Antonio Cesaro defeats the Miz to retain the US Championship.
^Cesaro and Miz had a very good match, and it should’ve opened the pay per view and not just the pre show. I suspect Cesaro will have a very big year, and I suspect that Miz will continue to try to get over as a top midcard face. With the chemistry that these guys have, I hope this wasn’t the last time we see them go one on one.
Alberto Del Rio defeats the Big Show to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
^Del Rio wins the last man standing match by having Ricardo tape Show’s feet to the bottom rope so he can’t stand up. Brilliant! The match was intense, had some good spots, and now the world knows that Alberto Del Rio can run as a top face! I couldn’t be more pleased with this one. I’d call it a solid 3 ¾ stars IF I gave matches ratings, and the only reason it wasn’t four stars is because of the pace. Compared to the World Title match we saw last year at the Rumble(Dbry, Mark Henry, and Big Show in a cage), this one was superior.
Team Hell No defeats Team Rhodes Scholars to retain the Tag Team Championships.
^Team Hell No retains as I predicted! I don’t expect them to have the belts through Mania, and I think they will fall apart slowly and lead up to a big one on one encounter. I think Rhodes and Sandow need a run with the titles and some new competition, but for now I’ll just enjoy whatever matches they’re placed in. The match was solid, but nothing spectacular. Sandow being the one to tap out AGAIN to the no-lock was a bit redundant to me, but booking a finish doesn’t always call for innovation in the eyes of WWE creative.
John Cena wins the 30 Man Royal Rumble match from the number eighteen spot.
^Cena wins and will headline WrestleMania with Dwayne. Does that mean the WWE Title Elimination Chamber match will be predictable? Probably, but the match is usually good regardless. This Rumble was fun, though some might call it typical. I enjoyed what we saw, and I actually liked the variation of talent selected. I’d be pleased to see Goldust work a rivalry with Cody Rhodes, and I’d be even more pleased to see Godfather bring back his ladies on Raw in Vegas. I sort of wanted to see someone new(Ziggler or even Ryback) win the Rumble this time around, but WWE stuck to their guns and gave Cena a good boost back into the WWE Title picture. Team Hell No had problems that we could all see coming, but the Shield didn’t cost Ryback as I had predicted. I’m also very excited to see Jericho back through WrestleMania, because that means he can put over some younger talent and have some fantastic matches; it’s a win/win situation. Overall, the Rumble match was put together well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Rock defeats CM Punk to win the WWE Championship.
^The Shield interfered in the dark. Punk gets the three count. Vince comes out to strip Punk. Rock asks for a restart instead and wins the WWE Championship. The brawl part of the match was good, and the wrestling picked up nicely towards the FIRST ending. I feel like this match was tainted by the stop and restart. I understand the storyline of the Shield and them not getting involved, but wouldn’t it have been better to see the Rock fight them off and STILL come out the winner? Or what about having Ryback/Sheamus/Orton fight them off to get their revenge for the past attacks? I didn’t like the break, but I see why WWE did it. I’m glad the Rock is champion and will defend against Cena. The hype for this match, for me anyway, will be much bigger than last year. Cena walking away from WrestleMania as the new WWE Champion is something that we haven’t seen in almost three years. As for Punk, his reign was excellent and it’s okay that it came to an end. His potential match with the Undertaker at WM will be something to remember. Overall, Rock and Punk met my expectations with their chemistry but failed to deliver the match of the year level contest that I was hoping for.
The show was solid. It was downright exciting at times. WWE is on the right track to have a huge WrestleMania season, and I’m excited to sit back and enjoy the ride. I also predicted the outcome of the entire show correctly. I’ll have the Raw analysis up tomorrow night. Thanks for reading!
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