Royal Rumble 2005 Review

Match #1

Edge vs Shawn Michaels

This was a pretty huge match for Edge, as he was still trying to break his way into the main event picture. Edge hits a big spear on the outside of the ring and Michaels just gets back into the ring at nine. Edge tunes up the band and spears HBK in the ring where Michaels just barely kicks out. Michaels manages to hit the diving elbow drop and goes for a Sweet Chin Music but Edge ducks and hits an electric chair drop. Michaels with a roll-up but Edge rolls through and holds the ropes, getting the win in a great match.

We go backstage where Raw GM Eric Bischoff and Smackdown GM Teddy Long are in the room where superstars draw their Royal Rumble number, presented by Torrie Wilson and Christy Hemme. Ric Flair comes in first and is very happy with his number. Eddie Guerrero comes in and is less than pleased with his. Eddie and Flair hug and Eddie leaves. Ric tries to show his number to everyone else and they don’t understand why Ric was happy. Flair realizes Eddie switched their numbers and is irate as he runs off. Really funny segment.

Match #2 – Casket Match

The Undertaker vs Heidenrich

Their match at Survivor Series was a real dud but this one was kind of decent. A lot of brawling between the two of them until Snitsky gets involved. Snitsky and Heidenrich had bonded recently. They beat down Undertaker but the casket opens and Kane comes out! Kane and Snitsky brawl through the crowd. After a bit more fighting, Taker hits a chokeslam and a tombstone for the win, sending Heidenrich into the casket.

Teddy Long tries to get Eddie to give back the number when Triple H, Flair and Batista rush into the room and demand it. Eddie gives back the number and also Flair’s wallet. Triple H and Batista begin arguing. Batista wants to go get his number for the Rumble but Triple H wants to discuss strategy for his match against Orton. Flair has to get in between them.

Christian and Tyson Tomko are in the Rumble room now. Christian gets his number and Cena enters. Christian raps on Cena and Cena makes some jokes about Cena.

Match #3 – WWE Championship

JBL (c) vs Big Show vs Kurt Angle

Big Show dominates early, beating down both Angle and JBL. As Big Show is on the steel steps positioned by the announce table, Angle hits him in the head with a monitor, sending him crashing through the table. Angle and JBL fight for a while before Big Show gets involved again. They have Show down and out but fight over the cover. Big Show spears JBL through the barricade outside the ring. Basham Bros come out to check on JBL while Big Show and Angle fight. Big Show flapjacks Angle onto a chair and covers but Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns run in on Angle’s behalf. Orlando Jordan hits JBL into the ring and he Clothesline From Hells a recovering Angle for the victory. This was a really fun match. No technical masterpiece or anything but there was a lot of good storytelling and everything made sense.

Backstage Batista draws his number for the Rumble and Bischoff decides that after seeing the interference in the WWE title match, Evolution is banned from helping Triple H tonight.

Match #4 – World Heavyweight Championship

Triple H (c) vs Randy Orton

Orton has the upper hand but Triple H takes over and starts working on the leg. Really good Figure Four spot where Triple H keeps stopping Orton from getting the ropes and shoving his face back down anytime he tries to fight it. Orton goes for a DDT near the corner but Triple H holds onto the rope and Orton hits his head off the ground, getting a kayfabe concussion. Triple H dominates from this point forward. Ref goes down and Triple H grabs the sledgehammer. He misses and Orton keeps fighting. Triple H clotheslines Orton and grabs the sledgehammer. But instead of hitting Orton with it, Hebner starts to get up and Triple H just wins cleanly with a pedigree. Really…odd ending. I’m not entirely sure what the point was there. The match as a whole was extremely disappointing and very slow.

We get a celebration with JBL backstage after defeating Big Show and Angle. JBL is drunk and champagne is popping everywhere. Teddy Long announces JBL will face Big Show at No Way Out. JBL tells Teddy that he’s gonna beat Big Show like Big Show’s gonna eat a pizza. Teddy announces the match will be in a barbed wire steel cage, and JBL sobers up.

Match #5 – The Royal Rumble Match

We kick off with Benoit and Guerrero as the first two. In the early going, they, along with Hardcore Holly, destroy rookie Daniel Puder. It becomes Raw vs Smackdown as Edge, Benoit, Jericho and Benjamin are on one side and Mysterio, Booker, Eddie & Reigns on the other. They all team up to toss out Muhammad Hassan. Kurt Angle enters at number 20 but goes out quick from an HBK superkick. Angle gets back into the ring, beats down Michaels and tosses him out. Paul London gets stuck on the apron and takes a brutal clothesline from Snitsky, literally flipping to the ground below. Batista enters and shortly after, Flair comes in at number 30. Flair tries to eliminate Batista but gets speared and taken out by Edge. Final four at Edge, John Cena, Rey Mysterio & Batista. Edge spears Batista off the apron and gets eliminated by both Cena and Batista himself. Cena and Batista both fly over the ropes at the same time and the referees fight over who won. Vince McMahon runs out and tears both his quads getting into the ring. Vince demands the match restart and Batista wins! Very enjoyable Rumble match with a lot of good star power, especially in terms of the upper midcard.

Overall

Overall the Rumble was a pretty enjoyable PPV. The opener with Edge and HBK is very good. The casket match is watchable at the very least. Triple threat is fun, especially if you like matches with a little extra overbooking. The Triple H vs Orton match is really weak and disappointing. But the Royal Rumble match, which is the selling point of the show, completely delivers. I’d recommend the show as a whole.