Royal rumble - Becoming a machine for high profile returns?

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I think the title pretty much says it all. But last year we had edge, comes in and wins the rumble at number 29 I think, year before cena at number 30 comes in and wins. I'm not sure about taker in royal rumble 2007 but that might be one as well.

1) So is the royal rumble a machine for returning big superstars.

2) Is it the best way of returning superstars hence why it is used that way.

3) Should royal rumble be used this way, ie should a long lasting competitor win once in a while.

4) As a follow on to Q3, do you think WWE shoot themselves in the foot a little having guys come back at number 30 and win, or is it better to have a guy in early and win making them booked stronger?

 

[wwetv21]

undertaker didnt return at the RR.
and also i think they should have returns sometimes not always because RR will let young talent lik miz shine. and plus im going to win RR, JKs.


and i have a question how do u make threaDS

 

[Arkham Noir]

Yes, and it makes sense. All eyes are on the Royal Rumble. When the counter is going down, everyone is holding there breath waiting for the next entrant.If your the next guy out and you've been out injured/etc for the past couple of months, your going to get a massive pop.I'd return at the Royal Rumble.

The only thing that sucks about it is that the person returning usually wins, so you usually know the winner the second the person comes out.

 

[mral82]

I think this year winner should be Christian coming back and finally winning and going against Edge at WrestleMania XXVII now that Taker will be sidelined til after Mania this year because we all would like to see Edge and Christian finally feuding over a title that means more the than US or IC as we know the work would be reminascite of Bret-Owen; Austin-Rock; Angle-Guerrero; Hogan-Savage. So the big returns will be The Game and The Leader of the Peeps and I'll be surprised if we see Goldberg and Nash there. So my pre-pick is Christian 'cause "THAT'S HOW I ROLL!"

 

[#hamler]

1) So is the royal rumble a machine for returning big superstars.

It sure seems like it. I started to notice around the time Edge came back. I was think, they're going to do the same thing they did with Cena when he won the Royal Rumble. I was right. It was way too predictable.

2) Is it the best way of returning superstars hence why it is used that way.

I think its a good thing in a way. But like I said, its a little too predictable for me. I don't think its the best way for a superstar to return. What if they return, then turn around and lose the Royal Rumble. All their momentum from the return, is instantly stopped. I've always been a fan of random returns. Like one on RAW or a PPV without putting him in a match. Right now, you have top guys like Triple H, Undertaker, CM Punk, Chris Jericho or hell even Christain out right now which actually makes it hard to predict. In this case, they they should use the suprise number 30 entry to win the Rumble. But when one guy is out, its too predictable.

3) Should royal rumble be used this way, ie should a long lasting competitor win once in a while.

When you have someone in there since the first or second or even fifth entry, then a returning superstar returns, all hope is lost. The guy you've been pulling for the whole match is now out because a superstar returned. I would love another Rey Mysterio win, or Chris Benoit win, but with all these guys that are currently out, it seems unlikely. In my opinion, someone who isn't quite over but would be if they won the Rumble should win it. It should be used to get young guys over like Batista or Brock Lesnar or a young Shawn Michaels.

4) As a follow on to Q3, do you think WWE shoot themselves in the foot a little having guys come back at number 30 and win, or is it better to have a guy in early and win making them booked stronger?

I know for a fact, if a guy starts at number one, and wins it, he's gotten huge respect froim me no doubt about it. When a guy wins a 30, I show no respect to them. It seems like the WWE half assed it if they have a 30 entry winner. Even when the Undertaker won, it still seemed like they just handed him the win. He hardly worked for it. An event as big as this one, the WWE needs to make an earlier entry win it.

 

[Cleavo77]

My first Royal Rumble was John Cena coming in at number 30 to win it. I started watching wrestling about 2 months before becuase my friends were so crazy about him. When he was number 30 it was really cool to see him return like that, especially to me who had been waiting 2 months to see him for the first time.

Then the following year I called it that Edge would return and win. I was pissed that 1) he beat Cena for the win where cena had been in for like 16 guys, and 2) because i was pissed that edge could just sit on the bench for several months and just steal the show.

Now i will just be counting the seconds for HHH to come back and steal yet another Rumble because of an injury.

I was going to post a thread like this if i had my 10 posts in time, but i didnt, so kudos for a good post.

 

[peep4life]

1) So is the royal rumble a machine for returning big superstars.

Yes I think its a good way to return someone but they shouldnt do i every year they should have someone return at the EC and enter their self in it(like Edge 2 yrs ago I think)

2) Is it the best way of returning superstars hence why it is used that way.

Yes and No Yes because its exciting cause you dont know who's coming out next and once they come out huge pop but No because you know there gonna win

3) Should royal rumble be used this way, ie should a long lasting competitor win once in a while.

Kinda cause yes you do want someone to last the whole time

4) As a follow on to Q3, do you think WWE shoot themselves in the foot a little having guys come back at number 30 and win, or is it better to have a guy in early and win making them booked stronger?

Kinda but sometimes the guy isnt 100% when he returns i.e. Edge Last year so they cant last the whole time

P.S. My pick is the returning Captain Charisma to win and face Edge and that can be the whole story of WM cause Taker might be out for WM so that could be a Great fued Edge vs. Christian for the WHC at WM and go for awhile till it finally ends in a TLC match

 

[JJ15776]

Lmao. It's happened TWICE!!! How many guys have returned in the last 3 years and DIDN'T come back at Royal Rumble? John Cena came back at Survivor Series. Undertaker and HBK came back at Summerslam. Batista came back on an episode of Raw.

If they have a superstar ready to return around Royal Rumble, it's a good way to do it. It's a complete coincidence that it's happened two years in a row. It's not something they go out of their way to make happen. They're going to have a guy ready to return in September and hold them back so they can return at RR.

When it does work out that way, of course it's a good way for them to return. It's the perfect opportunity for a shock appearance. And most winners of the Royal Rumble, even when healthy and not making a return, entered in the 20's anyway. If they always had early entrants winning it, they'd be completely blowing the whole thing about it mattering when you enter. Besides, they can do shock returns early too.

 

[Eyebrows]

There's always been surprise returns at the Royal Rumble. Bob Backlund making an appearance in 2000, Big Show and Haku in 2001, Goldust has done it a couple of times. I don't think they lose their momentum if they don't win due to the unpredictable nature of the rumble match.

 

[Andy 2 Randy]

first, kudos to the creator, great thrread
Yeah, it is a way to show that someone (Cena,Edge) who's been injured, can return to show that 1, there back to full health and 2, ready to win matches again.
however, this can get really repetitive, and after Cena won in 2008 (which was one of the best returns of present day) it was stuck in my mind that Edge would return and win. I had a bet with a friend of mine, he told me it was ridiculous...i had an apology within 3 minutes.
If HHH returns in this fashion (number 29/30 = winner) it wouldnt be much of a shock, seeing as its been done twice before.
This Year though, i have two picks to win...sheamus or Big Show...But If Santino Wins, im buying tickets to wrestlemainia ...I'm just Sayin...

 

[Grimy Grizzly]

I think they should have more random suprise entrants that wont win but would be cool to see like when RVD made that one time appearance and didn't show up on raw or anything after

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

Just to clarify, I'm specifying only really big superstars so thats why edge and cena got the nod, and with the timely return of HHH, it is becoming more and more likely he will be next to add to the list. Therefore it excludes people like goldust or mr perfect in 02, RVD couple of years ago or any of those, only guys who are still main event picture material. But peeved cos people keep saying this is a good thread but not good repping me, oh well, I can't exactly beg for it.....

 

[koolaidx]

Sorry The Hamler but did you really just say you wouldn't mind seeing Chris Benoit win another rumble? Don't count on that one.

I don't mind seeing a guy coming back come back in the rumble match and win it. How often is there a guy who can main event a wrestlemania coming off of an injury returning in January? Not that often, just so happens to have happened the last few years.

And yes it's good to have guys go a long way to win it, but not all the time. They have to try and make this match exciting and unique every single year.

 

[#hamler]

Sorry The Hamler but did you really just say you wouldn't mind seeing Chris Benoit win another rumble? Don't count on that one.

I don't mind seeing a guy coming back come back in the rumble match and win it. How often is there a guy who can main event a wrestlemania coming off of an injury returning in January? Not that often, just so happens to have happened the last few years.

And yes it's good to have guys go a long way to win it, but not all the time. They have to try and make this match exciting and unique every single year.

Wow, I said Chris Benoit or Rey Mysterio type win. You know, where Chris came in at number one in 2004 and Rey number two in 2006 and battled tooth and nail to finally win the Royal Rumble. An emotional victory followed. You don't have that when you have suprise victories. I never really liked Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio before their Royal Rumble wins. When they wion the Rumble, they got huge respect from me. They need someone to win who works their ass off the entire match like Chris Benoit did.

 

[Dragon310]

First of the big returns at RR has happened twice in 3 years. Not twice in a row. (Cena in 08 and Edge in 10) Get your facts right.

But yes it is a good idea for a superstar to return at the Rumble. And it doesn't matter if they enter last or not. Remember, HHH return at RR in 2002, entered at Entry #22 and won it. So yeah its great for WM when an injured superstar returns and wins the Royal Rumble.

And for those who picked Christian to win. Good choice, but my choice would be Chris Jericho. Jericho vs. Edge @ WM27 the rematch.

 

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

I like the surprise entrants. People here say it's predictable when say Edge's music hit and he made the surprise return and you just "knew" he was going to win. Well you made an assumption, but nobody really knew, and it wasn't exactly predictable, you didn't KNOW what was going to happen. It was definitely a wow moment and you thought hey he could win it but nobody actually knew for sure, and that's what made it great. Afterwards everybody was like, that was so predictable...NO IT WASN'T. It could have gone 1 of 30 different ways.
I love it when the old school guys make an appearance, like Hacksaw and Snuka and Roddy etc. You can safely assume they probably wont win it but again you just never know, and it makes it fun. That's whats so great about the Rumble.
Re-debuting or making a come back at the Rumble makes sense and it fits if thats around the time the superstar is set to return anyway, because the Rumble is open and not a set match. You couldnt make a come back and just insert yourself into a match at any PPV but the rumble makes sense. If it was going to be truly epic, like say the return of The Rock or Brock Lesnar etc. they would want to hype it before hand and get more buys, a surprise would be a waste.
But anyway I'd love to see Santino enter at 30 and get a win this year. That would be cool.

 

[peep4life]

I don't mind seeing a guy coming back come back in the rumble match and win it. How often is there a guy who can main event a wrestlemania coming off of an injury returning in January? Not that often, just so happens to have happened the last few years.

Well theres Chris Jericho(which heca return whenever he wants), HHH(close to returning mght be before the RR), Or My pick Christian(who is set to return around the time of the RR)

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

1) So is the royal rumble a machine for returning big superstars.
Yes it is. We have seen it happen twice, once with Edge and with Cena
2) Is it the best way of returning superstars hence why it is used that way
Its a good way but not the best in my opinion. Sure it gives the message that the superstar is back in reckoning for the title it does not set up personal feuds very well. I would rather like to see the wrestler interfere in a singles match in which the guy who took him out is participating. It also, as you said, kinda guarantees that this wrestler is going to win the Rumble and main event Wrestlemania at least. That ruins it a bit for me.

3) Should royal rumble be used this way, ie should a long lasting competitor win once in a while.

A long lasting competitor should win once in a while. Its the best way to build the guy up as a threat for the world title. Actually winning the Rumble from the number 30 spot is a pretty recent phenomena. It did not happen even once till Undertaker won the Rumble in 2007.

4) As a follow on to Q3, do you think WWE shoot themselves in the foot a little having guys come back at number 30 and win, or is it better to have a guy in early and win making them booked stronger? Its a double edged sword actually. If the guy comes in early the crowd will explode when he enters but will quieten down as the Rumble progresses as there won't be as much excitement in the latter stages of the match. Conversely bringing in a guy at say number 30 makes it look as if the guy won only because he had luck on his side. So I cannot say what is better but I would want the guy to come in early because booking the guy strong will benefit the business in the longer run because the guy will look strong going into Wrestlemania. However I can see merit in either side of the arguement.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I think you're right. The Royal Rumble does seem to be turning into a system for big returns. That's not a good thing because then we know who will win ahead of time. If some random main eventer is out with an injury before the Rumble and he can come back in time, then it'd be too obvious that he would return to win it. Cena did in 2008, Orton in 2009, and then Edge in 2010. I hope it doesn't happen again this year. It's not the best way to do a big return due to it becoming less significant each consecutive year that it happens. If it happens in 2011 it won't be as big as Cena's, Orton's, or Edge's. Someone who is not on the injured list should be allowed to win it. Why not? It worked many years in the past. If they do plan on doing another big return, they should be either #30 or very close to it like Edge last year. People always wonder who will come out next and expecting a big return at the end can be pretty cool, a lot better than seeing someone dominate the entire match.

 

[showstoppaa]

Near enough every year, at the royal rumble, we see some sort of surprise entrant or return. With the WWE having a decent amount of big names out at the moment, and the rumble just over a month away, it seems very likely that someone is going to be returning, maybe to win it, or maybe to continue a rivalry with whoever put them on the shelf. I can think of 4 people who could be good contenters to return:

Triple H: This is probably the most obvious. He's been out since Extreme Rules, and it seems like his return could be iminent. If he did return he would be more than likely to win it, with the rumoured Unification match at Wrestlemania I would be surprised if The Game wasn't involved. There is also the chance that he could focus on Sheamus, and take him out of the rumble to continue their fued.

Chris Jericho: Similar to HHH, I could see him involved in the Unification match if it happens, seeing as he was the first Undisputed Champion. Also, in a similar way to HHH he could go after the man who put him out, Randy Orton. This could set up another great match for Mania.

Christian: Probably not likely, but I would love to see him win it. There's a good chance Edge could be WHC at the time, so that could be a dream match at Mania. Maybe even make it TLC, again, not likely, but probably a popular idea on here.

CM Punk: Now this is a long shot, I'm not sure what his current condition is, but imagine. There's 1 guy left in the ring, the number 30 has come and gone but no-one has come out. He thinks he's won, when Punk runs in from commentary and throws him out. This almost certainly wont happen, but I'm a Punk mark, I'd probably wet myself if he ended up main eventing Wrestlemania.

So do any of these ideas seem likely to you?
Are there any other superstars you could see returning at the 2011 rumble?

 

[The Wrestler`s Wrestler]

I think using the royal rumble for high profile returns is wrong. The royal rumble match was used to elevate a mid carder to the main event level by winning the wwf or world title at wrestlemania. The last time I can remember that happening (Even though many people including myself thought it was wrong) was when Rey Mysterio won it back in 2006.

Since then Taker in 07, Cena in 08, Orton in 09 and this year Edge won the royal rumble. 4 guys that are already main eventers. I understand Taker winning it as part of the quest to the holy grail when he beat Batista to win the world title for the first time since 2002. Cena winning the royal rumble only for him to cash in his wrestlemania title shot @ no way out, For him to lose then end up in the title match @ mania anyway was a joke. Orton won the year after and went to mania to lose, Because Triple H didn't want to lose @ mania, He used the "The fans should go home happy @ the end of the show wrestlemania moment." Which could of happened if he lost to Orton lower down on the card and Taker and Shawn went on last. But that is another thread for another day.

I think the wwf have wasted 4 chances to make legit main eventers by doing this. Remember watching people winning the royal rumble and being on the road to wrestlemania, Then watching them lift the belt for the first time. Seeing Austin or Beniot or Cena and Batista do that is a REAL wrestlemania moment. Not FAKE CREATED ones like Triple H retaining @ mania 25 or Cena regaining @ mania 26. Those guys are ALREADY made so you dont feel it when they win their 5th or 6th wwf or world title. And they wonder why there are no real wrestlemania moments anymore