Opinion

News From Cook’s Corner 11.8.21: Release

Cook touches on some of the bigger stories lately, a passing of classic wrestler and Twitter drama! Check it out!

Published

3 years ago

November 8, 2021

Hi, hello & welcome to News From Cook’s Corner! It’s pretty amazing…I take a week off from this nonsense and everything just piles up! You got WWE releasing people, ROH releasing their entire roster, AEW folks taking time off…if this was the old days when sports printed transactions in their own section, you could have a whole page dedicated to wrestling transactions this week. Do sports pages still do that? I haven’t actually looked at one in years because I’m one of those dang millennials.

Since football didn’t happen over the weekend, we can skip right to the wrestling news & information you need to get through your day.

A Quarterly Tradition Unlike Any Other

Shayna Baszler injury angles for women are the equivalent to a Randy Orton insult for the men#wwereleases pic.twitter.com/3EaLLBYVOv

— 𝔾𝕒𝕣𝕪 ℍ  (@garyh3k) November 5, 2021

WWE released their quarterly financial report last week and had their conference call to talk about how great everything was going. Let there be no doubt that things are going great for WWE financially. We online experts tend to focus on the merit of the product that the company produces. What nobody can deny is the fact that WWE knows how to make money.

What also can’t be denied is a trend that’s developed recently. Here’s how it goes: WWE releases their financial report & has a conference call where they talk about how much money they’re making and all the fun projects they have planned going forward. Shortly after that, we find out who’s getting released from the talent roster. This time, eighteen names were released into the ether, many of who were featured in NXT over the past couple of years. John Laurinaitas informed the roster that these were “budget cuts”, while sources told the Kellers, Sapps & Satins of the world all of the bad things about the people that got released.

Keith Lee, for example, had “attitude issues”. You know, I can’t imagine why Keith Lee might not have been the happiest camper over the past year or so. Maybe having serious health problems, being told to change your wrestling style because it’s not what the boss wants, and constantly having your presentation changed from week to week weighs on a person? For what it’s worth, Lee was just out here a week or two kissing Vince McMahon’s backside & talking about how neat it was having Vince be so involved in developing the “Bearcat” persona. But yeah, “attitude issues”, sure, ok whatever. Reports magically came out about Karrion Kross’s “backstage heat” as well. How about that? Again, shocking to believe that somebody presented the way Kross was from the moment he made the move to Raw wouldn’t be all sunshine & butterflies. Mia Yim & Scarlett were both released as well, to make sure everybody in their households were on the same page.

Both Lee & Kross were the victim of a poor transition from NXT to Raw. We’ve seen the changes to NXT lately, and hopefully for the new talents being brought in, one of the changes that will become evident in the future is a smoother transition from NXT to the main roster. However, if the treatment of B-Fab is any indication, where she was called up to SmackDown with Hit Row, reportedly signed a new contract, and was released in near-record time, it might not be wise to expect such a thing.

Perhaps the most surprising of the releases was Nia Jax. We’ve written about many of the issues surrounding her over the years, but assumed she was untouchable due to her familial connection with The Rock & Roman Reigns. Nia had been on a leave of absence to take care of her mental health, and had requested to extend that leave prior to her release. Pretty harsh.

Other notable releases included Franky Monet, Ember Moon, Oney Lorcan, Gran Metallik, Lince Dorado, Harry Smith & Eva Marie. Eva had taken time off to do a movie, unfortunately her second run with WWE wasn’t nearly as fruitful as her first.

There had been a report that the releases had something to do with the vaccination status of the wrestlers. Some of the wrestlers involved have refuted this claim, and given that the company is still owned by the McMahon family, I tend to dismiss the idea without much thought.

This is going to be a pretty regular thing. Dave Meltzer reported that most of the new talent (minus the top prospects) will be signed to sixty-day trial contracts to see how things go. It’s a different approach from what WWE did for most of the last decade, holding on to talent as long as they possibly could. It’s an overall shift from experienced pro wrestlers to hopeful stars. We’ll have to wait & see how it goes. In the meantime, WWE’s just added to the glut on the pro wrestling free agent wire.

Ring of Hiatus

LETS TEAR THIS MOTHAFUCKA DOWN ONE MORE TIME!!!https://t.co/jwCBXxNfJv #FinalBattle pic.twitter.com/YoBFKkPYqu

— DEM BOYS (@jaybriscoe84) November 5, 2021

ROH’s Final Battle event will be the last the company undertakes, at least until April 2022. Talent is being relased from their contracts at the end of the year, and they can start working for other promotions before Final Battle. The idea is to make changes to the business operations, come up with a new mission, strategy & presentation, and bring ROH back with live events starting on WrestleMania weekend with freelance talent.

Given Sinclair Broadcast Group’s recent problems (a ransomware attack stealing data and causing disruption to many of their stations, regional sports networks not providing the revenue hoped for, millions of dollars of debt), it’s easy to understand why their professional wrestling operation is being put on the backburner. Sinclair did right by ROH employees throughout 2020-21, keeping them on the payroll through the heaviest part of the pandemic & running shows in the safest manner possible. Unfortunately, these things didn’t lead to revenue, or a considerable amount of interest from wrestling fans.

I’ve been reviewing ROH’s weekly broadcast for 411mania, and while I’ve enjoyed a lot of what I’ve seen, there is a certain lack of energy without a live audience of some sort. The wrestlers really try. It just isn’t the same, as was noted when WWE & Impact Wrestling did their shows with no audience. I’ve also noticed that the comment section isn’t quite as active as it is for most of the TV recaps, and that can’t just be because the 411mania readers hate me. Granted, that’s part of it, but it isn’t the whole story.

Joe Koff, COO of ROH, swears that the company will be back. He has to do that, and I’m sure he believes what he’s saying. I can’t help but be skeptical, considering Sinclair’s financial issues & the general landscape. Sinclair stations already made a deal with the Women of Wrestling re-launch, so it’d be real easy to stick those shows in the ROH timeslots. Hope I’m wrong, as I would prefer there to be as many viable wrestling companies as possible, and many of my best wrestling memories involve Ring of Honor. Even if Sinclair’s Ring of Honor is different than the ROH of the 2000s in many ways, it’s still three letters that I have something of a connection with.

What can I say? I’m a wrestling romantic.

As for the talent involved, all we can hope is that they find good working situations. WWE would be much more of an option if Paul Levesque was still running NXT. He had a thing for signing ROH kids. Since he isn’t signing people anymore, I don’t see most of these people landing there. AEW probably has their eyes on some folks, as does Impact Wrestling. (A pity Danhausen is on the injured list, as he’d fit Impact’s television show like a glove.) Game Changer Wrestling has already started using some of ROH’s top talent like the Briscoes & Jonathan Gresham. PWG has been using ROH wrestlers for its entire existence and I doubt that’ll change. Then there’s some guys with NJPW deals that will keep working those Strong shows.

As for the video library, there’s been varying reports on it, but it doesn’t appear to be for sale at this time. They’ll probably be using the heck out of it for at least the next few months.

Not the Jon Moxley news I expected to be touching on.

Jon Moxley Bloodsport GCW Josh Barnett

Jon Moxley had a pretty big week planned. His autobiography was released, he was starting the process of moving back home to Cincinnati, along with his usual AEW responsibilities. Instead, he entered an inpatient alcohol treatment program, and will be out of action until further notice. From a purely business perspective, this takes one of AEW’s top draws off of the roster at a time where people are already making note of television ratings & other metrics that may or may not be trending in AEW’s favor. One can wonder how the lack of Mox will affect things.

From a more human perspective, which I try to present here from time to time in spite of my inability to function as a normal human, one hopes that Moxley is able to defeat his demons & become the type of person he wants to be. That’s all one can hope for here, as a happy & healthy Jon Moxley is a great thing for professional wrestling. What Moxley is battling is certainly something I can relate to, and I wish him the best.

We Are Here For Trolls Getting Owned.

Mike Tyson had one of the most accurate quotes of recent memory when he stated the following: “Social media made y’all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it”. Can anybody argue against this? Shit-talking clowns have always been a part of life, one look at some of the letters Hank Aaron got while chasing Babe Ruth’s home run record will tell you that. Social media has given these people a wider platform to display their idiocy. It’s never been easier to put public figures on blast, and more & more of these delinquents seem to think that there shouldn’t be consequences for their actions.

It’s about time some of these people got what they had coming to them, am I right? Ulysses Diaz, bare knuckle boxer/MMA fighter/fiance of Dana Brooke, got arrested this week for something that I would claim is anything but a crime: showing up at an Internet troll’s house and punching him in the mouth. Dude went all Jay & Silent Bob on this fool.

Unfortunately we don’t have any details on what this troll said, whether he was going after Diaz himself or his fiance. I’ve seen some people write some vile things about Dana Brooke & her wrestling ability, and I wouldn’t blame Diaz for punching them in the face either. Fuck around & find out, as the kids say.

Then there’s Lince Dorado and one of the folks that regularly attend NXT shows. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Izzy, in fact, I’m sure most of you are more familiar with her than I am. She was a big fan of Bayley, dressing up like her at most NXT events during that time period. Turns out now she’s trying to get into the business, and her parents are very supportive of the endeavor. Some people are a bit weirded out by it, since America isn’t one of those places where pro wrestlers start at a very young age. You won’t see any Ice Ribbbon-type promotions featuring pre-teenage girls here. Different sensibilities for different cultures.

Izzy wanted to start young though, and her parents are all about it. She’s found people willing to work with her and has done some things for public consumption. A clip online of her taking a chokeslam a couple of years back when she wasn’t in high school yet drew a ton of online criticism from folks in the business. Her parents were very active online and had those rabbit ears where they heard everybody that had anything to say about what their daughter was up to. They’ve done what they can to get at those folks, including the good kids of MSK, who get booed at NXT shows by Izzy’s parents and their friends. Lince was another critic of Izzy’s, and her mom & dad took a particular delight in his being released on Friday.

Lince’s response was to invite Izzy’s dad to meet him in person to continue their discussion. This led to Izzy’s dad posting an apology, as even though he might be a jerkoff, he also knows that pretty much any wrestler with any kind of training could wipe the floor with him. As it turned out, Dorado had entered a Brazilian ju-jitsu tournament, which he won, and planned on dealing with Izzy’s dad afterwards.

It’s a shame Lince Dorado never got to do anything this interesting on television. I’m more invested in him now than I ever have been. As for Izzy’s dad, for the sake of his daughter’s future in the wrestling business I hope he stays far away from social media. He also might want to stay away from NXT shows, in case those MSK kids get any ideas from Lince Dorado or Ulysses Diaz. I don’t know if they’re as legitimate as those guys, but they could probably handle Izzy’s dad.

Angelo

Thanks and goodbye, Angie.#RememberingMosca pic.twitter.com/k2cOKaXlrq

— x – Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) November 6, 2021

We close by noting the passing of Angelo Mosca at the age of 84. Mosca was one of many in his era that made the transition from football to wrestling. He was known as the meanest player in the Canadian Football League, spending most of his Hall of Fame career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Eddie Quinn, promoter of the Montreal territory, brought him into wrestling during his football career, and he would wrestle during the off-season because people did that back then.

Mosca was typically a heel during his career, including during a stint with the WWF in the early 1980s where he would regularly challenge Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship or Pedro Morales for the Intercontinental Championship. He also feuded with Pat Patterson after Patterson insulted him while working as a commentator.

While Mosca didn’t win any gold in the WWF, he was a title holder pretty much everywhere else he went. Mosca held championships in the AWA, San Francisco, Florida, Georgia, Toronto, Mid-Atlantic, Stampede & Puerto Rico. As wrestlers & football players found out over the years, King Kong wasn’t one to be trifled with.

That’s all for now! Looks like we’ll have some AEW Full Gear Gambling Picks to make this week in addition to the usual NFL shenanigans. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

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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

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

Published

4 months ago

November 2, 2024

PC Tunney

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