Opinion

WWE Week in Review: March 4-10, 2019

The week up to and including the last stop before WrestleMania is on the docket! Let’s see how Tiffany saw it all.

Published

6 years ago

March 11, 2019

TiffanyMC

The week up to and including the last stop before WrestleMania is on the docket! Let’s see how Tiffany saw it all.

RAW

The Shield: I can’t say that the Shield reunion was a surprise. I think we all knew that once Roman Reigns was back, the Shield would reunite. How they went about giving us the reunion was surprising. I was hoping that the reunion build would take a little longer, but with Fastlane, WrestleMania, and Dean’s possible departure looming, now was as good a time as any. Ambrose running to his brothers’ rescue was extremely hilarious, but it was also very in line with how the Shield have always been with each other.

The Ambrose thing is puzzling, though. His booking says he’s leaving, but WWE mentioning the departure on air and giving Ambrose a big storyline heading into WrestleMania makes me think that it’s either up in the air or a total work. I will firmly believe that it’s the latter until I can’t anymore.

The Dogs of War 2.0 is every bit as uninspiring as the first version. You’ve basically got three guys with nothing in common and no personality between the three of them. Not exactly fodder for an epic rivalry.

Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, and Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley: This match was meant to get the Dogs of War 2.0 over as a viable threat to the Shield and it failed miserably. This is just not a great team. They got the win, but made everyone else, except for maybe Strowman, look bad in the process.

Heavy Machinery and The Ascension: Vince’s booking struck this one. I get that Otis is great for comedy but I couldn’t get into this segment. Heavy Machinery should just be beating everyone up, not making a big deal over Otis’ hurt feelings.

Natalya vs Ruby Riott: Even though I like both women in this showdown, I hated this match. Ruby Riott is extremely talented, so for her to be squashed by Nattie, whom she’s beaten several times, is just dumb. Add in another appearance by Lacey Evans, and this was just a bad segment for the women.

Stephanie with Michael Che and Colin Jost: I get that WWE’s trying to drum up more interest in WrestleMania by having cast members of Saturday Night Live, a New York based show, on but I’m not sure that Che and Jost had any idea about what they were getting into and I hate that. If you’re going to have celebs on the show, at least book celebrities that are fans of your product.

Triple H: I LOVED this segment!! Triple H is a promo master and this was a prime example of why. He absolutely ripped Batista to shreds while keeping enough humor in it to keep it from sounding like raving. My one issue is that Triple H seems to be making this about what happened to Flair than about the issues he and Batista were having back in the fall and seem to have with each other. I guess we’ll have to see where this goes on Monday.

Heavy Machinery vs B-Team vs Ascension vs Major Brothers: I would’ve been more impressed with this match if something had been at stake instead of it being about Otis and Tucker getting back at backstage bullies. That said, it was a really good showing for Heavy Machinery, even if the other teams looked less than stellar.

Tamina vs Sasha Banks: This was a much better match than it had sounded when I saw it advertised. Tamina isn’t exactly a finesse person, but she and Sasha had a really good match. Tamina getting the win wasn’t a huge surprise since the Samoan Dynasty needed to look like viable contenders after being beaten in singles matches by Sasha and Bayley.

The Revival vs Aleister Black and Ricochet: I really loved this match and the contrast of styles between these two teams, but I hated the intrusion of Roode and Gable, who have been doing very little since losing the titles a few weeks ago. The assertion that Black and Ricochet don’t deserve to be champions yet, because Roode and Gable say so, is eyerolling at the least. I don’t think Revival’s going to drop the titles just yet, but it should be an interesting match.

RAW Women’s Title: To me, Stephanie’s decision to vacate the RAW Women’s Title and reinstate Becky Lynch and give her a match at Fastlane, is the first indication in the ‘McMahon Kids Turn on Vince’ storyline I see brewing after Vince’s capricious title match booking. However, her basically cowtowing to Rousey’s tantrum over the decision was kind of stupid. Rousey laid the belt down and walked out, what did she think was going to happen?

There have been people saying that Charlotte is the real babyface in this, but that’s hard to jibe with her presumptuous and entitled attitude towards the title. The idea that she would just be handed the RAW Women’s title without doing anything to earn it just because she was Charlotte Flair is NOT the attitude of a babyface.

Rousey attacked Becky, after demanding that Lynch be put back in the WrestleMania match was baffling, but I guess WWE wanted to be sure there was no question who the babyface was by having Lynch be attacked when she wasn’t in a position to really defend herself.

Stephanie’s post show interview was interesting and raises major questions about who will win at WrestleMania and if the McMahons will be a deciding factor. It’s going to be a wild ride to WrestleMania at this rate.

SmackDown

Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens: If there are a pair of more obnoxious opponents for any title than Bryan and Owens, I have yet to see it. Bryan’s new gimmick is annoying enough, but add in ‘babyface’ Kevin Owens and it’s almost unbearable. I did enjoy listening to Owens call Bryan out for his self-righteousness.

Rowan vs Owens was really good, but I can’t say that anything really unpredictable happened. It was a very formulaic match between the ‘babyface’ and the heel’s enforcer. Not even Bryan attacking Owens and getting Rowan disqualified was really shocking, but WWE is playing it safe right now until they can get all the ducks in order for WrestleMania.

One interesting thing was New Day’s promise to be at Fastlane. There’s been a rumor that the WWE Championship will be a Triple Threat and I can see Kofi costing Owens the match due to Owens stealing Kofi’s opportunity, even if Owens claims that he had no say in Vince’s decision, due to the fact that if Owens wins, Kofi’s pinfall victory over Bryan will be null and void and thus end his chance of getting the title shot he earned fair and square.

Miz vs Jey Uso: This was another interesting, but not terribly surprising singles match for Miz and Jey Uso just before the Tag Team Championship rematch at Fastlane. The one interesting thing was the promo war between the teams about who was the real team. I think the Usos had a point about Shane and Miz not being a real team, but Miz getting the win over Jey with some help of Shane at least makes Shane and Miz look much more viable.

US Championship Open Challenge: I’m honestly not surprised that Truth lost the US Championship on Tuesday. I am surprised that Samoa Joe is the one who got the win. The match was really good, but Truth’s promo before the match was kind of…weird and the appearance of Lacey Evans grows more and more annoying.

Vega and Carmella seemed to be building quite a rivalry since this week was the second time they’d clashed, so that should be an interesting non-title feud of WWE does it right.

Samoa Joe’s post-match interview seems to be planting the seeds for a Cena feud at WrestleMania, which would be fun to watch, so we’ll see what happens after Fastlane.

Ricochet and Aleister Black vs The Bar: After the kerfuffle of Monday, Black and Ricochet needed a big win and they got one against the Bar. This is such a great feud for both teams that I wish there were titles involved. The way they fought, you’d think they’d been rivals for years. If Black and Ricochet hang their hats at SmackDown, I hope the feud with the Bar continues.

Mandy Rose vs Naomi: I literally face-palmed over this match. I get that WWE wants to make Mandy Rose look like a viable opponent for Asuka, but having her squash Naomi was just dumb and didn’t do much for either woman because it made a former 2x SmackDown Women’s Champion look like an idiot and it made Mandy look like she couldn’t win except by lucky and help. Even Asuka’s run-in after the fact didn’t really help build my enthusiasm for this match.

AJ Styles and Randy Orton: While I’m intrigued by this rivalry, I didn’t get this promo. I liked Styles taking Kofi’s side and pointing out that Vince’s promise to listen to the fans has clearly not held up, but I don’t get what Orton’s problem is with Styles. Styles held the title for a year while Orton lost to Jinder Mahal. Plus, AJ Styles was a much bigger deal coming into WWE than Randy Orton has ever been in during his nearly twenty years in WWE.

RAW Women’s Title: No, I didn’t screw up my editing. Even though Charlotte and Becky will be fighting for the RAW Women’s Championship, they are still technically SmackDown Superstars, so it made sense for them to face off on SmackDown.

As I said in the RAW section, there are people claiming that Charlotte is the real babyface, but her promo on Smackdown, where she mocked Becky’s injury and belittles her former friend’s wrestling ability doesn’t sound like much of a babyface to me. It sounded more like a smug, entitled brat gloating over someone she’s repeatedly sold short and paid for it.

Even though the whole suspension/loss of opportunity storyline was conceived to gain sympathy for Lynch, it also cost her some steam, but she got that back when she paid Charlotte’s arrogance back by getting her in the Disarm-Her. Hopefully, Lynch standing tall in the ring will be the end of Fastlane too.

205 Live

Oney Lorcan vs Humberto Carrillo: I was surprised by a lot of things in this match. I had no idea that Oney Lorcan qualified as a Cruiserweight, and I didn’t expect them to put an NXT guy over a 205 guy. I loved the match, Carrillo is definitely a star and him ignoring the ‘corrections’ of Gulak and Gallagher makes that growing feud more interesting.

Mike and Maria Kanellis: I LOVE this growing feud. I figured last week that the Kanellises would raise six kinds of hell when they realized that Maverick had no intention of putting Mike in the tournament. Also, their fourth-wall breaking reaction to dealing with local talent was very on point.

Poor Colby Corino, the son of ECW Legend, Steve Corino, seems like a talented kid, but he was basically Kanellis’ punching bag. Having Kanellis basically letting Maverick know he’s pissed off the wrong guy is magnificent. Can’t wait to see this next week.

Tournament Promos: These were interesting but pretty standard promos for Nese and Alexander. Alexander acknowledging that people were getting tired of Alexander being in the title picture was interesting to hear because there’s probably more than a grain of truth in the statement.

Cedric Alexander: This match, which we just saw a month or so ago, was really good, but there was nothing surprising about it, especially since Alexander won, he seems to be 205’s top guy and WWE seems to want to keep him in the title picture to anchor all the guys who haven’t been champion. I was a little disappointed that Tozawa lost, but since he just faced Murphy a while back, I’m not surprised. Round 2 is next week.

NXT UK

Ligero vs Joseph Conners: I enjoyed this match for the simple fact that I really like Ligero, but I’m not crazy about him winning two straight falls. I would’ve rather seen Conner win and extend this feud, but we’ll have to see what’s in the cards.

Toni Storm Interview: I’ve said before that I don’t get Jinny and don’t see why she’s getting a push, but it seems that they’re at least going to get her feud with Toni Storm started, so maybe that will change my outlook.

Gallus: I really enjoyed this promo. It SORT of feels like they’re trying to recreate the Shield in NXT UK with this family/brothers thing. The whole thing about this being about respect run a little hollow, but I’m glad they’re doing something with Gallus for now.

Sam Stoker and Lewis Howley vs European Alliance: This sounded like a squash on paper and while it wasn’t a steamroller, Aichner and Barthel definitely smushed Stoker and Howley, which gives them an advantage in the Dusty Rhodes Classic.

Nina Samuels vs Charlie Morgan: After a couple of weird promos, Nina Samuels debuted her new show against Charlie Morgan, who we’ve only seen once before. I liked the match, I wish it could’ve been longer, but they’re clearly building Samuels to be a contender for Toni Storm, so her winning wasn’t a shock. Morgan was protected by her loss being more a matter of bad luck than lack of skill.

Pete Dunne: Honestly, I’m kind of sick of Dunne and WALTER teaming up, I wish they’d just get on with this feud so we can get it over with because I’m not a WALTER fan and I’m getting bored with it.

Jordan Devlin vs Travis Banks: I’m getting to the point where if I see Jordan Devlin has a match, I automatically assume it’ll be fantastic. He always delivers and this match was no exception. This was such a great match was so good and both guys gave it everything they had. I was a little mad that Devlin won, but I have a feeling that this feud isn’t over just yet. I hope not, at least.

NXT

Dusty Rhodes Classic: I love the little tribute to Dusty Rhodes in the Tag Team Classic. I also loved that they’re giving it an old school treatment and making the tournament feel important.

Aleister Black and Ricochet vs Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel: This was such a good match and it could’ve gone either way. I’m not surprised that Black and Ricochet won, since they’re clearly getting a push and European Alliance is still new and getting the hang of things, but they’re as clearly contenders as Black and Ricochet because they’ve really meshed as a team.

Performance Center: I’m glad that they’re continuing the Lee/Dijakovic rivalry. I’m not a fan of either guy but they put on a good match last week, so might as well do it again.

The Forgotten Sons vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch: One problem I’m having with having two NXT shows is that it gets hard to keep track of how people are doing when they keep crossing over. However, this was a really great match. Forgotten Sons REALLY needed a win and they go a big one over Lorcan and Burch, though it was just by the skin of their teeth. I really enjoyed this match and hope Burch and Lorcan have better luck down the road.

Velveteen Dream: I was ‘meh’ about this since it involved two people in NXT I don’t care about, so I just tuned out most of the segment.

Sky Pirates: I don’t like Bianca Belair, but her mental gymnastics are truly something to behold. Her twisting herself into a pretzel to explain why Io Shirai pinning Shayna Baszler shouldn’t count because they were in a tag match was hilarious. Hopefully, Shirai will come out on top in the #1 Contender’s Match next week.

Street Profits vs Moustache Mountain: I’m a little ‘eh’ on the Street Profits, mostly because their appearances on NXT are so infrequent, it’s hard for me to get behind them. However, they are amazingly talented and that definitely showed in this match against Moustache Mountain. I was a little surprised that they had Moustache Mountain win, but I’m guessing that it’s going to come down to NXT US vs NXT UK in the final.

DIY Vs Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish: DIY is back and it looks like they split up and fought like rats in a barrel for a couple of years. That was bad news for O’Reilly and Fish of Undisputed Era, who found themselves outmatched on wiliness with O’Reilly taking a nasty double team and eating the pinfall. I actually want them to go to the final just so I can see them square up with War Raiders.

Fastlane

Daniel Bryan vs Kevin Owens vs Mustafa Ali: Turns out, Vince is a man of his word…kind of. We did get a Triple Threat Match at Fastlane for the Eco-Friendly WWE Championship, but Mustafa Ali, a fan darling, was put in in place of Kofi Kingston. The angry audience didn’t refrain from making their displeasure known, booing Ali…LOUDLY.

It was a fantastic match and it looked like Ali was going to pull off a shocking victory by pinning Bryan, but Rowan was there to make the saves. Bryan would retain by pinning Ali, but only after Rowan neutralized Owens. The Planet’s Champion is still the Man, but will Vince’s conniving rebound on Bryan?

The Shield vs Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre: After five months, the Shield was back in action that was billed as ‘One Last Ride’ for the Shield. If it was the last ride, it was everything you could hope it could be. The Shield and the Trio of Doom, who deserved to get beat up just for that stupid name, pulled out every stop and tore the place down. The Hounds pulled out all their greatest hits, reminding us of just why the Shield became the most dominant faction to hit WWE in at least a decade. The Shield won and hugged it out in the ring. If that was the last ride, it was the best ride of all. Thank you, Shield.

Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch: After months of attacks and the whims of the McMahon family, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch faced off to decide whether or not Becky would get her Mania match against Ronda Rousey.

The match was every bit as epic as you’d expect from these two. Becky was working ‘hurt’ and had to sign and ‘hold harmless’ contract, but she fought as hard as ever. Charlotte played the opportunistic heel to perfection, but it was Ronda Rousey who would play the deciding role in this contest, attacking Becky and giving her rival a DQ victory that secured Becky’s rightful place in the RAW Women’s Championship Match.

Asuka vs Mandy Rose: After Mandy Rose’s shocking win over Asuka, with some help from Sonya Deville, it looked like the self-proclaimed Golden Goddess was just a lucky shot away from being SmackDown Women’s Champion. However, in a short, but brutal match, Asuka proved why you always need to be ready for her and took Mandy down after what looked like a miscued trip by Sonya (who wasn’t there). Afterwards, Rose and Deville argued all the way up the ramp, putting more strain on their strained relationship.

Samoa Joe vs R-Truth vs Rey Mysterio vs Andrade Almas: Samoa Joe shocked the WWE Universe by winning the United States Championship on Tuesday night, his first main roster title win since his call up. After Carmella petitioned for R-Truth to get his rematch, it was decided that we would have a repeat of Tuesday’s Fatal Four Way match at Fastlane.

It was a great match! All four guys, and their managers, left it all in the ring. It looked like Joe was going to sneak out the retain when a fistfight between Vega and Carmella distracted Almas and R-Truth. Joe would retain by locking in the Coquina Clutch on Rey Mysterio. Now the question is: Who will face Joe at WrestleMania?

The Usos vs Shane McMahon and Miz: If there is one place Miz is guaranteed to be the babyface, it’s in Cleveland. Miz and Shane McMahon took on the Usos in a rematch for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships in an amazing match that featured Shane McMahon countering a Splash with Coast to Coast. However, Jey Uso countered Miz’s Frog Splash with his knees into a roll up and the Usos are still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Biggest shock was Shane knocking the living snot out of Miz after the match, though I’m not sure that will make Miz the face anywhere but Cleveland.

The Revival vs Ricochet and Aleister Black vs Bobby Roode and Chad Gable: After Roode and Gable screwed Black and Ricochet out of the RAW Tag Team Championship on Monday, WWE gave the Unlikely Duo a second chance and gave Roode and Gable a chance they didn’t really deserve in a triple threat match.

This match was amazing on all sides and it looked like Ricochet and Black were going to pull one out after Buzz of the Revival got a blind tag on Gable, but the Revival would hang on to retain their tag team titles.

However, there were several sore losers, including Roode, Ricochet, and Black, who got their revenge on the Revival and each other in the aftermath.

Boss-Hug Connection vs Nia Jax and Tamina Snuka: Well, it finally happened. Sasha Banks broke her curse of losing first title defenses by retaining the Women’s Tag Team titles in a brutal match. The Samoan Dynasty fought hard, but Boss-Hug were able to survive and retain.

Furious at their loss, Jax and Snuka attacked Bayley and Sasha and then picked a fight with Beth Phoenix, who was doing commentary. Phoenix retaliated and then suffered a beat down. Natalya rushed out to defend her long-time best friend, only to suffer her own beatdown. The Samoan Dynasty picked a fight with the Divas of Doom, will they regret that?

New Day vs Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura: The unlikely pairing of Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura took on Big E and Xavier Woods of the New Day in a pretty physical kickoff show match. Despite the best efforts of Rusev, Lana, and Nakamura, New Day was able to pick up the win

Kofi Kingston vs The Bar: It looked like Vince McMahon had finally seen the error of his ways after screwing Kofi Kingston out of his hard-earned WWE Championship match by promising to put him back in the title picture, there was just one little catch: Kofi had to earn it…again, by facing the Bar in a trainwreck of a handicap match that also involved Rusev and Nakamura attacking New Day when they came out to help. Looks like the McMahons aren’t done toying with Kofi just yet, but did they go too far?

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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 days 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

3 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