WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Royal Rumble Match

[V Dogg]

Personally, I believe the WWE should stick with the original plan. Ambrose, while excellent on the mic and some pretty good ring skills, just has been booked the wrong way. Over the past few months he has either flat out lost or won by DQ in his big PPV matches. Wouldn't make much booking sense to have him become a threat to Lesnar at WM if he can't really beat Rollins and Wyatt.

I personally like Roman Reigns. And I don't care what anyone thinks - he doesn't need to have superb mic skills. He just needs to be a bad ass with few words. Sure, his ring skills aren't the best in the world, but neither is John Cena's and he's the face of the company.

 

[Navi]

Can you site where Meltzer said that? I listen to most of their audio but don't read the newsletters. I heard him say if they get cold on Roman, Ambrose is the next I one as the next Babyface but not that they have changed.

I had a look around and can't find it either. All the dirt sheets though are reporting it as well, and using Meltzer as the source of the whole thing.

 

[WallsofZakku]

if this is the direction that management is deciding to take then im all for it, Reigns is most certainly not ready for such a big position. Dean would be a nice alternative and like one of the first posters said this could lead to an Ambrose vs Rollins feud for the title. now THAT would be money right there. we saw what they could do given their first feud and the restrictions they had. We could see classic title bouts between those two guys if management decides to take the leap their way. If Triple H is serious about that whole "Internet Feedback" thing then this should be brought to his attention

 

[kadroan]

Since Daniel Bryan went down with his injury earlier this year, WWE has been positioning Roman Reigns to be the next top star in WWE. The idea was to push Reigns to dethrone John Cena as the top babyface in WWE and since Summerslam the plan was to have Reigns win the Rumble and go on to beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. It appears that is no longer the plan.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials have been worried that Reigns doesn’t have the mic skills, even after taking acting classes while he was injured, or the ability to work a long singles match. Fans have also seemed to grow tired of Roman Reigns. The crowd was heard chanting “boring” during his Monday match with Big Show and booing the former Shield member.

Meltzer is reporting that WWE has decided to change the outcome of the Royal Rumble match and have Dean Ambrose win and challenge Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Many feel that Ambrose is a better worker and has the mic skills to be a top star. While nothing is set in stone, this adds a little uncertainty in an otherwise predictable Royal Rumble match.

Ambrose makes the most sense in winning the Rumble but he isn't being booked strong to look like a credible candidate to win the RR match.

Before Sheamus won the RR match in 2012, he was on a winning streak. Before Cena won the RR match in 2012, he was on a winning streak. Batista, he was the WWE's chosen one. Same case with Reigns.

I just think the WWE is more aware the secret is out that their guy is Reigns. I honestly don't think Reigns' situation is bad as Batista's. I think some fans legitimately like him. I think just think him feuding with Show is horrible timing. This sort of feud, should take place after Reigns win the championship, not while he's trying to build himself up. Nobody got excited when Del Rio feuded with Show at the top of 2013, nobody got excited when Brock feuded with Show at the top of 2014, and nobody is getting excited about Show and Reigns right now, going into 2015.

Ambrose is not as popular as Bryan so they don't have to worry about Ambrose fans hijacking the RR match or the Brock/Reigns feud.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

God sometimes I hate this site!


Okay nerds let's look at this from a business and not personally preference standpoint.

First off LOOKS COUNT! They do. A lot! You notice you never care about the educational background of a Victorias Secret Model. Kathy Ireland flopped as an actress yet for some reason they kept her in magazines as a model. Why? His promos can get better. His wrestling may get better. Ambrose will still be a dirty ugly unwashed homeless man with uncombed hair. Now this won't matter to last say the 2-3 HARDCORE IWC fans out there but to the 7 or 8 casual fan. Yep. Roman reigns LOOKS TOUGH and he has star qualities. That's what average fans want.

Secondly oh no IWCers are booing him. Wow that's a shocker because the IWC NEVER BOOS ANYONE. The thing is the reasons they give are stupid. He is going to become the next Super Cena! Uh do You know this personally? You called up Vince or Trips and just had coffee and donuts and they laid out there plans to you for the company for the next decade plus huh? His promos suck! You know there was this guy named the Undertaker who for years was just the strong silent type and he went on to have a decent career. How about you give the guy more than 6 months to improve? This doesn't have to be his best run yet. Just a run. It's like giving a rookie a start to see what you have. He doesn't have to win the ring yet but we just want an assessment and to the casual fan Reigns is that Dude!

His ring skills are limited? I remember this technician in the ring who had a plethora of moves named Goldberg who the crowd though was pretty okay. He even sold a shirt or two. Sometimes the best stories are the easiest to follow. Let's see where the kid is going before DESTROYING HIM. DAMN!

WM will NEVER EVER HAVE A MAIN EVENT WITHOUT STAR QUALITY PEOPLE.

So prepare to be mad and disappointed again because either Reigns or some Part timer will face BROCK but I can tell you who won't. Actually I can't. You guys may be right. We will find out in 5 weeks but remember what I said!

BELIEVE THAT!!!!

 

[kumarjtk]

ambrose winning rumble is not worthy. I like reigns road to wrestlemania than ambrose. Ambrose is not suitable for cena place. Reigns will perfectly fit in that place. Put ambrose in andre battle royal and win the trophy.
My wm mainevent card will be
brock vs reigns
sting vs hhh
rollins vs randy
cena vs rusev w/ hogan as refree
andre battle royal

 

[L@RISANO]

Like? Have you ever said a positive word on this site? In your opinion who would be a "much" better option? Serious question.

well...me thinks he'll say.........

Spoiler

Dolph Ziggler

 

[L@RISANO]

Once WrestleMania ends up with the 3 Guys of the SHIELD on a collision course for a special 3-Way match at possibly SummerSlam 2015, I am all for an Ambrose/Reigns push to beat Brock Lesnar.


Although, IF Brock is indeed leaving, I wouldn't be surprised if the WWE want to crown his strong booking over the past year with someone beating him in a clean fashion and coming out looking as though they could legit do it again if required.
Besides Roman Reigns,Ryback and probably Cesaro, there just isn't anyone else has the believability to do that on the current roster.


I guess the direction the WWE takes will hinge on how they want to send off Brock Lesnar and their hopes of him even coming back if he does end up not renewing.

 

[Aquaman6686]

So that leaves us with Reigns and Ambrose. Reigns isn't ready, and Ambrose is the most over guy on the roster right now. He's got the fans behind him and he's been wrestling for years; Great talker and can work a match, isn't afraid of taking a bump. Yea I would go with him over any of the others. The Rumble was firmly in Reigns grasp and it was his to lose. Because he hasn't gotten any better since his singles run started, he may have lost it to another who stepped up and won the spot.

Dean Ambrose isn't the most over guy on the roster, Dolph Ziggler is. His reactions are ten times the size of Ambrose's, plus he could wrestle circles around Ambrose and out-talk him with ease.

 

[The_Don]

I'm telling you guys, a bigger swerve is in store for us. I still believe Daniel Bryan will return to the Rumble and win it. WWE seemed headed to a Bryan vs Lesnar match at SSlam and it couldn't happen (due to Bryan's injury of course). I don't think WWE has lost interest in that match, they know it'll sell big time. I believe WWE is keeping Bryan's recovery in secret, like Cena back in 2008. I just really hope this happens, a Bryan/Lesnar feud is WrestleMania worthy!

And no, I don't think Reigns is ready for Lesnar, neither Ambrose.

 

[BRAT]

Now,I am almost sure that Ambrose or Roman will win the Royal Rumble. I was expecting Dolph Ziggler as he is being given a huge push. Sadly,he is neither the first nor the second choice. One of the two former members of the Shield wins the championship at Wrestlemania and then Seth Rollins cashes in and a feud begins. I expect a triple threat match for the WWE world heavyweight championship at Summerslam. Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns. Maybe its a fantasy match but it can work.

Dean has the potential to become the face of the WWE because he is absolutely amazing in the ring,he gets the pop from the audience and he is the best talker in the WWE alongside with Bray Wyatt. I believe,though,that he will not become the face of the company for one simple reason. HE IS GOING TO BE PERFECT AS A HEEL.

 

[L@RISANO]

Dean Ambrose isn't the most over guy on the roster, Dolph Ziggler is. His reactions are ten times the size of Ambrose's, plus he could wrestle circles around Ambrose and out-talk him with ease.

Atm, that is indeed true as Ambrose has obviously cooled off since HiaC, where he had a boatload of momentum.

However, I don't quite agree with the rest as Ambrose is far better than Ziggler on the mic without question...whilst I'd say Ziggler edges him in the ring, though I do get pissed off at the way he sells his opponent's offense at times.
Also, let's get real, his reactions are nowhere near ten times the size of Ambrose, even if I do agree that he is more over currently than the Lunatic Fringe.

 

[That N Word]

For those asking my source is Sports King

 

[Navi]

Dean Ambrose isn't the most over guy on the roster, Dolph Ziggler is. His reactions are ten times the size of Ambrose's, plus he could wrestle circles around Ambrose and out-talk him with ease.

OH I will give you that Ziggler is just a popular as Ambrose, and might be a little more so. His wrestling ability is about the same, but as for out talking him, there is no way. Ambrose is one of the best on the mic, not afraid to say anything. Has a great sense of humour and can ad lib when necessary. Ambrose also has a big plus, he the number one merchandise seller right now.

That is a big thing for the WWE and it's been mentioned by them. He's not up to a John Cena level of selling the stuff overall, but he's getting there. His hoodie and t-shirts were the number one seller on Black Friday and helped the company break sales records. They haven't slowed down. I don't know where Ziggler is on the list, but Ambrose is in first right now.

 

[Dagron]

The only way I want to see Ambrose Vs. Lesnar is if it's a gimmick match. If Ambrose uses chairs, barbed wire, tacks, etc., I think the intrigue gets ratcheted up for casual fans ten fold as they want to see if Ambrose's sadistic nature is enough to take down the beast by any means necessary. In straight up singles? No thanks.

 

[LODemolition]

I really don't put much stock into this, because I just don't think they would put Ambrose over Lesnar (assuming he's still champ after the Rumble). However, Ambrose would be one of my top 3 choices to win the Royal Rumble match.

1. Roman Reigns

Pros - He's the obvious choice, because of how he matches up physically w/ Lesnar. He'd be the most believable guy on the roster to dethrone Lesnar at this point.

Cons - He can't cut a promo to save his life. He's limited in the ring. Needs a new finisher, the spear doesn't impress anyone anymore. He just came back from injury and some fans are already bored with him. The winner of the Rumble has been completely predictable the past 2 years. This would make it 3 in a row.

2. Dolph Ziggler

Pros - The fans would go nuts if he won the Rumble and the title. He's possibly this year's Daniel Bryan, or the closest thing to it. He'd be the least expected to win out of all the top talent since he's already IC Champ. Out of the 3 candidates, he'd put on the best match with Lesnar.

Cons - He'd have another short, meaningless reign with the IC Title (even if he went into WM as IC Champ, they would strip him of it and have a tournament a la WM 6).

3. Dean Ambrose

Pros - His match with Lesnar would probably have the most high spots. The fans would go crazy for this since he's definitely one of the top 5 faces in WWE and would be a pretty big underdog after the recent losses to Wyatt. He'd put on the best promos by far in a feud with Lesnar.

Cons - I'd personally rather see him in a match for the IC Title at WM 31. Maybe against Ziggler, maybe against Barrett, or even a triple threat. It feels a bit too soon for him to be headlining a WrestleMania.


However, whoever it is that beasts Lesnar for the title, I would be willing to bet money that Seth Rollins is cashing in directly after. Especially if it is Reigns or Ambrose. I made a thread about this already, but I'll say it again. I don't have any doubt in my mind that Rollins becomes the first MITB winner to cash in at a WrestleMania. Then you have Reigns/Ambrose/Ziggler chasing the title for the spring months, maybe even up until SummerSlam before finally avenging their loss to Rollins. Rollins has been pretty great this year and should be awarded with a cash-in at WM and a decent run as champion.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

If the report is indeed true, then it is not only one of the smartest moves WWE has made in recent years but it will be a HUGE mark out moment for me personally & would secure my interest in attending WM 31!

& If not... well I guess I can't be all that disappointed by saving a whole bunch of money & not being there live to see Reigns superman punch his way to a world title.

 

[Boring]

Please let this be true.

Wrestling in general has been so filled with disappointments lately. Ambrose is far and away the best guy on the roster right now, and all he's doing is reading their lines and taking their bumps. Let him be him and he'd blow the roof off any arena.

No one hits the Spear like Goldberg. I've seen consensus before Reigns' was the best... holy fuck -smh-

 

[RenegadeDX]

Lmfao, this guy said that Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, or Kane should main event WM after complaining about "draws"

 

[zomigosh]

Dave hasn't said that anywhere. Not on the radio shows, and not in any of the newsletters. Fake dirtsheet.

Both aren't ready for the Main Event at 'Mania. Ambrose may be more ready considering his in-ring and mic skills, but his popularity just isn't up to par with a John Cena or Daniel Bryan. Reigns is just not ready period, they ruined his push the second they tried to sell him as the leader of The Shield. I think Ambrose would cope A LOT better if given the greenlight, but if Daniel Bryan is ready to come back at the rumble I think it should be a no-brainer he gets it.

 

[JDHale]

I did some quick searching and couldn't find this report anywhere, can someone post a link please? Honestly I don't think this Rumble match winner is as easy to predict as we think. I thought I'd ask some people who are more casual fans who they think were going to win it and it was quite interesting what I got back.

First I asked my two close friends who are twins (17) and just started watching a month before SS and explained what the match was to them both and the importance and they said Ziggler. My dad (36) told me that he thought Ziggler would win too. One of my neighbors (14) thought Reigns would win. Another neighbor and his son next door (31 and 5) answered, they both said Ziggler but the kid said Cena too. I asked a couple kids at a football session I was running at the local park and five said Cena and three said Ziggler (their age group is mostly 9-13 year olds). Finally I asked a random kid at the gym wearing a CM Punk shirt so he was easy to spot and he thought Ambrose or Ziggler.
That means 9 answered with Ziggler, 6 with Cena, and then one each for Ambrose and Reigns.

I find this interesting because looking at how booking is going recently it does reflect the results I got. Ziggler has been booked strongest lately, and been playing the role of Cena 2.0, using Cena's signature move the kick out and winning in almost every match for the past few months. Cena has become himself again, with another win over Rollins on Raw after overcoming the mighty J&J interference. Reigns has been booked strongish, but I guess with him struggling against Fandango for a bit on Smackdown and just coming back from injury they didn't believe he was strong enough to win the match. Then finally Ambrose has been booked to lose quite a few matches recently, to a TV and a candy cane, so maybe that's had an effect on their support.

My point is that to us we may think Reigns winning is predictable and that Ambrose or Ziggler winning is a swerve, but to the majority of the audience in fact Ziggler winning could be what they expect, and Reigns or Ambrose might be a pleasant surprise win as long as a major heel like Rusev or Rollins eliminates Ziggler and not one of Ambrose or Reigns.

In my opinion now, I think Reigns and Ziggler are the front runners to win, and if Reigns can't get the crowd on side and sell some t-shirts then Ziggler will get it. Ambrose would then be plan B obviously, that is to say Daniel Bryan doesn't return at the rumble, in which case I think he'll win. But just like everyone else, I could be miles off the mark so these are just my two cents

 

[Spencesc11]

This is what I would do....

Reigns wins Rumble, Lesnar retains
* Have Reigns defeat Cena at the PPV before Mania (this would help get him over even more)

Mania Card
Reigns vs. Lesnar
Sting & Cena vs. HHH & Kane (Control of WWE)
Rollins vs. Jericho
Ziggler vs. Wyatt (I-C Title)
Ambrose vs. Rusev (US Title)
Miz/Mizdow vs. New Day (Tag Titles)
Bella Twins vs. Trish & Lita
Andre Battle Royal
Rey Mysterio vs. Adrian Neville (opening match)

The Main Event finish - Ref is out and Heyman throws the belt to Lesnar who knocks out a dominating Reigns. Then the gong sounds... Out comes Taker who dominates Lesnar and tombstone pile drives him. Ref recovers the bulls trade blows and then Reigns slips out of the F-5 and nails the superman punch and gets the 1,2, 3. Then out to celebrate his Wrestlemania moment is none other than "The Rock"! You want to get him over big there you go!!!

Next night on Raw, Paul Heyman announces that his client "Brock Lesnar" has left the WWE and will no longer deal with the hipocracies around here. He then introduces his new clients "The Ascencion". Later on Raw that night it's a tag match with Reigns & Ambrose vs. Wyatt & Rusev. As Reigns is setting up the Superman punch "The Ascenion's" music hits and they rush the ring causing the DQ. Out comes Heyman as the 4 on 2 beatdown commences. As Ambrose lays outside the ring and Reigns is battered inside the ring all of a sudden it's Seth Rollins music. Rollins gets a ref and gets the bell rung and curb stomps Reigns. He then covers him for the 1,2, 3. And then Paul Heyman announces to the WWE Universe meet my other new client "Seth Rollins" your new WWE champion!!!

Now that is a way to get 2015 off to a huge start!!!

 

[Spencesc11]

Or switch out Jericho with Randy Orton as a win over either at Mania will definitely help Seth Rollins.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The title is pretty straight forward. Of the various men listed in the poll, who do you think should and/or who would you personally like to see win the Royal Rumble and challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXXI? Also, please explain why the reasons behind your choice.

 

[L@RISANO]

I'll be real honest here, JH.
At this point, I'd rather the rumoured Roman Reigns NOT Win, as I feel that Creative have dropped the ball on building the relevant momentum required for him to win it and move onto the WrestleMania event, by pairing him with the guy now known by fans as, the Big SLOW.
Thus, whilst I can see the WWE forcing it through... as a fan of the guy, I'd rather Not, unless they can get him away from Big Slow and pair him with someone who can put on a good match with him and help build momentum within a month's time, which is virtually impossible now.



Out of the other candidates:
I'd pick either Dean Ambrose OR Daniel Bryan, but in the hope that Brock Lesnar isn't their opponent at WrestleMania, instead, it is Cena(If Bryan were to return) or maybe, Rollins(to restart the Ambrose-Rollins rivalry, with Reigns inserting himself later on) who does a cash-in on Brock/Cena at the Rumble.




Maybe, we still get Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns, but not with the title on the line nor in the Main Event of WrestleMania.
Of course, Brock would have to still not beaten cleanly when he loses the title and be able to start something with Roman somehow leading into Mania eventually.


As for the other candidates, I'd only consider Randy Orton.

Dolph Ziggler has been bandied about, but I just can't see it happening at this point. I'd rather he take down Rusev given the momentum he has, him doing at and going out of Mania with both MidCard titles would be intriguing...if not, have them be Final 2 in the AtG Battle Royal if it happens, with Ziggler, the IC Champ, eliminating Rusev, the US Champ, to win it and set up a feud between the 2 for post-Mania.