WWE RESULTS FOR THE ROYAL RUMBLE-1-28-07

The Hardys fly high

By Lennie DiFino

January 28, 2007

The personal rivalry between MNM and The Hardys saw another brutal battle in the ongoing war, with Matt and Jeff picking up the victory over Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury to kick off the 20th Royal Rumble event.

After the vicious attack MNM put on Matt Hardy two weeks ago on SmackDown, and with the numerous encounters between Johnny Nitro and Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy on Raw, this match looked to settle the differences between the two parties. MNM has vowed to disfigure The Hardys time and time again, but Matt and Jeff were able to walk away unscathed.

Jeff Hardy says the success he and his brother have had against MNM is a reflection of the relationship between the two. “We are as close as we have ever been. In the ring we feel better than ever, on key with everything we do and we feel really on, and that attributes to our success.�?BR>
That point was made evident with way The Hardys claimed the victory over MNM, as Jeff timed a tag to Matt perfectly.

“The blind tag allowed me to get the Swanton and everything worked out for the best.�?

Lashley makes impact on Test

By Andrew Rote

January 28, 2007

Test fell short of his guarantee at Royal Rumble as the ECW World Title remains with the incumbent Bobby Lashley. After tumbling out of the ring, Test opted not to reenter the field of battle. He turned around and headed out of the arena, taking a loss via count-out.

Lashley, who demanded the match in the first place, was not satisfied with the ruling. He ran after Test, threw him back into the ring, and gave him something to remember. The outburst concluded with a powerslam, the same treatment he gave Test last week on ECW on Sci Fi.

“It was time to finish this,�?said the champion. “I’m not letting him walk away. I’m not letting him run away. He’s going to stay in that ring and fight me.�?/FONT>

Lashley’s challenge came as a result of the weeks of being stalked by Test. Test, who felt his was being overlooked for a deserved title opportunity, interfered during Rob Van Dam’s championship match with Lashley three weeks ago. Two weeks ago, the three Extremists faced each other in a Triple Threat Championship Match. Lashley retained the gold when he pinned RVD, but he paid for it when Test hit him over the head with his own title.

Last week, the two rivals faced in a prelude to their Royal Rumble match. Though Lashley prevailed, the self-proclaimed “Impact Player�?had enough confidence to guarantee a title change at the pay-per-view. That confidence, however, was nowhere to be found in the waning moments of the contest.

“If you want to go for the title, you go for the title and you fight,�?Lashley said. “You don’t run away; you fight.�?/FONT>

While Lashley’s goal was to bring an end to this rivalry, he knows it is far from being finished.

“Test is a tough opponent,�?he admitted. “I know I haven’t seen the end of him.�?/FONT>

Lashley explodes after Test is counted out.

Results:Animal survives attack

By Brett Hoffman

January 28, 2007

One of WWE’s most heated rivalries was continued on Sunday at the Royal Rumble, and once again, The Animal came out on top. Batista survived a formidable challenge from a motivated Mr. Kennedy en route to retaining his prized World Heavyweight Championship.

The cocky loudmouth came in with a game plan, and did everything he could to follow it through to its completion. Kennedy was able to wound The Animal’s leg, opening the door for a number of near-falls, but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. Batista was able to regain control and put his challenger away with a thunderous Batista Bomb.

Batista retained his title at Royal Rumble.

Results:Cena: last man outstanding

By Mike McAvennie

January 28, 2007

About a half-hour before his Last Man Standing Match against Umaga, WWE Champion John Cena could barely stand. His abdomen still seared in agony—the result of a devastating table splash at the hands of the Samoan Bulldozer on Raw less than a week ago. Yet somehow, someway, a bloodied, crazed Champ would persevere at the Royal Rumble, standing triumphant over the most savage of challengers in the most brutal of contests.

Make no mistake—all signs pointed to Umaga winning this match, which had been hand-picked on Raw several weeks ago by his personal handler, Armando Estrada. With no pinfalls, no submissions, no disqualifications and no count-outs, the only way to win was to make your opponent unable to answer the referee’s 10-count. Since Cena had just barely handed Umaga his first defeat at New Year’s Revolution three weeks prior, the odds of besting him again—and in a contest tailor-made for the super-heavyweight—were between slim and none. Umaga made sure Cena understood that fact from the onset, focusing a relentless assault on The Champ’s heavily taped midsection. In fact, when Cena wasn’t writhing in pain, he was struggling simply to stand upright before the referee finished counting to 10.

However, Cena would stand, and he’d bring plenty of fight to the Samoan Bulldozer. The steel ring steps would also play a formidable role throughout the battle; Cena would use them on Umaga several times, including an impressive throw from the ring to the outside that caught his opponent right between the eyes. Unfortunately, the unforgiving steel would also work against The Champ, especially when a failed FU attempt on Umaga sent Cena crashing face-first into the steps, leaving his face a crimson mask.

The sold-out crowd in San Antonio’s AT&T Center appeared almost as stunned as Cena, but mostly because none of The Champ’s offense seemed to finish off the super-heavyweight savage. A legdrop off the top rope, crushing a TV monitor into his skull…nothing kept Umaga down for more than a seven-count. That is, until he missed with a splash on the outside floor that utterly destroyed the ECW announce table. Still able to recover before the ref counted 10, Umaga re-entered the ring and got back to the business of pummeling Cena. Armando Estrada also kept busy; he removed the actual top ring rope from one corner, then instructed his Samoan Bulldozer to use the buckle’s metal attachments on Cena. Umaga charged The Champ, who unexpectedly used his opponent’s momentum to hoist him up on his shoulders for an Earth-shaking FU.

At that moment, a bloodied, bruised Cena snapped. Putting Umaga in the STFU, he wrapped the thick ring rope around the challenger’s equally thick neck, then reared back for all he was worth. For what seemed like an eternity, Umaga continued to struggle, until finally he passed out from the lack of oxygen. The AT&T Center crowd loudly assisted the referee with his 10-count, then erupted as Cena was declared the Last Man Standing.

Perhaps Mr. McMahon should review this match several times before heading to Raw this Monday. The WWE Chairman had visited Cena in the trainer’s room before the contest, to personally inform him that he couldn’t see him as the Last Man Standing, or as the WWE Champion. Clearly, the WWE Chairman was still feeling plenty sore after Cena called him a “pussbag�?on Raw last week, so he was enjoying adding insult to The Champ’s injuries. Now he must wonder how Cena was able to push himself beyond human limits and withstand Umaga’s vicious attack. And if he noticed the frenzied look on Cena’s bloodied face as he practically snapped the super-heavyweight’s neck with the top ring rope, he better hope he can’t see him Monday night.

John Cena -- still standing as the WWE Champion.

Results:A Phenom-enal Rumble

By Louie Dee

January 28, 2007

The Royal Rumble Match featured a number of firsts, but the most prominent was the name of the winner. In his eighth attempt, Undertaker finally won his first Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating Shawn Michaels to secure a championship match in the main event of WrestleMania 23.

In the process, he also became the first man to enter the Rumble at No. 30 and go on to win the match. This wasn’t the first time the Deadman had drawn No. 30; in 2003, he was the last man in and also the last man eliminated by winner Brock Lesnar, and in 1997 he was No. 30 but eliminated by eventual winner Stone Cold In 2007, however, the Deadman had destiny on his side, claiming victory for SmackDown for the second straight year and fourth time in five years.

30 men entered, but the final four were Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and Edge & Randy Orton, who both made their second consecutive run to the final four. When an RKO sent HBK rolling under the bottom rope to the arena floor, things looked grim for the Deadman. The Royal Rumble Match is every man for himself, but the World Tag Team Champions worked together to try to get the Deadman over the top rope.

However, when Edge & Orton went for a Con-chair-to on the Deadman, HBK sprung back to life. After quickly tossing Orton, HBK nailed Edge with Sweet Chin Music and eliminated him, setting up the final Raw vs. SmackDown battle. At 45 minutes, the Rated-R Superstar did earn the “Mr. Longevity�?title for this year’s Rumble Match; however, when WWE.com caught up to him afterwards, he downplayed any tension that was seemingly present between himself and his fellow World Tag Team Champion.

“No tension, it’s every man for himself, and we both knew that. Two Superstars such as Randy and myself, we’re going to take the best opportunity we can to eliminate each other. You saw how effective we can be if we keep our minds together; we had a little lapse in judgment, and we got eliminated because of it.�?

Once it was down to the final two, HBK and the Deadman went tooth and nail, with a record on the line for both (an HBK victory would have tied him with Stone Cold for the most Royal Rumble Match victories). Michaels was able to hit Sweet Chin Music once, but when he tried to hit a second, the Deadman grabbed the hometown hero and launched him over the top rope to the floor to earn the victory. The fans were stunned as a dejected Michaels sat solemnly in the entrance aisle, but in a show of respect, the Deadman nodded and pointed at the Raw icon during his celebration, acknowledging the fighting spirit of the hometown hero.

SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long was ecstatic about Undertaker’s victory, which gave SmackDown its second consecutive Royal Rumble Match win and fourth in five years since the WWE brand extension.

“I feel real good about Undertaker winning the Royal Rumble; it puts SmackDown right on top,�?a beaming Long said elatedly. “With this being Shawn Michaels�?hometown, I’m sure he was trying his very best to win the Royal Rumble. But you have to give it to Undertaker, who will now challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 23.�?

This year’s Royal Rumble Match was also the first to feature ECW Extremists. The fans were solidly behind them with strong “ECW�?chants, and the Extremists certainly made their mark. Sabu set up a table at ringside when he entered at No. 7, but was later sent crashing through the same table when Kane chokeslammed him into elimination. Sandman later entered at No. 15, swinging his Singapore cane proudly before King Booker quickly ended his night. Rob Van Dam and CM Punk also put in impressive showings, but fell victim to another Rumble first-timer.

That man was The Great Khali, who entered at No. 28 and blazed an immediate path of destruction. In the span of three minutes, Khali eliminated seven straight Superstars until the Deadman entered at No. 30.

It wasn’t quite as good of a night for fellow first-timer The Miz, however. WWE.com spotlighted the reality star on his big day, but his preparation methods didn’t quite give him the best chance of winning. The luck of the draw gave Miz No. 29, but he unfortunately ran into the buzzsaw that was The Great Khali and was immediately tossed over the top just seconds after entering. Of the many accomplishments under The Miz’s belt, the title of “Superstar who spent shortest amount of time in the 2007 Royal Rumble Match�?will be one the Miz-fits would like to forget.

And in another dubious Rumble moment, a record was set for the most Superstars involved in an elimination. Everyone knew it would take a lot to get Viscera over the top rope, and “a lot�?turned out to be nine men. Even after HBK nailed Big Vis with some Sweet Chin Music, it took Edge, Orton, Punk, Van Dam, Chris Benoit, Johnny Nitro, Shelton Benjamin,Hardcore Holly and Kevin Thorn to send the World’s Largest Love Machine over the top rope. This bests the previous record of seven, which Big Vis “set�?when he was eliminated in 1994.

But with everything that happened in the Royal Rumble Match, it turned out to be Undertaker’s night when all was said and done. The Deadman is 14-0 at WrestleMania, and the only previous time he was in the main event, he defeated Sid at WrestleMania 13 to become WWE Champion. Thanks to his Royal Rumble victory, he will have a chance to claim gold in the biggest spotlight of all once again. 10 years after his biggest WrestleMania conquest, will the Deadman rise again in Detroit?

By winning the Royal Rumble Match, Undertaker secured a championship match in the main event of WrestleMania.

WWE fans declare HBK as the winner of the Ultimate Rumble

After all the votes were tallied, it was Shawn Michaels who survived in the Ultimate Royal Rumble. In the last round, HBK squeaked by Undertaker by a mere 2 percent. Since last Monday, WWE fans took part in 29 polls, each time voting out a different Superstar. A total of 2.5 million votes were accounted for during the course of the week.

time voting out a ent Superstar. A total of 2.5 million votes were accounted for during the course of the week

When it came down to The Undertaker and HBK Shawn Michaels it was a fair fight both The Undertaker and HBK Shawn Michaels did great and I know HBK Shawn Michaels was disappointed he did not win but he gave it a great try and he did his best and almost won that match but The Undertaker did this was a hard choice for me to pick, since I like both wrestlers.

Your Wrestling Guide,

Love & Peace,

AngelBear7042-Mgr.

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