MNM VS the HardysI had actually watched the ECW December to Dismember match between these two teams, and that was simply put the best normal tag match WWE had all year since they actually booked it as a competitive tag match. This match had almost as much time as the ECW PPV match, but not as high impact and minus the awesome double team offense from that one. This was still solid though, with great back and forth action and near falls which the fans were very much into. Pretty good ending too as Matt hit the Twist of Fate on Nitro and tried to give Mercury one as well, but Mercury tackled him out of the ring, but Jeff got the blind tag to hit the Swanton on Nitro for the win!
Match Rating: ***ECW World Title: Test VS Bobby Lashley [C]WHAT THE F*CK! Is this the final WWE bastardization of ECW?!? THERE ARE NO COUNT OUTS IN ECW! ESPECIALLY FOR A PPV TITLE MATCH! I was originally going to just criticize this match for Lashley tossing Test around with his power moves, and all Test had to retaliate with were rest holds! The only thing of significance Test did was a killer running boot which Lashley kicked out of. Than Test gets knocked out of the ring and decides to WALK AWAY FROM A TITLE MATCH?!? BULLSH*T.
Match Rating: DUDWorld Heavyweight Title: Mr. Kennedy VS Batista [C]This one started off really slow, but got really good at the end as Batista did a great job of fighting through the pain in his leg and still trying for his power moves. Batista actually looked like he got lucky to get out of this still with the title as Kennedy was fighting all the way even when he jacked up for the Batista-bomb which put him away in the end.
Match Rating: **1/2WWE Championship – Last Man Standing Match: Umaga VS John Cena [C]Now this was brutal! Umaga has been on a rampage in WWE, and Cena finally stopped the big man after a brutal bloody battle! The crowd was way into it as well, and the boos for Cena even turned to cheers by the end of it! Cena had to choke out Umaga with a rope assisted STFU to finally knock out the Samoan Bulldozer!
Match Rating: ****WWE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH#1 – Ric Flair#2 – FinlayThey trade strikes and Finlay almost eliminates Flair with a firemans’s carry.
#3 – Kenny DystraKenny goes rign after Flair, but Finlay helps him get the advantage only for Finlay to turn on him and almost eliminate him! Flair almost eliminates Finlay, but the Irishman is able to escape.
#4 – Matt HardyMatt goes after Kenny and gives him the Side Effect before almost tossing him out as Flair also almost puts Finlay over the top. Flair chops away on Kenny as Matt almost puts Finlay out.
#5 – EdgeThe Rated R superstar spears Flair and Finlay, but misses Matt Hardy and hits the post before Hardy gives him the Twist of Fate! Kenny & Matt go at it and collide in mid-ring with a double clothesline! Flair grabs two chairs from under to the ring to try and give Edge a conchairto, but Dykstra pounds him enough for Edge to recover and eliminate Flair! Kenny mocks Flair, but leaves himself open for Edge to eliminate him!
#6 – Tommy DreamerDreamer goes after Edge and sets him up in the Tree of Woe, but Finlay cuts him off before he can do any damage. Matt almost tosses out Edge as Finlay almost puts out Dreamer.
#7 – SabuSabu grabs a table from under the ring and sets it up on the floor! He and Dreamer go at it and hits a swinging DDT off the ropes. Big Sabu chant as Dreamer catches him in mid-air with a clothesline. Matt almost puts out Sabu as Dreamer & Edge tries to put out Finlay.
#8 – Gregory HelmsHelms goes right after Hardy and Sabu almost tosses out Finlay. Dreamer almost has Edge out, and Helms almost eliminates Hardy as Finlay tries to toss Sabu over the rope to the table but Sabu escapes. Sabu goes after Helms and almost puts him out.
#9 – Shelton BenjaminShelton almost tosses Hardy to the floor, but Matt is able to hang on. Finlay tries to toss Benjamin over, but his momentum almost throws himself over. Matt tries to take advantage, but Finlay is able to fight out of it. Shelton and Matt try to suplex each other out of the ring as the next man comes out.
#10 – KaneKane goes after everyone! Titlt-a-whirl slam on Helms, choke slam on Edge, Dreamer gets tossed out and eliminated! Kane tries to toss Sabu out, but he's able to escape and tries to put Kane out, but Kane ducks and launches Sabu over to the apron. Kane chokeslams Sabu off the apron through the table to eliminate him!
#11 – CM PunkPunk goes after Edge and Finlay. Finlay almost puts out Punk. Punk hits the corner knee attack on Edge and almost eliminates him before Finlay makes the save.
#12 – King BookerBooker goes after Helms and eliminates him! Booker goes after Punk as Kane almost eliminates Hardy, but Finlay takes advantage to try and toss him out but is unsuccessful.
#13 – Super CrazyCrazy goes after Booker, but Kane cuts him off and drops him with a big elbow. Kane takes everyone down again with throat chops. Kane tries to toss out Edge as Finlay tries to toss out Booker. Hardy almost puts out Benjamin as the next man comes out.
#14 – Jeff HardyThe Hardys team up on Finlay and give him a double suplex. They double team Edge next and give Super Crazy a double-wheel burrow suplex. They go after Kane and escape a double chokeslam from the Big Red Machine and give him Poetry in Motion in the corner.
#15 – the SandmanThe Extreme Icon comes out through the fans with cane and beer in hand! He canes The Hardys and Super Crazy before Booker quickly tosses him out! BOO! The brawl continues. Finlay almost tosses out Jeff Hardy.
#16 – Randy OrtonRated RKO toss out Super Crazy. Edge eliminates Jeff as Orton puts out Matt Hardy! Edge goes after Punk as Orton goes after Benjamin. Booker & Finlay try to put Kane out.
#17 – Chris BenoitThe Rabid Wolverine goes right after Finlay and lays chops on Orton, Edge and Booker before giving Finlay a release German, as well as one to Kane, and one to Booker, and one to Shelton! Punk almost puts Shelton out as Finlay & Benoit go at it.
#18 – Rob Van DamRVD takes out everyone who comes after him. Kane eliminates King Booker after a kick from RVD! Booker goes back in and gives Kane a scissors kick before clotheslining him over the top to eliminate him! They continue to brawl as the next entrant comes out.
#19 – VisceraBig Vis and Benjamin almost put Edge out. Everyone seems to be tiring out.
#20 – Johnny NitroNitro almost puts out RVD. Viscera squashes Punk in the corner. Benjamin is inches away from being eliminated as he holds on to the very bottom rope before being able to pull himself in.
#21 – Kevin ThornThorn goes after Benjamin and Vis almost puts RVD over. Nitro tries to help, but RVD flips out and dropkicks Nitro into Viscera. RVD clotheslines Viscera several times before being dropped by Viscera with a big clothesline.
#22 – Hardcore HollyHolly pounds Nitro and RVD before Viscera slows him down. Shelton tries to slingshot RVD out of the ring, but he holds on as several men try to get Viscera over the top.
#23 – Shawn MichaelsEveryone tries to eliminate Viscera as HBK takes it to Finlay and eliminates him! Viscera is able to break free from the everyone, but eats Sweet Chin Music from HBK before everyone throws him out! HBK eliminates Benjamin who charges at him!
#24 – Chris MastersBenoit eliminates Nitro as Rated RKO pound on HBK and try to eliminate him.
#25 – Chavo GuerreroChavo goes after Masters. Kevin Thorn is eliminated by Benoit. RVD almost eliminated by Punk.
#26 – MVPMVP goes after Benoit and HBK, big mistake as they double team him! Masters tries to eliminate RVD, but RVD flips out and dropkicks the Masterpiece over the top to eliminate him! Chavo and RVD try to eliminate Holly and Orton almost has Punk out!
#27 – CarlitoCarlito goes after everyone. RVD almost puts out HBK. Chavo helps RVD to try and put HBK out, but he’s able to escape back into the ring. Rated RKO double team Carlito.
#28 – The Great KhaliEveryone stops and watches Khali! Edge and RVD try to go after him, but he shrugs them off and starts dropping everyone with headbutts! He starts dropping everyone with overhead chops as well! Khali tosses Holly over as the next man comes out.
#29 – The MizBenoit is eliminated as Miz enters. Miz is almost instantly eliminated by Khali. RVD is out by Khali! Punk is out by Khali! Carlito is out by Khali! Chavo is out by Khali! HBK gets chokebombed by Khali!
#30 – The UndertakerBodies all around Khali as the ‘Taker makes his way to the ring! ‘Taker goes right for Khali as the two giants trade strikes. 'Taker escapes the chokebomb and pounds Khali back to the ropes before clotheslining him over the top to eliminate the giant! ‘Taker takes out everyone and gives MVP Old School! MVP gets tossed out! Flying clothesline off the ropes by ‘Taker on Edge! MVP grabs a chair, and the referees stop him from getting in the ring, but Orton grabs the chair and clobbers Taker with it! Edge tries to spear Orton, but Orton sees him and Edge puts the breaks on! Rated RKO argue and Orton gives HBK the RKO! Rated RKO decide to double team ‘Taker who is bleeding from the chairshot.The Dead Man battles back and lays some big corner clotheslines on Rated RKO. He tries a double choleslam, but the RAW tag champs escape only to be taken down by a big double clothesline. Snake Eyes on Edge in the corner followed by a big running boot. ‘Taker sets up Orton for the chokeslam, but Edge spears him out of it! Edge grabs the chair and whacks ‘Taker with it! Edge rolls out of the ring to grab another chair to give ‘Taker the Conchairto. HBK crawls back in the ring and Edge directs Orton to go get him, but HBK eliminates Orton! Edge tries to hit HBK with the chair, but HBK ducks it and hits Sweet Chin Music to eliminate Edge!‘Taker sits up and HBK does the kip up! HBK goes right after ‘Taker jumping him in the corner and pounding away, but ‘Taker powers him out and tosses him into the corner! ‘Taker almost takes out HBK with a big uppercut. Taker launches HBK to the other corner and HBK almost goes over the top! ‘Taker runs in with a big boot, but HBK ducks and Taker almost goes over! HBK tries to knock ‘Taker off the apron, but ‘Taker counters and both men get back in the ring. Neckbreaker by HBK and they trade strikes again. HBK ducks a clothesline, but eats a big boot from the Dead Man! ‘Taker tries to suplex HBK over the top, but JBK lands on the apron and rams ‘Taker’s face into the turnbuckle. HBK goes up top, and ‘Taker almost knocks him over! ‘Taker goes up and tries for a superplex, but HBK fights it off and knocks ‘Taker back into the ring before delivering the big diving elbow drop! HBK tunes up for Sweet Chin Music! ‘Taker catches the boot and counters it into a chokeslam! There are actually some boos for ‘Taker as he signals for the Tombstone! HBK is able to escape and hit Sweet Chin Music! Both men down! HBK sets up ‘Taker for another Sweet Chin Music, but ‘Taker ducks it and backdrops HBK over the top to eliminate him and win the 2007 Royal Rumble match!
Royal Rumble Winner: The Undertaker!
It may not have been the best Rumble match ever, but it certainly was the best final 2 confrontation in Royal Rumble history!
Match Rating: ***1/2Overall: The only match that truly bombed on this show was the ECW world title match. Than again, all the ECW originals were booked very poorly in the Rumble match also. Only the WWE created ECW guys like Punk and Holly lasted longer than 4 minutes, with RVD in there as the only ECW original.
Labels: WWE
