2008 Royal Rumble Review

After a bad year of ppv reviews that was 2007, im hoping that 2008 stands up better quality wise. The 2008 Royal Rumble took place from Madison Square Garden on Jan 27th 2008 and your hosts are JR and King for Raw, Cole and Coach for Smackdown and Tazz and Styles for ECW.


Match #1

Career Ending Match

United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter Vs The Nature Boy Ric Flair


Flair loses, he's history. No title though. Flair chops, but MVP gets a mafia kick and a neckbreaker for 2. He goes to the armbar, but Flair elbows out and clips him. Flair goes for a quick figure four but MVP fights him off. Flair tries again and gets small packaged for 2. Flair gets backdropped and MVP with a high kick in the corner and it only gets 2 because Flair touches the ropes. Flair gets a rollup for 2, and MVP clotheslines him and gets a vertical suplex for 2. MVP superplex gets 2. MVP goes for a fireman's carry, but Flair escapes and they collide in the corner, giving Flair a cradle for 2. Backslide gets 2. Flair throws chops, but MVP takes him down with a kneelift. MVP goes for the playmaker and Flair counters it into the figure four for the win at 7:13. Not bad for an opener. Had an oldschool feel. 2 1/2 stars.


Backstage Vince plots strategy with Hornswoggle


Match #2

Singles Match

John Bradshaw Layfield Vs Chris Jericho


JBL cheapshot and Jericho spears him and pounds away. Jericho kicks him in the ribs and quickly gets the walls, but JBL gets in the ropes. JBL bails, but Jericho hits him with a baseball slide and sends him into the stairs. Back in, JBL catches him with a stungun. JBL hits him with some short clotheslines and chokes on the ropes. Jericho gets sleepered and fights out with a clothesline, but JBL boots him down and then sends him into the post and Jericho bleeds BAD! Jericho shoulderblocks and drops elbows. Lionsault and a cactus clothesline put both guys on the floor, Jericho goes nuts and uses a chair and gets DQ'd at 11:24 then chokes out JBL with an electric cord. Ill go 2 stars for the gusher on Jericho.


Match #3

World Championship Match

Edge w Vickie Guerrero, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder and Theodore Long Vs Rey Mysterio


Long is just there to wheel out Vickies annoying ass in a wheelchair. Rey gets sent outside and the stooges beat on him and they get ejected. It's NY so the fans turn on Rey. Rey goes for 619, but Edge bails, so Rey follows with a pescado. Senton back in gets 2. Rey misses a charge in the corner and Edge kicks him in the injured knee to take over, so Rey bails and the crowd complains. Edge stomp the knee and goes to a half crab. Rey fights out with an enzuigiri, but Edge powerslams him for 2. Edge stays on the knee, but Rey comes back with his bulldog, and the crowd boo's him some more. I think people are just onto him being so damn small and competing in a world title picture. Edge tries a sunset flip, but Rey rolls through and gets 2. Rey stops Edge on a powerbomb attempt for 2. Edge comes back with the big boot and sets up for the spear, but misses and hits the corner. 619 and Vickie gets out of the wheel chair and pulls the ref out, blocks a second 619 and Edge to spears Rey and retains the title at 12:34. I didn't like it a whole lot for a title match. 2 stars.


Kennedy mocks Flair then turns into a Pussy when HHH and Shawn back Flair up.
Maria hosts Kiss Cam and Ashley walks out, noticeably unhealthy looking and Santino kills the groove and brings out that dancing fat piece of **** who has patriots garb on and mocks the crowd and the Giants. Ashley slaps him around. THIS is the motivation we needed to beat the Patriots! Thank you Santino. Dumass segment anyway, the Rumble has always had small cards and yet they wanna waste time on segments. Give more time to the matches.


Match #4

WWE Championship Match

Randy Orton Vs Jeff Hardy


That dumb **** Adamle calls him "Jeff Harvey"........anyway, Jeff with a side headlock gets 2. Orton pounds Jeff and trashtalks. Hardy clotheslines him to the floor and follows with a baseball slide that sends Orton’s head into the railing. Jeff follows with a pescado and Orton grabs his belt and tries to leave. Jeff stops him and they brawl outside. Jeff tries to springboard in, but Randy dropkicks him on the way by. Orton suplexes him on the floor, and gets 2 back in the ring. Orton stomps and then drops a knee on Jeff’s face. Jeff fights back and sends Orton to the floor, then follows with a dive off the apron. Back in, he gets 2. He charges Orton and posts himself, Orton gets 2. Orton goes to the chinlock a bodyscissors then releases and gets a powerslam for 2. Hardy comes back with a clothesline and whisper in the wind gets 2. Mule kick in the corner and Jeff goes up, but Orton rolls away to avoid him. Hardy dropkicks him to the floor goes back up with a moonsault press to the floor. Jeff brings him back in and goes for the twist of fate but Orton spins out of it into a suprise RKO for the pin at 14:12 to retain. Good stuff. 3 stars. Crowd hated the ending. In hindsight who gives a ****, Jeff left the company soon enough so what did the title regin mean anyway?


Match #5

2008 Royal Rumble Match


Michael Buffer does the ring introductions. Not bad, but his introductions for our #1 entrant The Undertaker and #2 entrant Shawn Michaels were not as good as Finkel would have been. Taker acts all undead in his introduction then starts acting all UFC/boxer with his attacks. Shawn gets sent to the corner and does his flip. Taker charges and misses a boot in the corner and crotches himself. Shawn charges and gets goozled by Taker. Santino is #3 and he tries to show no fear but eats sweet chin music immediatley and is gone. Shawn attacks Taker while he’s tossing Santino, and gets an atomic drop and chops. Taker chokeslams Shawn and The Great Khali is #4. Taker jumps Khali, but gets pork chopped. Crowd fires up the "you can't wrestle" chant. Khali misses another lamb chop and Taker dumps him while he leans on the ropes like the immobile slug that he is. See! Last year they fed him almost half the Rumble roster, next year, he's nothing! Hardcore Holly is #5. Taker gets the corner clothesline on him and boot. Shawn tries to dump Taker but he reverses to a fireman’s carry and they fight on the ropes. Im amazed Holly was allowed to be in there with the gods Taker/Michaels. John Morrisson is #6 and does the ove the ropes tease. Shawn slams him and hits the flying elbow and sets up for the superkick, but John catches it and spinkicks him. Tommy Dreamer is #7 and beats on everybody as the crowd chants "Tommy Dreamer" Taker reminds him he's a jobber and beats him up. Batista is #8, and gives everybody spinebusters and clotheslines. He has a showdown with Taker and Dreamer tries a ddt but gets thrown out by Batista to dissapointe the crowd. Batista spears Morrisson, but Taker chokes him out in the corner. Hornswoggle is #9 and he hides under the ring. Holly clotheslines Shawn to the apron, but he hangs on and Chuck Palumbo is #10 using Takers old gimmick. Jamie Noble is #11 with taped ribs from Palumbo and they have a mini showdown and Noble is gone right away. Shawn tosses Morrisson and he hangs on. CM Punk is #12 and hits the shining wizards all over but gets his brains scrambled by Taker. Chuck gets sent the the apron and Punk knees him off. Cody Rhodes is #13 and he goes after Taker. He does the elimination tease twice. Shawn tries to piledrive Batista but gets backdropped, while Taker beats on Rhodes. Umaga is #14 and destroys everyone. Holly gets in some shots, only because he's next to go. Samoan spike, byebye Holly. Snitsky is #15 and looks freakin hideous with hair and a goatee. The Miz is #16. Miz and Morrisson team up on Punk while Taker tries to dump Umaga. Shelton Benjamin is #17 and he jumps up top and brings Punk down with a ddt and is feeling pretty good until Michaels superkicks him out to piss on his career for the third straight year. Suprise entrant #1, Superfly Jimmy Snuka at #18 and he isn't looking so superfly tonight. People walk towards him and he chops em and even Taker sells a headbutt. Suprise entrant #19 is Rowdy Roddy Piper and the place goes nuts. Snuka and Piper slap eachother like crazy old men while the other guys all towel off and have a brandi. Kane is #20 and dumps both of old nuts. Chokeslam for Miz and Taker beats on Umaga in the corner. Carlito is #21 and he gets a backcracker on Punk but eats a bulldog from Cody. Mick Foley is #22. Mick goes after Kane with a double arm DDT while Undertaker powerbombs Batista. Kennedy is #23. Big Daddy V is #24 and Taker clotheslines out Snitsky then in a suprise elimination gets superkicked out by Michaels! Shawn stops to look at him and gets the heave ho from Kennedy in another suprise spot! Taker beats the crap outta Snitsky and legdrops him through the ECW table while, in a humourous spot, Michaels is running in the opposite direction at the bottom of the screen. Cody gets tossed by Kennedy and he headscissors Mr K over and they struggle. Both get back in. Mark Henry is #25. Hornswoggle pops out from under the ring and pulls Miz out. Chavo Guerrero is #26. Punk and Chavo have issues so they brawl and Kane puts Morrisson over the ropes and a big boot ends his night. Hornswoggle tries pulling out Henry but gets brought in and the fat black guys are gonna divy him up like a turkey. Somewhere in between Umaga gave Batista a spike so he lays dead outside for about 10 minutes. Finlay who I guess is #27 runs in and clobbers them with his shillelagh to save Horny and gets dq'd in one of the shtyiest angles in Rumble history. Forget whether or not Savage accidently eliminated himself back in 92, the bookers rewrite the rules each year. Elijah Burke is #28 and Chavo gets rid of Punk. HHH is #29 and you can guess why there are so many guys in there. Rhodes gets flung out. V gets toppled out. Mick Foley slugs away on HHH and HHH whips him into Burke and they crash outside in a cool spot. Umaga misses a charge and gets pedigreed. #30 is..........JOHN CENA! Crowd goes nuts, then when he starts to wrestle again they boo him..........WELL WHAT THE **** DID YOU THINK HE WAS DOING THERE?!! Carlito goes first then Chavo then he heaves out Henry. Cena and HHH have the staredown and slug it out, and HHH gets a spinebuster. Umaga recovers and attacks HHH, but gets speared by Batista. Kennedy who hasn't been seen for like 6 minutes gets clotheslined out by Batista. He was like one of those evil henchmen in movie that sorta dissapear and never appear to get killed by the good guy. Unfortunately for him Batista noticed him. Batista has a fau pa but completes the clotheslining of Umaga out. Kane goes to double chokeslam HHH and Batista but they kick him to break and toss him. HHH and Cena have a showdown and the fans are behind HHH. Batista gives them thumbs down and the crowd lets him know where he can stick it. 3 years ago they were all horny for the guy now he's sucktista. Three way punchfest and Batista elbows Cena down and clotheslines HHH in the corner, then clotheslines both. Spinebuster for Cena, and he reverses a Pedigree into another one for HHH. Cena reverses the batista bomb, and HHH dumps Batista to leave Cena and HHH. They slug it out and the crowd just now realizes Cena "might win" They do the boo/yay spot which Cena wins. Proto bomb then an FU is countered is reversed to the Pedigree, but cena fights out of that and they clothesline each other. HHH tries to clothesline him out, but runs into a boot. He recovers with a DDT and fights with Cena on the ropes. Pedigree countered and Cena FU's HHH outta there at 51:26. Fun rumble. 4 stars.


Overall Opinion: Started mediocre but a good rumble finish.


Final Score: Orton/Jeff wasn't as good as people wanted, but the Rumble helps boost the score quite a bit. This show earns 4.7 stars out of 10.0.