Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Takeaways From WWE Clash Of Champions

Mishal digs into Clash Of Champions with his Top 5 Takeaways from this past Sunday’s PPV event on the WWE Network!

Published

4 years ago

October 3, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

WWE Clash Of Champions Roman Reigns Jey Uso

Mishal digs into Clash Of Champions with his Top 5 Takeaways from this past Sunday’s PPV event on the WWE Network!

Let’s face it, we had no real anticipation for 2020’s Clash of Champions event.

A show that for the most part was built poorly (at least on the RAW side of things), was completely inconsistent in portraying most challengers as a credible threat to the current champions defending their respective titles & one that never felt important because WWE’s creative team choosing to focus on a plethora of irrelevant storylines that removed from the ones relevant to the show itself.

To say the enthusiasm heading into the show was anything more than mediocre would be a simple lie because fans had every right to be pessimistic about what to expect from a show the company seemed to throw together at the very last minute. Outside of the 2 main events & Intercontinental Championship program, everything surrounding them was either shoved together only days prior to the event or served as the continuation to rivalries that have either severely overstayed their welcome. No major show should have that feeling behind it, not a single one.

On top of the troubles heading into the event, the show was marred by last-minute changes that shifted the entire layout of the card. Talent such as Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax & Nikki Cross were all pulled from their scheduled matches for the evening (presumably as a result of COVID-19, according to reports) which sent an already messy card in an entirely new direction.

Clash of Champions continued the 2020 trend in WWE of poorly building up your big monthly events, only to have them more often than not exceed your middling expectations heading in.

That being said, here are the 5 biggest takeaways from a show with a tonne going on.

5. The Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match was WWE at its very best

Every professional company has its own specific vibe & product to deliver to their fanbase. AEW is for the wrestling purists with its plethora of styles, Impact Wrestling provides a more ‘interactive’ experience due to its smaller audience, NJPW is all about the sheer physicality, even the NWA is all about an old-school throwback in a modern time & WWE excels when it is the walking Friday morning cartoon that we all know it is at its core.

This is what made Sunday night’s opening ladder match between Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy & AJ Styles so much more special than your average multi-man ladder match, it embraced its absurdity in ways few matches ever have. Beyond just being a wild ladder match, this delved into territory I can’t recall ever seeing before in a WWE ring, but it wasn’t without its substantive story & character work. The match itself worked into all 3 men’s capabilities perfectly, with Hardy almost killing himself on more than one occasion, Styles playing the wiser more calculated competitor & Zayn fully embracing his devilish heel persona resulting in some of the most absurd moments I’ve seen in all my years of watching professional wrestling.

What started off as your standard 3-way match morphed into one of the most creative, daring & unique contests anyone could witness. Featuring countless dives which had me jumping out of my chair, a Swanton Bomb off a ladder that you could practically feel & handcuffs being used in a WWE match in ways you’d only dream of. Call WWE predictable all you want, nobody ever called Jeff Hardy dragging a ladder that was handcuffed through his earlobe into the ring to try and climb another ladder with at any point prior to this show, not a single one of you.

Beyond being amongst the finest matches of the year, it was a prime example of just how insane WWE can be when they let their performers run absolutely wild for over 20 minutes.

4. Does WWE care about tag team wrestling?

Tag team wrestling has always been a mood for WWE, never a fixture of who they are. Primarily featured when a large, marketable team or stable such as The New Day, The Shield, The Wyatt Family or The Usos is available to garner a steady flow of income off of, tag team wrestling has just never been a consistent element of the company’s programming for as long as I can remember, with interest coming in waves rather than out of a sheer passion for the style it presents.

The 2010’s saw interest spike every now & then, however, it’s largely an accessory to shows that tend to lack depth in order to fill time for the rest of the card. With the exception of the utterly outstanding Usos vs New Day program in 2017, WWE’s tag team division (outside of NXT) has just lacked any kind of significant identity for them to work with or garner fan admiration. All of this is the result of booking or management decisions, not the talent itself which has always been there, just never used in a manner that displays what they can do.

Clash of Champions was a bit of a rude awakening to how far the division has fallen, particularly over the last 12 to 18 months. Teams such as The Street Profits have been getting their shine with a solid reign as RAW Tag Team Champions (despite facing Andrade & Garza a combined 12,000 times in the past week alone), but almost everything else currently going lacks that ‘it’ factor to make something matter. Cesaro & Nakamura are in their own right undeniably superb talents, just fail to gel properly due to being thrown in a feud with Lucha House Party that does neither team any favours. And outside the select teams mentioned, what else does WWE have to offer with its tag team division?

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Other remaining teams such as The Usos are embroiled in a fascinating storyline with Roman Reigns, The New Day have gone their separate ways for the time being & The Hurt Business is too busy trying to make ‘RETRIBUTION’ relevant at the time of this writing.

As much as we may all whine about the state of tag team wrestling in WWE, I think we can all agree that some effort is better than the little effort they’ve been handed because everyone involved in this deserves so much better than what they’re forced to work with.

3. Sasha Banks & Bayley is the company’s best-built feud in years

It’s rare that a modern-day WWE feud makes me as excited as the deeply personal feud between Sasha Banks & Bayley.

SmackDown over the last four to six weeks has been a testament to the importance of long-form storytelling, something the main roster has been lacking for the longest time. Unlike their red branded counterparts, superstars on SmackDown seem to have some kind of direction, whether it be Bayley & Banks, Reigns & Jey Uso, Sami Zayn’s quest to recapture his gold, Alexa Bliss transforming into ‘The Fiends’ slave of sorts or Bray Wyatt’s teasing of his return to feud with Reigns, the product has a sense of longevity to it that I truly treasure. A good chunk of it feels planned out, building on new stars & furthering the brand in a way that keeps my interest.

That is exactly why Banks & Bayley lands as well as it does because there’s a history behind the tragedy of their on-screen relationship. On top of being a solid duo, the characters of both women have developed substantially, with Bayley going full-blown heel while Banks re-discovers herself as ”The Boss” she was so widely known as in her NXT glory days. It’s the age-old tale of selfish heel vs fiery babyface that has created some of professional wrestling’s finest feuds over the decades, and for all we know, this could rank up there with the best of them when all is said & done.

With Hell in a Cell approaching under a month from now, it’s such a relief to finally see the company build up feuds that are worthy of being held in such a brutal, sadistic structure, something that has certainly been missing from previous events over the years. Of everything going, seeing these two former best friends collide inside the steel structure will be nothing short of spectacular.

2. The Ambulance Match will never satisfy fans

Ambulances matches are an odd one to talk about. Gimmick matches in general either work or don’t base on how believable they are, just how absurd or not the gimmick is or more importantly if it makes sense to the audience watching at home or in the rafters. For myself personally, the Ambulance match is a colossal waste of time, it’s basically the Last Man Standing stipulation with extra steps.

To others, they may find some kind of redeeming quality to it with its absurdity or the brutality that could come with it in the past, the truth is under PG- era guidelines or without a certain degree of talent, I’m just not sure this stipulation works with most competitors. Both Shane McMahon & Kane pushed their bodies to the absolute limit at the 2003 Survivor Series to make this thing work under the circumstance, but there was a degree of tension that came with their story that made all the better as a result. This past Sunday, I’m not sure the result WWE wanted was achieved.

I’m overwhelmed that Drew McIntyre gets to continue establishing his legacy as WWE Champion, simply because his reign has been the most well booked of any champion in the last half-decade at least, but also due to the importance of making sure the future is at the forefront of what you sell. On the other hand, this stipulation may have hurt the ”Scottish Psychopaths” reputation to some extent, as the booking did him little favours in defining the rage this entire rivalry has built up since SummerSlam. What felt like a deeply personal feud turned into a story more about the legends than the champion himself, and while the action held my attention fairly well elements of the booking compromised what should have been an absolute massacre on both men’s parts.

In terms of establishing the motive for Randy Orton to demand a rematch down the line, this achieved that pretty well, in terms of making your champion look like the force of nature you’ve been selling him as since the start of 2020? This fell short in that regard & if anything made him look substantially weaker than he was prior to this booking. While not a bad match this is one of those contests that is dividing the fans who’ve seen it since it’s the kind of thing you either enjoy or not depending on how you like your wrestling delivered to you.

1. Roman Reigns: Professional wrestling’s hottest star

In the midst of the chaos that has been 2020, one of the brightest shining lights, at least within the realm of professional wrestling, has been the short but immensely satisfying redemption story of the Roman Reigns character since his return at SummerSlam a little over a month ago.

Since the infamous split of The Shield in mid-2014 fans have been clamouring for Roman Reigns to play the character he seems so destined to portray. While I never thought Reigns was the worst babyface by any stretch of the imagination, it was clear that his character needed more progression to get to the stage that WWE wanted him to be at. Everything from his look, in-ring style, verbal ability & presentation screamed a monstrous heel who could run through any and everyone. For a while, we got glimpses of this potential. His feuds with the likes of Undertaker, Braun Strowman, John Cena, Brock Lesnar & even Triple H displayed just what Roman Reigns should have been from the get-go.

Despite taking the company a little over six years to get to this point, I’d say it’s better late than never. Reigns is in the role we all knew he would excel at playing, with a manager that ascends most of his clients to the very top of the foodchain, along with additional added history to their dynamic that makes everything all the more fascinating.

Sunday night was solidifying proof of just what about every fan knew prior to this booking change, and it feels so, so good to take in.

Reigns’ match against real-life cousin Jey Uso wasn’t a 5-star mat classic, it wasn’t unpredictable or anything out of left field and it was never meant to be. But it might have been the best pure form of storytelling & character work WWE, maybe even any wrestling brand has put on display all year. It emodied everything Reigns needs to be & after what feels like years, a true force of nature exists in the company outside of Brock Lesnar. Everything from his ground & pound assault of his cousin, constant resistance on being acknowledge as ”The Tribal Chief”, Heymans ringside antics & even the simple removal of his vest during matches created something you just knew was special while witnessing it. Heck, even the simple notion of a tribal bouquet being place around his neck post-match was pure brilliance. Sunday nights main event demands a rewatch, maybe even more than one, because it was the star making performance we all knew Reigns had in him.

After that evening it wasn’t hard to see what so many have known in the man for so long, whether we reference Vince McMahon’s insistence on putting him at the top of the card, AEW making it vocal of the importance he would represent to their or any brand (as Chris Jericho stated publicly) or how to the current locker room the man is the unchallenged locker room leader & the standard-bearer for the current crop of talent. One thing has never been clearer after Clash of Champions, Roman Reigns is without a doubt wrestling’s hottest commodity.

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Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s 2025 WWE Royal Rumble Results, Review & Reaction

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

Published

2 months ago

February 2, 2025

Greg DeMarco

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

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

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

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

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

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

Women’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honestly, did we need Trish Stratus? #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This company obviously believes in Roxanne Perez. #RoyalRumble

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

LOLCHARLOTTEWINS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners AND STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: DIY

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

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

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

That little ladder is HILARIOUS. #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

Winner, AND STILL WWE Champion: Cody Rhodes

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

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

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

Men’s WWE Royal Rumble Match

Greg’s predictions from earlier in the week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trick Williams’ #RoyalRumble entrance is gonna be ICONIC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We lost Michael for a minute there.

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

Great pop for him, too.

And Michael Cole references Nic Nemeth! #RoyalRumble

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

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

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️ #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IT’S JUST YOU, UCE! #RoyalRumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Thoughts on the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble

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

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TheChairshot.com PRESENTS: WWE Crown Jewel Immediate Reactions

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Published

5 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