Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Takeaways From WWE SummerSlam Weekend

Mishal checks in with his big takeaways from WWE SummerSlam 2020 and NXT Takeover XXX!

Published

5 years ago

August 26, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Mishal checks in with his big takeaways from WWE SummerSlam 2020 and NXT Takeover XXX!

SummerSlam Weekend has now come & gone, and we have a lot to look back on after this fairly eventful weekend.

Being positioned as the 2nd biggest series of nights in the wrestling calendar is no easy mantle to carry around for a company, brand or show, but this year it seemed like WWE was intent on making the biggest impact they could under the circumstances handed to them. In the midst of a pandemic the company went all out to create intrigue around their product at a time when it is struggling to gain traction with mainstream audiences, enhance their presentation beyond the restrictions of a Performance Centre & give us the fans more to chew on heading into the fall with changes started to be made to how they present the storylines in the future.

This weekend consisted of two shows; SummerSlam itself & NXT TakeOver XXX, both carrying a gigantic level of potential on their shoulders.

TakeOver XXX was for the resident, hardcore wrestling fan. It was a night focused on one aspect; the in-ring action, not spectacle or the bright lights we’re used to seeing from the main roster. It was a smaller show, outside the larger scale arena of its follow-up event & gave wrestling’s most pure fans something to drool over.

SummerSlam, on the other hand, was all about the spectacle. Haling from the newly designed ‘Thunderdome’, an arena packed to the brim with LED boards to encourage fan interaction, a new lighting stage to make the superstars feel as large as they’re presented, a new setup which signals some kind of familiarity with the product prior to COVID-19 & the biggest news of all, the return of pyro to a WWE stage. On top of the new layout there was an abundance of storylines to juggle, from Strowman vs Wyatt, McIntyre vs Orton, Rollins vs The Mysterios, Mandy vs Sonya or Asuka facing both Bayley & Sasha Banks, it was a card with so much potential despite some of the gripes the product has at the moment.

And while both shows were highly entertaining in their own right, there is simply too much content to cover for me to include every noteworthy moment on a single list, so for the time being, here are the 5 biggest takeaways from the 2020 SummerSlam weekend.

5. Pat McAfee is a natural

Let’s give credit where credit is due, SummerSlam weekend hosted not one, but two big-time debuts over the course of its run, the one that’s received the most overall build & attention is that off Dominick Mysterio, primarily due to the standing of his family in the company & link to Seth Rollins, one of WWE’s biggest stars. And even though Dominick’s debut served as a really nice piece of history, as well as an incredible feel-good moment to those who saw him on TV back in 2005, I can’t help but think Pat McAfee stole the weekend for me.

As someone who was never an avid viewer of the NFL or mostly any other sport for that matter, my initial investment in this feud as a whole was minimal at best. At the very least it was something different for the NXT brand & while I’m not the biggest fan of celebrity involvement in professional wrestling outside of a few exceptions, seeing something entirely different on NXT was a welcome change.

What I wasn’t expecting, was for this to be nearly as good as it ended up being when the bell rang.

Unlike the Dominick Mysterio match 24 hours later, both McAfee & Cole wrestled under no restraints, no stipulations, no way of covering up any potential hiccups, instead they went the traditional route, wrestling their hearts out for close to 20 minutes. Nothing about the match was necessarily special, nor was it meant to be, what it did do, however, was display the raw, natural talent possessed by the former NFL star himself. From the stunning Senton off the top rope, backflip off the top to the mat, the leaping Superplex late in the match or just his natural ability to excel at the art of professional wrestling, watching the man in a ring was a delight. I’d even go as far to say it was one of my favourite moments of 2020 so far, just based on the sheer surprise everything came as.

Wrestling, as we’ve seen in the past, isn’t for everyone who takes a small role on from outside the industry, MacAfee, on the other hand, looked better than a good chunk of current talent on the roster. He never looked out of place (aside from his awkward lock-up) & felt as much of a wrestler as anyone you can put in the ring, particularly against the likes of a former NXT Champion like Adam Cole.

4. The ‘Thunderdome’ blew me away

On paper, the idea of WWE’s ‘Thunderdome’ seemed ridiculous to me. It came across as a concept too ambitious for its own good, relying on an obscene level of technology that in my head would have made the show even harder to watch than without a live audience, thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.

WWE’s ‘Thunderdome’ worked wonders, at least for myself personally. While the actual feeling of the live audience interacting with their favourite superstars is still sorely missing, any kind of change at this point is better than what we previously had. The use of LED screens to bring the audience at home into the arena, the unique soundstage that breathes new life into a product that was previously occupied by roughly 30 people in a small training centre, the set design at least brings that ‘larger than life’ feel that WWE is known for & at the very least the company is trying to replicate what their average audience is used to seeing. Which is no easy task under the circumstances.

Whether we talk about SmackDown or SummerSlam, both shows had a distinct feeling to them that brought back some of that glory & grandeur you always hear Michael Cole & Corey Graves gush about on commentary, and while the authenticity is another subject entirely, the level of effort put in by everyone involved blew me away on its own. Say what you will about WWE, nobody puts on a show quite like them.

Getting used to fans being present via LED screens will be an adjustment I’ll have to weave in over the coming weeks, but it’s the first time in a long time that watching a WWE show felt like a ‘WWE show’.

3. We never saw ‘The Big Dog’ coming

Roman Reigns’ return to WWE on Sunday night was one of the very few genuine surprises the modern-day product of WWE has handed us over the last number of years, considering everything we’ve seen.

Even the likes of Edge’s return (while awesome) always had that hint of predictability due to various backstage rumours & his SummerSlam appearance, but due to the pandemic taking its toll on others outside the company getting their hands on close information, for the most part, but Roman Reigns’ return felt like the most genuine shock seen on the program in months since his absence.

The lack of crowd didn’t hurt his appearance either, as the presence of Reigns has been missing since around March when the company lost arguably its biggest current name at a time when they never needed him more with so many talents either leaving the company due to budget cuts, creative difference or due to health reasons as a result of COVID-19. Along with him missing a big-money match opposite Goldberg of all people, SmackDown, in particular, has lacked the star-power it had prior to Reigns’ absence, with the likes of Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman having to carry most of the baggage as a result.

With Reigns’ back, the product as a whole feels somewhat rejuvenated, with a legitimate threat standing in front of two men who are now established main event talents & more importantly, the Universal Title feels like an actual item of value, rather than an element in the backdrop of a personal rivalry.

2. Seth Rollins, WWE’s hottest commodity

Listen, WWE has a lot of talent. I love Bray Wyatt, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Keith Lee, AJ Styles, Matt Riddle, Daniel Bryan, Shayna Baszler, Bayley, Asuka, heck even MVP has been on fire as of late. But nobody, not a single member of their roster, defines their character quite as well as Seth Rollins does at this point in time.

Rollins has been searching for a definition for the longest time now, in particular following the dismal booking his character received following last years WrestleMania & victory over Brock Lesnar which left him with no clear path forward following a series of dreadful feuds that left fans more divided on him than ever in his career. And while the road to get to where we are with the ‘Monday Night Messiah’ has been bumpy, he’s finally come full circle as a character. With a gimmick that doesn’t just work despite the over-the-top nature, but oddly enough suits his personality perfectly with how fantastic his work is as a heel.

He more than anything embodies this god-like character he presents, through his in-ring work, promo work, incredibly bombastic theme music & even the manner in which he carries himself from the entrance down to the ring. After the longest time, Seth Rollins is his own man, not simply the man who broke The Shield & is riding that wave of momentum, it feels like he’s found his groove as a performer, and Sunday was further proof of his genesis from what he was not too long ago.

Many gimmicks in the company have their charms, but Seth Rollins is one of the odd ones that you never doubt has a gimmick behind the camera, this is simply him as a performer. Where his current feud with Mysterio’s goes is anyone’s guess, but no matter where he ends up, no star has me as interested as Rollins does.

1. WWE SummerSlam > NXT TakeOver XXX

It’s become somewhat of a ‘meme’ on the internet, social media & within the wrestling community to always state that the main roster of WWE stands no chance when placed opposite an NXT show.

And when you look at the historical record of both sides of the company, you wouldn’t be crazy for thinking so.

Unlike the abundance of main roster shows we get on a yearly basis, NXT’s Takeover events are insanely consistent in overall quality. They certainly aren’t all perfect, but the level of quality in terms of storytelling & even the basic wrestling goes, they’ve almost always outperformed their main roster counterparts. However, this past Sunday was one of the few times I’d say WWE’s main roster outdid the much smaller brand that acts as a warm-up to their much larger presentations.

Takeover shows always position themselves for the more hardcore wrestling fan, but to say they possess no qualities for a casual fan to admire is a bit of stretch to claim. This Sunday, however, was one of the odd times where the main roster arguably gave the better, more well-rounded show for fans of all kinds.

Takeover XXX, for my money, was a ho-hum event, with a plethora of solid matches (and one fantastic outing between Cole & MacAfee) but nothing that really ‘stood out’ per se. The shows ladder match did its job perfectly well despite feeling a bit more choreographed than I would have liked, the women did a fine job, Finn Balors clash with Timothy Thatcher started things off well, but the show never reached that ‘next level’ we’re used to seeing. Most of my issues lie with the main event, which had its moments, but was so overly long & plagued with the same issues so many other NXT main events hold that it tanked the pacing of the show to a grinding halt. Rather than all-out war or hoss fight, the shows closing match was a prolonged snooze when compared to the heated build it received in the days leading up to the event.

SummerSlam, on the other hand, was more or less booked to perfection, with not a single match not ending in a result I viewed as unsatisfactory at all. While the main event of the show is arguably its biggest blunder, the storytelling & action at least established the tension both Strowman & Wyatt had built up over the previous months, as clunky as it was at times. Elsewhere you had an excellent WWE Championship Match that was my match of the weekend, two great Women’s title matches, Dominick Mysterio putting on a solid debut opposite Seth Rollins, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville continuing to excel & the long-awaited return of Roman Reigns to cap things off. As far as a big-time show goes, it doesn’t get much better than SummerSlam 2020 for me, while NXT has a track record of outperforming the main roster, this past weekend showed that when they want to, the company’s main booking team has what it takes to craft something truly spectacular.

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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

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