Opinion

Chris Deez’s Top 10 Moments In WWE RAW History

Published

7 years ago

January 20, 2018

In case you somehow missed WWE’s non stop advertising these last couple of months, RAW is about to turn 25 years old. Happy Birthday RAW! To celebrate this momentous occasion I’ve dragged my way through a whole heap of great and not so great WWE Network content to compile a definitive list of my favourite moments in RAW history. Some of them are iconic, defining moments and some are just my own personal highlights. Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

DX showing Bullet Club how to invade a show properly when they paid a visit to Nitro, Ric Flair’s emotional retirement ceremony, The Festival of Friendship completely breaking my heart, Dolph Ziggler cashing in Money In The Bank and receiving the most insane pop, Triple H and The Undertaker setting the stage for Mania 27 without saying a damn word.

10. Shane O Mac Buys WCW

As disappointing as the WWF/WCW Invasion angle turned out to be, this was still an iconic moment in pro wrestling history. Not only was it the very last RAW of the Attitude Era, it was also the first ever simul-cast, with segments of both RAW and Nitro being broadcast across two networks at once. Just days before Shane was due to face his father Vince at Wrestlemania X7 – still hands down the best ‘Mania of all time = Vince went out to the ring to announce that he had finally beaten his long-term nemesis Ted Turner and bought out WCW.

His moment of glory was short lived though as Shane would appear live at the Nitro broadcast and announce that although the signature on the contract did say McMahon… it said SHANE MCMAHON! This moment added fuel to the fire in their already heated feud, and led to an almighty destruction derby match at Mania with Shane coming out on top.

Cleveland? Oh…

9. The CM Punk Pipebomb

I always liked CM Punk, I think most people did to be fair, so it’s a shame that despite all his great matches he will forever be remembered for this infamous moment more than his god given talent. Nevertheless, Punk had every single wrestling fan in the world on the edge of their seats by cutting an unscripted promo in protest at WWE’s treatment of him and their apparent refusal to push him to the top. Over the course of the promo he repeatedly tore into the entire McMahon family, John Cena, The Rock and even went as far to say that WWE would be better off once Vince was dead. It was incredibly candid, but the reason it resonated with so many of us was that he was speaking the truth… the things that almost every fan of the business was thinking at the time. We will likely never see Punk return to WWE due to his fractured relationship with management, so this will more than likely be what he will always be remembered for.

NO! I DONT WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY MOM!

8. The Undertaker v Jeff Hardy Ladder Match

An unusual choice, right? Well this is my list dammit! Until this point Jeff had almost always been known as no more than a tag team specialist alongside his brother Matt, but it was in this brutal encounter with The American Badass incarnation of Taker where he showed the world just what he could do as a singles competitor.

Competing in a ladder match was right up Jeff’s alley, and he pushed Taker to the very limit in a match that took the veteran right out of his comfort zone, but ultimately fell flat right at the final hurdle when Taker’s brute strength became too much for him. Jim Ross put in some of the best work of his life in making Jeff look like a legitimate superstar and his line ‘CLIMB THE LADDER KID, MAKE YOURSELF FAMOUS!’ will stay with me forever.

The icing on the cake was Taker raising Jeff’s hand in a show of respect, and solidifies this as one of my favourite moments in RAW history.

“Hey Taker… *snicker*… I think you’ve got a… ladder In your tights! *snicker*”

7. Destruction Of The Shield

Ah Evolution… everywhere they go there seems to be some sort of betrayal or break up! This time around though it wasn’t the members of Evolution committing the betrayal, instead they watched on as Seth Rollins turned on his Shield brothers in arguably one of WWE’s most surprising and shocking moments ever. It was one of those beautiful moments completely out of the left field which we so rarely see anymore… The Hounds of Justice were absolutely on fire at the time and were deeply embroiled in a rivalry with Evolution/The Authority, so having the charismatic, talented fan favourite Seth sell out by attacking Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose was the perfect way to set up his career defining heel turn.

Any betrayal is usually greeted with anger from the fans and solidifies you as a heel, but by splitting up the most over faction we had seen in years, WWE had pulled off a masterclass in how to generate heat. In the long run it ended up turning all three men into main event stars, gave us a fantastic three-way rivalry further down the line, and we even ended up seeing them reunite in 2017. So, all’s well that ends well!

Family photo guys! 3, 2, 1… Best vacation ever!!!

6. The Prodigal Son Returns

I hate putting Shane O Mac in my list twice as I absolutely detest the guy, but this moment was undoubtedly one of the most shocking we’ve ever seen in WWE. We hadn’t seen Shane for 7 years at this point, so for him to show up completely out of the blue and stake his claim as the rightful heir to the McMahon throne was incredible. Fondly remembered by fans for his death defying exploits during the Attitude Era, Shane was welcomed by one of the loudest pops you will ever hear which almost brought him to tears in the ring.

Not only was this moment significant because of the somewhat tarnished relationship between the McMahon family, it also signaled the start of a new era and the first WWE Draft we had seen since the end of the brand split in 2011. RAW vs Smackdown Live has for the most part been fantastic since the 2016 split, and has brought us two great Survivor Series PPV’s, and although I don’t agree with the focus being on the management, seeing Shane and Steph’s verbal sparring has brought back some wonderful moments of nostalgia for this old fart.

“SDLive is the land of opportunity… the opportunity for me to stroke my ego and be in high profile matches at the expense of talent”

5. The NEXUS Destroys RAW

This was yet another invasion angle which WWE managed to screw up by dragging it out too long and trying too many different and silly things, but you can’t take away how astonishing the arrival of The NEXUS was. The group, which was made up of all the rookies from the first class of NXT way back when it was more of a competition/reality show, completely decimated everything in their path on their debut. They beat the living daylights out of John Cena, CM Punk and Luke Gallows, trashed the ringside area, attacked various members of WWE staff, ripped up the floors, destroyed barricades and tore the ring apart leaving everyone in attendance astounded… we had never seen anything like this before!

The only downside to this segment was Daniel Bryan’s rather short-sighted decision to strangle a ring announcer which ultimately saw him fired for a short while. Nevertheless, this was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen watching WWE Raw, for a group with so many members to be this dominant had you genuinely fearing that nobody was safe. The NEXUS also introduced us to a plethora of future champions: Wade Barrett, Bray Wyatt, Ryback, Darren Young, Justin Gabriel, David Otunga, Heath Slater and of course Daniel Bryan.

Behind the scenes on 60 minute makeover

4. Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show

This one is honestly quite painful for me to write. Eddie is one of my favourite wrestlers of all time and was able to connect with the fans in a way that very few had ever done before him and even less will be able to do in the future. For him to be taken away at such a young age, leaving behind a wife and kids and with so much more to give was a very hard pill to swallow.

So why would I put this in my top 10 moments? Because it is important for me that people understand how hard Eddie worked to get to where he was, he had a tough upbringing but did everything in his power to make sure his family didn’t duffer the same. Follow this link and watch the show for yourself, then you’ll understand. The impact that Eddie had on not just the fans but also his fellow superstars will leave you bawling like a baby. Seeing grown men cry while telling stories about a wonderful human being, Eddie chants all night long, in ring tributes… it made for one of the most heartfelt and moving tributes ever recorded.

Eddie never did anything for himself, he always put his friends, family and the fans first. That’s because we were his family, every single one of us. Thank You Eddie.

He lied, he cheated, he stole our hearts. R.I.P Eddie

3. The Very First Stunner

You could argue that this was the most important moment in the entire history of WWE. That’s a pretty bold claim I know, the company had some huge moments and huge superstars prior to this, but when you think of what made the Attitude Era so good, THIS is what you think of, and it helped to catapult Stone Cold Steve Austin into the GOAT debates.

It was the clumsiest Stunner you’ll ever see but it was also the most significant as it kicked off what was hands down the most intense, captivating and entertaining rivalry we had ever seen up until then. Not only did it do wonders for Austin, it did the same for Vince McMahon as it helped to develop his character of being the sinister, maniacal, egotistical boss from hell who made his employees lives miserable. We’ve all had a boss like that which is exactly why we were able to relate to so well, we all wanted to see the authority figure get his comeuppance and 99% of the time Austin delivered!

I said before that Eddie connected with the crowd like very few others could do… well Austin was one of those few who managed it, he could generate any kind of reaction he wanted whether he was a face or heel, and the crowd absolutely loved him for it.

The most important but also the worst stunner ever ?

2. The Finger Poke Of Doom

The night where WWE finally managed to turn the tide and gain their first ratings victory over WCW in a very, very long time… but it was their rivals they had thank. At the time WWE was a recorded show which aired 6 days later while WCW was broadcasting live. Referred to as the Finger Poke Of Doom after Hulk Hogan gained a pathetic pinfall victory over Kevin Nash, a very silly man called Tony Schiavone, commentator for WCW at the time, was instructed during the match by his boss Eric Bischoff to break the news that Mankind was due to become WWF Champion that night and proclaimed the infamous line:

‘”Fans, as Hollywood Hogan walks away and you look at this 40,000 plus on hand, if you’re even thinking about changing the channel to our competition, fans, do not, because we understand that Mick Foley, who wrestled here one time as Cactus Jack, is going to win their world title. Ha! That’s gonna put some butts in the seats, heh”.

Well funnily enough it did put butts in seats. Mankind was such a huge fan favourite and underdog that Tony’s words encouraged several hundred thousands of fans to switch channels and see this feel good moment for themselves. This moment literally saved WWE from the financial difficulty they were going through at the time and rightfully deserves the penultimate spot on this list.

Big Daddy-o did it!!

1. The Debut of Jericho

I have made no secret of the fact that Chris Jericho is the GOAT in my eyes, hence why I have his unforgettable debut in 1999 as my Greatest Moment in RAW History. Fans had been clamoring for him to jump ship from WCW to the big leagues for a long time, but nobody expected the cryptic clues and videos to culminate in Y2J interrupting The Rock on Raw that fateful night. But why is this my number 1 choice? Its just a debut, right? Wrong!

Chris Jericho has been every bit as important to WWE as the likes of Austin, Rock, Hogan, Flair and any other name you can pull from the plethora of legends we’ve seen down the years. His ability to reinvent himself and his character, stay relevant despite his exploits outside of WWE, he put over young fresh talent, his mic work is second to none, his incredible CV consisting of an impressive 26 championships and his in-ring ability which still puts some younger guys to shame. In the last couple of years, he has managed to make a scarf and an A4 piece of paper on a clipboard get more over with the fans than half of the roster.

His debut didn’t come at the expense of a local talent or a mid-card jobber, he introduced himself by going toe to toe in a war of words with The Great One and didn’t even come away as the loser of the confrontation. In my eyes, Chris Jericho has been the single most important thing to happen to Monday Night RAW, he helped to elevate the show like very few others could and is more than deserving of topping this list.

Drink It In Maaaaaan!

Favourite. Photo. EVER

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Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s 2025 WWE Royal Rumble Results, Review & Reaction

We are firmly on the Road to WrestleMania, starting with the Royal Rumble! Greg has his initial thoughts and reactions for everyone’s favorite event!

Published

4 weeks ago

February 2, 2025

Greg DeMarco

We are firmly on the Road to WrestleMania, starting with the Royal Rumble! Greg has his initial thoughts and reactions for everyone’s favorite event!

It’s the first Royal Rumble in an NFL stadium (thanks to the WWE calendar change), and both Rumble matches feature a star-studded line-up that makes it much harder than you’d think to pick a winner. I was lucky enough to attend one Royal Rumble live, 2019, and it’s always the best way to set the stage for WrestleMania.

If @whoislaniee‘s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is any indication, we are in for one hell of a night with one hell of a crowd!

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

Always great to see Stephanie McMahon kicking off a show–the more Stephanie, the better. Apparently we’ve managed to pack 70,000 fans into Lucas Oil Stadium, and if you didn’t know, Pat McAfee loves him some Indianapolis.

With each match you’ll see my picks, in my traditional “Who Should Win?/Will Will Win?” format. I made them in this week’s solo edition of The Greg DeMarco Show, which you can listen to here:

Women’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

Who Should Win: Bianca Belair
Who Will Win: Bianca Belair

Last year’s winner was Bayley, entering at #3, and she went on to defeat Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Iyo Sky enters #1, and I do love the elevated platform–it’s not really a stage, but it does enhance the overall feel of the show. Old school fans will remember the entrance from Montreal watching Prime Time Wrestling.
I feel like Liv Morgan always enters these matches early. I also didn’t realize she’s been in all 8 Women’s Royal Rumble matches.
I do love the “ticker” across the bottom of the screen with stats and info during the entrances. Very ESPN, very “Wrestling As A Sport” to me.
Gotta say I was hoping for the black canvas (I’m biased), but I’ll always take grey over light blue.

Roxanne Perez has “Iron Woman” written all over her entering at #3. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

We even get “Active” and “Eliminated” in the ticket? I am REALLY digging this.
Lyra Valkyria enters to very little reaction–she’s a fantastic talent but has not connected on the main roster.
Lyra with the early wardrobe malfunction and we are already slightly derailed, kudos to everyone for getting it together.
Interesting to have the secondary champions enter back-to-back, and Indianapolis doesn’t seem to care much about her, either. Maybe I was wrong about this crowd, and maybe my criticism of Lyra was premature.
Chelsea thinking she’s dumped everyone and pointing to the sign is a great piece of business.
B-Fab enters at #6, and I would assume she has the lowest chance of winning of anyone in the field.
Man, B-Fab is still very NOT good.
Ivy Nile enters #7, the 5th straight entrant who has zero chance of winning this thing.
Also, we are still without an elimination, but probably 10 “hanging on the rope” spots already.
Ivy Nile is already more over in Indy than the Intercontinental and United States Champions.
Zoey Stark, complete with Barry Windham’s “Stalker” facepaint, enters eighth to continue our run of women with zero chance of winning.
Lash Legend enters at #9, and I have a feeling she’s about to win this crowd over.
LASH POINTED TO THE SIGN.
“Get her on the Fever” – Pat McAfee.
Chelsea Green gives us our first elimination, of B-Fab.
Bianca Belair enters at #10, really hurting my chances of being right.

And here’s my pick to win the Women’s #RoyalRumble, Bianca Belair. At #10? Doesn’t look good for me!

(Seth Rollins won his from #10, I believe.)

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

The crowd definitely picked up with Bianca being in the match.
BIANCA IS A MACHINE.
Shayna Baszler enters #11, reminding me she works for WWE. Which is sad, I really thought she’d have a hell of a run in WWE.
Bayley is #12, and we still have quite the group in this match. Personally I don’t see Bayley being a back-to-back winner.
Sonya Deville is in at #13 to complete the PFC trio in this match. I’m sure that’ll work out well for them!
Iyo Sky is so good, she saved Sonya’s knee spot and I am sure no one noticed.
Maxxine Dupri in at #14, another non-winner, but to her credit she only keeps getting better.
With 12 women thill in this match, I have a feeling we’re getting Nia Jax or Charlotte Flair soon to give us a bunch of eliminations.
Ivy Nile out, followed by Maxxine Dupri, and the countdown is on!
Naomi brings the halfway point with her, entering at #15.

Naomi is a former women’s champion and had an amazing WrestleMania moment back in Orlando–why does Michael Cole keep saying 2024 was her breakout year? #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

All of PFC is gone, and nothing of value is lost (from this match–they are valuable as people).
Jaida Parker, entering at #16, comes in to a better reaction than half of the field. Miss Parker has a hell of a WWE career ahead of her.
Chelsea Green is so damn good at what she does.
And here comes Piper Niven at #17.
Will Piper somehow eliminate Piper?
Yes – the answer to that question is yes.
Naalya enters at #18, her eighth Royal Rumble. She’s a little over 20 minutes away from 3 cumulative hours in Rumble matches.

If anyone “deserves” a Royal Rumble win, it’s Natalya. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

FANTASTIC reaction for Jordynne Grace–that has to raise some eyebrows among leadership.
JORDYNNE GRACE IS A STAR.
Michin in at #20, as we are up to 10 eliminations.

BUT THE INTERNET TOLD ME ALEXA BLISS WASN’T GONNA COME BACK DUE TO A CONTRACT DISPUTE. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 1, 2025

Wade Barrett, Michael Cole, and Pat McAfee crapping all over the wrestling newz sites is amazing.
And you can tell Alexa Bliss is THRILLED to be back.
Zelina Vega in at #22 to not win the Royal Rumble.
HUGE SPOT for Zelina Vega and Jordynne Grace.
If you happen to rewatch this match, watch Bayley very closely. It’s a look inside the business–she’s basically an agent in the ring.
Candice LeRae enters at #23, and I am reminded that she’s the WWE Women’s Speed Champion. I also wonder if they’ve started piping in crowd noise for these entrances.
Of note, we haven’t closed a Royal Rumble PLE with the Women’s Royal Rumble Match since the first one in 2018.
Of the 10 women eliminated so far, 6 of them entered #4-5-6-7-8-9.

Great reaction for Stephanie Vaquer–Indianapolis seems to be an NXT crowd. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

LET STEPHANIE VAQUER HER WIN YOU COWARDS. (Personal opinion, she’s the best women’s wrestler in the world.)
#25 already–we are trying to make up some time.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it’s Trish Stratus.

Honestly, did we need Trish Stratus? #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

Kinda wanted Jordynne Grace to toss Trish Stratus right there.
Piper Niven just kncoked the SH*T outta Trish!
Raquel Rodriguez in at #26, and we have 4 more entrants left.
Nia, Charlotte, and…..Becky? Nikki? (Bella, that is.)
The crowd is NOT HAPPY about Alexa Bliss’ elimination.
#1-3 all still in the match.
Charlotte Flair and her new face at in at #27.

Listen, I’m going to hell, but Charlotte Flair’s entrance reminds me of when JR returned from his stroke. Lay off the plastic surgery. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

Love Wade Barrett pointing out that Charlotte got pyro. I hope Roman gets his, too.
Took Charlotte forever to get her robe off, apparently.
Like I’m supposed to believe Jordynne Grace can’t suplex Charlotte Flair?
Charlotte definitely brought some fire to this match.
Giulia getting almost no reaction is surprising given the reaction of some other NXT talents.
Iyo and Liv approaching an hour in the match, along with Roxanne Perez.

Giulia eliminated Jordynne Grace, which makes me think Jordynne might be spending some time in NXT. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

Nia Jax enters at #29, leaving a surprise for #30? Becky Lynch?
Good for Nikki Bella! And she gave someone in the crowd one hall of a souvenir.
And now it’s time for the “World vs Nia” spot.
Forget Superkick It’s an APRON PARTY.
Roxanne Perez just snuck back in without being eliminated.
Given who is left, it does seem like this is Charlotte’s match to win.
ROXANNE PEREZ IN THE FINAL THREE?

This company obviously believes in Roxanne Perez. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

LOLCHARLOTTEWINS

Winner of the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Charlotte Flair

I don’t love the decision to have Charlotte Flair win the Women’s Royal Rumble Match after being gone for over a year, but she IS Charlotte Flair. This should shock nobody. I know Charlotte Flair is a dream match opponent for Tiffany Stratton in the eyes of many, and if she were to put Tiffany Stratton over at WrestleMania, then I will eat my words and say it was worth it.

Hell of a performance for Roxanne Perez, I haven’t seen the tally yet but I do wonder if she broke the record for longest time in one Rumble.

I could go for a Slim Jim meat stick right about now.

Why was Mickie James in the crowd, and not IN THE MATCH??? #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

2 Out of 3 Falls Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. #DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano, champions)

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

Who Should Win: DIY (but it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things)
Who Will Win: DIY (but it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things)

(I won’t be live tweeting or doing a bulleted list for these two matches, likely just the two Rumbles.)

Had to laugh seeing the drone in front of Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin during their entrance.

DIY wins 2 falls to 1, making my prediction accurate. That is small change, though. I liked the match for what it was, but it’s a reminder of Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey from WrestleMania 38–great match, wrong setting. This was an arena match, not a football stadium match. Yes, that DOES matter. Setting is a huge part of pro wrestling.

NXT Black and Gold will always hold a place in my heart, but part of what made that what it was was the crowd. This wasn’t the crowd for this match. Plus it got around 15 minutes, which is about right for a 1-fall match featuring these four. On TV, counting commercial breaks, these guys get 25-30 minutes.

The Street Profits got involved, eventually attacking everyone. I fully expect a WWE Tag Team Championship Ladder Match at WrestleMania, with DIY, MCMG, the Street Profits, and possibly Pretty Deadly and Angel/Humberto. This was really just the beginning–it was just misplaced on this card.

Winners AND STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: DIY

Michael Cole did also inform us that Roxanne Perez is the new record-holder for longest Royal Rumble performance. Score one for the good guy (me, from my tweet above).

Ladder Match for the WWE Championship
Kevin Owens vs. Cody Rhodes (champion)

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

Who Should Win: Kevin Owens
Who Will Win: Cody Rhodes

Love that Kevin Owens took down the Winged Eagle Championship during SmackDown last night, and entered with it. Granted, Cody Rhodes has his, too. But KO has a certain edge to him when carrying that title.

That little ladder is HILARIOUS. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

This match was brutal, and whatever they are paying Kevin Owens isn’t enough. Cody Rhodes was beating on KO as a heel would, but he’s a babyface? I know everyone wants “Homelander” Cody, but really he might be more like “Patrick Bateman” Cody. Either way, as great as Cody is (and he is great), there is one missing element. At this point, it’s obvious to me that Cody is the worst babyface in the company. Look at him: THE MAN IS A HEEL.

While I’m glad Cody is fully out of The Bloodline’s shadow, he just needs to beat John Cena at WrestleMania, turn heel, and truly hit his stride. And I want true heel Cody. Chicken sh*t, goons, the whole thing.

Winner, AND STILL WWE Champion: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes is gonna buy Kevin Owens a lot of cigars, booze, or meat. Whatever that man wants. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

You gotta think Sami Zayn not stopping Cody Rhodes from winning will be a major sticking point for Kevin Owens. Seems like we’ll get Sami vs Kevin at WM41.

Men’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

Who Should Win: Jey Uso
Who Will Win: John Cena

Last year’s winner was Cody Rhodes, entering at #15, and he went on to defeat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Rey Mysterio (Jr) enters at #2, and it’s obvious that gone are the days where randoms would enter at #1 and #2.
I believe I said on my podcast (if not, I meant to) that Penta would need to enter #1 or #2 so he can have his pyro.

I am so happy for Penta in the WWE. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

I really hope we get a Lucha Underground reference on commentary.
LET PENTA WIN YOU COWARDS! (I know, it didn’t work for Stephanie Vaquer.)
PENTA IS A STAR.
I do appreciate how they didn’t fight on the apron, instead just got right back into the ring.
Chad Gable in at #3, and all we need is for Dominik Mysterio to be #4.
That spot looked NASTY, I hope Chad Gable’s knee is okay.
Carmelo Hayes in at #4, and I am reminded that we likely get Trick in this match.

Trick Williams’ #RoyalRumble entrance is gonna be ICONIC.

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

I know they have a temporary alliance at the moment, but Chad Gable vs. Carmelo Hayes would be an absolute BANGER.
KING CUERNO vs PENTAGON JR! #IYKYK
That spot was far too similar to what we saw in the Women’s Rumble.
Otis in and had some fun.
BRON BREAKKER IS A MACHINE.
The crowd reaction to Bron Breakker tells me the WWE might make even MORE money in the future.
What if Breakker won this match? He won’t, but What If?
If not for WWE, I wouldn’t know who IShowSpeed was.
Honestly, nothing wrong with what they did with IShowSpeed there.
Sheamus enters at #9, and I assume we will see some Beats Of The Bowery.

Gotta play the hits, pal. (Sheamus.) #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

This is the most normal Sheamus’ hair has ever looked.
Crazy that this is only Jimmy Uso’s 3rd Royal Rumble.
Big Jim definitely got a bulk discount on his new gear. I wonder how many color combos he got???
Andrade in at #11, and Wade Barrett points out what I’ve been thinking–why run to the ring?
Jacob Fatu enters at #12 and gets his pyro. The rocket ship has been strapped, pal.
Ludwig Kaiser enters at #13 and no one not named (Greg DeMarco Show co-host) Patrick O’Dowd cares.
Kaiser immediately dumped by Penta, and he’ll probably lose to him on Monday’s Raw, too.

Here comes the most underappreciated wrestler in WWE history, @mikethemiz. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

We lost Michael for a minute there.

The fact that Joe Hendry’s fact on the ticket is “Say His Name And He Appears” is amazing.

Great pop for him, too.

And Michael Cole references Nic Nemeth! #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

I’d actually forgotten that we’d likely get a Joe Hendry appearance, so they got a little pop out of me.
I acknowledge you, my Tribal Chief.

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️ #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk would be one hell of a match at WrestleMania, just sayin’.
Showdowns like Roman Reigns and Bron Breakker is what the Royal Rumble is all about.
SPEAR TO ROMAN.
That might have been the greatest spear ever.
After Joe Gendry and Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre gets very little reaction entering at #17.
Drew McIntyre with the very silky smooth hair tonight.
Finn Balor in at #18 and we have our second drone sighting of the night.
Something is wrong with Pat McAfee’s headset. Hell of a showing by Penta, by the way.
Jey Uso in at #20 to a HUGE pop.
LET JE YWIN YOU COWARDS.
Poison Rana by Jey???
Let’s hope AJ Styles can stick around for a bit this time. (Not necessarily in the Rumble, but in general.)

All these megastars, and Jacob Fatu might be the most over guy in the match right now. #ROYALRUMBLE

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

I’d be okay if Braun shaved his head again.
Jacob Fatu can literally do ANYTHING and it makes sense.

JOHN CENA’S SOCKS!
JOHN CENA’S SOCKS!
JOHN CENA’S SOCKS!#RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

CM Punk, John Cena, and Roman Reigns all in the ring all at the same time? YES PLEASE.
Now add in Seth Rollins? This is the greatest Royal Rumble of all time.
The current field: Seth Rollins, CM Punk, John Cena, AJ Styles, Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, and Roman Reigns. That is ABSURD.
The only man who can follow all that talent is indeed Dominik Mysterio. This is about to be amazing.
Imagine if Dom wins. I mean, just imagine it.
With the addition of Sami Zayn, the storylines in this Rumble right now are insane.
Damian Priest, who is probably challenging Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania, enters at #28.
Two more to go. Any surprises?
LA Knight, who I forgot was in this match, enters next.
I kinda expect him to move to Raw in this transfer window.
Ah yes, Logan Paul. I also forgot he was on this.
We’ve had a Nic Nemeth and now a Ricochet reference tonight. I love when you’re WWE, and you are comfortable talking about (almost) ANYBODY.

If I’m WWE, I have Logan Paul wait until the final two before jumping back into the ring. #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

He didn’t, by the way. Opportunity missed.
Final 6: Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, John Cena, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Logan Paul… STAR. STUDDED.
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins – the WrestleMania Main Event we never got.
YESSS!
Brilliant spot to have Logan Paul eliminate CM Punk.
Final 3: John Cena, Jey Uso, and Logan Paul. Two of my picks are left.
The action on the outside between Rollins, Roman, and Punk drives home how important the Rumble is to the competitors.
And then there were 2: my Who Should Win vs. my Who Will Win.
Please God let Jey Uso win this thing.
(And that’s not a slight against John Cena.)
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

IT’S JUST YOU, UCE! #RoyalRumble

— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) February 2, 2025

Winner of the 2025 Men’s WWE Royal Rumble Match: Jey Uso

Just like the sign said: EAT. SLEEP. YEET. MANIA. I am so damn happy for Jey Uso. You can tell John Cena was as well, along with Michael Cole. And probably everyone in the entire company. Jey Uso is the success story.

As for the match? Well obviously this is a knee jerk reaction, but eff it–this is the best Royal Rumble Match they have ever put on. The early action was fun and exciting. But from the time Joe Hendry’s music hit to the moment Jey Uso pushed John Cena off of the apron, this match was insane. I think Roman Reigns coming in at 16 was a huge part of that. Once Roman is in the match, you are watching to see a) what he does, and b) if he’ll get eliminated. CM Punk eliminating Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was beautiful, and then Logan Paul tossing CM Punk was even better. If that leads to Rollins vs. Reigns and Logan vs. Punk at WrestleMania, you can take my money.

My money is a Peacock membership, which is automatically charged. But still. Take it.

If John Cena wins it’s still probably the best Royal Rumble Match of all time. But Jey Uso winning makes that an undisputable fact.

Overall Thoughts on the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble

The Women’s Royal Rumble was decent to good. Loved Roxanne getting the Iron Woman treatment, but in the end it’s another chapter of LOL Charlotte Wins.
I need to rewatch DIY vs MCMG because I was on the phone when my son called. Maybe I will enjoy it more on a second viewing.
The ladder match was brutal but the end result was expected. Cody is still missing something, and I think that something will continue to be missing until he turns heel. He’s just overshadowed by too many of the other babyfaces.
The Men’s Royal Rumble Match was the best Royal Rumble match they have ever put on. Great action in the early half, and from 15 (Joe Hendry) on, it was amazing. The storyline movement with CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins was (here’s that word) cinema, and having the most over wrestler in the company not named Roman Reigns win, and doing so by eliminating the odds-on favorite, was perfect. I’m biased because Jey Uso was my pick, but it was the perfect ending to what was probably as close to perfect as a Rumble match has been since 1992.

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TheChairshot.com PRESENTS: WWE Crown Jewel Immediate Reactions

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Published

4 months ago

November 2, 2024

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Join DJ and Tunney for their immediate reactions to WWE Crown Jewel. For the latest, greatest and up to datest, ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit THECHAIRSHOT.COM