Last month at TLC, the 'E finally succeeded on the goal of getting Roman over, with his post-match attack on The Game. A night later, he won the WWE title from Sheamus, earning an ovation from a Philly crowd that booed him out of the building 11 months prior. The WWE was cool again, and Roman was finally over with the fans. What went wrong? In the month since then, the WWE has failed to maintain the momentum, delivering horrendous television that hasn't been saved by the addition of Mauro Ranallo to the Smackdown commentary team. Last night, though, things began to change.....once again.
This was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and it was an absolute privilege to watch it live, which I haven't done in a while. It was at once an exhilarating and thrilling ride, and I don't say that just because my main man is back on the top of the world. Yes, in my top ten favorite wrestlers, I didn't include Triple H, but he has always been one of my favorites. I know it isn't cool to like the guy, but I simply can't help it. With that, let's hop into the recap.
The show kicked off with the second-best match on the card, the Last Man Standing match for the Intercontinental Title between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. These two have had a great rivalry, and delivered the goods. Just like last month, both men sold just how much they wanted it with their incredibly brutal encounter. This match proves that you don't need to have blood or gore to get the point across. The two destroyed each other, with Ambrose earning the victory after sending Owens through two tables on the outside. In the long run, this was the right decision, as it opens Owens up to pursue other feuds(looking at you, AJ and Sami).
Just like at TLC, though, this pay per view was held down by the 'E's lack of midcard talent, as evidenced by the next few matches. The New Day defended their titles in a decent match, with the only main takeaway being that the Usos have really run their course. Kalisto and Del Rio have had some outstanding matches, but this one was not one of them. The match dragged, and had several botches and overall bad wrestling. The United States title is also apparently being treated like a hotcake now. Lastly, Charlotte and Becky faced off for the Diva's Title. The strength of their feud really saved this match, as it's becoming increasingly obvious that these two do not have good chemistry in the ring. The real talking point was what happened after the match, as Sasha Banks finally returned to prime time, fooling the live audience and Charlotte with a stunning sneak attack. The Divas feuds continue to be booked very well, and now some expectations and prestige are beginning to return to the main roster of female wrestlers.
It's main event time, as Roman Reigns defends the title in the Rumble, only the second time this had ever happened. A somewhat lackluster start featuring Rusev led to the big debut of the night, as AJ Styles made his appearance. As someone who's been a pretty big TNA fan, this was incredible to watch, and I thought they handled his debut perfectly. His elimination by Kevin Owens was a great moment, and a feud between the two should be a lot of fun. I won't go through the entire Rumble, but some highlights included: the Wyatts dominating, Suplex City Bitch, Sami's back bro, Rusev winning spot of the night, New Day having some fun, and a Brock Lesnar screwjob. When the dust settled, out came number 30, and to the surprise of no one, out came Triple H. Reigns tossed out Sheamus, Triple H shocked everyone by eliminating Reigns, and Ambrose and Triple H staged a massive showdown. The confrontation between the two was the highlight of the night, and really spoke to Ambrose's status as top face of the company. Screw Reigns, this is the guy you should be building around. In the end, Triple H tossed out Ambrose, becoming a 14-time world champion, and stood tall with his wife and father in law to close the show.
Wow. This Rumble is the best I've ever watched live, and the best I've seen in a very long time. They did an excellent job setting up several interesting feuds, Owens-Zayn, Owens-Styles, Reigns-HHH, Ambrose-HHH, and Lesnar-Wyatt. You can argue with Triple H winning all you want, but it was a fantastic moment, and he is, in the end, only a transitional champion. In that respect, that was a testament to just how good this match was. They gave the title to 46 year old man, and made it good. I tip my cap to that. The backlash from the ending is about as much as you could've expected, though it is nowhere near as bad as it has been since 2013. Sure it may have been predictable, but I don't agree with some that this was a burial. How could it have been? The only guy Triple H really buried was Dolph Ziggler, who wasn't doing anything anyway. Ambrose and Reigns were more caught by surprise than anything else, and both guys looked strong throughout the night. If you're willing to get caught up in the moment and buy into the WWE's storytelling, you can understand just how good the Rumble really was. There were so many amazing moments, so many incredible memories, that I really could care less who walked away with the title. Almost all 30 men had something good to contribute, and they built up so many new stars. That's what counts and that's what they delivered.
9/10
Even if you disagree with the ending, the show was so good that it didn't end up mattering. The only negatives I have to contribute is giving the title to a 46 year old man, though I'd being willing to suspend judgment for now, and a lack of interest in the mid card. The WWE is once again at a crossroads(hey Cody). If they can build on this show, we could very well have another boom period on our hands. But momentum is key, and they once again have it on their side. They need to keep building up guys like Ambrose, Wyatt, Owens, Zayn, Neville, the up and coming stars of the company. A good TV debut for Styles would help as well. There was a lack of big name returns in the Rumble, but I can appreciate letting the young guys have the spotlight. The company has been criticized for failing to build new stars, and aside for a 46 year old man as champion, they did a really good job with that tonight.
-Henry
This was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and it was an absolute privilege to watch it live, which I haven't done in a while. It was at once an exhilarating and thrilling ride, and I don't say that just because my main man is back on the top of the world. Yes, in my top ten favorite wrestlers, I didn't include Triple H, but he has always been one of my favorites. I know it isn't cool to like the guy, but I simply can't help it. With that, let's hop into the recap.
The show kicked off with the second-best match on the card, the Last Man Standing match for the Intercontinental Title between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. These two have had a great rivalry, and delivered the goods. Just like last month, both men sold just how much they wanted it with their incredibly brutal encounter. This match proves that you don't need to have blood or gore to get the point across. The two destroyed each other, with Ambrose earning the victory after sending Owens through two tables on the outside. In the long run, this was the right decision, as it opens Owens up to pursue other feuds(looking at you, AJ and Sami).
Just like at TLC, though, this pay per view was held down by the 'E's lack of midcard talent, as evidenced by the next few matches. The New Day defended their titles in a decent match, with the only main takeaway being that the Usos have really run their course. Kalisto and Del Rio have had some outstanding matches, but this one was not one of them. The match dragged, and had several botches and overall bad wrestling. The United States title is also apparently being treated like a hotcake now. Lastly, Charlotte and Becky faced off for the Diva's Title. The strength of their feud really saved this match, as it's becoming increasingly obvious that these two do not have good chemistry in the ring. The real talking point was what happened after the match, as Sasha Banks finally returned to prime time, fooling the live audience and Charlotte with a stunning sneak attack. The Divas feuds continue to be booked very well, and now some expectations and prestige are beginning to return to the main roster of female wrestlers.
It's main event time, as Roman Reigns defends the title in the Rumble, only the second time this had ever happened. A somewhat lackluster start featuring Rusev led to the big debut of the night, as AJ Styles made his appearance. As someone who's been a pretty big TNA fan, this was incredible to watch, and I thought they handled his debut perfectly. His elimination by Kevin Owens was a great moment, and a feud between the two should be a lot of fun. I won't go through the entire Rumble, but some highlights included: the Wyatts dominating, Suplex City Bitch, Sami's back bro, Rusev winning spot of the night, New Day having some fun, and a Brock Lesnar screwjob. When the dust settled, out came number 30, and to the surprise of no one, out came Triple H. Reigns tossed out Sheamus, Triple H shocked everyone by eliminating Reigns, and Ambrose and Triple H staged a massive showdown. The confrontation between the two was the highlight of the night, and really spoke to Ambrose's status as top face of the company. Screw Reigns, this is the guy you should be building around. In the end, Triple H tossed out Ambrose, becoming a 14-time world champion, and stood tall with his wife and father in law to close the show.
Wow. This Rumble is the best I've ever watched live, and the best I've seen in a very long time. They did an excellent job setting up several interesting feuds, Owens-Zayn, Owens-Styles, Reigns-HHH, Ambrose-HHH, and Lesnar-Wyatt. You can argue with Triple H winning all you want, but it was a fantastic moment, and he is, in the end, only a transitional champion. In that respect, that was a testament to just how good this match was. They gave the title to 46 year old man, and made it good. I tip my cap to that. The backlash from the ending is about as much as you could've expected, though it is nowhere near as bad as it has been since 2013. Sure it may have been predictable, but I don't agree with some that this was a burial. How could it have been? The only guy Triple H really buried was Dolph Ziggler, who wasn't doing anything anyway. Ambrose and Reigns were more caught by surprise than anything else, and both guys looked strong throughout the night. If you're willing to get caught up in the moment and buy into the WWE's storytelling, you can understand just how good the Rumble really was. There were so many amazing moments, so many incredible memories, that I really could care less who walked away with the title. Almost all 30 men had something good to contribute, and they built up so many new stars. That's what counts and that's what they delivered.
9/10
Even if you disagree with the ending, the show was so good that it didn't end up mattering. The only negatives I have to contribute is giving the title to a 46 year old man, though I'd being willing to suspend judgment for now, and a lack of interest in the mid card. The WWE is once again at a crossroads(hey Cody). If they can build on this show, we could very well have another boom period on our hands. But momentum is key, and they once again have it on their side. They need to keep building up guys like Ambrose, Wyatt, Owens, Zayn, Neville, the up and coming stars of the company. A good TV debut for Styles would help as well. There was a lack of big name returns in the Rumble, but I can appreciate letting the young guys have the spotlight. The company has been criticized for failing to build new stars, and aside for a 46 year old man as champion, they did a really good job with that tonight.
-Henry
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