonna go with a slightly disappointing Triple H victory, as he eliminates Orton to secure his spot at WM.

 

[masterblaster]

Some solid predictions there mate. I'm pumped for this PPV and since it's the Australia Day public holiday, I can't wait to just sit back in front of the television and watch the Royal Rumble which is undoubtedly my favourite PPV of the year. Perfect way to spend your morning and afternoon.

ECW Championship Match
Jack Swagger (c) vs Matt Hardy

Swagger has to go over in this one as Matt shouldn't really need the ECW Championship. Swagger seems to have a lot of potential but still seems a little green to me. Certainly the comparisons to Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle have been made and I think it's good that the WWE is getting behind him. He's certainly a star for the future and I'd imagine he'd win this match.

Women's Championship Match
Beth Phoenix (c) w/Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez vs Melina

Agree with your theory here. Beth to win to further this angle with Rosa. Plus they can't have their marquee Women's wrestler lose at Wrestlemania now can they?

World Heavyweight Championship Match
John Cena (c) vs JBL w/Shawn Michaels

Matches involving Cena and JBL are often train wrecks and everything is pretty much predictable. The presence of Shawn Michaels makes this match really interesting. Cena will win as the WWE Championship will be changing hands. However what will be interesting will be what Shawn Michaels does and whether he assists Cena or JBL.

WWE Championship Match
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Edge

Apart from the Royal Rumble match, this is the match I want to see. Edge and Jeff know each other so well and will put an a classic. I'm so pumped for the return of one of my favourites in Christan and I'm really hoping he comes out as a heel right from the start. I don't care if it's predictable or if everyone has called it but I would like to see a heel Christian costing Jeff Hardy the title. Edge to win here in what should be a fantastic match featuring the return of Christian Cage.

The Royal Rumble Match

My picks for the Royal Rumble this year are Randy Orton, Chris Jericho and Triple H. What makes this year's Royal Rumble so interesting is that plenty of guys could win it. Randy Orton with Legacy as his backup is a guarantee to win the match, however there have been rumours that WWE could be building towards a Randy Orton vs Steve Austin match at Wrestlemania.

I initially had thought that a Chris Jericho vs Steve Austin match could've been the direction that the WWE were taking, but it seems that with Randy Orton knocking out Vince McMahon there is a possibility of Randy Orton facing Steve Austin. Chris Jericho who was recently re-hired and humiliated on Raw would be another perfect contender for winning the Royal Rumble.

What better way for Jericho to show up Stephanie than to win the Royal Rumble having been fired and removed from the match beforehand. The other pick, which seems to be the safe bet is that Triple H will win the Royal Rumble. With Edge vs Triple H at Wrestlemania being a safe bet, it makes Triple H another favourite alongside Randy Orton and Chris Jericho.

Other guys who could have a good outing are CM Punk, John Morrison and MVP. All three guys have the chance to really step up and make it to the final four. Another name to watch out for is the returning Umaga who may be back in time for the Royal Rumble match and will be a surprise entry. Overall my picks to win the Royal Rumble are Randy Orton, Chris Jericho and Triple H.

 

[duffer]

Damn, haven't been able to watch much wrestling recently due to other stuff going. Apart from the JBL-HBK feud which I've been youtubing I'm completely blank on whatever else is going on. Thankfully Monday is a public holiday here and we're all going over to a mate's house for a BBQ to watch the Rumble . Always a great match regardless of anything else that goes on, really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately we've just had a Jericho-Cena winner so I can't see that happening but Orton-Cena could be decent although Cena would probably have to carry the feud on the mic and the in-ring spectacle would be nothing to write home about.

Would love to see Christian make his debut and steal the Rumble. Would be an epic mark the **** out moment for me.

 

[GIMH]

Is it just me or is labelling this year as the 25th anniversary of WM incorrect? It's WM25 which makes it the 24th anniversary...

 

[Barney Rubble]

Is it just me or is labelling this year as the 25th anniversary of WM incorrect? It's WM25 which makes it the 24th anniversary...

Haha, you're right actually. Never thought of it that way. WrestleMania I was held in 1985, so yes, it's the 24th Anniversary.

Although they're clearly pulling out all the stops to make it a great show - instead of the usual dire band or musical artist playing someone's theme song, this year the WrestleMania theme will be performed live by none other than rock legends AC/DC. Dead excited, that is gonna be awesome.

Excited by the Rumble tonight, but am not going to find out the results until Wednesday when I watch it, so I won't be in this thread for a while.

 

[GIMH]

Won't be watching it myself, have started watching some bits and pieces a bit more though, looking more entertaining than in a while IMO

 

[alternative]

Just saw the PPV tbh, was not overly happy but this has set up many other possiblities.

 

[masterblaster]

Just finished watching the PPV and I'm pretty happy that Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble. Certainly he was the favourite to win and it makes the most sense to have him main event Wrestlemania.

Really disappointed that Christian Cage didn't show up tonight. During the Edge vs Jeff Hardy match we got a huge 'We Want Christian' chant but I guess they are holding off his debut for a later date.

As for the matches, they were kind of lacklustre. Matt Hardy vs Jack Swagger was a well constructed match which showcased Jack Swagger well, however it was something you could see on Smackdown for free.

The Edge vs Jeff Hardy match had a big time feel and we were all awaiting the debut of Christian but Barney got it absolutely right as Matt Hardy turned on Jeff Hardy setting up a brother vs brother match up at Wrestlemania.

The Royal Rumble match in itself was very entertaining with RVD coming in as a huge surprise. The roof went off the place when RVD's music hit and I marked out. I had no idea that RVD was coming back and it was great to see him in the Rumble.

In the end, the right man won and for a second I thought we would be treated to another boring Triple H victory. I loved how all the wrestlers avoided being eliminated by hanging on the ropes, it gave a really dramatic feel to the PPV.

Overall I'd give the PPV a 4/5 rating and it would've been so much better had Christian made his debut.

 

[duffer]

Watched this at an Oz Day barbeque and it was off the chain. The Rumble is one of those events that even the non wrestling fans really get into.

For mine:

Hardy v Swagger
Did just about enough for me, was surprised at Hardy doing it so clean but I guess they needed the strap off him for bigger and better things.

Cena v JBL
Mediocre at best really. Had nothing spectacular in it at all and I actually was able to predict what Shawn would do from a mile off. At least it keeps the storyline going and frees up Cena to face Orton which they are probably hoping will draw big.

Edge v Jeff
This was excellent. A No-DQ match which didn't rely on props to make work. Tbh would have probably loved to see a longer feud between these two but I'm really diggin the swerve we got from Matt and it was really well sold by the commentators as well. I marked out a bit when I saw it happen, this brother v brother feud that Barney predicted earlier is going to be pretty cool. Matt as a heel will be interesting as well.

Rumble Match These are always fun and this time was no exception. Not my favourite match by any stretch, wouldn't even get into the top 5 Rumble's I've seen but still enjoyed it quite a lot. They did a pretty good job putting priceless over and after they dedicated so much of the buildup to the show on Orton it was pretty obvious who was going over.

Rvd coming back was sick and he can slot into a feud with Swagger for the ECW title. Rey Rey, Morrison were really impressive and I thought what they did to Santino and Ziggler was hilarious.

Was so hoping for Christian to come out No.30 but spent a lot of the Rumble wondering when Show was coming out so didn't really expect it. The fact that they've put the strap on Edge and there's no clear #1 contender on Smackdown now makes me believe he'll be involved sooner or later.

All in all not a bad Rumble at all.

 

[Retox]

Rvd coming back was sick and he can slot into a feud with Swagger for the ECW title.

RVD being back was only for one night.

Helps it was in Michigan.

 

[duffer]

Ah, bugger.

 

[Retox]

Still see him if you live in Italy though:P

Go Nu-Wrestling Evolution

 

[Retox]

RoH now has a national TV deal with HDnet.

 

[masterblaster]

Chris Jericho vs Mickey Rourke at Wrestlemania 25 is being booked.

I certainly don't hate the idea. It will generate a lot of mainstream publicity for Chris Jericho and the WWE and it certainly shows that the WWE has a lot of faith in the talents and abilities of Chris Jericho in that his natural charisma, promo skills and outstanding in ring talents will somehow manage to carry Mickey Rourke to a decent and entertaining match.

Not to mention that Chris Jericho would also receive one huge Wrestlemania pay check. Mickey Rourke too after his performance in The Wrestler would no doubt be able to fit in well in the ring and also pull off a decent performance. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I'm certainly not against it and I think if done well this could be a great mainstream celebrity based storyline for the WWE.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Chris Jericho vs Mickey Rourke at Wrestlemania 25 is being booked.

I certainly don't hate the idea. It will generate a lot of mainstream publicity for Chris Jericho and the WWE and it certainly shows that the WWE has a lot of faith in the talents and abilities of Chris Jericho in that his natural charisma, promo skills and outstanding in ring talents will somehow manage to carry Mickey Rourke to a decent and entertaining match.

Not to mention that Chris Jericho would also receive one huge Wrestlemania pay check. Mickey Rourke too after his performance in The Wrestler would no doubt be able to fit in well in the ring and also pull off a decent performance. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I'm certainly not against it and I think if done well this could be a great mainstream celebrity based storyline for the WWE.

Mark my words, this match will be massive. It's one thing to have the world's greatest boxer fighting one of your top guys at WrestleMania; it's quite another to have an Oscar-nominated actor fighting one of your top guys at WrestleMania.

Jericho is one of the best in the business, and I have no doubt Rourke will want to bust a gut to prove he's as tough as he says he is. I've thought about this a lot since I heard about it, and I've decided I can't wait to see how it turns out. Either way, it's going to make Vince a ton of money.

Oh, and re: the Rumble - Orton winning was the right call, as was Matt turning on Jeff, and I hope they debut Christian sooner rather than later. We'll see what happens now.

 

[Dark Hunter]

Unfortunately, it looks like the Rourke/Jericho storyline is off:
Mickey Rourke won’t be wrestling in Houston after all | Chronicle | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

I reckon it's a work.

 

[Retox]

I reckon it's a work.

I think he values an oscar much more then wrestling TBH ( I would l also)

 

[Barney Rubble]

I've just read an interesting suggestion regarding Christian's impending return.

It seems, going by the next two weeks of SmackDown spoilers, that Jeff Hardy will be kept off the show for a short while. This provides the perfect vehicle for Christian's return as a face.

Imagine the scenario - Edge retains at NWO in the Chamber through interference by Matt Hardy, which prevents Jeff from regaining his title. Then Edge emerges on the SmackDown after NWO claiming that he didn't expect Matt's help or need it, but he's grateful for it, and although he and Matt have had their problems in the past, he's thankful to have found someone else who hates Jeff as much as he does.

Out of nowhere, Jeff hits the ring and attacks Edge. He gains the upper hand, before Matt emerges and helps Edge escape. The two beat down Jeff and retreat up the ramp, with Matt grabbing a mic and claiming that very soon, Jeff will get what's coming to him, but not yet. The two turn away and walk up the ramp, before Jeff struggles to his feet and grabs a mic.

"Matt...you cost me the most important thing in my life. I don't know why you did what you did, but seeing you helping out that worthless piece of crap next to you makes me sick. I will regain my WWE Championship, and I will punish both of you in the process. I've been hurt, I've been beat down, and I've been betrayed - all of it by my own brother. But now, you two...now, you're going to pay. Because the King of the Misfits isn't the only Misfit any more. I'm not the only one who's been hurt, beat down and betrayed. And I'm not the only one who knows what it's like to have all that done to you by your own brother..."

"IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES TONIGHT, A NAKED TRUTH REVEALED...."

*marks out uncontrollably*

I should book WWE, IMO.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

My problem is that if he returns to either Edge's or Jeff's side, he's basically relegated to the role of sidekick. I don't see any way around it, though.