Opinion

8 WrestleMania 34 Nightmares That Could Come True

Published

7 years ago

March 27, 2018

I love wrestling. It’s really very good isn’t it? What I don’t love, and quite often love to hate, is WWE. We find ourselves deep into WrestleMania season and WWE have presented to us one of the most star studded, dream match laden cards in recent memory. The trouble is, you can realistically see almost every match going completely the wrong way. This is WWE after all, a company who rely on the fans to keep them in business yet so often manage to alienate us and treat us as though we don’t matter. Will WWE continue to isolate their fanbase to further line their pockets? Or will they finally wake up and realise that giving us what we desire is best for business? Let’s take a look at some of the potential pitfalls we could see at The Showcase of The Immortals and how likely they are to happen…

Both Battle Royal’s Take Up Main Card Time

The concern here is that with so many matches already penciled in, WWE will try and force us to believe these matches are important enough to take a spot on the main card. WWE have been more than vocal in their attempts to push the Women’s Revolution, and rightly so, but this just raises concern that they will decide to go with the Women’s Battle Royal on the main show.

WWE really put their foot in it by naming this historic, first-ever match after The Fabulous Moolah, a move which was met with much derision and disgust. A quick name change isn’t going to help get them out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves, and the live crowd will likely shit all over this match still. Having it take place on the pre-show would be the correct move with less attention on it and have it serve as a warm up for the fans still turning up.

What if they don’t though? WWE are notoriously stubborn and painfully oblivious to what the fans desire. In an attempt to get as many superstars onto the match card we could well see both Battle Royal’s featured and take up a huge amount of time.

Will It Happen? Battle Royals are by no means bad matches, they just tend to be difficult for fans to get invested in. The fact that previous winners have gone on to achieve very little makes the match itself feel unimportant. The match needs to lead to some sort of opportunity, a title shot at the next PPV for example, rather than a trophy at ringside for the next month or so. WWE also need to look at the limitations for a match like this, throwing a bunch of mid carders and jobbers isn’t what we want to see on The Grandest Stage Of Them All. We certainly don’t want to see it twice…

“Why are you here? You aren’t a wrestler… go away!”

Shane McMahon Out Shane McMahon’s Himself And Robs The Spotlight

Let’s take a second to let it really sink in… Daniel Bryan has been cleared to return to in ring action. Daniel Bryan. Cleared. Return. In ring. DANIEL. BRYAN. This is monumental news that is likely to overshadow everything else on the card… and so it should! The going plan seems to be the pairing of Bryan and Shane vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Storyline wise this makes perfect sense. Bigger picture wise it makes none whatsoever. A return so important should’ve been showcased in a bigger and better match. Bryan v Owens? Bryan v Miz? Bryan v AJ? Nah… let’s use Shane McMahon, an aging, botch machine, ego maniac, glorified stuntman in worse shape than someone twice his age!

I hate Shane. I’ve made no secret of it and will continue to make no secret of it. WWE have known for a long time now that SDLive is slipping in quality, and they must know by now that the main reason is due to Shane’s continued, and unnecessary, on screen presence. He gets booed by live crowds despite his supposed babyface persona. Having him team up with Bryan is a cheap way of getting the fans back on side, and its guaranteed to work. Owens and Zayn should be top guys on the blue brand right now, and while I love them being involved in Bryan’s return it makes my skin crawl that Shane is going to go over them on the biggest night of the year.

My hope here is that Bryan at least gets to wrestle. WWE are likely to give him a reduced role in the main and let Shane the lead until Bryan eventually picks up the win by pinning Owens. He has picked up no ring rust whatsoever during his time away from the squared circle, proven by his retaliation against the heels on SDLive this past week, and we’ve waited so long to see him back that it would be a shame to see him sit out most of the match.

Will It Happen? Of course it will. It simply has to. Bryan is possibly the biggest fan favourite in WWE history, so he will under no circumstances be losing his colossal return. The beatdown that Shane took from Kevin and Sami was far too vicious for him to not gain a measure of revenge, especially considering he is a McMahon.

Braun Strowman Makes The Bar Look Weak

WWE struck gold with The Bar but look determined to reduce them to dirt. Another wonderful example of how successful the odd couple pairing can be, Cesaro and Sheamus have gone from bitter rivals to arguably the best runs of their respective careers. The due have had nearly two years invested into them, more than most teams get, and have been transformed into RAW’s premier ass-kicking destruction crew. God forbid WWE should buck the trend of great tag teams being split up too early though, as will be proven at WrestleMania when their chemistry and talent are usurped by WWE’s need to push Strowman as an unstoppable monster.

At time of writing, Braun will be taking on both men for the Raw Tag Team Titles, and despite Kurt Angle instructing him to find a partner I would imagine WWE will go with the spectacle of seeing one man demolish an established and strong team. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Strowman and desperately want him to be successful… just not at the expense of RAW’s best tag team. It would cause irreparable damage to the champions if they’re beaten by one man, regardless of how much of a fight they put up, and would make an already weak tag division lose any remaining credibility.

Will It Happen? My gut feeling is telling me yes. It’s very hard to see Strowman not winning this one after the way he has been so strongly built, plus we’ve seen The Bar lose on quite a few occasions recently. Strowman winning would be fun to see and he certainly deserves to hold a title (or two) considering how much he has improved, it’s just a shame that his victory would likely lead to Sheamus and Cesaro will splitting up post WrestleMania. Could it mean Cesaro switches shows and goes after singles gold on SDLive? Hopefully. What does it mean for the RAW Tag Title scene though? A post Mania call up for Authors Of Pain to take the belts back from Strowman would be incredible and shake up the division. Every cloud…

No Follow Up For Asuka’s Big Title Win

WWE may have backed themselves into a corner regarding Asuka. On one hand they could completely shock the world and book Charlotte to win, thus ending Asuka’s incredible undefeated streak, but this would undoubtedly lead to a lot of fan backlash. On the other hand, where can Asuka possibly go if she gains a clean victory over Flair at ‘Mania and becomes the new SmackDown Women’s Champ?

There is simply no better competition than Charlotte on the blue brand. The whole division has frankly been absolute trash for months now and no-one on the roster can hold a candle to Charlotte. Sure, we will get one more month of the rivalry while the obligatory rematch is sorted out, but then what? Carmella is almost certain to cash in at Mania, but I strongly believe it’ll be on the winner of the RAW Women’s Championship match as seeing her take on Asuka sounds… well quite frankly it sounds awful.

Will It Happen? WWE really need to put some serious thought into this with at least a couple of long term plans for Asuka, otherwise her long awaited title victory runs the risk of feeling like it has no substance. Most fans will be pleased to see Asuka’s dominance rewarded with her first main roster championship, but interest and appeal will likely fade away afterwards. An Ember Moon call up from NXT makes the most sense, renewing their fantastic rivalry from 2017, with maybe someone like Becky Lynch thrown into the mix. Her stock has dropped big time within WWE, rather bizarrely, but she is still a red hot fan favourite who has shown her worth many, many times before.

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura Being Lost In Mid Card Hell

Here it is ladies and gentlemen… the ‘dream match’. That term is thrown around a lot these days, unjustly in a lot of cases, but this one could be a real showstopper which is spoken about for years to come. WWE have something really special on their hands here. A long rooted rivalry which started in Japan finally making its way too the mass audiences, between two of the most naturally gifted superstars of this generation.

This could be, and should be, Nakamura’s true arrival to the big leagues. He has flattered to deceive since his main roster call up, largely thanks to WWE’s poor handling of him, but a rivalry with AJ is guaranteed to bring out the best in The King Of Strong Style. The problem is that this match doesn’t feel very important right now, and with only 2 weeks before Mania that’s quite worrying. The rivalry has taken a backseat to the ongoing turmoil between Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan. Bryan’s miraculous return certainly deserves a huge spotlight and fanfare, but not at the expense of the blue brands two ‘top guys’. The sheer amount of screen time for the supposed ‘management’ has really taken away some of the shine from this ultimate showdown, leaving it feeling no more relevant than the United States Championship mess.

Will It Happen? It really comes down to what WWE allow these two to do during the match. If they are left to their own devices and can show us what we all know they’re capable of then this match will steal the entire show, but so far Nakamura has seen his move set restricted and his character development held back. That’s where the real issue with this rivalry lies… the quality of promo has been below par. A great promo can create a great rivalry, and as good as Styles is on the mic he is really struggling to make this feud entertaining against a man who can still barely speak English. At this moment in time I’m actually more interested in Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar purely based on how good the back and forth has been.

Roman Reigns Given The Daniel Bryan Treatment

Here we go again folks! It’s the Roman Reigns show! Another WrestleMania and another main event for ‘The Big Dog’. While the build up to this match has been great, don’t let WWE try and fool you by making out that Reigns is cutting shoot promos here. It’s just another way to try and convince us that Reigns is worthy of being the top guy and poster boy worthy of our adulation. We aren’t stupid Vince. We know these promos are heavily scripted and rehearsed. Roman made it very clear he can’t cut a good promo during his embarrassing exchanges with John Cena last year.

Reigns is 100% winning this match. It was decided a full year ago, if not even further back. The worry here is that WWE will treat this as a huge deal, as if we wanted to see it and will be overjoyed when it happens. Reigns isn’t the worst wrestler in the world, he’s just not what the majority of fans want to see as their champion.

Will It Happen? Absolutely guaranteed I’m afraid. WWE clearly hasn’t learned their lesson with Reigns despite growing fan discontent. He will stand tall on April 8^th as the all conquering, untouchable, Vince McMahon Wet Dream Machine and we have no choice than to suck it up and take it. I fully expect a ticker tape laden celebration to really kick us in the teeth. WWE truly believe they can convert us to viewing Reigns in the same way we do Daniel Bryan. Its bordering on psychotic. Somebody fetch Vince a large dose of Valium…

Undertaker Struggling Through Yet Another WrestleMania Match

Call me an old romantic, but I remember a time when The Undertaker was a king among men. A master of his craft. A regular 5 Star main eventer. A focal point of the Attitude Era… what the hell happened? This living legend has been reduced to a hollow shell of his former self through WWE’s insistence to not let him retire peacefully. Last year this enduring icon, who has given so much of his life to the company and Mania itself looked like a broken down, frail old man as he struggled his way through the main event with Roman Reigns.

It’s unrealistic at this stage of his career to expect Taker to keep up with the younger talent and put in match of the year performances. He isn’t aging as you would expect one to do so, and despite seeing him every year he always seems to have become 5 years older in that short space of time. If you have any respect for the man who so many believe to be the greatest of all time, you should be ashamed for wishing him to enter into a situation where he is forced to push himself beyond his limitations and end up looking like a fool.

Will It Happen? Let’s be honest, we all know John Cena will be doing almost all of the work here. Big Match John has his doubters but over the last two years he has pulled off some terrific performances and will be expected to make Taker look good in this bout. If WWE are clever, which so rarely happens anymore, they’ll let this be a short match so Taker can look strong and pick up a convincing and entertaining win. If they expect an epic encounter that can go the distance, like they expected when he faced Roman, then this could be once again very difficult to watch. There’s no way of avoiding it. Taker lost it years ago. Let it go, and let him go.

The Authority Beating Ronda Rousey And Kurt Angle

We all know how the finish to this match should go down, and it’s exactly what every fan wants to see. Rousey and Angle should pick up the victory, Rousey’s first inside of a WWE ring, by locking in a double submission, a Rousey armbar and Kurt’s ankle lock, on Stephanie and HHH to have the pair tap out in unison.

This is WWE though, and they’re well known for not always playing by the rules in terms of giving the fans what they want. With this in mind, would anyone honestly be shocked to see HHH pin Angle to pick up the win for two of the world’s biggest ego maniacs? I can certainly see Rousey getting in lots of offence to please the fans, most likely on both Steph AND Hunter, but a cheap distraction and dirty heel finish would certainly be befitting of the power couple and help them to stamp their Authority (pun intended, so what… sue me!) on the

The fans would hate it. It would make no sense. It would be a strange way to round off all the Rousey hype and build. It would frankly be ridiculous. Therefore, it’s going to happen. Fuck you WWE!

Will it Happen? WWE have a habit of making shock, last minute decisions without taking the fans opinions or feelings into consideration. But HHH has turned a corner in recent years where he is all about putting the talent over, evident from his amazing NXT product, and would likely rather put Rousey over than himself. WWE make silly mistakes sometimes, but they’re not stupid. Taking a loss here would be a humongous anti-climax considering the months of mainstream coverage which WWE have received. The last thing they would want to risk is losing the potentially colossal amount of income generated from a Rousey victory.

Though it may be difficult for even the most cynical anti-WWE fan to admit, there is a fair chance that WWE will make the right call and let Rousey have her moment on the biggest night of the year.

Fingers crossed…

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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

2 months 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

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

Published

5 months ago

November 2, 2024

PC Tunney

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