My Rumble Epiphany

[Decarow]

I know it's kinda late to talk about the Rumble. But I just realized something. The WWE has had a pretty recent rhythm with not only the winner of the RR, but also the last eliminated (the loser in the post, due to lack of a better word) has had a high profile match at that year's Rumble. In 2000, the Rock last eliminated Big Show and they were both in the Fatal Four Way Main Event of WM2000. Since then, there was a 4 year streak of the loser not really being paid much mind. But then in 2005, the loser started getting more credit (indirectly) at that year's Mania. I will show you the past 10 RR winner/loser situations at that year's Mania.

2001- Loser: Kane.
WrestleMania Match: Triple threat for Hardcore Championship

2002- Loser: Kurt Angle
WrestleMania Match: Singles mid-card match with Kane

2003- Loser: Undertaker
WrestleMania Match: His tag team partner was taken out so he battled Big Show and A-Train solo

2004- Loser: Big Show
WrestleMania Match: Lost his US title to Cena in the opening match

Then, things changed for the loser.

2005- Batista (W) and Cena (L) won their first world titles

2006- Mysterio (W) and Orton (L) were in the same triple threat match for the WHC against Kurt Angle

2007- Undertaker (W) and HBK (L) both fought for the WHC and WWE titles in the Main Events of that year

2008- Cena (W) and HHH (L) were in the same triple threat match for the WWE championship against Orton

2009- Orton (W) and HHH (L) duked it out for the WWE title

2010- Edge (W), Cena (L), Batista (L2), and Jericho (L3) were in the 2 title main event matches.

I honestly don't think the same will be said this year. For God's sake, it's Santino.

I'm merely pointing this out as trivia, let the speculations begin.

 

[FPSRussia]

Honestly, Santino COULD be a main-eventer.

He's better than 90% in the ring, one of the best mic workers WWE has currently, and gets pops that are relatively rare these days.

He would have to drop quite a bit of his comedy, but in FCW he was running a gimmick of a Russian submission-based wrestler, think Kozlov and Del Rio combined.

 

[trouble in pardise]

Honestly, Santino COULD be a main-eventer.

He's better than 90% in the ring, one of the best mic workers WWE has currently, and gets pops that are relatively rare these days.

He would have to drop quite a bit of his comedy, but in FCW he was running a gimmick of a Russian submission-based wrestler, think Kozlov and Del Rio combined.

why would he have to drop his comedy other superstars like triple h and john cena have alot of comedy in their charcters. wwe should try him out because at every event i went to he was the fan favorite over cena hhh and orton thats saying something to have a midcarder more popular than the main eventers imagine the pop he wouldget with the wwe championship

 

[cantknockrob]

IMO Santio is OK in the ring. I like how they are pushing him as a more serious wrestler and he is showing some of his legit Judo background.

I do think that other guys could work better than him, namely Zigler, Kofi, even Swagger.

This may sound kind of old school but just because you get a great pop does not mean you should hold the strap.

 

[Boondocks]

Personally, I love Santino's character, and I think he could be main event IF he's given a little more freedom yet in his in ring wrestling. If you've never seen what he can do, find a way to watch it, because he is pretty damn good. He is great on the mic, too. The pops he does get are for humor, but he is truly a good talker. And his finishing maneuver, The Cobra (despite its lack of believability) is quite electric for a "wasted talent." It gets cheers when he sets it up, and he makes a show out of it. I think if he were to be built right as a legitemate in ring competitor, he could be Main Event material.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Like the OP said, things changed for the loser from 2005, well maybe 2011 will be the start of a new change?? I honestly don't see Santino in the main event this year!! He is good in the ring and has good mic skills, but him feuding with who? Cena? Miz? Orton? Can be possible, but to me, Santino is nothing more than a joke now!! That's how I will always see him.. It's like Khali, when he arrived he was in the main event battling for world titles, then they make him a punjabi playboy and that killed the monster he was!

 

[The Crock]

It's a nice little thought, but nowadays the last few guys in the Rumble are always going to be in the Main Event of 'Mania. A few years back, they could have been pushing newer guys, but look at the final five or six men in this year's Rumble. Cena WILL ME 'Mania, Barrett will get a decently good match, Orton will be in a ME match. You know, I think they're putting their established talent in at the end of the match to keep our attention, so that we won't know who'll win the match. The more stars at the end, the more suspense we'll get out of it.

 

[Tech N9ne]

Santino can get it done in the ring. I have seen old vignettes from when he was billed as a Russian Assassin type character and was pretty believable. He has more moves than he lets on.

I wish they would do something with his character. Not his actual comic tendencies. But his in ring game. They could have someone "train" him or something to enable him to start showing improvement in the ring.

I do not think he should be World Champ. But I can see him as a good US or IC Champion. Using his comedy and a more broad variety of moves, I think he can make people forget about the lack of moves he has now.

Daniel Bryan would probably be a good guy to book with Santino to "train" him. I can see Bryan being pretty funny with him, but also being the "straight" guy too.

 

[AK2V8]

I see Santino defending the tag team titles in a fatal four way tag team or fuck even a tag team turmoil (but holy shit they have to find some DECENT tag teams). I dont see Santino main eventing. Yes I love his gimmick and comedic move set, but I can NEVER take him seriously. I agree with cantknokrob and that just because someone gets a good pop doesnt mean he should hold the strap. People just love Santino for the comedic entertainment his gimmick brings to the WWE. But I reckon this, people should be looking as the RR "loser" as Randy Orton, who was the actually last eliminated person. All Santino did was hop into the ring and get his sorry ass tossed out of the ring. Randy Orton is the man too look at for his match at Mania which is obviusly against CM Punk.

 

[Decarow]

But I reckon this, people should be looking as the RR "loser" as Randy Orton, who was the actually last eliminated person. All Santino did was hop into the ring and get his sorry ass tossed out of the ring. Randy Orton is the man too look at for his match at Mania which is obviusly against CM Punk.

I disagree. Santino was never thrown out technically. It was just a way of WWE saying "anything can happen". Yes, we all knew Del Rio was still going to win the moment Santino jumped back in. But the record books show it's Santino who was last eliminated. And yes, we all know Orton is going to Mania against Punk (providing nobody is injured), but that won't be a main event. It'll be on about the same level as Punk/Mysterio last year.