Opinion

Mishal: The Violent Masterpiece That Was WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov

Mishal takes a look at the highly praised fight between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov from NXT UK that has everyone talking!

Published

4 years ago

November 11, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Mishal takes a look at the highly praised fight between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov from NXT UK that has everyone talking!

I’ve said it before, roughly 800 times, and I’ll say it again, wrestling in 2020 has been a jarring experience to behold.

Professional wrestling has always over the course of its history been a sport that uses the art of violence within the infamous ”squared circle” to convey story & characters to a live audience sitting at ringside seeing these modern-day gladiators go to war over a championship, personal stake or simply for the sake of ferocious competition. But in 2020, its most vital element was plucked from right underneath it due to a global health pandemic, that being the very fans that spend their hard-earned money to see the best wrestling on the planet whenever it may come into town.

And as a result, a lot has changed within the landscape of the business.

Storylines were sent into flux, wrestlers (such as Roman Reigns) miraculously disappeared from television due to real-life health concerns, venues shut down prompting the biggest annual wrestling show in WrestleMania to be held behind closed doors with no in-person attendance, wrestlers were forced to act under a very different dynamic to tell their stories & what could have been a banner year for professional wrestling simply became iconic for a variety of different reasons. This wasn’t the same landscape we were either used to or promised as the year begun, shifting plans for big matches, returns, as well as numerous other events which essentially sent much of the year’s events into standstill.

In the midst of all this mess, was one particularly highly anticipated match which was lurking below the surface of the return of Edge, The Undertakers ”Final” match, Randy Orton’s rise back to the top, Roman Reigns return or even companies like AEW stealing the show every week on television, that was the highly anticipated clash between NXT’s UK Champion WALTER & Ilja Dragunov.

Neither WALTER nor Dragunov were strangers to each other prior to this established match, in fact the history between the two was far deeper than WWE or NXT fans were aware of. Because WWE tend to only briefly reference their talents past, the emphasis NXT chose to take with their past history was a neat little element that added a lot in retrospect, especially if you’re familiar with it.

The two have engaged in battles across Europe over the years, with their history starting in wXw (Westside Extreme Wrestling) in Germany with various encounters, spilling over into PROGRESS wrestling in the United Kingdom in a match that would become a standard bearer & finally, arriving on their largest stage in NXT almost half a decade after it had begun to rekindle what they started. To those interested in looking into their history of this incredible feud, Ian Hamiltion over at 411mania has a neat little recap piece that should fill you in on what these two have been through since the beginning.

Originally slated to be held earlier in the year, likely at a TakeOver special most likely, the two faced a setback once COVID-19 set in government travel restrictions, production issues as NXT UK came to a grinding halt with the UK not allowing sports to function as normal & any storylines on the show put on hold for the time being until the situation was resolved. Upon the brands return, all eyes were set on the two former rivals to clash on the biggest stage with all eyes on them, as the world anticipated what degree of pain the two could inflict on each other. Both are known for their leans on ”Strong Style” wrestling, as their chops, kicks & punches could practically be felt through their television screen, which made this content all the more compelling.

As for the match, it was only aided with 7 months of anticipation building behind it due to cancellations which made this feel like something fans simply had to behold, and they weren’t wrong, in fact what they got was something truly special. Unlike anything seen under the WWE banner.

The Match

Despite the criticism that the pandemic era of professional wrestling has received since it began, this is one of those few times that if anything the strange atmosphere it created actually benefited the story we were being presented. That deafening silence of an empty arena takes away from the aura of most big matches, yet it only seemed to make this one stand out more.

With a lack of fans, reaction or distractions in the background whether sound or otherwise, everything we felt was conveyed in the ring & it felt like it hurt to see it almost as much as it must have heard to take on both men’s parts. The lack of atmosphere, the pitch silence at times (bar the commentary team) created an atmosphere of pitch-perfect tension, capturing the animosity of both WALTER & Ilja Dragnunov perfectly as they contested something that was less of a match, and more of a fight. Nothing about this was meant to be pretty or stylish, this was simply about two men wanting to kick the ever-living hell out of one another, which they accomplished in spades.

You could hear every blow manifest from both WALTER’s legendary chops to Ilja’s brutal uppercuts, you could see the welts build up on both men’s bodies as the contest stretched on & you could tell whether fake or not that the punishment these two were enduring wasn’t simply there for the sake of storytelling, the pain could be seen & heard quite openly. This kind of atmosphere wouldn’t likely exist with some kind of live audience present, at least not to the extent that it did here. Sure, an audience’s reaction would have been fascinating to see, but in all honesty the facial expressions & emotions of display of both WALTER & Ilja was mesmerizing storytelling. The two wisely played off the advantages of no audience being present, resorting to dialogue in their native tongue, emotion on all levels & displaying sheer agony to fill the void of any missing elements that may have been provided by an audience.

As for the in-ring action, to those familiar with the dynamic between the two competitors it was the brilliance you’ve seen before, but to any newcomers, you were in for a treat. In terms of pacing, the contest never wavered, even at its slower points. From the get-go this was an all-out fight, skipping over the prototypical rest holds, lock ups, taunting or shenanigans so many contests are marred with in most circumstances, which made this all the better as a result. While the standard WWE formula did play its role in terms of second winds this did a good job of straying away from that formula just enough to keep things fresh, which you can highly tribute to the creative offense on display as well as two genuinely unique personas clashing head on. A constant reliance on strikes, torturous chops, brutal kicks, unforgiving slams & a clothesline so vicious my jaw dropped to the floor made this a spectacle in violence, just not the kind you’d expect. Even something as similar as a headlock featured a spontaneous, monstrous slap from WALTER to the chest, never letting go of the narrative surrounding the imposing force that he is while never straying away from the physicality.

WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov is arguably the most outright violent match I’ve ever seen in my life as a professional wrestling fan, but not for the reasons you’d imagine.

Where this match shines are in its ability to convey violence through its storytelling & not rely on what’s made matches like the hardcore matches from ECW, Deathmatches in Japan/Mexico or the utter insanity of contests during the Attitude Era special (such as profuse amounts of blood), this used the very central characteristics of the characters as that violence. Each strike wasn’t simply a strike, it was a test on both men’s parts to test the limitations they’d built up over the course of this feud, a test of the will of the characters, not just a further addition to the already violent action but rather an example of how much the NXT UK Title represented to them. Presenting violence in this way doesn’t just make it impactful, it makes it personal, it garners stakes, which is why this match sucked me in the manner it did. Every moment built on the last, every strike meant something & the punishment both men went through was a testament to their dedication to tell the most effective story possible.

At the end, it was Dragunov that fell to the seemingly unstoppable NXT UK Champion after almost 30 minutes of carnage. However, the match didn’t indicate this being the final chapter in a feud with far more longevity, it kept the door open to what would hopefully be a second, even a series of encounters between WALTER & Dragunov. Ilja never directly submitted nor was he ever pinned like any other opponent before him, he was simply put to sleep at the call of a referee, giving the man a viable reason to contest a rematch with the reigning champion down the line or in the near future depending on where NXT UK heads in the next number of months.

I say this as a genuine fan & admirer of this match, this isn’t the last time these two men will meet in an NXT ring because there is so much more for them to bring to the table. From a booking standpoint, this is one of those rare matches I’d call virtually perfect in execution as it did what it was meant to while only leaving me wanting a rematch instantly.

Conclusion

So, when it comes down to this, where do I stand on this match?

Is it my 2020 Match of the Year? Is it as good as the hype dictated it would be? Is it the best match of either WALTER or Ilja Dragunov’s careers? Was it worth the 7 months wait? Does it set a new standard for the NXT UK brand?

To almost all of the above, yes, without a single doubt in my mind.

The only contention I would have is with this being the best match of WALTER’s NXT run, because there is so much quality to dig through. We could put this up against his epics with Pete Dunne or Tyler Bate, and where you come down on is simply due to your overall taste, but for myself its somewhat of a tie between all 3 as of right now. Each match brings something different to the table depending on your taste, so for now I’ll play the resident coward unwilling to make the hard decision & settle on this question as a tie. Although, time will make this decision for me.

As for everything else, it’s extremely hard not to find something to love in this match, regardless of your tastes. It’s a brilliant example of professional wrestling done to perfection, from the long-term character work put into both men, the brilliantly layered story behind the match, the sheer brutality of both men’s in-ring styles & the creativity in presenting a match like this without a live audience to play off of. It’s all the very best elements of the business on full display, most importantly shining the spotlight on long-term storytelling’s impact on big money matches which WWE sorely lacks. This wasn’t a box office draw, nor was it the kind of match that would outsell the biggest PPV’s, it was just a damn fine presentation all around that everyone should be proud of.

You could refer to this as a wrestling purists wet dream, because that’s exactly what it is.

WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov is a modern-day masterpiece in every way for me & undoubtedly the finest professional wrestling contest put up in 2020 so far, even topping the brilliance that was FTR vs The Young Bucks from AEW Full Gear from just days ago. More than just a match, this felt like a fight, and with some people constantly wanting to see more ‘realism’ out of professional wrestling I feel this could serve to cater to that niche demographic while also enhancing the story beyond just a wrestling match.

It’s the most masterful match I’ve seen in well over a year (since Cody vs Dustin Rhodes) & the most violent match I’ve witnessed that didn’t resort to the use of a stipulation or foreign objects. But most importantly, and the aspect that will define this match forever, is that this was unlike anything mainstream wrestling fans have likely ever seen. From the violence to the fighters literally venting their emotions to each other by talking between blows in passionate war cry’s, WWE has never presented something with an aura quite like WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov.

Regardless of which company you prefer, which style of wrestling you prefer or how aware you are of either of these men, it’s a spectacle you have to see to believe. A masterpiece in every sense of the word.

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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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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