**MERGED** Royal Rumble 2013 & Aftermath Discussion (Keep it in here!!!!)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Time for another Buy or Sell, and this time for Royal Rumble of course..

If you don't know how it works, I'm going to simply dish out several statements and all you have to do is simply Buy them or Sell them, Buy is you agree, or Sell if you disagree with the statements. Also provide some explanations.

1) The Rock vs CM Punk should be the last match of the evening.

2) Having The Rock win the WWE Championship is the right move for building towards Wrestlemania.

3) Alberto Del Rio has to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show at Royal Rumble or risk losing steam on his babyface run.

4) Based on the progression of Team Hell No in their run as Tag Team Champions, the time is right for them to drop the belts.

5) Having the United States Championship Match between Antonio Cesaro and The Miz be on the YouTube pre-show is a waste.

6) John Cena's participation in the Royal Rumble takes away the unpredictability of the match.

7) Winning the Royal Rumble Match still carries as much prestige as it always has.

8) Royal Rumble will be a great PPV.

Start Buying/Selling

 

[ShatteredDreamsProduction]

One thing keeps annoying me about this thread. People keep saying how dolph will cash in his MITB briefcase on punk or rocky.

HE CAN'T

For the simple reason that his briefcase is for the WHC not the WWE Title.

As for the rumble. I see where people are coming from with the Maddox having a big part to play in it. Maybe getting outside help from a big returning name.
And I hope we have some good returning stars like Christian and maybe even Shelton Benjamin makes an appearance.
God I hope Cena doesn't win. It will do nothing for his career.
I want someone like the miz to win in all honesty. Especially with his current run as a face.

 

[AhSpicyDrop]

I think Ziggler goes all the way Ric Flair style and wins the Rumble. At Elimination Chamber I think he cashes in and wins the World Heavyweight title and then goes onto Mania in a Champion vs. Champion unification match versus CM Punk.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

1) The Rock vs CM Punk should be the last match of the evening.

Sell. Although there is precident for having a regular match going on last at the Rumble, I'm not a fan of it. Plus, by having the Rumble match on last you can give the loser of the Rock/Punk match a chance at being a suprise late entrant to the Rumble and add further drama to the match

2) Having The Rock win the WWE Championship is the right move for building towards Wrestlemania.

Sell. This one could go either way, and while it would not be a bad thing if Rock won the title before Mania, it doesn't mean that it is the right move for him to do so. It could be just as compelling or even moreso if Rock is chasing the title all the way to Mania and is involved in a title match their as well. Rock has never won the title at Mania so it could be a nice touch.

3) Alberto Del Rio has to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show at Royal Rumble or risk losing steam on his babyface run.

Buy. It would make no sense for Del Rio to lose now. He is getting over as a face early on and the potential is their for him to get over even moreso like Sheamus. Del Rio should get a nice run here to solidify him as a face.

4) Based on the progression of Team Hell No in their run as Tag Team Champions, the time is right for them to drop the belts.

Buy. They are done with the anger managment angle now that they graduated so they can drop the belts any time now. Another added benifit of them doing so is to set up a Mania match between the two.

5) Having the United States Championship Match between Antonio Cesaro and The Miz be on the YouTube pre-show is a waste.

Buy. This is not Santino vs Ryder or Tensai or something silly like that. Cesaro will be a major player moving forward and Miz is now a full on top face. This should a ppv match because it is that important and the guys working the match are that good.

6) John Cena's participation in the Royal Rumble takes away the unpredictability of the match.

Sell. While he has a great chance of winning the match. The fact that the Elimination Chamber ppv plays a huge part in shaping Mania means that Cena doesn't have to win the Rumble to be in the Mania title picture. Also there has been a good job of building up guys like Ziggler, Orton and Sheamus that a case can be made for each guy. Plus there's the unpredictability of suprise entrants and with guys like Taker and Lesnar sitting out their I think it's wide open.

7) Winning the Royal Rumble Match still carries as much prestige as it always has.

Buy. The winner of this match is still used to give guys world titles and help launch careers. We saw that last year with Sheamus, and we will continue to see it moving forward.

8) Royal Rumble will be a great PPV.

Buy. The Rumble is always a great ppv because of the Rumble match itself. Factor in a Rock/Punk title match and the multiple possibilities that match holds and that is enough for me.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I am still going with the easy/likely/safe choice that John Cena will win the 2013 Royal Rumble.

I think so, too. The company has spent a lot of time catering to Punk this past year-and-a-half, and the good thing is that it hasn't hurt Cena's standing in the wrestling world one bit; his appeal and influence is so overwhelming that it's been proven he doesn't need to wear the title belt to be the #1 man in WWE.

Still, he hasn't worn the belt in a long time and, despite the fact that tons of people who claim to "hate" John Cena are going to be unhappy, he is someday going to be the champ again.....and I can't think of a better way of getting it done than winning the Royal Rumble and gaining his revenge against the Rock at Wrestlemania, assuming Rock wins it from Punk at the Rumble, of course. If he doesn't, the whole scenario will play out differently.

For those of you who think Cena should never be champion again, I note: how many of you really believed they'd keep the belt from him this long? If he wins it again, we'll be reading many folks claiming that Cena is "always" the titleholder.....but the events of the past 1+ year proves that he isn't.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE released a video that's promoting an NXT tournament that's going to be held during the Royal Rumble fan fest this weekend. The winner of said tournament will be entered into the Royal Rumble match. The tournament is going to be made up of:

Oliver Grey
Corey Graves
Xavier Woods
Luke Harper
Bo Dallas
Leo Kruger
Connor O'Brian
Adrian Neville

This is an interesting idea and WWE could have one of their top prospects in NXT make a good first impression with a good performance at one of WWE's Big Four ppvs. It'd be cool if WWE released footage of these matches & the winner at some point during the Rumble ppv, but I don't see it happening.

 

[AhSpicyDrop]

That's an excellent idea. Given the fact that Kruger has worked some house shows I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in the Rumble, and on the main roster soon. Even if nothing really comes out of it there's still the further exposure of NXT, which has proven to be an awesome product thus far.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Like I mentioned in Wrestling Spam Zone, I'm guessing it will be Adrian Neville (PAC) so he can perform this years Kofi Kingston/John Morrison moment. That, and if he puts in a good performance by lasting a good amount of time in the match and maybe getting to eliminate a couple of guys, will be an excellent way to get him over with the fans on the main show.

 

[Wald]

I'm picking Neville to get the spot too.

If they gave 5 minutes in the match to just do his thing they would have a star on their hands instantly

 

[RobinVanDutch]

No matter who wins, this can be a great way of getting someone over right from the get go. Let him stay in long maybe eliminate some guys. Great!

 

[BenChillin]

Is it mean, or did him getting that main event spot to talk, just to address the people has has soooo much in common with, basically guarantee he's winning the Rumble to fight The Rock for the belt. A battle for the people. A part timer for the people vs a full timer for the people.

I dunno man. This company is known to be pretty predictable.

 

[Wald]

Honestly I don't think Cena is winning the Rumble and I don't think he's fighting the Rock at Wrestlemania.

Only reason I have to think that is that Michael Cole has brought up the 'Once in a Lifetime' slogan from last year's match recently on Raw. If they were going back to that match I think they wouldn't bring that up at all and would bury it in the hopes we'd forget about it.

I see Big Show beating Del Rio and Ryback winning the Rumble to challenge him for the belt at Wrestlemania

 

[3drinks]

It is very likely that John Cena will be winning the Rumble. But I do not think it is a lock, yet. It all depends on the outcome of the WWE Championship match. If Rock leaves as an eight-time WWE Champion, then Cena will win the Rumble, and they will top the iconic match of last year the only way they can: By adding a world title in the mix. However, if CM Punk leaves as Champ and continues his 427 day reign, then Cena will most assuredly not be winning. In this scenario, a Ryback win is likely, but they could just as likely make Randy Orton a two-time Rumble winner and set up something for the World Heavyweight Championship. This path could also work for the Big Show, however this is unlikely as Paul Wight probably can't put on a full-length Last Man Standing main event, and a Rumble spot because of his stamina. Also likely that if this chain happens, then CM Punk will not be leaving Wrestlemania with the WWE Championship, regardless of if a RAW or Smackdown! guy wins.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The card looks like it will be a decent show, I already posted my predictions on the matches other than the Royal Rumble match itself. I don't see any of the champions losing their belts, even if the Divas or Intercontinental Champions get put into a match at the last minute, I'd still predict they would retain. They both got their titles fairly recently so a title change doesn't make sense, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see one of those belts be defended at the show too. 4 matches is NOT enough, they need to add SOMETHING else even if it's just filler. There is no way that this show will only have 4 matches, 5 if you count the pre-show match.... There's got to be at least one or two more matches that they will end up throwing together at the last second to add onto the card. They could give us a match for the Intercontinental Championship, the Divas Championship, both of the above, and/or some type of random filler match. As for the Rumble itself? I'm having a rather difficult time predicting a winner. It's rarely easy to predict a Rumble winner. I'll go ahead and give Dolph Ziggler my vote. He's already got a championship match for the World Heavyweight Championship waiting for him when he cashes in his briefcase, but it would be cool to see him having #1 contendership for the WWE Championship too. Dolph wins the Royal Rumble and chooses the WWE Championship so he can potentially compete for both belts at Wrestlemania.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Dolph Ziggler will win the Royal Rumble match.

 

[scottyshowman82]

The Royal Rumble is the most exciting WWE event of the year and yes often that does include Wrestlemania. There is just something that is always appealing about this high stakes battle royal that showcases so many different personalities and pending feuds. In 2011 the WWE took a risk, adding 10 more entrants to make the biggest Royal Rumble ever. I gotta say I remember being so excited and pumped for that Royal Rumble that I actually had trouble sleeping the night before. There was so much excitement and debate whether the 40 man Rumble would work or would the extra entrants be redundant, pointless and make the match drag. To be honest I really enjoyed the 40 man Royal Rumble. The match was highlighted by the faction wars of the New Nexus and Corre, CM Punk with the help of the Nexus dominating a good chunk of Rumble, John Cena eventually taking out the New Nexus, an exhilirating and innovative elimination save by John Morrison and the exciting Rumble returns of Booker T and Kevin Nash. And when Alberto Del Rio went on to win it, it was definately a match that you felt gave you your bang for your buck.

I hate to say it but the 2012 Royal Rumble that ended with Sheamus eliminating Chris Jericho didn't have nearly the anticipation in build up and nor the compelling story telling of the previous year in my opinion. It most definitely made sense for Sheamus to win but to me that Rumble fell flat compared to it's countless enstallements of the past. I wouldn't say the 40 man rumble ruined the traditional rumble for me but I feel it definately spoiled me. The good news is that the Rumble always is a recipe for an exciting match. I also think that the new stars the WWE has tried to grow since the depatures of HHH, HBK and Taker have really started to come into their own and I expect great things from the likes of Sheamus, Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Dolph Ziggler, and Damien Sandow. Veterans like John Cena, Kane and Randy Orton who are not involved in title matches this year will also use their star power to help make this year`s match extra exciting. Add in surprise entrants and time tested royal rumble scenarios that always seem to work and possibility of new innovations within the match and this year`s Rumble is a can`t miss. It may not be 40 men but the Royal Rumble is still the Royal Rumble and is still the most consistently exciting wrestling pay per view of all time.

 

[akathelaw]

My picks for the Royal Rumble Match Winner:

1. Dolph Ziggler: I think now is a good time for lightning to strike in the WWE, and if Dolph Ziggler could clinch a win for the Royal Rumble, he could cash in his MITB Briefcase at Elimination Chamber and challenge the WWE Champion for title unification at WrestleMania. Dolph gets to hold the WHC and take his entourage of AJ and Langston to WrestleMania to challenge The Rock. There's plenty of material for Rock to work with making fun of the three of them. Ultimately I think the Rock would win and unify the two titles, and either challenge Cena or Punk at the next PPV.

2. Randy Orton: Orton has been underused for almost a whole year, and he's still really over, looks great and can go with anyone. A Rumble win would put Orton back on the map and give the WHC some intrigue. He could play a heel against Del Rio (but that might backfire), or a face against another WHC holder if someone nabs it in the Chamber. Orton should be a big part of WrestleMania, so he could be a good pick.

3: Ryback: It's going to hurt the momentum of Ryback if he loses the Rumble. If he makes it to the end and Shield tosses him over, that might be the only way he comes out of the rumble okay without winning. I'd pull the trigger on Ryback's push now. WWE needs new stars and he's ready to go.

 

[Wally Dangerously]

The Rumble match itself should be better than last year's Rumble, but that's not saying much. I purposefully haven't looked up the surprise participants, but overall, the roster should be better than it was last year. I'll enjoy it regardless.

I expect Ziggler to break Mysterio's record for longest time in the Rumble but ultimately come up short.

I expect Ryback to eliminate 7-8 participants (including The Shield) but not be legitimately eliminated (The Shield will drag him out, screwing him over again).

I expect Jinder Mahal to suck.

Royal Rumble 2013 Winner Prediction: John Cena, Ziggler as runner-up

 

[Mhuff83]

The smart thing to do would be have punk beat the Rock. Then have Rock come n near the end of the rumble And won it... Then it could be punk rock 2 at mania or u can have Cena win the title at chamber prompting cm punk to get his rematch at mania ala triple threat match booking solved... Boom

 

[GrandSword]

Cena for me is a lock to win the RR. All the storylines outside of Punk/Rock seem to always come back to Cena and his redemption for last year. No one else has really been featured enough except perhaps Sheamus but there is no real story for him to jump on to. I would almost bet my house on Cena.

However, if he does get eliminated, that would be the biggest mark out moment for me for the whole event. Cena getting taken out by someone like Ambrose or Bryan or Ziggler would be amazing.

 

[Underfaker]

I can see Dolph & Cena going in 1 & 2 and beating the hell out of each other 'stealing the show' getting to the last 5 maybe, but have no idea who's going to win.

For me, it's between Cena , Ziggler or Ryback. If you put a gun to my head and tell me to predict I would say .... Cena.

On another note, a message for a few previous posters ... Ziggler CANNOT cash in MITB on the WWE champion!!!!

 

[WackerJr]

I really can't see anything other than a Cena win tonight... Unless the loser of The Rock-Punk match enters. I predict Dolph vs Cena at the end. I would love to be surprised though!

 

[Done]

That is it. I am officially done with WWE.

They just killed something amazing for a two month title reign for a part timer, setting up yet another Cena run as champion. So I'm done. I will no longer watch World Wrestling Entertainment television, buy their products, nothing.

Time to start watching TNA and ROH primarily from now. The TNA Heavyweight Championship means more now than the WWE Championship does.

CM Punk could've gone on to headline Wrestlemania and accomplish his dream. He could've set a new standard. But now we get a rematch of last year and I just don't care anymore.

Goodbye, WWE. You've disappointed me for the last time.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

John Cena has won the Royal Rumble again and we are setting up Rock/Cena for second time in a lifetime. I personally think it's stupid and would match rather see Cena challenge the streak instead of inserting himself in the title picture AGAIN. Why doesn't WWE have faith in anyone else on the roster?

 

[SinCityBlitz]

John Cena has won the Royal Rumble again and we are setting up Rock/Cena for second time in a lifetime. I personally think it's stupid and would match rather see Cena challenge the streak instead of inserting himself in the title picture AGAIN. Why doesn't WWE have faith in anyone else on the roster?

This is what is holding the WWE back right now. Vince keeps shoveling the same shit down fans throats. They built Ryback up just to chop him down. They have zero clue on how to build anyone up anymore.

Now I know why I rarely watch wrestling anymore. Between TNA and WWE it's a sad state of affairs.

 

[GameOver]

John Cena has won the Royal Rumble again and we are setting up Rock/Cena for second time in a lifetime. I personally think it's stupid and would match rather see Cena challenge the streak instead of inserting himself in the title picture AGAIN. Why doesn't WWE have faith in anyone else on the roster?

Funny you should mention the streak, when the lights went out i thought maybe it was the Undertaker coming to challenge The Rock. but alas no.

Pretty average PPV again this year, the Rumble match was OK but seemed too quick though it wasn't and the wrong person won IMO. Ziggler should've at the very least gotten to beat Rey's time limit record, but alas no, the golden boy gets his title shot again zzzzzzzz. Obvious who the final 3 were gonna be tho since they did an add for Elimination Chamber with OMG those competitors on the list.

note thats the second time Ziggler has been at the number 1 entry, so that has to be a record dont recall anyone else doing that tho i'm probably wrong, the whole match it was definately like HBK's 1995 win, hanging on by hook or crook.

Kept getting transmission pausing throughout the PPV too, usually get that atleast once a PPV in Australia but this seemed like every 20mins.

The rest of the PPV was meh.
Rock vs Punk was ok, seemed abit off tho (B-)
Team Hell No vs Team Rhodes Scholars - filler (C+)
Big Show vs Del Rio - meh. (B maybe)
Royal Rumble (B+)

Where do we go from now, obviously Punk has a rematch and he and The Rock are both in Elimination Chamber according to the ad as is Cena, Sheamus, Big Show, Ryback so Cena would pick the WWE title which is gonna be either The Rock or CM Punk you'd think.