Opinion

News From Cook’s Corner 2.8.21: Tom Freaking Brady

Cook goes over a few big/interesting wrestling topics, but the week was capped off by Tom “Freaking” Brady!

Published

4 years ago

February 8, 2021

Hi, hello & welcome to News From Cook’s Corner! I am Steve Cook, and I absolutely nailed everything that happened on Super Bowl Sunday. If you read my column on Saturday, you didn’t even need to watch the game. Of course the Buccaneers won. They had Tom Brady. As I’ve told you before, you don’t bet against greatness, and betting against Brady is like betting against Michael Jordan’s Bulls or Bill Russell’s Celtics. You might as well flush your money down the toilet if you’re thinking of betting against that.

I told you the under was the smart bet, because all of the hype heading into the game was about the offense, and whenever that happens we end up with a lower-scoring game than expected. The Buccaneers put up plenty of points, but there weren’t enough on the other end. I also told you that the best bet on Gatorade color splashed on the winning head coach was blue, since the Patriots had used blue the last couple of times they were able to get Bill Belichick with it, and Brady had enough stroke to pick the Gatorade dispensed on the sideline. Sure enough…

The Gatorade was Blue pic.twitter.com/x6I4nZD24I

— Official Bookmaker (@bookmaker_eu) February 8, 2021

It was an up & down year for me with the NFL. Pretty sure that calling everything that happened at the Super Bowl pushes me over the top and solidifies my “expert” status. Granted, I achieved this by going in the tank for Tom Brady, but if you’re going to shill for somebody, it might as well be the GOAT. Honestly, I don’t see how people that still hate him at this point sleep at night. Just give in already! Accept it for what it is! Denying reality will just make you angry and useless to the world.

There’s a political joke there, but I’m gonna leave it alone. Gonna be nice to the opposition. Let’s get to what you all click on this column for, the wrestling news!

AEW & New Japan

We have to start this week with something that’s a rarity amongst Internet wrestling writers. Many of us have a tough time admitting when we’re wrong about something. We usually just sweep it under the rug while moving on to the next hot take.

Me, I feel the need to own up to when I get something wrong. Especially when I’m so sure I’m right about something. Like last week, when I said with 100% certainty that this whole Moxley/KENTA thing on NJPW Strong wouldn’t lead to anything important on AEW television. I absolutely thought they might mention it on commentary prior to the match, and then not say anything after the match aired.

I did not think that KENTA would appear at the end of Dynamite to make Moxley Go 2 Sleep. I also did not think that KENTA would do a match on the next week’s episode, as I didn’t expect him to appear on AEW Dynamite. Some crazy stuff going on here, which was easier to make happen than I originally thought.

As it turns out, the heat between AEW & New Japan came down to two things. One being the fact that Harold Meij wouldn’t do business with the Elite guys. Once Meij got relived of his duties with NJPW, things got easier. The other issue, which is easier for people like you & I to understand, is the fact that AEW was not an established brand in North America. New Japan likes to rely on established partners in various countries. Ring of Honor was their partner in the United States. They didn’t know that the Elite & Tony Khan could form a promotion that could be a viable partner. They underestimated what AEW could be. Once AEW established themselves as a viable partner with international reach, New Japan saw the value.

Let’s be honest. This isn’t the sort of thing that’s going to draw in those casual viewers. People are going to slam this thing because of that. They’ll use it as evidence that AEW is only interested in catering to their hardcore demographic, because nobody outside of that demo cares about Japanese wrestling. They’re not entirely wrong. I, for one, am happy to be catered to from time to time. Also, it’s kind of nice to be able to watch a show and not feel compelled to defend it by saying “it’s not for us”.

We don’t know how far this thing can go, and as long as things are the way they are, that dream match supercard can’t happen. As a wrestling geek, I am marking out over the idea of AEW, NJPW & Impact Wrestling crossing over, and I’m also hoping that Ring of Honor gets involved since I review their show for 411. Would be nice!

New Japan on Roku

We’ve been hearing about this New Japan TV deal in North America for awhile, and in most circumstances I would be ready to dump on what they came up with. People were hoping for New Japan to get a nice slot on a channel people could find on their cable systems. Vice was a popular suggested destination, and apparently there were talks with ESPN as well. Neither of those happened, so they got a deal on the Roku Channel. It’ll be like the show they had on AXS, older stuff for an hour.

Doesn’t sound like much, but it works for me. I have a Roku box since Tony Sly told me to get one for fifteen years. So I’ll be able to view whatever they put on Roku. Sounds good to me!

Cesaro Re-Signs

There was a brief period of time where Cesaro’s WWE contract was about to expire and people thought he might go somewhere else. That led to Shinsuke Nakamura getting the push in the gauntlet match on SmackDown a few weeks ago, and apparently Shinsuke’s job going forward will be to make stars. I hope he does, WWE could definitely use some!

Cesaro was apparently the original choice for that role, as Daniel Bryan has been pretty insistent on featuring him. In an somewhat related note, it’s interesting how nobody noticed the difference between Daniel Bryan & Edge on the creative team until Dave Meltzer wrote a sentence or two about it in his newsletter. One wants to push other people, the other wants a main event slot for themselves. I’m not even blaming Edge for it, as I know some otters that are totally buying into his deal. Just noting the difference between him & Bryan, who could have a main event slot for himself if he wanted it. Doesn’t seem to be a priority for him.

Cesaro has reportedly agreed to a new deal with WWE, and people have thoughts & opinions about it. My thoughts & opinions: whatever makes Cesaro happy is good with me. Also, I don’t think he’s been as underutilized as people claim over the years. We’re talking about a seven-time Tag Team Champion here, and I happen to think he’s best as part of a tag team. I know that “tag team” is a dirty word to some of you, but I think there’s a lot of value in somebody that can make a perfect tag team with just about anybody. Cesaro is the Bobby Eaton of his generation, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s kept him under contract for a very long time. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

Cutler Cut

Steve Cutler, formerly one third of the truculent trio known as the Forgotten Sons, was released by WWE last week. In normal circumstances, most of us would shrug our shoulders & move on to the next thing, as Cutler wasn’t exactly a featured performer & WWE has become ridiculously profitable by letting people like him go. We don’t move on because outlets like the Wrestling Observer & Fightful tell us he got released because he got the coronavirus.

Cutler’s been quiet on the issue, but his girlfriend, Deonna Purrazzo, has been vocal in his defense on social media. She admits that they both tested positive early in January, but defends their decision to party with other wrestlers & points out that other wrestlers that attended the party are still employed. I’m guessing those other wrestlers are hoping that they remain nameless, especially if they’re expendable.

We don’t know if testing positive for the coronavirus after partying was Cutler’s only offense. He’s certainly not the only person contracted by WWE that’s done that, so there very well may be other issues at play that we don’t know about. We probably won’t know either, since the coronavirus angle is what the wrestling media is going with at the behest of Cutler & Purrazzo. Maybe it is just that. WWE’s probably getting frustrated with their workers continually ignoring requests to not party all the time party all the time party all the time during a pandemic.

Listen, it’s easy for me to say this because my social life hasn’t changed all that much over the past year. Might be hard for y’all to believe, but I’m not a popular guy. Never been particularly well-liked by my peer group. I don’t get invited to very many parties. So it’s easy for me to tell people to stop going to parties & spreading viruses. It seems like an easy thing to do from my perspective. Maybe not from that of a popular person that loves being around other people.

Should WWE be firing people for getting sick? Probably not, but I understand a certain level of frustration people there must be feeling towards their workforce. They keep getting sick and missing time at work, forcing plans to constantly be changed. WWE keeps having these outbreaks, and they’re not as good at covering it up as other wrestling promotions are.

Lars Let Go

PWInsider reported last week that Lars Sullivan had been released by WWE some time back. It was a bit surprising, not only because Lars had been a project they’d been trying to build for awhile, but because there was no notice on WWE’s website. No future endeavors! It was like WWE was hoping we’d forget he existed with them. And we did for about a month or so.

Lars’ last straw was continuing to no-show TV tapings, which had been a problem with him in the past due to anxiety. He confirmed during an interview with Fightful that his anxiety issues had gotten the best of him, and he & WWE mutually agreed to part ways.

Its very similar to what happened with Kylie Rae. Kylie got more sympathy from the public though, largely because she wasn’t known to post racist & homophobic comments online. Maybe it’s not fair to Lars, but people will hold that stuff against you. Hopefully he gets better, figures things out & finds some happiness on his own terms.

Tyler Reks Transitions

You might remember Tyler Reks from early 2010s WWE. Reks started in ECW before moving to SmackDown. Career highlights included beating Kaval to earn a spot on SmackDown’s Bragging Rights team & teaming with Curt Hawkins to kidnap Matt Striker. Reks left WWE in 2012 to spend more time with family, and didn’t do much in the pro wrestling scene afterward.

Reks made some news last week by coming out as a trans woman. Now known as Gabbi Tuft, she’s the first former WWE Superstar to make a transition in gender identity. We haven’t seen that a whole lot in wrestling in general. Nyla Rose is the only active transgender wrestler working for a major company. It’s not something we’re used to discussing, and I’m just happy I’ve gotten better at handling these things with age. Me trying to write about a topic like this in 2005 wouldn’t have been good. I had no idea what was going on back then. So young and stupid.

I tend to avoid reading the comment sections on news items like this one, so I don’t know how the majority of wrestling fans have been reacting. Hopefully they’ve been supportive. I can’t imagine what it’s like to spend your life being one thing when in your heart you know that you’re the opposite. Going through that, then deciding to make the change and dealing with the reactions of others that see you a certain way…that takes a strength I don’t think most people have. I doubt I would be able to. Fortunately, I am very confident in my identity as an ugly male that has no appeal to the opposite sex, and have no desire to explore other avenues. Especially at my advanced age.

We wish Gabbi the best, and hope people treat her with the respect she deserves.

Butch Reed

Butch Reed, most known for his stints with Mid-South Wrestling, WCW & the WWF, passed away last week at the age of 66. He suffered two massive heart attacks within a week and was unable to recover.

My Mid-South watching hasn’t gotten to the part where Reed shows up yet, but people speak very well of his work there. His WWF stint is mostly remembered for his chance to be Intercontinental Champion falling by the wayside due to a series of no-shows. That WWF road schedule was no joke, and claimed many a victim back in the day. Reed denied this for many years, but came clean later on.

I’m most familiar with Reed as one-half of Doom, the team he formed with Ron Simmons that won the WCW Tag Team Championship. Simmons would go on to further glory as the first black World Champion recognized by a national wrestling promotion. Reed did not have similar success, Doom was pretty much his last major run. I was pretty excited to hear that Reed was still watching wrestling recently, and saw Will Hobbs as the next “Hacksaw”, reminding him of himself back in the day. A great compliment to a youngster.

He did wrestle part-time while pursuing a career on the rodeo circuit in the 1990s. So you could say he spent his later years in wrestling riding producers of bullshit while Ron Simmons spent his later years in wrestling teaming with one.

And on that note, I’ll see you next week!

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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