There were 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and we start with an unusual one. Rezar from AOP teams up with Scott Dawson from The Revival to challenge "Glorious" Bobby Roode and Chad Gable for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Gable misses a dropkick then gets swung into a chokeslam by Rezar to give him and Dawson the advantage. Eventually, Gable gets to tag in Roode and they go on to get the win after they hit a neckbreaker/moonsault combo on Dawson. The match was ok, nothing special.
Winners: Bobby Roode and Chad Gable (1 for 1)
The second match was Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Rusev for the United States Championship. After a quick start, the match goes to the outside and Nakamura does a kick off the steel steps to gain the advantage. Rusev gets back into it and goes for the Accolade but Nakamura avoids it and the match goes back and forth. Nakamura resorts to cheating by removing the turnbuckle and Lana gets involved, standing up on the apron, trying to tell the referee. Rusev accidentally knocks Lana off the apron and Nakamura takes advantage, hitting Rusev with the Kinshasa to the back of the neck to get the win. The match was pretty good but the ending made the referee Danilo Anfibio look like an idiot. Nakamura is cheating right next to him, yet Anfibio thought that Lana standing on the apron was more serious. A bit stupid if you ask me.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (1 for 2)
The final match on the Kick Off Show was for the Cruiserweight Championship as Buddy Murphy faces the challenges of Akira Tozowa, Kalisto and Hideo Itami in a Fatal 4-Way match. Murphy uses his strength to dominate Kalisto and Tozowa before he takes on Itami. There were a couple of really cool spots including Kalisto monkey flipping Tozowa into Murphy on the outside. After Murphy knees Tozowa and Kalisto, he knees Itami then hits him with Murphy's Law to get the win. This was a really fun match to watch.
Winner: Buddy Murphy (2 for 3)
The first match of the show is for the Smackdown Women's Championship as "The Man" Becky Lynch challenges Asuka. Lynch goes well in the early going before the fight goes to the outside and she hits an exploder suplex, sending her into the barrier. After she puts Becky in the Asuka Lock through the ropes, Asuka is able to get some more offence in. The match goes back and forth and Lynch comes close after hitting a super Bex-ploder for 2. Both women trade submissions before Auska is able to put on the Asuka Lock and then bridge it to put on more pressure and force Lynch to tap out. This match was really good and a great way to start the show.
Winner: Asuka (3 for 4)
The next match is for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships as Hollywood Miz and "Best in the World" Shane McMahon challenge The Bar. Cesaro hits Miz with a running European uppercut to get his team the advantage and they continue to beat the fuck out of both of them. Eventually, Miz hits a back body drop to Cesaro, giving him the chance to tag in Shane. Sheamus accidentally hits Cesaro with a Brogue Kick and this gives Shane the chance to hit the Shooting Star Press on Cesaro to get the win...? Oh, for fuck's sake. I felt that the story of the match was all wrong,. I feel that it should have been Shane who got beaten up and Miz get the win. Hopefully, this will be a short title reign.
Winners: The Miz and Shane McMahon (3 for 5)
We now get our second Women's Championship match as Sasha Banks challenges Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women's Championship. Early on, they both to do their submissions then when the fight goes to the outside, Ronda accidentally elbows the ring post. This gives Sasha the opportunity to take the advantage, focusing on that elbow and arm. Sasha goes on to avoid the Piper's Pit and put on a brutal armbar. Ronda gets back into it but Sasha manages to apply the Banks Statement followed by an armbar. However, Ronda gets out of it and hits a gutwrench slam followed by the Piper's Pit to get the win. This match was pretty good between the two.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (4 for 6)
Next is the second ever Womens' Royal Rumble Match. The first two to come out were Lacey Evans and Natalya. Liv Morgan, who came in at number 4, is the first one to be eliminated by Natalya after 8 seconds. Other highlights of the match include:
- Billie Kay coming in at number 7 and refusing to get in the ring without her friend Peyton Royce. She doesn't have to wait long as Peyton comes in at number 9.
- Getting to see NXT wrestlers Xia Li, Kairi Sane, Candace LeRae, Kacy Catanzaro, Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley
- Ember Moon saving herself from elimination by hanging on to the bottom rope with her toes.
- Naomi trying to save herself from elimination by doing a handstand onto the barrier, walking along it then jumping onto the steel steps. Unfortunately, Mandy Rose, who Naomi had just eliminated, pulls her from the steps to eliminate her then beats down on her.
- Zelina Vega hiding under the ring leading to a cameo by Hornswoggle.
- Catanzaro saving herself from elimination by landing on her back (both feet have to touch the floor), doing a handstand to the ring post then climbing up it.
- Alexa Bliss making her return to the ring for the first time since September
I thought this was a really good Rumble Match and I liked the twist with Becky replacing Lana and going on to win. Becky goes to challenge Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania but recent events have put that in jeopardy.
Winner: Becky Lynch (N/A)
Now we get AJ Styles challenging "The New" Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. The match is pretty even to begin with before Bryan starts to focus on the left shoulder of Styles. The match then goes back and forth with Styles doing a beautiful moonsault into a reverse DDT on the outside. When Styles hits a Pele Kick, we see Erick Rowan come down. Bryan accidentally hits the referee with an enziguri and, after Styles hits Bryan with a Styles Clash, Rowan hits Styles with a Chokeslam. The referee conveniently recovers when Bryan covers Styles and gets the win. Afterwards, Bryan hits a running knee on Styles. Whilst it was at a slower pace than I expected, I quite enjoyed it. However, I wasn't a fan of the ending as I don't think that Bryan needs someone like Rowan to be a sidekick.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (5 for 7)
The penultimate match is for the Universal Championship as Finn Balor challenges Brock Lensar. Balor goes after Lesnar as soon as the bell rings. However, Lesnar hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, sending Balor flying out of the ring. Despite getting thrown into the corner of the announce table, Lesnar continues to hit Balor with brutal overhead belly-to-belly suplexes. Unfortunately, Lesnar's injury starts to hamper his offence, giving Balor an opening. Balor goes to hit the Coup de Grace but Lesnar kicks out and immediately applies the Kimura to get the win by submission. Lesnar celebrates by suplexing Balor to death. This match was short as I expected but quite fun to watch.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for 8)
The main event is the men's Royal Rumble Match. The first two to take part are Elias and WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett. Other highlights of the match include:
- Seeing NXT wrestlers Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne and Aleister Black
- Titus O'Neill not tripping and sliding under the ring to the cheers of the crowd
- Kofi Kingston saving himself from elimination from keeping his feet on the apron and cartwheeling himself to the steps. Later on, Xavier Woods saves him from elimination.
- No Way Jose dancing his way to the ring with a conga line, getting eliminated almost immediately by Samoa Joe, then dancing on his way back. Unfortunately, Drew McIntyre attacks him and most of the conga line when he comes out.
- Bobby Lashley gets eliminated almost immediately by Seth Rollins. Lashley doesn't take that well and chokeslams Rollins through the German announce table.
This match was pretty decent with nothing too much that stands out. What I found interesting was having Nia Jax in the match. I was annoyed that both Rumble matches had wrestlers getting replaced near the end. Despite that, it was refreshing to see some actual intergender wrestling in the WWE. I don't know if they will but I hope that WWE will explore that further.
Winner: Seth Rollins (7 for 9)
Winner: Seth Rollins (7 for 9)
I thought that the Royal Rumble was pretty good. Most of the matches were good and I'm interested to see how the Road to Wrestlemania will go.
No comments:
Post a Comment