Opinion

WWE Week In Review February 4-10, 2019

With Elimination Chamber looming, how did the past week of WWE perform? Tiffany gives us her take!

Published

6 years ago

February 11, 2019

TiffanyMC

With Elimination Chamber looming, how did the past week of WWE perform? Tiffany gives us her take!

We’re a week out from the Royal Rumble and things are heating up in the WWE! As everyone prepares for the Elimination Chamber, how well did WWE build their matches?

RAW

Becky Lynch and Stephanie McMahon’s segment went about how I expected it to when it was announced that they would be doing a segment together. Becky definitely seems to be being built to be an Austin kind of character and she did a great job of that, even if Stephanie’s selling wasn’t as good as Vince’s.

The whole thing about Becky’s knee seems silly to me because she’s got two months to rest it, so it makes the whole point of her being ‘suspended’ kind of silly.

Ronda Rousey’s promos continue to make me cringe. She really needs a mouthpiece like Heyman is for Lesnar. Maybe make Paige Rousey’s new manager so she can just stand there and be a badass instead of opening her mouth or make her a Paul Heyman girl. I’d even settle for Lio Rush being her manager if it meant that I wouldn’t have to listen to another of her promos.

Open Challenge was a lot of fun. The look on Rousey’s face when Sarah Logan dead lifted her was hilarious. The problem with Morgan and Logan doing the challenge is that there was very little suspense, especially with Morgan. The challenge is a great idea, but it gets boring when there’s no suspense.

Ruby Riott’s interview did a great job of mixing the tropes of cowardly heel and friend who puts own ambitions aside to help her friends. I do think that Riott will be in line for the title after WrestleMania.

Boss-Hug Connection’s interview was more interesting because of the team of Nikki Cross and Alicia Fox. I like that they’re playing it more of Nikki allying with Fox just because she wants to rather than have her being a full-blown heel. Sasha still being upset about losing to Rousey was very in-character for her, as was Bayley playing the peacemaker.

The Fatal Four Way match was really good but really predictable at the same time. How many times does Revival get a title match before WWE puts the titles on them? It’s not like Glorious Alpha is setting the world on fire with tag matches. Heavy Machinery stood out as always, but I’m guessing that WWE’s going to decide which promotion they’ll go to before giving them a title run.

Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins segment was ‘eh’ for me. It would’ve been a cool segment back in the Edgehead days, but now I’m just like ‘Who cares?’. Still, I like that they’re going to try and end Hawkins’ losing streak, but I don’t really care either.

Kurt Angle’s segment was great…until Strowman, McIntyre, and Corbin showed up. I’m really over this feud. I get that WWE needs to give these guys something to do until the run up to WrestleMania, but I really don’t care and I hate them using Kurt to try and get it over.

Seth Rollins seems to be out with an injury, either in his back or his elbow. I’m a little confused as to why they’re pretending he didn’t make his decision last week.

Boss-Hug Connection vs Crazy Foxes was a very good match. RUMOR is that Sasha is injured and not cleared to wrestle, which explains why Bayley basically did the match herself, and why Fox/Cross got the jump on them. However, if Sasha was injured in her match with Ronda Rousey at Royal Rumble, WWE must be assuming that she’ll be fine in time for the Elimination Chamber match because she was at ringside and participated in the match.

Fox and Cross being annoyed with each other is interesting because this could be Nikki Crosses first ACTUAL main roster feud, but I’m not sure if crazy vs crazy is really going to be a compelling storyline for WWE.

Elias vs Jeff Jarrett. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a late-coming fan of Jeff Jarrett, mostly because of his TNA work. He’s a great competitor and has a great mind for the business. Having said that, I hated this match. I just really couldn’t get into it or into this feud, but I liked that Jarrett got some revenge on Elias and hopefully this feud is over.

Dana Brooke and Natalya’s segment was just odd. It was supposed to be funny and it just felt flat. I will admit that most of my problem is that I’m not feeling this feud and this segment didn’t help matters.

Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley/Finn Balor vs Lio Rush was a reasonably good set of segments but what in the world was with the black bandage on Balor’s ribs? It looked like he was nursing a worse wound than hurt ribs. I find it interesting that even though Lashley is not involved in the Universal Title picture, WWE seems to be trying to build a rivalry between him and Lesnar. Lashley’s biggest problem remains his total lack of personality and charisma, which isn’t going to be cured by Balor or Rush.

Paige’s return should’ve been about more than promoting her movie. She’s a great talent and should be used for more than just promoting a moving.

Moment of Bliss continues to be a mess. I can’t think of a single episode that hasn’t been cringe-inducing. EC3’s debut on the show was a big ‘F’ for me. I’ve watched EC3 in TNA and NXT and he’s got the personality of a mop and average ring skills. He’s one of those guys that’s good to look at, if you ignore the fact that he constantly looks constipated.

I did love the return of funny!Dean Ambrose, it was a refreshing breath of fresh air after months of WWE’s confusing heel turn with Ambrose. Plus, it was a nice contrast to the human yawn that is EC3.

Dean Ambrose vs EC3: I have avoided talking about the rumors that Ambrose is leaving after WrestleMania because I’m firmly up the River Denial and think it’s a work. If Ambrose is leaving, him losing to EC3 makes sense, except for the fact that the way Ambrose lost did more for him than it did for EC3. 3, the debuting superstar got a cheap win over an established, top tier, star, which protects Ambrose and leaves open a couple of storyline possibilities for Ambrose.

Kurt and Braun Strowman’s segment was interesting. If Angle is retiring, him becoming Strowman’s manager makes sense since Strowman’s mic skills aren’t the best.

Mojo Rawley’s segment would be good with a higher tier star.

Braun Strowman and Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre’s match was interesting but I’m still not interested in the feud. It was a mediocre main event for the most part, which was disappointing given how good Angle was.

Thoughts: This was an underwhelming RAW. The lack of Shield members, except for Ambrose, was very telling. Thankfully, WWE still has plenty of time to build up the WrestleMania card because the card isn’t looking great right now.

SmackDown

Charlotte/Beck Lynch/Triple H segment was interesting and sets Lynch up as a Stone Cold Steve Austin type character for the Women’s Division, but I don’t like how they seemed to be finding a way to shoehorn Charlotte into a match that doesn’t need her. Also the whole thing about Lynch’s knee shows WWE’s ‘hand’ a little too much, but we’ll see what transpires between now and March.

Rusev and Nakamura vs Good Brothers match was okay. I’m hoping that WWE has bigger plans for this team and will give them time to gel because this first outing was kind of rough. Plus, the inclusion of Lana in the match, with a walking cast on her leg stinks of hypocrisy given that Lynch was suspended for not getting a tweaked knee looked at. I feel bad that the Good Brothers have been excluded from the title picture and are putting teams over so much because they were definitely the better team in this match.

Mustafa Ali is a STAR and his promo segment proved it to me. He’s got a ton of charisma and is a great underdog for the WWE Universe to get behind.

Paige’s return to SmackDown just to promote her movie just felt lousy. I wish WWE would find something else for her.

The Usos are proof of what a heel turn done right can do for Superstars, and they’ll have a good match with Shane and Miz, but I’m just not feeling it right now, it just feels like more of the same old stuff.

Mustafa Ali vs Randy Orton was a great match! Ali continues to wow in his matches, just like Rey Mysterio used to in his prime. Ali also proved that he can hang with any superstar and look great even in defeat, but I’m going to make a bold prediction: Samoa Joe is going to be the first person eliminated from Elimination Chamber because he’s been getting the jump on everyone with the Coquina Clutch. I did find Joe being put off by Rowan interesting.

Samoa Joe’s segment proved something: Joe’s not a physics major, but the segment was interesting and makes him seem like a viable threat for the WWE Championship.

Daniel Bryan’s segment was boring, to be honest. I’m over the whole ‘New Daniel Bryan’ thing. His whole shtick of being an outsider is pretty much nonsense that it’s amazing that they keep it going. It was funny to see people making their own Hempionship belts, but that was about the only really standout thing about this segment.

Jeff Hardy’s promo response to Bryan was very good and typical of Hardy’s underrated promo skills, and the hint of a feud between him and Styles is a dream that I hope we get to see.

Triple Threat Tag Match: Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Feel the Fabulous, but why have them lose the tag match if you’re going to put them in the Elimination Chamber match for the Tag Titles? Also, can we scrap the Naomi/Mandy Rose feud, please? It’s not doing anything for either of them.

Andrade Almas’ promo against Mysterio was great and keeps their feud going without either of them competing on Tuesday, which is always good, but I hope we’ll get a definitive match for this feud sooner or later.

Asuka: Part of the reason I don’t want Charlotte involved in the RAW Women’s Match is because of Asuka. I don’t really see anyone in the SmackDown Women’s Division that could really go toe-to-toe with Asuka in a believable way at WrestleMania other than Charlotte.

Jeff Hardy vs Daniel Bryan was a fantastic match and a much better main event than the one RAW put on. Even the DQ finish didn’t hurt anything because it protected Bryan and Hardy. The run-in by the Chamber participants was expected since we’re about a week out from Elimination Chamber. Styles being the last man standing was interesting and raises doubts about Bryan walking out as Champion.

Bryan’s Promo after the show was stereotypical crybaby heel stuff and him trying to say that the other competitors running AFTER the match was interference but Rowan causing an ACTUAL DQ wasn’t, is a level of mental gymnastics I didn’t know existed in the human mind. It was Right Wing radio level and was very funny, though I’m not sure it was supposed to be.

Thoughts: A better, if not exactly awe-inspiring, SmackDown. They put on a more interesting show than RAW, but the long build toward WrestleMania is already starting to show.

205 Live

The Opener of 205 is always good and gets people excited…ish for the show and I kind of wish they’d do something like this for RAW and SmackDown.

Mike Kanellis vs Brian Kendrick: What in the heck is WWE doing with Mike Kanellis? He’s a great talent, Maria is a great heel manager, and their gimmick is nauseating enough to work in a heel capacity. Why is he on 205 and looking out of his depth? The match was really good, but it just feels like WWE has no idea what they’re doing with the Kanellises and it’s frustrating.

Ariya Daivari’s promo on Hideo Itami is baffling since rumor is that Itami was granted his release last week. Is WWE working everyone to have an actually shocking departure?

The promos for the main event were pretty standard ‘I’m going to win because I’m the best and everyone else is a loser’ stuff, but it’s always fun to watch the heels have selective memory loss when one of the faces have gotten the better of them, i.e Lio Rush about Cedric Alexander, who beat Rush fair and square.

Drake Maverick’s Office was an interesting segment. Gulak and Gallagher have had very little direction since the end of their feud with Kendrick and Tozawa. I did find it a little cringe inducing to hear to white guys talk about keeping a POC performer on the right path and thinking they need to accompany him. It’s just…ugh.

I love that Noam Dar has bounced back so quickly from the attack last week and I’m glad we’re getting a No DQ match out of this feud, even if the build has been a little lacking

The #1 Contendership Match was a lot of fun and pretty much what I expected from a 205 main event. I love that it came down to Alexander and Tozawa, no offense to Rush or Carrilllo, but these two could have a MONEY feud if WWE plays the cards right. I am stoked for Tozawa vs Murphy. I don’t think Tozawa will win, but it promises to be a great match.

Thought: GREAT 205, good matches and a great main event, but the lack of Mustafa Ali is still telling. His amazing skills aside, Ali was truly the heart of 205 and was easy for the audience to get behind and there really isn’t someone to fill that hole. Alexander is close, but he’s been champion, so has Tozawa, and Kendrick. Noam Dar could do the job, but it wouldn’t be a good. If they revamped Mike Kanellis and made the gimmick less gag-inducing, he would do a pretty good job.

NXT UK

Mark Andrews vs El Ligero was a fabulous match and could easily have main evented the show. It’s really hard to do face vs face matches, especially when the faces have very similar styles, but Andrews and Ligero did a really great job. This was a match where it didn’t really matter who won because the match was so good.

Oney Lorcan’s promo was really good, but Lorcan and Burch are better as the silent, beat-the-holy-hell out of someone type of team. I’m assuming that NXT UK shot a couple of episodes or another TakeOver in Phoenix because it keeps being referred to, so hopefully we’ll see those soon.

Pete Dunne’s promo about Walter was really good and sets the stage for Dunne vs Walter and Walter vs Mark Coffey.

Xia Brookside vs Candy Floss was another face vs face match that you had to watch carefully because both women had similar hair colors. That said, it was a really good match and I hope Candy gets signed to NXT UK soon because she’s a heck of a talent. It was nice to see Xia get a singles win, finally, since I predict that she’ll be a STAR in a few years. The addition of Rhea and Toni honestly didn’t make sense to me. Why would Rhea attack two women who weren’t even involved in her feud with Toni? Why not just attack Toni in the backstage area. Ripley standing tall wasn’t a total surprise, but the rest of it was just…why?

Jordan Devlin is definitely establishing himself as a top tier heel and it seems like his feud with Travis Banks is on the backburner for now, but the upcoming match with Noam Dar seem like it’ll be a really great one to watch and see if Dar will hang his hat in NXT UK.

Mike Hitchman vs Joseph Conners was a really good, if random and rough, match. It was enjoyable, the guys worked really well together, but I had no real investment in the match, which I’m actually okay with for now. Conners winning was a big surprise, but it seems like he might be getting groomed for bigger things, for some reason, so we’ll see what the future holds.

Jinny is a superstar I don’t get and the more I see her the less I like her. Her gimmick might not be so bad if she didn’t seem so average in the ring, but that’s me.

Ashton Smith vs Joe Coffey was a fantastic, if short match, and the outcome wasn’t a surprise, but I’m glad WWE’s continuing to book Joe strong even after losing to Dunne and Walter. Gallus is a great heel faction, so I’m hoping Wolfgang and Mark will get similar booking.

Walter vs Mark Coffey. I’ve said before that I don’t get Walter or his appeal, but he’s a good wrestler, even if he’s not my cup of tea. I just…I don’t get it. It was still a good match, but I’m not getting into Walter or his hype.

Thought: That was an okay NXT UK. There were lots of great matches, but some of the pairings seemed a little random. We haven’t seen the Tag Champs defend the titles yet, and Storm hasn’t defended her Women’s Championship since winning it in Blackpool. It just felt a little underwhelming.

NXT

Johnny Gargano/Velveteen Dream/Tommaso Ciampa was a really interesting segment. Since Dream seems to be getting handed the rocket, him choosing to face Gargano over Ciampa was a weird choice. Unless he views Gargano as a weak link. Also, the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ with the DIY reunion looks a lot like the Rollins/Ambrose reunion from 2017, without the extra drama. Given some of the ‘spoilers’ coming out about the upcoming Gargano/Dream match, it’ll be interesting to see what the future will hold for DIY.

Jaxon Ryker vs Mansoor that was a great match. Mansoor, or ‘Manny’, competed in the Greatest Royal Rumble last year and has finally made it to WWE TV. I was a little disappointed that Manny didn’t get a better showing, but WWE is clearly grooming Forgotten Sons to be contenders and possible rivals for Undisputed Era. Hopefully, Manny will get a better showing next time.

Ricochet’s promo with Cathy Kelly was really good and kept his feud with Adam Cole going, though I wonder if there will be as much interest in it without titles being attached since Undisputed Era is beltless right now.

Drew Gulak vs Eric Bugenhagen was a big ‘WTF’ for me. I’m not a fan of Gulak’s gimmick, it reminds me too much of RL politics, but the guy’s a heck of a talent, so to watch him deal with Bugenhagen was just ‘What?’.

I was actually cheering for Gulak when he won, to give you my opinion of Bugenhagen. Matt Riddle coming out made me roll my eyes SO hard, but the prospect of Riddle/Gulak was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Drew Gulak vs Matt Riddle: I have been quite vocal about the fact that I don’t like Matt Riddle, but I’ll give him his due, he and Gulak put on a great match and the show of respect after Riddle’s victory was nice. Riddle still annoys the hell out of me though.

Six Woman Tag was a really good main event. Even though I don’t care for Belair, she makes a good addition to Team Sky Pirates against the Horsewomen. Shafir and Duke are making good progress in their transition from the Octagon to WWE but they still have a ways to go, and that’s fine. I love that Io Shirai got the pin on Baszler, putting her in line for a title short, but it also sets up conflict with Belair which will be interesting.

Thoughts: Another solid, but largely uneventful episode. The matches were good and there was storyline progress, but nothing earthshaking.

Overall Thoughts: Other than RAW, WWE put on a very solid week of programming. Every show, including RAW had good matches and moved their stories forward, but it’s clear that WWE is playing it safe until March when the real ramp up to WrestleMania will start. Until then, I’m guessing that we’ll have more weeks of uneventful shows to watch, but as long as the storylines go forward, it should be fine.

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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