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Tag: WWE

  • WWE Smackdown results: Highlight Reel, Styles Clash, 6-Man Tag Main Event

    – Air Date: January 28, 2016 (Jan 27 in Canada)
    – Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL

    The Big News:

    A.J. Styles made his Smackdown debut and yet another main event had a crap finish. Oh, and Big Show is a babyface again.

    Show Recap:

    They aired a video package recapping the finish to the Royal Rumble match and Stephanie McMahon’s announcement of the Fastlane main event. The final shot was of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns staring at each other. They announced a Highlight Reel for tonight with those two men, as well as Kalisto defending his U.S. title against Neville. (I checked WWE.com earlier today and this match was listed as an I.C. title match. It has since been corrected.)

    The New Day came out and Mauro Ranallo pretended to forget Byron Saxton’s name. This was a segue to show The Rock’s interaction with New Day and the Usos on Raw. After all the replays and plugs, Smackdown was about 8 minutes old by the time New Day spoke.

    They said Rock should feel shame, and despite all of his accomplishments, he doesn’t have gold like they do. Big E could smell what the Rock was cooking – doodoo. That’s what he said. They were interrupted by the Miz, who could feel their pain. Miz said he never gets upstaged, which brought out the Usos. They laughed at Miz for wearing a dress.

    Xavier Woods told them not to disrespect Miz because he main evented WrestleMania and has the best mouth in the business. New Day pointed out their numbers advantage, but the Usos were somehow ready for this and brought out Titus O’Neil and Dolph Ziggler to even up the odds. This wasn’t good, and because of the guys involved, just wasn’t that interesting.

    The Usos, Titus O’Neil & Dolph Ziggler beat New Day & The Miz via pinfall

    They showed a video of O’Neil giving 150 tickets to young students and their families for tonight’s show. Jerry Lawler said Rock embarrassed a lot of people on Raw, including the terrible things he said to Lana.

    O’Neil had the match won after a powerslam to Miz, but Kingston and Big E broke up the cover. Usos took them out with superkicks and dives to the outside. Ziggler gave Woods a Zig Zag, superkicked Miz, and O’Neil finished Miz off with Clash of the Titus for the win. The match was about 11 minutes and it was fine. O’Neil went into the crowd and danced with all the families he gave tickets to, which was nice.

    They showed a graphic claiming that Raw was the number one show “socially” on Monday. Ok.

    U.S. Championship: Kalisto beat Neville via pinfall

    They explained on commentary that Alberto Del Rio is owed a title rematch, but Kalisto wants to be a fighting champion and will give Del Rio his rematch whenever he’s ready. Lawler said a luchador being U.S. champion doesn’t sit well with him. Ranallo called him on that statement and Lawler didn’t really have an explanation. Ranallo compared Neville and Kalisto to Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask.

    These two could very obviously have a great match, but they weren’t given the time as this match was only about 8 minutes long. They did do some impressive stuff, including Kalisto doing a super hurricanrana. Kalisto won after reversing a German suplex into a Salida Del Sol. I was disappointed this didn’t get more time, and there’s no reason why it didn’t, especially since it was a title match.

    That stupid graphic they showed earlier about being the number one show “socially” on Monday? They showed it again. Two segments later.

    Chris Jericho came out for the Highlight Reel. He called the Rumble one of the greatest of all time, and even though he lasted 52 minutes, Triple H still came out on top. He also put over his match with A.J. Styles on Raw. He plugged the main event of Fastlane and brought out Ambrose and Reigns (separately). Ambrose brought flowers. Lawler killed Reigns for not being able to win the big one.

    Ambrose said Jericho’s set could use some jazzing up which is why he brought flowers. Reigns found a stool to put them on. Jericho was excited for the flowers and said he used to have a much nicer set. This was amusing.

    Jericho asked if Fastlane would create any animosity between the two of them. They basically said no. Jericho asked what would happen when the bell rings, and Ambrose said he’ll punch Reigns in the face. They made some light-hearted cracks about what they would do to each other. Jericho moved on and asked about Brock Lesnar.

    Ambrose called Lesnar the most destructible force in WWE, but Ambrose called himself indestructible and has no reason to be scared of him. Reigns warned Ambrose about Lesnar, recalling how he got thrown around at Mania. He called Lesnar a beast. Ambrose said he doesn’t have to beat Lesnar, he can just beat Reigns. The crowd gasped. Reigns said it would be the first time, because he’s never done it before. More gasps.

    The Wyatts interrupted and talked about putting down Lesnar. Bray ranted and Reigns said they don’t know what he’s talking about. Reigns challenged him to a fight but Bray laughed. Bray instead challenged the three good guys to a 6-man match. He had some reasoning but, you know, it doesn’t matter.

    This segment was what it needed to be. Ambrose and Reigns very slightly teased dissension, but with a smirk. The Wyatts interrupting means we’ll have to wait to see more, and that’s fine.

    They plugged that A.J. Styles would make his debut next. Perhaps they should’ve mentioned this earlier. After a break, the Social Outcasts said they should’ve been trending after Raw but everyone is talking about Styles. Curtis Axel is mad that Styles finally eliminated him from the Rumble by tossing him out from behind. Axel called him down so the Ax-man can rip him apart. That seems unlikely.

    A.J. Styles beat Curtis Axel (w/Social Outcasts) via pinfall

    Ranallo put over Styles’ accomplishments but Lawler said what he did before WWE doesn’t matter. The Social Outcasts tried to interfere so Styles knocked Adam Rose off the apron and took out the other two with a dive. Styles sold his back after the dive. Axel went for a Perfect Plex, but Styles countered with a Pele kick and Styles Clash for the pinfall win. Crowd wasn’t exactly hot for this but they did chant for A.J.

    Non-title: Divas Champion Charlotte (w/Ric Flair) beat Natalya via submission

    Charlotte won in barely 2 minutes. Natalya did an inset promo saying there’s nothing worse than being injured, but you can’t keep down a Hart, and the Queen of Harts was back. Charlotte used a big boot and chops, but Natalya countered with a discus clothesline and German suplex. Natalya had to toss Charlotte back in the ring, so Flair wooed in her face. This gave Charlotte enough time to recover, hit a chop block and apply Figure Eight for the tapout win. Charlotte put the hold on again but Becky Lynch ran out to make the save.

    They showed R-Truth in a park, stretching to get ready for a run. Just when you thought they were about to treat Truth like a serious athlete, Goldust showed up in his wrestling gear, with neon green women’s running attire over top. They weren’t even trying to be subtle with Goldust’s comedy. For example, he strained his groin while stretching and told Truth, “I think my groin needs a massage.” Truth left.

    Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns beat Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan & Luke Harper (w/Braun Strowman) via DQ

    Jericho and Ambrose did not get entrances. Wyatts worked over Jericho, including Harper using a Michinoku Driver. He booted Reigns off the apron, but Jericho hit a Codebreaker and made the hot tag to Ambrose. (You knew this meant Reigns was getting a second hot tag later.)

    Ambrose used two separate dives on Bray and Rowan, but Rowan was able to knock him down with a heel kick. Ambrose came back with a rebound clothesline and made a second hot tag to Reigns.

    Reigns hit clotheslines on Harper, and a big boot of his own. Rowan broke up the cover so Ambrose knocked him to the outside, and Jericho dropkicked Bray to the floor. Ambrose and Jericho followed with springboard dives. Reigns hit a superman punch on Harper but Strowman pulled him out of the ring and the referee called for a DQ.

    Strowman tossed around all three babyfaces, and the Wyatts ganged up on Reigns in the ring. They were about to do bad things but Big Show ran out. He slammed Rowan and clotheslined Harper. He faced off with Strowman in the ring but was mauled by Harper and Rowan.

    Reigns tried to make the save but was caught by Strowman, so again Show had to save Reigns by tossing Strowman to the outside. Reigns gave Bray a superman punch, Jericho and Ambrose tossed out Rowan, and Reigns speared Harper. They played Reigns’ music as he posed with his old friend the Big Show (and Ambrose and Jericho).

    Final Thoughts:

    Like last week, I mostly enjoyed this show until the finish. This main event was obviously much better than last week, but yet another crap DQ basically neutered the whole thing. I will say, additions like A.J. Styles, Chris Jericho and Mauro Ranallo make the show feel more important.

    Here’s how Smackdown main events have ended the last five weeks:

    Jan 28: DQ (Wrestler gets pulled out of the ring by a non-participant)
    Jan 21: DQ (Wrestler attacked by opponent who was not the legal man)  
    Jan 14: DQ (Wrestler attacked by opponent with light piece of cardboard)
    Jan 7: Double Count Out (Opponents fight outside and don’t bother returning to the ring)
    Dec 31: DQ (Wrestler slams opponent into ring post)

  • Nakamura to debut at NXT TakeOver: Dallas

    After news broke that AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson were on their way to WWE, the next obvious question was “When will we see them debut and where?” For Styles, that was answered this past Sunday at the Royal Rumble and with three matches so far this week, he’s officially in the WWE mix.

    Wednesday night, we got our answer as to when we’ll see first Nakamura under his new wrestling umbrella: NXT TakeOver in Dallas, TX, during Wrestlemania weekend.

    During the NXT tapings in Orlando, FL, general manager William Regal played a video for the crowd announcing that the former NJPW Champion’s first appearance will be at the sold-out TakeOver event on Friday, April 1st on WWE Network. Unfortunately, the video hasn’t been released as of this writing. However, at the same Wednesday tapings, fans learned of his opponent for that show. If you want to be spoiled, here you go.

    Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez will discuss this and more on tonight’s Wrestling Observer Radio for subscribers.

  • WWE Royal Rumble 2016: What worked & what can be better next year

    Images: WWE.com

    If WWE’s objective with the 2016 Royal Rumble match was merely to improve on 2015, it had an undeniably low bar to hit. Even looking past any issues related to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, the 2015 Rumble match stands out as a failure to me because it was unable to do two key things that any good Rumble should: 1) advance or create undercard storylines heading into Wrestlemania and 2) generate a handful of legitimate title contenders for the year to follow.

    This year’s Rumble will not go down as one of the greatest of all time, and it was certainly not without its own issues and lapses in logic, but it was a considerable improvement over last year’s hollow affair if only because it was able to do at least those two things successfully. By the time Dean Ambrose was eliminated by Triple H this year, several launching points for new storylines had been created, and the viewer was left believing that a few new names could potentially occupy better spots on the card by the time next year’s Rumble rolls around.

    Starting new story threads for Wrestlemania and creating a platform for emerging stars should be the minimum expectation for a Royal Rumble, and by achieving that modest standard, the 2016 Rumble succeeded in all the ways that last year’s match did not. What’s more, it helped create the impression that next year’s Rumble could be yet another marked improvement.

    What didn’t work: Roman walking out, Triple H coasting to a win

    The best place to start weighing the components of the 2016 Rumble is with the first and last entrants. The payoff of Reigns entering at number one, only to be eliminated by Triple H, was the necessary step to take in order to advance toward their inevitable clash at Wrestlemania. The specific story told in the Rumble, however, was hamstrung by counterintuitive booking that had both men looking far too strong at points where the story demanded that they look weak.

    Call it predictable or egocentric, but Triple H had to win the championship here to accommodate the direction that the story of Reigns vs. The Authority has taken. The bigger issue is not necessarily that Triple H won the match and the title, but how he won it: eliminating Reigns and then Ambrose, ostensibly the company’s two top full-time babyfaces, clean as a whistle and without so much as a single underhanded advantage. To give Roman legitimate cause to cry foul and get his rematch, Triple H should have been presented less as a crushing force of nature and more as a nefarious heel who cheated to screw over the heroes. Why this approach wasn’t taken is yours to presume.

    As for Reigns, taking him out of the match ultimately proved important in that it created time to advance a number of secondary stories that will likely pay off at Wrestlemania—namely Bray Wyatt vs. Brock Lesnar and Owens vs. Zayn, with teases for Strowman vs. Undertaker and Ambrose vs. Jericho. What was highly questionable: having Reigns refuse to leave on a stretcher so that he could walk out under his own power, only to return 20 minutes later not selling any injuries whatsoever.

    Presumably, this was done to perpetuate the idea of Reigns as a badass, but that goal would be accomplished just fine by having him return to the match after being completely incapacitated by three heels and taken away by paramedics. Having Roman voluntarily remove himself from a championship match looks substantially less heroic, especially considering Kevin Owens valiantly dragged himself down to the ring to compete only moments after the fact. Even a brief brainstorming could have conceived a dozen different (and vastly better) ways to depict Reigns valiantly fighting against dire injury and being undone by a conniving Triple H, making it all the more confounding that this was the chosen direction.

    There were other noticeable issues with booking during the match, not the least of which being the League of Nations’ satisfaction with temporarily incapacitating Reigns as opposed to actually eliminating him from the match, as well as having Lesnar merely walk to the back after being eliminated without laying waste to everything in the ring. Given that the direction heading into the Rumble heavily portended a Reigns/Lesnar showdown, Reigns’ loss could have easily been facilitated by returning to the ring during a Lesnar rampage, which would have also created a logical reason to include Brock in the three-way at Fastlane.

    Had the booking of Roman and Triple H been different, there would not have been the need for the considerable leap in logic that took place on Monday’s WWE Raw when Stephanie, who only a few weeks prior vowed that Roman would never get another shot at the championship after he lost it, felt compelled to put him in a number one contender’s match anyway because he had “impressed” her. This lack of attention to detail is sadly nothing new, but given how important this storyline is for the company moving forward, one might think that it would be the exception to the rule in terms of minding the finer points.  

    What worked well: making eliminations matter, setting up the Wrestlemania undercard

    The effectiveness of this year’s Royal Rumble can be determined by looking at a few key elements: how well its parts and pieces flowed together, whether it laid the foundation for any additional matches at Wrestlemania, if it protected major stars and elevated others, and if it served as a successful launching pad for the debuting AJ Styles. By achieving those metrics, the match can easily be considered a success on the whole.

    One of the biggest shortcomings of the 2015 Royal Rumble was a lack of overall cohesiveness. Specifically, there was a dearth of connectivity between major events in the match that caused a great deal of it to feel unimportant, largely necessitated by the quick introduction and elimination of Daniel Bryan. This year, it was easy to see where the match was broken down into segments and segues, helping to create a better sense of flow: Reigns’ shine and Styles’ debut, a pair of comedy spots, Reigns’ injury angle, spotlighting Strowman, spotlighting Owens and building his feud with Zayn, establishing the dominance of the Wyatts, establishing the dominance of Lesnar, setting up the Wrestlemania feud between Bray and Brock, reintroducing Roman to the match, Triple H entering at number 30, and the closing sequences.

    While not every single participant in the match served a major purpose, many satisfied some role in connecting the pieces of the bigger picture. Rusev coming out second, for example, continued the idea of The Authority looking to grind Reigns down, and despite being eliminated quickly, he was protected insofar that he was also the man to put Reigns out of the match for a period of time. This also cleared the deck for Styles’ debut, allowing the crowd to draw out the moment more, and the subsequent appearances of Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel kept both AJ and Roman involved in the match without forcing them to give up too much offense to one another.

    Throughout the match, any time the ring would fill with perceived dead weight, it was either for the purpose of providing fodder for quick eliminations or to slow down the pace during Roman’s injury angle. It’s valid to critique this year’s Rumble field for a lack of viable contenders, but these matches have always been rife with a fair amount of padding. At least this year, that padding was used for the purposes of connecting the bigger pieces.

    Excluding Roman and Triple H, this year’s match spotlighted a few wrestlers in particular with their Wrestlemania roles in mind. With Reigns out of the way for a time, Strowman was positioned as the monster du jour by eliminating Kane, Big Show, and Mark Henry in rapid succession. Even despite being clubbed halfway to death by Lesnar and taken off of his feet by multiple clotheslines, Strowman was the only man in the ring with Brock who didn’t take a single suplex, possibly so that a spot of some similar magnitude could be saved for Wrestlemania, likely for a match with The Undertaker (for better or worse).

    Bray Wyatt was put into a big spot as well, orchestrating the elimination of Lesnar and setting that Wrestlemania match in motion. While he may not be the most ideal candidate for a showdown with Brock, the match nonetheless did its part in setting up a motive for that match to take place, and it gave a valid enough reason for Brock to seek revenge.

    Also getting a fairly substantial limelight in this year’s Rumble was Kevin Owens. Understanding that eliminations matter relative to when they occur and who is involved, the decision to have Owens eliminate Styles was an intelligent one. If the heat generated from a big elimination is a transitive property, then having Owens throw Styles out only to then be eliminated by Sami Zayn is a fine example of keeping that energy in the match and harnessing it in an effective manner. This chain of events not only kept the crowd invested in the match in spite of AJ’s early departure, but it also set up two potential programs for Owens in the near future (the feud with Zayn almost certain to play out at Wrestlemania) and allowed the match to segue into its next point of focus.

    As far as introducing Styles, everything (apart from the camerawork) clicked. Immediately positioning AJ as a perceived threat to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, coupled with JBL pointing out to the home viewing audience that his status as a former IWGP Champion puts him on common ground with Lesnar, established right away that Styles is a big-time player. Also surprising is the decision to merely tease the Styles Clash during his 28-minute appearance and in his singles debut against Jericho on Raw, which not only builds the anticipation to when he does finally hit it, but also theoretically protects it as a killer finisher and not just another move.

    On the whole, the match was comparatively well-booked and intelligently-paced, particularly when held up against the 2015 match, and while some may deride some elements of execution or the predictable finish, it at least provides cause to hope that next year’s match will be yet another step forward.

    How to improve the Royal Rumble in 2017: exploit roster depth

    If there is any lesson to be gleaned from the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016, it’s that injuries are the enemy of best-laid plans. Injuries to Seth Rollins, John Cena, and Randy Orton threw the planned top six matches for this year’s Wrestlemania into disarray, and it once again begs the question of why WWE isn’t leveraging the depth of its roster in the event that so many of its top stars should wind up on the shelf.

    There is a long precedent for using the Royal Rumble to set up wrestlers for bigger things in the year to follow. One need only look at Roman Reigns’ dominance in 2014 and how it foretold his rise as a singles star the following year. Of the most protected and best presented stars in the 2016 Rumble, only a few—Wyatt, Strowman, Owens, Styles—are not longstanding bona fide main eventers. By this time next year, if the precedent holds, those men should be closer to a top spot than they are now.

    If WWE can follow up by positioning at least Wyatt, Owens, and Styles closer to the top of the heap than they are today, and if Dean Ambrose is solidified as a main eventer, there will be at least four potential first-time world champions in the hunt for a spot in the Wrestlemania main event. If one were to assume that Shinsuke Nakamura will be booked to the level of his talent (and his probable paygrade), and if it is also assumed that Finn Balor would debut sometime between now and next year’s Rumble as a top guy, one-fifth of the men in the 2017 Royal Rumble would be fresh talent with legitimate shots at getting one of the top matches at Wrestlemania.

    Add to this the likelihood that established main event names like Cena, Orton, and Rollins will be available for the Rumble, as well as the continued presence of Reigns and Lesnar in the main event scene, and one-third of the Rumble would be feasible picks to win. If names like Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, Kalisto, and Cesaro are pushed consistently (a big if) or at least put in the position to be elevated by the Rumble itself, then more than half of the 30 men involved in the match would have at least some claim to stake.

    *****

    If WWE uses the Royal Rumble as the measuring stick for the success of its roster over the course of a calendar year, there is great potential for 2017 to be the deepest and most credible field in the match’s history. In order to get there, however, it must be understood that building the legitimacy of its talent is a year-long process. If the winner of next year’s Royal Rumble is a fresh face or an unexpected name, then it will likely be a strong indication that 2016 was a success, never mind a further hint of more promising years to come.    

  • WWE Smackdown spoilers: Chris Jericho/Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt/Luke Harper/Erick Rowan

    – New Day opened the show. They ran down The Rock because he didn’t hold any championships. The Miz came out and agreed with them, and said Rock had disrespected him, and he’s a fellow movie star. The Usos came out and ran down Miz. The New Day said that the Usos were riding Cousin Dewey’s coattails. Then Titus O’Neil & Dolph Ziggler came out and we had a match.

    – Usos & Ziggler & O’Neil beat WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day & Miz. O’Neil pinned Miz with Clash of the Titus.

    – U.S. Champion Kalisto beat Neville to retain. Good match with a Salida del Sol finish.

    – Chris Jericho was out for the Highlight Reel.  He talked about his match with Styles on Raw and said had two of the Fast Lane main event participants on the show. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns came out. Ambrose was cheered and Reigns had a mixed reaction. Reigns said how he and Ambrose started their career in a warehouse in Tampa. (Didn’t Ambrose start in Cincinnati?) Jericho tried to stir things up. They both put over that Brock Lesnar was a monster. Reigns told Ambrose that he’s never been able to beat him before so good luck. The Wyatts then came out and talked about what they did to Lesnar in the Rumble. Wyatt challenged all three to a six-man tag for the main event.

    – A.J. Styles beat Curtis Axel with the Styles Clash in a short match even though the other Social Outcasts interfered.

    – Divas Champion Charlotte beat Natalya in a non-title match.  Quick match. Becky Lynch made the save when Charlotte attacked Natalya after the match.

    – Sasha Banks, Tamina and Naomi were backstage taking about Banks going after the title.  They teased the idea they may be splitting up down the line.

    – R-Truth and Goldust did a comedy segment

    – Chris Jericho & Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns beat Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper & Erick Rowan via DQ.  Strowman interfered.  The Wyatts were beating up on the faces until Big Show came out.  They all beat down Show until Jericho & Ambrose & Reigns recovered and cleaned house.

  • The Rock leads to huge WWE RAW ratings

    The combination of the day after the Royal Rumble and the appearance of Dwayne Johnson led Raw to huge numbers last night, averaging 4.09 million viewers over the three hours, up 18 percent from the prior week.

    For a comparison, the new audience brought in by the usual Rumble bump and curiosity of where that leads saw hour one up 10 percent from last week, so that’s roughly what Raw could have been expected to do, or slightly more because last week did have that bad third hour, as compared to last week without The Rock. Where The Rock helped the numbers is that hours two (where he appeared in the last few minutes) and three (where he appeared in the first few minutes) help up far better than usual, and hour two outdrew hour one, a rarity these days.

    Still, last year’s post-Rumble Raw did 4.41 million viewers and a 3.27 rating for a studio show where they replayed the Rumble itself due to the blizzard.

    The three hours were:

    8 p.m. 4.14 million viewers
    9 p.m. 4.18 million viewers
    10 p.m. 3.97 million viewers

  • RAW off-air notes, Superstars results

    Submitted by Chris H

    WWE Superstars:

    • Stardust def. Darren Young with the Crossroads.
    • Titus O’Neil def. Tyler Breeze with the Clash of the Titus.

    RAW Notes:

    • HHH got a good reaction for his entrance but he was being booed by the end of his promo.
    • Crowd was very into AJ Styles, chanting his name many times and pulling for him over Jericho.  It will be interesting to see how long they tease the Styles Clash. That was probably match of the night.
    • The guys dressed up as Savage, Hogan, Rock, and Undertaker were sitting in the front row facing the hard camera.  The Savage guy started to stand and do the Macho Man motion during the Kane vs. Wyatt match.  He was asked to cut it out by security.  Then he did it again and security swarmed on them.  During the commercial break, they were playing some videos on the Tron with the lights out and it appeared that they were being ejected.  A few minutes later, they were being escorted to the seats you saw them in during the Rock segment.  The fans chanted for them a few more times but they didn’t draw attention to themselves again.
    • The Miz vs. Kalisto match just destroyed the crowd.  Miz’s long period on offense had people begging for the end.  They somewhat recovered for the main event but not fully.
    • They didn’t make a big deal about the Fast Lane announcement in the building after the opening promo.  Many forgot that it was even coming, as people started streaming for the exits once Reigns and Ambrose won, and especially when Rusev went through the table.
    • After the show ended, and Ambrose and Reigns left, Rusev recovered and took another monitor to the back, to add to his collection from last night.

  • WWE RAW Live results 1/25: Royal Rumble HHH fallout and a teased “Major return”

    The Big Takeaway: 

    The Rock returned for a 25-minute segment where he dueled with the New Day over the mic. He built up WrestleMania, but there were no plans for him announced for the future. He was still the most entertaining thing on the show, which had its high points. The main event of Fast Lane will be Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar in a triple threat match, with the winner facing HHH in the main event at WrestleMania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. A.J. Styles made his Raw debut. Shock of shocks, he had the best match on the show, defeating Chris Jericho. It looks like those two are headed for another match, likely at Fast Lane, as well. Easily the best Raw of the year, so far.  

    Vince and Stephanie McMahon came out gloating over Roman Reigns losing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to HHH. Vince said that, just like the fans, Reigns couldn’t rise above adversity. Instead, when adversity faced him, he whimpered and whined. Stephanie said they pulled off a coo in getting HHH into the Royal Rumble. Did she see the odds leading up to the show. She mentioned A.J. Styles, who got a huge pop and “We love A.J.” Chants. Stephanie built up her husband and introduced him. 

    HHH came out and said Reigns might be among the most amazing athletes he’s ever seen, but he lacks respect because he’s arrogant and cocky. He claimed Reigns lacked respect for Vince, who might as well be God because he’s the one who created all this. The man who went from 6.7 ratings in September 1999 against football to a 2.3 running unopposed? Alrighty…HHH said anyone who disrespects Vince might as well be distracting his religion because the ring was his church. 

    HHH then spoke to those who said his time had come and gone as a wrestler. He admitted he didn’t have to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but now he wanted to be because people need to show proper respect. That started a light “Roman” chant. 

    Stephanie said the main event for Fast Lane would be announced tonight, and the winner of that match would face HHH in the main event of WrestleMania.

    Kevin Owens defeated Dolph Ziggler (8:45)  

    As usual, a good match between the two. Kevin Owens won with the Pop-Up Power Bomb. Ziggler went to the top rope trying to give Owens a huracanrana, but Owens crotched him. Owens looked like he was going for the F-Cinq, but they couldn’t get in position for it. The show-long storyline is wrestlers are trying to impress the Authority in order to get the spot in the Fast Lane main event. 

    Flo Rida is in the building. 

    JoJo interviewed Reigns backstage. He told her to let the Chairman and the champion know that he was here and he wasn’t leaving until he hears the Fast Lane announcement.

    Social Outcasts came out. Heath Slater saw Flo Rida at ringside and ordered him to not make him mad. Bo Dallas challenged Rida to come in the ring and face the four Superfriends. He got in the ring. Slater challenged him to a rap battle against Bo Rida. Bo ran down Florida and said he had a Full House “just like Danny Tanner.” Had to use Wikipedia to find that Danny Tanner was the role that Bob Saget played on that show. It’s scary that Bo Dallas rapping was ten times more entertaining than that show that Adam Rose hosted, but it’s unlikely we’ll see Bo Rida again. Flo Rida said Social Outcasts had no skills and “Welcome to Dudleyville.” Bubba Ray and Devon Dudley came out to their nu metal song from 2000. It’s more dated than Petey Pablo. 

    The Dudley Boyz defeated Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel (4:27) 

    The Dudleys won with the 3-D on Curtis Axel. Devon got the pin. Rida was in the Dudleyz corner. There was a spot when Flo Rida dumped Slater into the ring, and the Dudleys gave him Wazzup. Dallas now has a singlet. He looks like Eric Embry in 1990 Memphis when he let himself go. There’s a spot where the four members of Social Outcasts walked around the ring together that’s called the “Bo Train” Michael Cole announced later this year, the Dudleys would celebrate their “20th year anniversary” together. Thank you, Phil Simms. 

    Styles did an interview with Rene Young. She asked him, for those who don’t know, tells us exactly who you are. Chris Jericho walked up, called I’m the hottest free agent in the world. Jericho derisively said “Welcome to the Big Leagues, kid.” Why do I have these images of Braden Walker floating through my head? 

    They announced that Nikki Bella will miss the next six months because of neck fusion surgery. It was supposedly reported by E! To promote Total Divas.

    A.J. Styles defeated Chris Jericho (13:43)

    A very good match where Styles won by reversing a cradle after Jericho escaped the Styles Clash. Jericho appeared to be calling the match and Styles looked like he was trying find his footing in a new ring. Some of his trademark spots, like the flying drop kicked, weren’t executed perfectly. In the final eight minutes, it was excellent. Jericho got the Liontamer and Styles had a lengthy struggle before getting to the ropes. Crowd popped big for that. Fans embraced this match from the opening bell, chanting “This is awesome” right from the outset. Styles went for a splash but missed, leading to Jericho going for a lionsault, but Styles got his knees up. Afterwards, Styles extended his hand for a handshake. Jericho shook his hand, then pulled Styles together for a face-to-face confrontation. Looks like this could be a program and that’s goodie, goodie gumdrops. 

    Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch went to a no contest (3:33) 

    Sasha Banks had Becky Lynch in the Bank Statement when Charlotte ran in for the DQ. Charlotte gave Banks Natural Selection and also sent Lynch out of the ring. BK<anks wrestled as the heel even though she got more cheers.  

    Goldust found R-Truth backstage. Golddust was doing a combination of his original effeminate gimmick and his Tourette’s Syndrome promo, asking R-Truth to be his partner. R-Truth showed him his wedding ring and said he was a married man. After R-Truth bolted, Goldust said he meant tag team partner and claimed they could call the team “Gold and Truth.”

    Bray Wyatt defeated Kane (7:05)  

    Bray Wyatt won with Sistery Abigail after a distraction from Luke Harper.  Crowd was dead, which isn’t a good sign since they teased Wyatt vs. Brock Lesnar at some point over the next few months. Wyatt is basically a ring entrance now. There was a fan who was dressed up as Randy Savage at ringside who took attention away from the match. Crowd started chanting for him and Wyatt didn’t look happy about it. It looked like the ushers forced to tone it down, which got the ushers more heat than the match. Later, those four men turned up away from the hard camera during the Rock’s segment. Braun Strowman gave Kane the head-and-arm choke afterwards. 

    A WWE reporter knocked on the door of a limo parked backstage. Crowd chanted for the Rock, but the Miz got out. He started to do an interview, but then a big black truck pulled him. And it was the Rock who got out. 

    Rock handed Miz the keys of his truck to park it. On his way to the ring, Rock shook hands with Rick Ross. Then Rock saw the Big Show and they talked about the Royal Rumble in 2000 where they were the last two in. They did a finish that year where they went over the top rope together and the Big Show’s feet were supposed to hit first, but it was the Rock who did it by mistake. Rock was awarded the win. Rock admitted the Show should have won that year, and said producers from the Scorpion King were going to give the role in that film to the winner of the Rumble that year. It could have been the Big Show who was in the Fast and Furious sequels, chasing Van Dielsel around. Big Show got this classic sad look on his face and broke a laptop that he was holding for no reason in two. He wasn’t mad at Rock at all, but Show had some great timing and facials here. 

    Rock stumbled on to Lana, where they talked about the last time Rock confronted Rusev. He claimed that after the show, Lana said she didn’t want to be with Rusev anymore. They went inside a hotel room and did special exercises like the Wisconsin Wheelbarrow, and the D.J. Mustache Ride. Rusev came up from behind. Lana informed Rock they were now engaged to be married. Rock told Rusev that Lana was flexible as all hell. 

    Rock continued his walk backstage, where he slapped hands with Pat Patterson, to the Gorillia Position. Finally he made his way out to the crowd to the Miami fans, who chanted “This is awesome” before he even started speaking. Rock said he was ready for WretleMania and asked the fans if they were. He pretended not to know Byron Saxton’s name. 

    Rock saw four guys dressed at ringside and went totally off script. He interviewed the aforementioned Savage impersonator, a Hulk Hogan impersonator, an Undertaker impersonator and someone dressed as Rock.The New Day came out doing this scripted material. Kofi Kingston said the Rock was supposedly the People’s Champion, but he didn’t have any gold around his waist. They were WWE tag team champions. 

    Big E. Said the Rock was like LeBron James, he bolted Miami for greener pastures. Xavier Woods did an impression of Rikishi saying “He did it for the picture.” Even Rock couldn’t hold back a smile over that one. 

    Rock said the New Day found a way to be entertaining with llama penises strapped to their heads. Rock said they looked like three Chocolate Cornholes running their mouths all of the time. He said Big E. Was so nerdy, he looked like what would happen if the Incredible Hulk banged Urkel. 

    Rock challenged them to get in the ring. New Day started to leave. Rock said he had a Plan B: family. The Usos came out. Rock gave Big E. The Rock Bottom, Kingston took a double superkick from the Usos and Woods took the People’s Elbow. Rock delivered his catchphrase and that was that. All of this shows that ther’s only Rock, and there will never be another. 

    Paige and Natalyia defeated Brie Bella and Alicia Fox (2:45) 

    Paige pinned Brie Bella with the Rampage. They had to rush because the Rock segment took over 25 minutes. 

    Kalisto (C) defeated the Miz (10:23) in a nontitle match. 

    Kalisto won with the Solida Del Sol after Miz attempted the Skull Crushing Finale. OK match, but the U.S. Title around Kalisto’s waist feels like the championship is a secondary belt again. Highlight of the match was when JBL said Rock was ” the number one international box office hit” in 2015. Box office hit as opposed to box office attraction. Even Cole couldn’t hold back a chuckle after that one. JBL launched his candidacy to win the Worst Announcer award again next January in quality fashion tonight. 

    Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns defeated Rusev and Sheamus (15:19) 

    Dean Ambrose got the heat after Rusev threw him into the timekeeper’s table. Ambrose, who had his left shoulder taped up after his match with Owens last night, took three Irish Curse backbreakers from Sheamus. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Reigns, but Ambrose made the save. Sheamus shot Reigns into the ropes, but Reigns came off with a spear for the pin.  

    Afterwards, to get payback on the League of Nations for jumping Reigns during the Royal Rumble, Ambrose helped Reigns get Rusev up to power bomb him through the announcer’s table.

    Stephanie came out to announce that the main event for Fast Lane would be a triple threat match: Ambrose vs. Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. 

    SUMMARY: 

    It’s always so entertaining to see the Rock on Raw because he makes it feel like an event. It’s always so depressing the week after the Rock visits Raw because you know the product will never be as good as it was during his prime. And not just because of his personality and his presence, which comes along once in a generation. It’s because the fabric of what made the Rock special has changed. He would have never become the personality that endeared himself to millions with scripted interviews on weekly three hour shows. When he first appeared, Raw was an one hour show and still relied on syndication for first-run matches. The Rock was only as good as his creative ability, which might be his most underrated quality. Nowadays, most wrestlers don’t get that chance because it’s how the system is. Anyway, hate to sound old, but that’s what it feels like watching so far ahead of the modern pack. Show was largely entertaining. Styles-Jericho was worth going out of your way to see. 

  • WWE teases a “major” return to RAW tonight

    WWE has teased a major return to Raw tonight in Miami.

    Given that the show is in Miami, Dwayne Johnson, whose roots are in the city, would be the obvious speculative choice to set up his role in the WrestleMania build.  Undertaker, who also needs to have a WrestleMania angle set up, would be another possibility as many expected him for last night’s show.

    The actual wording of the tweet sent by the company was “Breaking News: Rumors are running rampant that a major star returns to Raw tonight on the road to WrestleMania.”

    Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, who were never advertised for tonight’s show, are not expected at the show tonight.

    We’ll have full coverage of RAW later tonight both with Jeff Hamlin’s RAW Report and with myself and Bryan Alvarez later tonight on Wrestling Observer Radio. Listen to Bryan and I discuss the 2016 Royal Rumble on Wrestling Observer Radio here.

  • WWE Royal Rumble 2016 live results: 30 men battle for the WWE World Championship

    The 2016 WWE road to Wrestlemania begins in Orlando, Florida, where 30 men will enter the Royal Rumble match to determine the WWE World Champion! For the first time ever the WWE World Champion, Roman Reigns, will be in the match, and be forced to defend his title against 29 other participants. Roman must be the last man remaining in the ring in order to go into Dallas, Texas at Wrestlemania 32 as the champion.

    The only other time something similar to this happened was at the 1992 Royal Rumble. In December 1991, the WWF title had been vacated, so it was declared that the winner of the Royal Rumble match would become the WWF Champion. Ric Flair won the Rumble that night, and he will be in attendance tonight as his daughter Charlotte looks to defend the WWE Divas championship. Could we see Flair enter the Rumble and win it again? No, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a tremendous night of action. 

    We will also see a “Last Man Standing” match between Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship. The match will only end once one competitor is unable to meet the 10 second count. Between this match and the Rumble, get ready for a whole lot of fan-count-alongs. 

    Check out this Wrestling Observer back issue: Feb 1, 1988 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: The first Royal Rumble up against Bunkhouse Stampede

    We are looking for your thoughts on the event, so send a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer.

    Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer

    MARK HENRY & JACK SWAGGER VS. DUDLEYS VS.  DAMIEN SANDOW & DARREN YOUNG VS. THE ASCENSION – WINNERS GET INTO THE RUMBLE

    Henry & Swagger won the match to advance.  The Dudleys did the 3-D on Viktor, but Swagger broke up the pin and put Bubba in the ankle lock.  Henry then splashed Bubba and paused, and instead covered Viktor for the win.  Nothing much to the match.

    DEAN AMBROSE VS. KEVIN OWENS FOR THE IC TITLE IN A LAST MAN STANDING MATCH

    Super match ending with Ambrose winning.  Owens had destroyed him for a few minutes including a super falcon arrow off the top rope through a table.  Owens put him on four chairs and went to the top rope to splash Ambrose, but Ambrose got up and shoved Owens off the top through two tables stacked up on the floor.  Lots of highlights including Ambrose getting up from the power bomb and Owens surviving the Dirty Deeds, as well as Ambrose coming off the top rope with an elbow to the floor, putting Owens through a table.

    NEW DAY VS. USOS FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

    Good match with a hot finishing sequence.  Jey sueprkicked Koingston but didn’t see that Big E had tagged in.  Jey came off the top rope but E caught him with a big ending for the pin.  Xavier Woods debuted a new trombone called Franseca II.   Good stuff including E tackling Jimmy to the floor, and Jey doing a splash off the top rope but Kingston got his foot on the rope.

    ALBERTO DEL RIO VS.  KALISTO FOR U.S. TITLE

    So far the odds are 100% as Kalisto won the title.  For the finish Del Rio undid the padding on a turnbuckkle.  Kalisto gave him a mistimed huracanrana and Del Rio went headfirst into the exposed metal and used the Salida del Sol and got the pin.  Kalisto had used the Salida del Sol on Del Rio earlier but Del Rio got his hand on the ropes.  This came after a missed double foot stomp by Del Rio.

    Stephanie agreed to renegotiate Brock Lesnar’s contract if he took out Roman Reigns tonight in an interview segment with Paul Heyman.

    CHARLOTTE VS. BECKY LYNCH FOR DIVAS TITLE

    This was easily the most heated women’s title match on a WWE PPV in a long time.  Crowd really wanted Lynch to win.  Real good match.  Lynch had the match won with the disarmer but Ric Flair threw his sports jacket over her head.  She let go of the move to go after Ric.  This allowed Charlotte to poke Lynch in the eye (which they were out of position to catch) and spear her for the pin.  Lynch had survived the spear earlier.  Funny spot with Ric kissing Lynch to set up a Charlotte advantage. 

    Sasha Banks is out to set up the next title match, but she kicked Lynch out of the ring after the match.  Very clearly they are building this as the Mania feud.  Crowd was way behind Banks.   But then they acted like they were best friends.  Then Banks laid her out from behind with the back stabber and Bank statement and  Charlotte tapped.  Huge reaction to Banks as she held up the belt.

    Going into the Rumble this has been a really good show.

    ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH

    The crowd is booing Reigng to start.  Rusev is out with Lana as No. 2.  We’ll be back at certain points. 

    HHH won the match throwing out Dean Ambrose after he also threw out Roman Reigns.  So the show ended iwth HHH, Stephanie and Vince celebrating.   The match itself was great, one of the best Rumbles ever.  Not really much in the way of suprises, only A.J. Styles and Sami Zayn.  Reigns stared, was destroyed  by the League of Nations and taken to the back.  He came back near the end and started eliminating people.  They put over The Wyatts a lot, particularly Braun Strowman, who along with Brock Lesnar were made the Monsters.  Lesnar dumped the entire Wyatt family except Bray.  Bray came out next and the rest of the Family interfered and they all through out Lesnar.  Styles got a big reaction, among the biggest of anyone and came in third and lasted a long time.

    A few more highlights:

    *Crowd mostly booed Reigns and when he went against HHH, fans cheered HHH

    *The attack on Reigns was at just over 20:00 in, with Vince out with the League of Nations to destroy him with Rusev splashing him through a table and he was put on a stretcher.  He got off the stretcher and went to the back, coming back jner thje end.

    *R-Truth came out, thought it was a ladder match, climbed the ladder, no belt and then he was thrown out by Kane.

    *Strowman was put over as a monster, eliminating Show with a head and arm choke and throwing out Kane as well

    *Kevin Owens eliminated Styles and the fans booed that more than any elimination.  Styles may have been the most popular guy of all in the match.

    *Sami Zayn threw out Owens and they really put over their rivalry

    *Ambrose threw out Jericho who may have lasted the longest with the exception of Reigns

  • WWE Ft. Meyers, FL, results: Roman Reigns vs. Rusev, Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens

    Submitted by Drew Goldfarb

    Opened with national anthem (took photo as it ended). Arena doesn’t seat a lot (lowers are 21 rows deep, no club/uppers). Of seats available, floor is sold out, bowl is about 75%.

    Dolph Ziggler vs. Tyler Breeze

    Ziggler got a nice pop while Tyler Breeze had lots of pictures being taken during his entrance, he had his live cell phone tron). Crowd HEAVILY behind Ziggler. Ziggler mocked Breeze’s pose in the corner to a big cheer. Ziggler won on a super kick. Nothing you wouldn’t expect from these guys. Solid, fun match, but nothing overly special.

    Curtis Axel vs. Braun Strowman

    Axel got no real crowd reaction, though a couple of people cheered) while Strowman got CHEERS, believe it or not…entered to a weird non-theme, just some rumbling sounds that sounded like the noise when the Star Destroyer is slowly passing overhead in Star Wars… NO tron image… “fireflies” came out from stands. Strowman tried to draw heat, and was cheered. Finally got some boos when he went into the slow, submission offense. Strowman won with his shoulder-carry side drop slam… and was cheered again. Axel never knocked Strowman off his feet. Not a single semi-interesting spot or moment in the match. Strowman is SO dull.

    Ambrose cut a promo on Owens on the tron next previewing their IC Title match tonight.

    U.S. Champion Alberto del Rio vs. Chris Jericho: non-title

    Crowd member (a kid) allowed to introduce next match. Jericho (introduced to MASSIVE pop) vs Del Rio (boo’d widely, though a pocket of cheers in one section). Non-title match. Del Rio tore up the sign of the fan in the backwards red hat who’s always at these shows and thee the pieces back at him. No idea what the sign said. USA chant, even though Jericho’s Canadian.  Jericho wiped his armpits and under his crotch with ADR’s shirt when he laid it on the turnbuckle, then threw it to the crowd (ew?). During the match, Del Rio grabbed the fan’s hat and flung it to the back row of the floor seats. Del Rio had the arm breaker over the ropes til the 5 count which was a nice spot.

    Jericho rolled out of the arm breaker and into the Walls (crab-style). Del Rio reached the ropes for the break. Jericho hit the Codebreaker for the win after avoiding the top-rope stomp while tied up in the second rope. The 10 kids around me were REALLY into this match. It was as entertained as I’ve ever been by an ADR match, though I typically find him really boring. Jericho signed autographs and had fun pumping up the crowd after the match… seemed to be enjoying himself. 

    WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. The Usos

    New Day introduced to mixed response, but most people responded…Big E and Kofi twerked over the smoke blasts while Xavier danced between them…Big E did snow angels in the ring…I love these guys) vs Usos (got a nice, all-positive reaction). Xavier borrowed (and then returned) a sign saying RIP with the trombone and held it up with the other members around him. Kofi and Xavier in the match. Teams traded dancing/taunting funny spots early. Spot of the match: with one Uso standing on the second ripe and holding the top rope up, the other five through his legs to the outside. Big E distracted the ref from an Uso pin, distraction allowed Xavier to get the pin on a roll up to retain.

    Really good match, though Big E stole it for me, taunting the announcers (he ate some paper he took from one of them) and fans and dancing around. Big E attacked Usos as soon as the bell ended the match and cleared the ring to dance around as a team. Usos attacked New Day and hit the big splash on Big E after a minute and posed with the belts before leaving them in the ring. Big E sold his left leg on his way up the ramp, but that may have just been him being Big E goofy.

    WWE I-C Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens

    Owens was booed and walked up to barricade and stared down a kid for a moment to taunt him, while Ambrose got big cheers at least on par with Ziggler, only more sustained through the entrance, though not QUITE what Jericho got. KO attacked Ambrose before he entered the ring as he stood on the apron and posed with the belt. Ref started the match as soon as Ambrose was standing up in the ring. Ambrose hit the dive through the ropes after KO started with all of the offense. KO hit the cannonball for a two count. A

    mbrose suplexed KO off the top (Ambrose was standing on the second rope) then went for Dirty Deeds but was blocked. Ambrose connected on his rebound clothesline for two and the top rope elbow to a standing KO for a near-fall. Ambrose countered Popup Powerbomb with a hurricanrana, then kicked out of the PuPB when KO hit it the second try. After distracting the ref by undoing the turnbuckle, KO grabbed a chair but was caught by the ref. Ambrose tried a roll-up but KO kicked out. Ambrose’s rebound clothesline was ducked, but he twisted it into Dirty Deeds for the pin. Really good match, as you’d expect.

    > Intermission

    Becky Lynch vs. Tamina (w/Alicia Fox as special ref

    Tamina was with Naomi… Titantron showed Sasha Banks’ name first and I got excited… no real response for Tamina while Lynch got a nice positive response. A “Becky” chant prematch and a few during. Becky got no offense for the first 75% of the match but won on a roll-up. Alicia played no role. Tamina and Naomi attacked Alicia and mostly Becky post match and Natty made the surprise save to a nice pop. Natty applied the sharpshooter to Tamina for a minute before Tamina and Naomi escaped.

    Bray Wyatt vs. Kane

    Wyatt was with Braun… cheered during entrance with plenty of fireflies), while Kane got a MASSIVE pop, like Jericho. Big “Kane! Kane!” cheer prematch. Wyatt did a small DX-like crotch chop as a taunt to the crowd at one point, which was odd. More of the HHH crotch flick than the full-fledged chop. Anyway… Bray was boo’d throughout the match. Braun and Kane had a stare down at one point. Fun spot where each did their special sit-up (Bray’s crab, Kane’s sit) at the same time… didn’t let it breathe, though, and it was over too quick to enjoy, unlike the Brock/Taker one at SS. Strowman interference allowed Bray to hit Sister Abigail for the pin. People boo’d a LOT. I didn’t realize people anywhere still loved Kane like this (and not just in the “you’ve done a lot for us, so I like and respect you” way).

    Nice “thank you fans” video shown on tron. Well edited as always.

    WWE Champion Roman Reigns vs. Rusev (w/Lana)

    Lana cut a promo to major boos while Reigns got biggest pop of the night, though may have been only slightly more than Kane’s. Reigns entered through the crowd. CONSTANT pro-Roman chants. The people love Roman Reigns. A Lana distraction allows Rusev to lock in the Accolade. Reigns gets out of it and hits a spear for the pin fall victory. Entertaining match.