Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Worst Matches Of The New Millennium

Mishal takes a look at the Top 5 Worst Matches Of The New Millennium! Did your “favorite” make the list?

Published

5 years ago

June 2, 2020

Roman Reigns Triple H WWE WrestleMania 32 Chairshot Edit

Last week I took a dive into ranking the best matches that WWE has presented in the new Millennium. A series of matches that haven’t just defined what the industry means to me as a fan since the late ’90s, but ones that have defined this generation for fans. Matches that gave, and still give us, goose bumps, make us cry or scream at the top of our lungs whether you’re at home or in the rafters, they simply are among the few we can call the very best.

This time, I took a different approach.

Being in the mood for some truly awful professional wrestling over this past weekend put me in the mood to really contemplate what were the worst main events we’ve seen from the company since the new millennium rolled around.

Professional wrestling always has its classic moments, those that edge their place in the corner of our hearts & minds, and for the most part, I’d say the business has the tendency to be somewhat decent on a regular basis. Every now & then, however, we see it at its very worst. Wrestling can take a turn for the worst, being the very worst thing that fans want to see.

Bad or terrible wrestling matches don’t usually happen on their own, they’re a result of much larger issues. It could boil down to bad storytelling, a botched build-up to the match, crowds that aren’t invested in what you’re selling, the chemistry between performers just doesn’t mesh as well as you’d want, the overall booking & placement of a certain match on a card or in some cases, a match that absolutely nobody, and I mean nobody, has the desire to see in the position its in.

Thankfully, these matches aren’t frequent and are more oddities than anything, but they’re still worth mentioning for the sake of not repeating the same devastating mistakes twice over. On this article, I’ll have a look at just those kind of matches, ones that in some cases WWE has managed to learn from, but in some cases, has remained as stubborn as they always have been.

Honourable Mentions

Team RAW vs Team SmackDown – Survivor Series 2017
I’ll never understand what the creative team was trying to achieve here. Aside from booking the NXT newcomers like Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor & Bobby Roode to look like complete filler all this did was come across as entirely aimless. It resulted in a booking that amounted to nothing, a hysterical Triple H meme & Shane McMahon of all people being booked to look the strongest amongst a sea of fresh talent that could use the boost to their standings. A complete waste of time that nobody will look back on fondly.
Goldberg vs The Undertaker – Crown Jewel 2020
One of the very few matches I can ever say I had a rough time sitting through. I’ll be an Undertaker fan until the day I die, but it was clear that he didn’t have enough to carry an already concussed Goldberg in a match that didn’t even cross the 10-minute mark. Most spots either botched dreadfully or in some cases were so horrifying to look at that you wanted to turn your screen off. It was mercifully short but nothing short of uncomfortable to see two industry icons almost kill one another on multiple occasions.
The 2014 Royal Rumble Match – Royal Rumble 2014
By no means, a terrible Royal Rumble in execution, filled with solid spots & star-building material that was just enough to admire in the early stages, but marred by one of the most bizarre match finishes ever witnessed. When a company has a star as red-hot as Daniel Bryan was at the time, the idea of replacing him with an essential part-timer infuriated everyone across the board, whether you were at home or in the crowd.
Jinder Mahal vs Randy Orton – Battleground 2017
In all honesty, it takes effort for a match to be this uneventful from an action point of view. Orton & Mahal possessed next to no chemistry that would have you invested in a match solely on your own interests in what they were fighting over, most of their confrontations were plodding, formulaic & lacked any real spark (aside from the ‘classic’ at Backlash 2017), so placing them inside the ‘Punjabi Prison’ did them no favours. The match happened, nobody cared, but The Great Khali’s surprise return was so wonderfully bizarre it made the whole experience slightly worth torturing yourself through. But no more than once.
Seth Rollins vs Baron Corbin – Stomping Grounds 2019
Name me a single soul that actually cared about this match. Both guys are immensely talented in their own right but the lack of tension & heat for anything they did left the crowd more stoic than even slightly engaged. It didn’t help that the stipulation this was contested under is so hard to actually execute well, in this case feeling more like it got in the way of a match that could have been somewhat acceptable if the two were allowed to flex their own talents. The post-match moment got an okay pop, but aside from that nobody is going to remember this, ever.

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns – WrestleMania 34

I’ll be the first to admit, a small part of me adores this absolute train wreck of a WrestleMania main event.

In the build-up to this match there seemed to be no other route for WWE to go than having ‘The Big Dog’ Roman Reigns finally ascend to the top of the throne on Monday Night RAW & dethrone then Universal Champion Brock Lesnar after a reign that lasted an entire calendar year at that point. This was billed as the long-time, much-anticipated rematch between the two men who engaged in a war at WrestleMania 31 that exceeded almost everyone’s expectations, especially myself. Their rematch promised no interference, shenanigans and a decisive finish to determine the best on the brand.

What we got, was an exhausted, bored & uninterested crowd on the very biggest show of the year watching a match that, it seemed like, they couldn’t genuinely care less about. Rather than invest in the story being told the sellout crowd decided to formulate their own entertainment, chanting for NXT (who had just put on a show two days prior that `you could genuinely call one of the best of all-time), booing every move either man did & remaining mostly mute for all the matches big spots. Even Lesnar’s F5 to Reigns through the announce table received an ovation quieter than some lower card competitors tend to receive.

Having Reigns pull out the big guns and even blade himself on the biggest stage of the year received next to no reaction from a crowd that was either exhausted beyond belief or simply didn’t care about what the company was trying to present to them. You can revisit this and laugh at how disinterested everyone is, even the commentary team at points, and for that certain level of entertainment, I’ll give it points. That doesn’t, however, excuse this from being one of the very worst booked matches the company has slotted into the main event.

Triple H vs Roman Reigns – WrestleMania 32

WrestleMania 32, much like this match, just seemed to drag on until the end of time as we know it. The show was quite literally ‘the biggest WrestleMania of all-time’ but was at points, too big for its own good & shoved such a ridiculous amount of material, as well as talent onto the card that nobody knew what to do with everything thrown at them. Certain matches (particularly the brilliant Women’s Title bout or stellar opening contest) garnered enough praise from the audience to stand out but if there’s one match you need to ensure works, it’s your main event, which generally is contested for the biggest prize in the game, the WWE Championship.

There was nothing necessarily wrong about this going on last, it was the payoff to a supposed ‘blood feud’ that had been brewing since the fall of 2015 & seemed to mark the official ‘passing of the torch’ moment you’d come to expect from a star the company sees as their next John Cena in Roman Reigns. WWE’s failure wasn’t just the booking of Roman Reigns prior to this match, but that this was contested under a standard singles match, offering nothing to deliver on the payoff fans were promised.

Using the ‘No Disqualification’ or ‘No Holds Barred’ rule isn’t necessarily essential in telling the final chapter of a major feud, but neither man was even given a weakness or ‘Achilles heel’ to play off of, resulting in a match devoid of tension. Unlike Triple H’s match with Daniel Bryan two years prior, contested under similar circumstances, this just felt like your average main event to an average show, rather than the biggest the business has to offer.

Letting the two slug it out for just around 30 minutes didn’t help the situation either since neither man is known for their long-term capabilities in the ring, but rather shorter matches with large bursts of offence. The contest itself dragged a crowd that had already sat through upwards of 7-hours of wrestling into a world of boredom since the constant rest holds, taunting & unspectacular match style did nobody any favours since this was pitched as an all-out brawl on paper. Admittedly the match did find a bit of a spark towards its ending but by then the crowd had already been underwhelmed from 25 minutes of action that belonged on an episode of RAW, not a WrestleMania.

Arguably the worst thing to see as a wrestling fan is a WrestleMania where the crowd at the end of your show is nearly dead silent, and this was one of those painful nights to soak in.

John Cena vs John Laurinaitis – Over the Limit 2011

There’s a time & place for comedy matches in wrestling, and while they aren’t always necessarily the highest value product, they have their position on a card if executed well enough.

One position a comedy match should never be in, however, is in the main event of a pay-per-view.

John Cena’s rivalry with John Laurinaitis is one that wrestling fans don’t really speak of, not just because of how forced it was at a time when pay-per-view buys & ratings in the company were struggling in managements eyes, but more importantly because of what it overshadowed as a result of its position. The main event of the Over the Limit show had the potential to be an incredibly underrated WWE Championship Match between CM Punk & Daniel Bryan or a Fatal-4-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship featuring Sheamus, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio. What we got instead, was a joke that had no place being where it was.

In a match with Laurinaitis’ position as General Manager of both RAW & SmackDown on the line, the two contested in a one-sided affair that saw Cena humiliate the General Manager in embarrassing fashion. From dumping garbage over him, water down his pants & providing colour commentary for a brief moment, both men tried to entertain the crowd watching which was an impossible task considering what they had to follow in the show’s undercard. Rather than a stellar main event worth the money of a pay-per-view at the time what we got was an overly long, badly written joke that did nobody any favours, amounting to a match that would have been better suited to the mid-card of a show with a significantly less chunk of time dedicated to it.

To add insult to injury, the match ended when the ‘returning’ Big Show engaged what felt like his 811th heel turn in the last 3 months alone, providing nothing of excitement & continuing an angle no fan had asked for at the time. As far as the main events in wrestling go, it should always be reserved for the best you have to offer, this was the furthest from that.

The 2015 Royal Rumble Match – Royal Rumble 2015

Very few matches have the ability to infuriate an entire fanbase of people all in one fell swoop. Regardless of who you’re a fan of, who you prefer to win a match or who you desire to see headline a show, this is the prime example of WWE being WWE. I’ll always do what I can to defend the company where they deserve it, but this faithful night in Philadelphia is an evening I’ll never be able to stand by as someone who knows how good their product can be when they listen to fans.

A year prior, the 2014 Royal Rumble garnered the reputation for being the worst match of its kind up to that point. It was a failure on almost every level imaginable but at the very least was a pretty stellar match itself until the final 10 to 15 minutes came about which lead to Batista of all people clenching the victory. 2015’s match was a different story entirely, and to this day is one of the most bafflingly backwards booked matches I’ve witnessed since the darkest days of WCW in the early 2000s.

In terms of quality, the match had a solid start with the right guys entering and the company’s most popular competitor (and at the time, the favourite to win) Daniel Bryan making his presence felt after missing out on his chance to make history the previous year. It all when downhill from there because, in one of the most confusing, rage-inducing moments fans have ever seen, Bryan was inexplicably dumped from the match for no good reason. This sent fans into a flurry of anger & resentment, turning on the remaining match entirely, booing every remaining competitor almost out of the building & being forced to sit through arguably the worst booked match in company history until that point.

All of this pointed to a severe disconnect that the company had with its audience, or another solid example of its outright stubbornness to push Roman Reigns as their top guy against a fanbase that was craving something else entirely. Fans always complain about the company never listening to their wants, and this was one of those nights that complaint was undeniable. Rather than giving us the new blood so many of us desired to see garner the spotlight against then-champion Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, we sat through the likes of Big Show & Kane tearing through the most beloved talent in the company, in a move that simply enraged fans to the point of them hijacking what the company thought would be a defining moment.

I could go on for hours about how abysmal this whole ordeal was, and if it weren’t for one other match, this would top my list without question.

Seth Rollins vs ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt – Hell in a Cell 2019

Hell in a Cell 2019, by all standards, might be the worst booked wrestling show I’ve seen in terms of structure.

The card itself was a victim of its own layout, with the hottest matches on the show going on first leaving everything else to simply wallow on its own without any real interest or stakes to keep the audience invested in anyway. As a result, the rest of the show was simply mediocre with little to no real excitement in any of the remaining contests on the card. However, the shows biggest blunder came at the height of its main event, which set the bar for how bad a wrestling match can be.

WWE admittedly did book themselves into a corner with this match, as Seth Rollins fresh off defeating Brock Lesnar for the 2nd time that year was pitted against the hottest gimmick in the company, ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt who was fairly fresh to his new role on the roster & thrown into the main event a little too abruptly for most peoples liking. Having the hottest gimmick available contest against a champion that was only just settling into his 2nd reign as champion seemed like it would have been better saved for Wrestlemania season, rather in the middle of the fall season of wrestling which isn’t always the most eventful outside of the brand warfare that takes place.

And as expected, the booking was as much of a mess as you’d imagine it to be.

In terms of a match, this wasn’t even a match, at least not a traditional one. Both competitors wisely played into building up the amount of punishment ‘The Fiend’ could absorb, further expanding on the monster-like qualities of his character, but the direction the match went ended up making everyone involved, the officials included, incredibly silly to say the least. After absorbing countless stomps, weapon shots & abuse at the hands of Rollins, ‘The Fiend’ refused to eat a pinfall, leading to Rollins dragging out a hammer (a prop used in Wyatt’s ‘Firefly Funhouse’) and slamming his opponent with it, whilst below a pile of rubble. Not only did the spot leave no impact at all but lead to the match ending in a referee stoppage, the one way you don’t portray your most feared star as the biggest threat imaginable.

To say this left fans unhappy would be an understatement, as it leads to the loudest chorus of boos I can remember hearing at a wrestling show, primarily focused towards Seth Rollins who was already on thin ice with fans due to questionable past booking. What only angered fans more was Wyatt eventually recovering and dismantling Rollins, but rather than restarting the match, the company pulled the show off the air in the most anti-climatic fashion, leaving everyone bitter.

A main event of this caliber should have been booked as an all-out war and considering the circumstance should have lead to ‘The Fiend’ running through the champion like he did everyone before him, instead, this was a match that practically forced the company to shift their stance on not just their premier superstar, but the direction of every main storyline that followed. WWE has had their bad matches in the past, but nothing was as bizarre as this match ended up being.

When a match infuriates literally every fan across the board, shatters the credibility of your biggest superstar, almost kills the momentum of your hottest act, tanks the respect people had for a match with the legacy of ‘Hell in a Cell’ & from reports, resulted in borderline riots, you know that match deserves the position I’ve given it on this list.

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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

3 weeks ago

February 2, 2025

Greg DeMarco

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

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

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

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

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

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

Women’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honestly, did we need Trish Stratus? #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This company obviously believes in Roxanne Perez. #RoyalRumble

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

LOLCHARLOTTEWINS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners AND STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: DIY

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

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

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

That little ladder is HILARIOUS. #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

Winner, AND STILL WWE Champion: Cody Rhodes

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

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

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

Men’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trick Williams’ #RoyalRumble entrance is gonna be ICONIC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We lost Michael for a minute there.

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

Great pop for him, too.

And Michael Cole references Nic Nemeth! #RoyalRumble

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

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

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️ #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IT’S JUST YOU, UCE! #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Thoughts on the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble

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

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TheChairshot.com PRESENTS: WWE Crown Jewel Immediate Reactions

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Published

4 months ago

November 2, 2024

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