Jack-Hammer
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WWE Royal Rumble General Discussion & Reviews
- Thread starter Jack-Hammer
- Start date
Thirty Man Royal Rumble Match
Raw:Finn Balor (return), Seth Rollins, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Rusev, Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Sheamus, Cesaro, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson.
SmackDown: John Cena, Samoa Joe (debut), Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Sami Zayn (will be drafted), Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Luke Harper, Chad Gable, Jason Jordan, Apollo Crews, Tyler Breeze, Shelton Benjamin (return).
(pred: John Cena)
Singles Match for the WWE Universal Championship with Chris Jericho locked in a Shrak Cage
Kevin Owens (C) vs Roman Reigns (pred: Kevin Owens clean, Strowman attack Reigns after the match)
Singles Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
A.J. Styles (C) vs The Undertaker (pred: The Undertaker)
Singles Match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship
Charlotte (C) vs Bayley (pred: Charlotte)
Submission Match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Alexa Bliss (C) vs Becky Lynch (pred: Bliss by cheating)
Kickoff: Fatal 4 Way Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Rich Swann (C) vs Neville vs T.J. Perkins vs The Brian Kendrick (pred: Neville)
Kickoff: Singles Match
Heath Slater vs Rhyno (pred: Heath Slater)
Raw:Finn Balor (return), Seth Rollins, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Rusev, Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Sheamus, Cesaro, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson.
SmackDown: John Cena, Samoa Joe (debut), Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Sami Zayn (will be drafted), Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Luke Harper, Chad Gable, Jason Jordan, Apollo Crews, Tyler Breeze, Shelton Benjamin (return).
(pred: John Cena)
Singles Match for the WWE Universal Championship with Chris Jericho locked in a Shrak Cage
Kevin Owens (C) vs Roman Reigns (pred: Kevin Owens clean, Strowman attack Reigns after the match)
Singles Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
A.J. Styles (C) vs The Undertaker (pred: The Undertaker)
Singles Match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship
Charlotte (C) vs Bayley (pred: Charlotte)
Submission Match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Alexa Bliss (C) vs Becky Lynch (pred: Bliss by cheating)
Kickoff: Fatal 4 Way Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Rich Swann (C) vs Neville vs T.J. Perkins vs The Brian Kendrick (pred: Neville)
Kickoff: Singles Match
Heath Slater vs Rhyno (pred: Heath Slater)
The card looks like:
Kevin Owens Vs. Roman Reigns for Universal Championship.
New Day Vs. Cesaro/Sheamus for Raw Tag Team Titles.
No Midcard title match since Reigns is still in main event scene.
Charlotte Flair Vs. Bayley for Raw Women Championship.
Nia Jax Vs. Sasha Banks
AJ Styles Vs. The Undertaker (???) for the World Title.
The Miz Vs. Dean Ambrose for InterContinental Title.
Alexa Bliss Vs. Becky Lynch for Smackdown Women Championship.
Wyatt Family Vs. American Alpha for Smackdown Tag Team Titles.
Royal Rumble match in which Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are confirmed.
Strowman Vs. Zayn too maybe.
The card looks good enough on paper but the booking will have a big hand in it's execution. Reigns shouldn't win the Universal Title. Not sure about Bayley yet. Cesaro/Sheamus should retain the titles. Not sure about Zayn-Strowman either. AJ Styles should retain, no matter whom he faces. I'm torn between Ambrose & Miz. But Bliss should retain. So should Wyatt Family.
Quite good on paper but let's see if it goes well or not.
Kevin Owens Vs. Roman Reigns for Universal Championship.
New Day Vs. Cesaro/Sheamus for Raw Tag Team Titles.
No Midcard title match since Reigns is still in main event scene.
Charlotte Flair Vs. Bayley for Raw Women Championship.
Nia Jax Vs. Sasha Banks
AJ Styles Vs. The Undertaker (???) for the World Title.
The Miz Vs. Dean Ambrose for InterContinental Title.
Alexa Bliss Vs. Becky Lynch for Smackdown Women Championship.
Wyatt Family Vs. American Alpha for Smackdown Tag Team Titles.
Royal Rumble match in which Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are confirmed.
Strowman Vs. Zayn too maybe.
The card looks good enough on paper but the booking will have a big hand in it's execution. Reigns shouldn't win the Universal Title. Not sure about Bayley yet. Cesaro/Sheamus should retain the titles. Not sure about Zayn-Strowman either. AJ Styles should retain, no matter whom he faces. I'm torn between Ambrose & Miz. But Bliss should retain. So should Wyatt Family.
Quite good on paper but let's see if it goes well or not.
Women's Rumble to determine no.1 contender for world title at Wrestlemania.
Dean Ambrose vs The Miz for the Intercontinental title
Kevin Owens vs Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal title
Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's title
AJ Styles vs The Undertaker for the WWE World title
Royal Rumble
Bayley wins setting up a Wrestlemania match between her and Charlotte
Ambrose wins the title and Miz goes on to face Bryan at Mania; if this match is not going to happen then Ambrose-Miz can be delayed.
Owens retains.
Lynch wins the title.
Styles retains.
Chris Jericho wins the Royal Rumble.
Setting up
Seth Rollins vs Triple H Street Fight. H interrupts in the Rumble costing Rollins the match a la Rumble '06 (Shawn-McMahons)
The Undertaker vs John Cena (Cena costs Taker the match at Rumble and Taker costs Cena at Elimination Chamber)
Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg III
AJ Styles vs NXT champ Sinsuke Nakamura for the WWE World title (a high profile match for Styles and first Wrestlemania win), or Sinsuke defends NXT title in some high profile match and AJ vs Samoa Joe
Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal title
Other matches
Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns for the US title
Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin for the Intercontinental title and Daniel Bryan vs The Miz, or Dean Ambrose vs The Miz
Bayley vs Charlotte, Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch (either a variation of these matches; combining, or adding some to the pre show)
American Alpha vs The Wyatts
Cesaro/Sheamus vs The Club vs Enzo/Cass vs New Day
Cruiserweight title multi-man ladder match
Rusev wins Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Dean Ambrose vs The Miz for the Intercontinental title
Kevin Owens vs Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal title
Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's title
AJ Styles vs The Undertaker for the WWE World title
Royal Rumble
Bayley wins setting up a Wrestlemania match between her and Charlotte
Ambrose wins the title and Miz goes on to face Bryan at Mania; if this match is not going to happen then Ambrose-Miz can be delayed.
Owens retains.
Lynch wins the title.
Styles retains.
Chris Jericho wins the Royal Rumble.
Setting up
Seth Rollins vs Triple H Street Fight. H interrupts in the Rumble costing Rollins the match a la Rumble '06 (Shawn-McMahons)
The Undertaker vs John Cena (Cena costs Taker the match at Rumble and Taker costs Cena at Elimination Chamber)
Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg III
AJ Styles vs NXT champ Sinsuke Nakamura for the WWE World title (a high profile match for Styles and first Wrestlemania win), or Sinsuke defends NXT title in some high profile match and AJ vs Samoa Joe
Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal title
Other matches
Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns for the US title
Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin for the Intercontinental title and Daniel Bryan vs The Miz, or Dean Ambrose vs The Miz
Bayley vs Charlotte, Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch (either a variation of these matches; combining, or adding some to the pre show)
American Alpha vs The Wyatts
Cesaro/Sheamus vs The Club vs Enzo/Cass vs New Day
Cruiserweight title multi-man ladder match
Rusev wins Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
That N Word
Actively evolving
I honestly could see something like Cena returning immediately after AJ retains Tuesday and hitting him with an AA. The week after it's AJ vs. Cena for the title (announced and hyped all week.) AJ beats Cena clean again and cuts a promo about nobody being able to beat him and makes a Royal Rumble challenge. Undertaker returns and attacks AJ to end the show.
Royal Rumble,you have Styles vs. Taker. Cena somehow intentionally cost Undertaker the match. Cena says it wasn't personal it was business. Cena says he couldn't let Undertaker do what he failed to do. Cena begins dominating to get to Elimination Chamber. At Elimination Chamber, its down to Cena and AJ and Cena with a third AA to AJ and 1-2-(GONG) Lights out (GONG) Lights on Chokeslam to Cena. Styles follows it up with Styles Clash to retain. Then you set up a Taker vs. Cena match and a AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe? match.
But yeah I definitely think we'll see Styles vs. Taker or Cena or both at RR.
Royal Rumble,you have Styles vs. Taker. Cena somehow intentionally cost Undertaker the match. Cena says it wasn't personal it was business. Cena says he couldn't let Undertaker do what he failed to do. Cena begins dominating to get to Elimination Chamber. At Elimination Chamber, its down to Cena and AJ and Cena with a third AA to AJ and 1-2-(GONG) Lights out (GONG) Lights on Chokeslam to Cena. Styles follows it up with Styles Clash to retain. Then you set up a Taker vs. Cena match and a AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe? match.
But yeah I definitely think we'll see Styles vs. Taker or Cena or both at RR.
Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.
Kamehamehaaaaa!!
Gotta say that this is not one of the most unpredictable Royal Rumble matches ever, but also one of the most unpredictable Royal Rumble PPVs. We know about some matches that are going to happen at Wrestlemania this year, but only because WWE has let us know they will happen. The fates of both championships are up in the air and it will be interesting to see, not only who wins the Rumble match, but also which wrestlers walk out with the world championships.
Hard Hit Prince
Not really working as a
I think people are getting overhyped about this pay-per-view when in reality it has one weak undercard. In order for people to get to the AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena III and The Royal Rumble Match, you'll have to endure through two matches that simply don't matter and I'm only talking about the main show here and a Universal Title bout where people only care about the result.
It's Raw heavy as the Cruiserweights are in there somehow and Raw's Women Championship. Neville vs. Swann will probably be a good match, but what's the point of it? Who watches 205 Live religiously? Who cares about who wins here? We know the title has no meaning whatsoever because of how bland T.J. Perkins was/is and how awful Raw has been since the debut of the division. They are the new Divas division, but this time with small men. This should've been on the pre-show instead of the Raw Tag Team Championship, even though an argument could be made that nobody cares about it too.
I'm pretty pissed of for the fact that Dean Ambrose isn't defending his Intercontinental Championship. It's not like he is winning the Royal Rumble Match and this could be a big stage for the Miz/Ambrose rivalry to end. Instead, we'll get the Cruiserweight Championship... Okay...
Bailey vs. Charlotte is a good match, but how poor is the build? Seriously, Nikki Bella vs. Natalya has been somehow a better story with a bigger hype than this. A Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James singles bout would've been a bigger match, or even an Handicap Match with Becky vs. Mickie and Alexa Bliss.
And as I've said, Roman vs. Owens is a fuck all match. Nobody is looking forward to the amazing wrestling in it, because of how many times we've already seen this two fight. If anything, people care about Jericho's reaction to being in the shark cage yelling his lungs out and of course, the result, because it's WrestleMania season. If this happened last month, nobody would care.
Styles vs. Cena though promises to be one for the ages. Their first match was good, but this one has a better build up and a championship match. It's been building for more than six months and it stills gets to be a fresh story. The Rumble of course, has now Randy Orton favored to win of all people, followed closely by part-timers and Strowman. It's a unpredictable Rumble, but the outcomes aren't really world shattering events.
If somehow Strowman wins, it will be too soon. Also, Strowman will be cheered for being such a badass over Roman Reigns. We don't want that, right? If Orton wins and the Wyatt thing turns out to be true, it will be the most what the fuck scenario. Don't mind Orton winning, but give him Styles at least. Fuck Bray. Better, add Bray. Undertaker vs. Reigns could be a decent match if Reigns turns heel. Goldberg/Lesnar winning would be pure shit.
It's Raw heavy as the Cruiserweights are in there somehow and Raw's Women Championship. Neville vs. Swann will probably be a good match, but what's the point of it? Who watches 205 Live religiously? Who cares about who wins here? We know the title has no meaning whatsoever because of how bland T.J. Perkins was/is and how awful Raw has been since the debut of the division. They are the new Divas division, but this time with small men. This should've been on the pre-show instead of the Raw Tag Team Championship, even though an argument could be made that nobody cares about it too.
I'm pretty pissed of for the fact that Dean Ambrose isn't defending his Intercontinental Championship. It's not like he is winning the Royal Rumble Match and this could be a big stage for the Miz/Ambrose rivalry to end. Instead, we'll get the Cruiserweight Championship... Okay...
Bailey vs. Charlotte is a good match, but how poor is the build? Seriously, Nikki Bella vs. Natalya has been somehow a better story with a bigger hype than this. A Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James singles bout would've been a bigger match, or even an Handicap Match with Becky vs. Mickie and Alexa Bliss.
And as I've said, Roman vs. Owens is a fuck all match. Nobody is looking forward to the amazing wrestling in it, because of how many times we've already seen this two fight. If anything, people care about Jericho's reaction to being in the shark cage yelling his lungs out and of course, the result, because it's WrestleMania season. If this happened last month, nobody would care.
Styles vs. Cena though promises to be one for the ages. Their first match was good, but this one has a better build up and a championship match. It's been building for more than six months and it stills gets to be a fresh story. The Rumble of course, has now Randy Orton favored to win of all people, followed closely by part-timers and Strowman. It's a unpredictable Rumble, but the outcomes aren't really world shattering events.
If somehow Strowman wins, it will be too soon. Also, Strowman will be cheered for being such a badass over Roman Reigns. We don't want that, right? If Orton wins and the Wyatt thing turns out to be true, it will be the most what the fuck scenario. Don't mind Orton winning, but give him Styles at least. Fuck Bray. Better, add Bray. Undertaker vs. Reigns could be a decent match if Reigns turns heel. Goldberg/Lesnar winning would be pure shit.
Stone Cold Tea
Getting Noticed By Management
We all know the famed entrance of The Undertaker. He takes a millions years to get to the ring and a lot of people agree it gets really tiring. If I'm watching something with him in where I can skip it then I will.
Now with him appearing in this years Royal Rumble I was wondering how does he get to the ring. If he does his full schtick then by the time he makes it to ringside the countdown would be on for the next entrant. I guess this would be cool if app the competitors stood in awe as 'Taker made his was down and as he steps through the ropes the buzzers goes and a big name comes through such as Lesnar, Goldberg or Strouman came through so then we got a big face off then brawl.
The other route is to have 'Taker enter 1,2 or 30 then he can do his full entrance. The alternative route would be to have the gong and lights out then he just appears in the ring.
What do you guys think?
Now with him appearing in this years Royal Rumble I was wondering how does he get to the ring. If he does his full schtick then by the time he makes it to ringside the countdown would be on for the next entrant. I guess this would be cool if app the competitors stood in awe as 'Taker made his was down and as he steps through the ropes the buzzers goes and a big name comes through such as Lesnar, Goldberg or Strouman came through so then we got a big face off then brawl.
The other route is to have 'Taker enter 1,2 or 30 then he can do his full entrance. The alternative route would be to have the gong and lights out then he just appears in the ring.
What do you guys think?
The Life Of Pablo Ren
I know my name/avi/sig don't match.
Well if we look at the last Rumble he was in, 2009. They did the gong and did all of the theatrics, lights, pyro, etc. but he walked to the ring pretty quickly. No hat, no coat, a pretty standard Rumble entrance.
I would think it'll be the same this year assuming he's not #1 or #2.
I would think it'll be the same this year assuming he's not #1 or #2.
Stone Cold Tea
Getting Noticed By Management
I haven't watched that Rumble in a long time and can't even remember The Undertaker been in it. I suppose it's the best way to go about it. It will be a bit strange seeing him walk normally to the ring.
Terry Gyimah
Championship Contender
But it all comes down to the luck of the draw now doesn't it? We have no idea when the superstars are going to enter and that is the beauty of it because there are so many dream scenarios we can see in this stacked Royal Rumble Match that it just makes our mouths water but I can only wonder who will start out the Royal Rumble Match as the #1 entrant or who will start out as #2
The 2017 Royal Rumble was tonight and it was the first main roster PPV event of the year. I had debated for a long time on whether to attend or not since it was near where I live, decided not to due to another event this weekend taking priority and not having enough funds to attend both. I'm somewhat glad I didn't go now. The event wasn't bad necessarily, but it wasn't amazing either.
Becky Lynch & Naomi & Nikki Bella VS Alexa Bliss & Mickie James & Natalya
Disappointed by this. Why didn't they put the Cruiserweight match here, then replace this match with a Women's Royal Rumble on the main card including everyone but the champions? That would have been so much better.
Anderson and Gallows VS Sheamus & Cesaro [Raw Tag Team Championship]
I do not know what's worse. This being on the pre-show, Anderson/Gallows being the champions, or the fact that we might still have to sit through more of Cesaro & Sheamus. Having a title change hands on the pre-show is extremely stupid.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
Ugh. This might be the worst pre-show ever. All of the matches on it were dumb. I feel bad for Sasha. The previously mentioned Women's Royal Rumble should have been a thing and she should not have been stuck on the pre-show losing to Nia.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
This going on first was a surprise. I was certain the Cruiserweights would have been the opening match instead. Oh well. The match went about as expected. Bayley will probably get a rematch at Wrestlemania, which will be much better of a moment than winning here would have been.
Kevin Owens VS Roman Reigns [Universal Championship]
This was much better than I expected it to be. The spots with the chairs were fun and one of my friends who watched with me called it that Jericho would throw brass knuckles to Owens. We kept wondering when the chair tower would come into play. The only downside was that stupid shark cage. It's dumb every time they do that stipulation. At least Roman Reigns didn't win.
Neville VS Rich Swann [Cruiserweight Championship]
Weakest match of the night. It was my chance to go to the pantry to grab some black forest gummies from the Booty-O's box my New Day shirt came in that I now use to store snacks. Neville winning was the right call. Still doesn't make me want to watch 205 Live. I gave up on that show.
AJ Styles VS John Cena [World Heavyweight Championship]
This was a great match. Cena finally tied Flair's World Championship record. Now to see if he somehow loses it at Elimination Chamber only to break the record at Wrestlemania. I would not rank this as high as the Summerslam match, however it delivered and was a fun match.
2017 Royal Rumble match
I'm a bit disappointed with this. Where were Nakamura and Samoa Joe? What about Balor, I thought he would make a surprise return. Heck they could have had Angle show up since he is going into the Hall Of Fame. Seth Rollins could have snuck back into the match somehow. Reigns at #30 was a colossal letdown. At least he did not win the match. Everyone attending my Rumble party tonight exploded into excitement when Reigns lost. Orton winning was a bit of a headscratcher, though anything would have been better than Reigns winning. Even Goldberg or Taker winning would have been better. Speaking of Goldberg.... He got rid of Lesnar much faster than expected. Perhaps we will see round 3 between them at Wrestlemania. Orton could end up facing John Cena again. Or maybe Wyatt wins at Elimination Chamber and Orton challenges him. Owens VS Jericho should happen for the Universal Championship. A lot can still happen on both brands between now and Wrestlemania at this point.
Overall Thoughts
The show was a step down from last year's event, although it could have been SO much worse. Roman Reigns losing was the silver lining. I really think it would have been stronger had they changed a couple of things. Put the Cruiserweights on the pre-show with Neville still winning. I would have put the women from both brands minus the two champions into a Women's Royal Rumble instead of that pre-show tag match. The Raw Tag Team Championship should not have changed hands on the pre-show. Again.... could have been much worse. It was a show I would describe as not bad but not amazing either. I'm sure Elimination Chamber will be better. I liked NXT Takeover San Antonio a little better.
Becky Lynch & Naomi & Nikki Bella VS Alexa Bliss & Mickie James & Natalya
Disappointed by this. Why didn't they put the Cruiserweight match here, then replace this match with a Women's Royal Rumble on the main card including everyone but the champions? That would have been so much better.
Anderson and Gallows VS Sheamus & Cesaro [Raw Tag Team Championship]
I do not know what's worse. This being on the pre-show, Anderson/Gallows being the champions, or the fact that we might still have to sit through more of Cesaro & Sheamus. Having a title change hands on the pre-show is extremely stupid.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
Ugh. This might be the worst pre-show ever. All of the matches on it were dumb. I feel bad for Sasha. The previously mentioned Women's Royal Rumble should have been a thing and she should not have been stuck on the pre-show losing to Nia.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
This going on first was a surprise. I was certain the Cruiserweights would have been the opening match instead. Oh well. The match went about as expected. Bayley will probably get a rematch at Wrestlemania, which will be much better of a moment than winning here would have been.
Kevin Owens VS Roman Reigns [Universal Championship]
This was much better than I expected it to be. The spots with the chairs were fun and one of my friends who watched with me called it that Jericho would throw brass knuckles to Owens. We kept wondering when the chair tower would come into play. The only downside was that stupid shark cage. It's dumb every time they do that stipulation. At least Roman Reigns didn't win.
Neville VS Rich Swann [Cruiserweight Championship]
Weakest match of the night. It was my chance to go to the pantry to grab some black forest gummies from the Booty-O's box my New Day shirt came in that I now use to store snacks. Neville winning was the right call. Still doesn't make me want to watch 205 Live. I gave up on that show.
AJ Styles VS John Cena [World Heavyweight Championship]
This was a great match. Cena finally tied Flair's World Championship record. Now to see if he somehow loses it at Elimination Chamber only to break the record at Wrestlemania. I would not rank this as high as the Summerslam match, however it delivered and was a fun match.
2017 Royal Rumble match
I'm a bit disappointed with this. Where were Nakamura and Samoa Joe? What about Balor, I thought he would make a surprise return. Heck they could have had Angle show up since he is going into the Hall Of Fame. Seth Rollins could have snuck back into the match somehow. Reigns at #30 was a colossal letdown. At least he did not win the match. Everyone attending my Rumble party tonight exploded into excitement when Reigns lost. Orton winning was a bit of a headscratcher, though anything would have been better than Reigns winning. Even Goldberg or Taker winning would have been better. Speaking of Goldberg.... He got rid of Lesnar much faster than expected. Perhaps we will see round 3 between them at Wrestlemania. Orton could end up facing John Cena again. Or maybe Wyatt wins at Elimination Chamber and Orton challenges him. Owens VS Jericho should happen for the Universal Championship. A lot can still happen on both brands between now and Wrestlemania at this point.
Overall Thoughts
The show was a step down from last year's event, although it could have been SO much worse. Roman Reigns losing was the silver lining. I really think it would have been stronger had they changed a couple of things. Put the Cruiserweights on the pre-show with Neville still winning. I would have put the women from both brands minus the two champions into a Women's Royal Rumble instead of that pre-show tag match. The Raw Tag Team Championship should not have changed hands on the pre-show. Again.... could have been much worse. It was a show I would describe as not bad but not amazing either. I'm sure Elimination Chamber will be better. I liked NXT Takeover San Antonio a little better.
The Gribbler
Gribble me this, Gribble me that...
Becky Lynch & Naomi & Nikki Bella VS Alexa Bliss & Mickie James & Natalya
I really didn't see the point in having the faces go over here when you have just had Mickie come back. I think the heels would have made a far more logical booking decision. But whatever.
Anderson and Gallows VS Sheamus & Cesaro [Raw Tag Team Championship]
I like Anderson and Gallows so I am okay with the outcome of this match. But seriously, I thought they were trying to revive tag team wrestling? One set of champs didn't even compete, and the others won their straps on the pre-show? WTF.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
It made sense from a booking perspective if you are going with a Bayley Wrestlemania win. Set up a monster heel as her first challenger Post-Charlotte and save the Sasha Banks match for later in the year. Feel bad that Sasha had to cop this, but Nia needed to beat legit competition. This sets her up well.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
Made perfect sense. Still more to come here so... meh.
Kevin Owens VS Roman Reigns [Universal Championship]
Good match, showed that Owens looked good. But I still would have had him win clean. I think Owens needs a couple of neat wins heading into mania to make sure he looks like a legit champion. I have made my views on his run so far known so... yeah, not bad. Just a fraction off.
Neville VS Rich Swann [Cruiserweight Championship]
Good call on the booking, but I was cooking lunch during the match so I missed most of it.
AJ Styles VS John Cena [World Heavyweight Championship]
Great match, get that out of the way. But from a booking standpoint this doesn't make much sense to me. If they were going to have Cena go over and Undertaker win the rumble, sure. But why have Cena win here if not for that purpose. There are almost no logical matches with him in it that excite me outside of the Undertaker. And if it is true what I keep hearing and he will loose the strap, only to win it back at mania for the record, that feels really cheap. Or if he loses it at EC only for someone else to take the belt into mania, why not leave it on styles? Don't get it, but at least I am curious...
2017 Royal Rumble match
Ugh... ugh.... uuuuuuuuuuugh.... Okay, I was more excited about this match then I had been for any rumble in a long long time. There were 5 or 6 options going into this that made sense to me and got me keen for WM. This outcome was not one of them.
From the top: James Ellsworth is a waste of Space and he took the spot of someone decent in the Rumble. The first half was boring. There were no surprise entrants outside of Dillinger. Brock looks like a bitch (which I know should be leading to a mania match) and does nothing about it (seriously, the Brock we know would leap in there and try to kick Goldbergs ass). The Undertaker is Eliminated by Reigns (is he supposed to be a heel? Because there were heels left who could have used that heat). Randy Orton won, and seriously I can't fathom anyone who actually wanted that. No really impressive spots. No Nakamura, Joe or Balor.
I am really scared for Wrestlemania right now. Only because of how optimistic I was 12 hours ago. I saw a card that could have really rocked and now the main event scene is very different and I can't see it matching the card I had in my head. Cena vs Taker could have been huge. It would have been a worthy main event no matter what...
Oh well.
I really didn't see the point in having the faces go over here when you have just had Mickie come back. I think the heels would have made a far more logical booking decision. But whatever.
Anderson and Gallows VS Sheamus & Cesaro [Raw Tag Team Championship]
I like Anderson and Gallows so I am okay with the outcome of this match. But seriously, I thought they were trying to revive tag team wrestling? One set of champs didn't even compete, and the others won their straps on the pre-show? WTF.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
It made sense from a booking perspective if you are going with a Bayley Wrestlemania win. Set up a monster heel as her first challenger Post-Charlotte and save the Sasha Banks match for later in the year. Feel bad that Sasha had to cop this, but Nia needed to beat legit competition. This sets her up well.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
Made perfect sense. Still more to come here so... meh.
Kevin Owens VS Roman Reigns [Universal Championship]
Good match, showed that Owens looked good. But I still would have had him win clean. I think Owens needs a couple of neat wins heading into mania to make sure he looks like a legit champion. I have made my views on his run so far known so... yeah, not bad. Just a fraction off.
Neville VS Rich Swann [Cruiserweight Championship]
Good call on the booking, but I was cooking lunch during the match so I missed most of it.
AJ Styles VS John Cena [World Heavyweight Championship]
Great match, get that out of the way. But from a booking standpoint this doesn't make much sense to me. If they were going to have Cena go over and Undertaker win the rumble, sure. But why have Cena win here if not for that purpose. There are almost no logical matches with him in it that excite me outside of the Undertaker. And if it is true what I keep hearing and he will loose the strap, only to win it back at mania for the record, that feels really cheap. Or if he loses it at EC only for someone else to take the belt into mania, why not leave it on styles? Don't get it, but at least I am curious...
2017 Royal Rumble match
Ugh... ugh.... uuuuuuuuuuugh.... Okay, I was more excited about this match then I had been for any rumble in a long long time. There were 5 or 6 options going into this that made sense to me and got me keen for WM. This outcome was not one of them.
From the top: James Ellsworth is a waste of Space and he took the spot of someone decent in the Rumble. The first half was boring. There were no surprise entrants outside of Dillinger. Brock looks like a bitch (which I know should be leading to a mania match) and does nothing about it (seriously, the Brock we know would leap in there and try to kick Goldbergs ass). The Undertaker is Eliminated by Reigns (is he supposed to be a heel? Because there were heels left who could have used that heat). Randy Orton won, and seriously I can't fathom anyone who actually wanted that. No really impressive spots. No Nakamura, Joe or Balor.
I am really scared for Wrestlemania right now. Only because of how optimistic I was 12 hours ago. I saw a card that could have really rocked and now the main event scene is very different and I can't see it matching the card I had in my head. Cena vs Taker could have been huge. It would have been a worthy main event no matter what...
Oh well.
Dragonslayer
Getting Noticed By Management
I was a bit disappointed by this. The card looked really strong on paper, but first the distribution between Pre-Show and Main Card was off, and then the Rumble match fell flat for me.
For the first time in ages they've had a solid roster for the Rumble match, where you had at least 10-15 guys of at least "adequate" enough status to be taken into consideration for that big main event push, as opposed to only 3-4 really viable candidates in the past few years, but then they go with a very no-risk safe go-to guy in Randy Orton.
I mean, of course you had your filler spots who you knew would not win (most notably Ellsworth, but also Enzo, New Day, Apollo Crews e.g.). I'll give Tye Dillinger a pass since he was one of the few "surprises" this year, and the only really good one.
But aside from the handful of top contenders (Taker, Goldberg, Lesnar, Orton) you still had a solid list of guys with at least an outside chance to win like Miz, Ziggler, Strowman, Ambrose, Sheamus, and you could even count Cesaro, Big Show, Big Cass and Baron Corbin there. So while that was a plus, I did not like the booking and eliminiation sequence at all.
Firstly, I would have liked to have seen a staredown between Goldberg, Taker and Lesnar, but Lesnar was already out before Taker was even in, so that to me was a wasted opportunity. Also, Taker should have stayed in longer than he did, maybe even be the last man eliminated. Reigns was a waste at number thirty, I was expecting at least ONE really cool big name surprise; I would have been ok with Triple H but I was totally hoping for Kurt Angle, which again would have made a great moment, if Lesnar, Angle and Taker had been in the ring at the same time due to their histories with one another.
Reigns should not even have been in the match, but I understand they used it to set up Reigns vs Taker at Mania. I just hope they realize they have now turned Roman heel because there's no way of going up against Taker and staying a face. Even if Taker's the heel, you're still more heel just because it's Taker we're talking about. I don't really like this pairing, I would have loved to see Cena vs Taker for the title instead.
All in all a good card with another fantastic Cena/Styles match, but the Rumble was disappointing to me, mostly because I had much bigger hopes for it this year than in recent years.
I don't want to see Orton vs Cena AT ALL, so here's hoping that Cena drops the belt at Elimination Chamber, or Orton either puts his shot on the line and loses, or goes for the RAW belt.
For the first time in ages they've had a solid roster for the Rumble match, where you had at least 10-15 guys of at least "adequate" enough status to be taken into consideration for that big main event push, as opposed to only 3-4 really viable candidates in the past few years, but then they go with a very no-risk safe go-to guy in Randy Orton.
I mean, of course you had your filler spots who you knew would not win (most notably Ellsworth, but also Enzo, New Day, Apollo Crews e.g.). I'll give Tye Dillinger a pass since he was one of the few "surprises" this year, and the only really good one.
But aside from the handful of top contenders (Taker, Goldberg, Lesnar, Orton) you still had a solid list of guys with at least an outside chance to win like Miz, Ziggler, Strowman, Ambrose, Sheamus, and you could even count Cesaro, Big Show, Big Cass and Baron Corbin there. So while that was a plus, I did not like the booking and eliminiation sequence at all.
Firstly, I would have liked to have seen a staredown between Goldberg, Taker and Lesnar, but Lesnar was already out before Taker was even in, so that to me was a wasted opportunity. Also, Taker should have stayed in longer than he did, maybe even be the last man eliminated. Reigns was a waste at number thirty, I was expecting at least ONE really cool big name surprise; I would have been ok with Triple H but I was totally hoping for Kurt Angle, which again would have made a great moment, if Lesnar, Angle and Taker had been in the ring at the same time due to their histories with one another.
Reigns should not even have been in the match, but I understand they used it to set up Reigns vs Taker at Mania. I just hope they realize they have now turned Roman heel because there's no way of going up against Taker and staying a face. Even if Taker's the heel, you're still more heel just because it's Taker we're talking about. I don't really like this pairing, I would have loved to see Cena vs Taker for the title instead.
All in all a good card with another fantastic Cena/Styles match, but the Rumble was disappointing to me, mostly because I had much bigger hopes for it this year than in recent years.
I don't want to see Orton vs Cena AT ALL, so here's hoping that Cena drops the belt at Elimination Chamber, or Orton either puts his shot on the line and loses, or goes for the RAW belt.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Royal Rumble Kickoff Show
1. Six Woman Tag Team Match - I thought this was the weakest match on the entire card. Essentially, it felt like a paint by the numbers match you could see on Raw or SmackDown Live at any given time during any given week. Mickie James was hardly used at all and I'm not all that wild about them having Alexa Bliss losing so often in non-title matches. Frankly, it's the sort of booking I'm used to on Raw and I've come to expect more from the blue brand. *1/2
2. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - I enjoyed this match and while it wasn't as good as some of the outings I've seen from them, it was still entertaining and there was some genuine drama here. I wasn't sure if they'd go for a title change here or wait until WrestleMania, but Gallows & Anderson winning was the right call I think. I think Gallows & Anderson have been pretty overhyped by New Japan fans, I was expecting some all time great team from the amount of gushing they'd gotten over there, but they haven't lived up to expectations and as much as some want to do so, you can't lay it all on the shoulders of creative. At least they're no longer spinning their wheels. **1/2
3. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax - Jax going over here in such a decisive fashion was a bit surprising, but it was the right call to make. If they want to build someone up as a monster for the female division, having her go over a 3 time WWE Women's Champion and one half of last year's Feud of the Year in a devastating fashion was the way to go. They protected Sasha well as commentary kept hammering the point of Sasha's knee injury and considering her stock in NXT and the year she had in 2016, this loss didn't hurt Sasha one bit. **1/2
Royal Rumble Main Card
1. WWE Raw Women's Championship - This was a good outing for Charlotte and Bayley. They didn't go full out, balls to the wall here but that's okay as I assume they're saving that for WrestleMania. Nobody really expected Charlotte to lose here and everyone expected Bayley to look strong in defeat, so mission accomplished. I'm not usually a fan of the Natural Selection finisher as it's one of those moves that just doesn't come off as devastating, considering the person taking it is on their knees, but Bayley taking the move on the apron looked good as it made up for the normal lack of an impact. ***1/4
2. WWE Universal Championship - A strong outing from Owens and Reigns, much better than I was expecting to be honest. Some might be bummed that Jericho wasn't much of a factor in this match, but I was thrilled by that as the purpose of the shark cage was to limit his ability to be involved. Aside from the "brass knuckles" he tossed to Owens, he was a non factor. Owens and Reigns delivered a hard hitting, physical match that featured some really fun spots and the crowd was into this from the opening bell. Braun Strowman interfering wasn't something I expected, though he looked devastating. While it looked like Owens was about to be speared through a table, I thought they created just enough ambiguity as to the possibility of Owens recovering, seeing as how he was still down while Reigns was being slaughtered by Strowman. Owens picking up the win after Strowman powerslamed Reigns through the table set up in the corner worked for me as it means that Reigns is almost certainly out of the title picture for a little while. ***3/4
3. WWE Cruiserweight Championship - I enjoyed this match as well and I've really enjoyed this new side of Neville over the course of the last month or so. His facial expressions and body language are great at conveying him as a guy that's pissed off at the world and has a huge chip on his shoulder. Neville winning the title was the right move and I thought him screaming to the referee to "bring me my crown" as he really wrenched in his submission was a nice little touch. I hope Neville keeps the title for a while because he's easily the guy who can do the most for it and the Cruiserweight Division. **3/4
4. WWE Championship - Cena and Styles once again put on one helluva match and I was a surprised they went with Cena winning his 16th World Championship here instead of at WrestleMania. Styles winning at SummerSlam last year gave this their match just a little bit more oomph than this one, but there's no denying that it was a fantastic outing that the fans were invested in from bell to bell. Cena and Styles work extremely well together, both have proven able to have killer matches against just about anyone but they have really great chemistry together. I also like that it ultimately took 4 Attitude Adjustments for Cena to score the win, including one from the turnbuckles, to score the win. ****3/4
5. Royal Rumble Match - It's hard to rate battle royals in general, especially the Rumble, but while I think it could've been better, it most certainly could've been worse. There wasn't much in terms of surprise entrants but, to be honest, I'm kinda glad that we didn't have Nakamura, Joe or Balor as surprise entrants if there was little to no chance of them winning. Sure, it would've made for a cool moment, but it also would've sucked balls to have seen them just chucked over the ropes like scrubs by Lesnar, Goldberg or Taker. They kept the focus on Strowman having a strong performance, Goldberg making Lesnar his bitch once again and the potential of Taker vs. Reigns. I was a bit disappointed when Reigns was #30 mostly because I couldn't help but think that this was how he'd wind up winning the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, but I dug how they really sorta kept Reigns looking like a heel as it was smart booking. WWE had to know Reigns was gonna get the crap booed out of him and they played that up by having him not only eliminate the Undertaker, but to sneak up behind him and eliminate him. Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble was something the live crowd enjoyed quite a bit because it meant that Reigns lost and was eliminated by Orton but, of course, this begs the question of whether this means it's Cena vs. Orton for the 10,000th time at WrestleMania. There've been rumors of Orton taking on Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania and, after last night, that might indicate that Wyatt could win the title at Elimination Chamber. I'm also wondering if this means Orton could potentially go after the Universal Championship if the winner of the Rumble is given the "choice" of which title he'd go after. I have to think that Cena drops the strap at Elimination Chamber or Orton goes after the Universal Championship because I simply can't see Cena vs. Orton going down because it's the proverbial dead horse of WWE for the past decade. ***1/2
Final Thoughts - I enjoyed this year's Royal Rumble ppv more than I have previous years. The only match that didn't do anything for me, all in all, was the six woman tag team match on the kickoff show. Aside from that, I felt that every match on the card had a purpose. The matches that most expected to deliver, in my opinion, ultimately did deliver as all the matches on the main card were entertaining. Charlotte vs. Bayley was fun without giving too much away, Owens vs. Reigns was a highly entertaining brawl, Neville claimed his crown as "King of the Cruiserweights" Cena & Styles delivered another classic while Cena won his 16th World Championship and the Royal Rumble match set up some good stories for WrestleMania season. Like everyone else, I'm not quite sure what to make of Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble match itself, I think it'll be one of those decisions where we could look back on and say "yeah, it was the right call" or "I seriously can't believe they thought this was the right call" depending on where they go with it.
Grade: B+
1. Six Woman Tag Team Match - I thought this was the weakest match on the entire card. Essentially, it felt like a paint by the numbers match you could see on Raw or SmackDown Live at any given time during any given week. Mickie James was hardly used at all and I'm not all that wild about them having Alexa Bliss losing so often in non-title matches. Frankly, it's the sort of booking I'm used to on Raw and I've come to expect more from the blue brand. *1/2
2. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - I enjoyed this match and while it wasn't as good as some of the outings I've seen from them, it was still entertaining and there was some genuine drama here. I wasn't sure if they'd go for a title change here or wait until WrestleMania, but Gallows & Anderson winning was the right call I think. I think Gallows & Anderson have been pretty overhyped by New Japan fans, I was expecting some all time great team from the amount of gushing they'd gotten over there, but they haven't lived up to expectations and as much as some want to do so, you can't lay it all on the shoulders of creative. At least they're no longer spinning their wheels. **1/2
3. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax - Jax going over here in such a decisive fashion was a bit surprising, but it was the right call to make. If they want to build someone up as a monster for the female division, having her go over a 3 time WWE Women's Champion and one half of last year's Feud of the Year in a devastating fashion was the way to go. They protected Sasha well as commentary kept hammering the point of Sasha's knee injury and considering her stock in NXT and the year she had in 2016, this loss didn't hurt Sasha one bit. **1/2
Royal Rumble Main Card
1. WWE Raw Women's Championship - This was a good outing for Charlotte and Bayley. They didn't go full out, balls to the wall here but that's okay as I assume they're saving that for WrestleMania. Nobody really expected Charlotte to lose here and everyone expected Bayley to look strong in defeat, so mission accomplished. I'm not usually a fan of the Natural Selection finisher as it's one of those moves that just doesn't come off as devastating, considering the person taking it is on their knees, but Bayley taking the move on the apron looked good as it made up for the normal lack of an impact. ***1/4
2. WWE Universal Championship - A strong outing from Owens and Reigns, much better than I was expecting to be honest. Some might be bummed that Jericho wasn't much of a factor in this match, but I was thrilled by that as the purpose of the shark cage was to limit his ability to be involved. Aside from the "brass knuckles" he tossed to Owens, he was a non factor. Owens and Reigns delivered a hard hitting, physical match that featured some really fun spots and the crowd was into this from the opening bell. Braun Strowman interfering wasn't something I expected, though he looked devastating. While it looked like Owens was about to be speared through a table, I thought they created just enough ambiguity as to the possibility of Owens recovering, seeing as how he was still down while Reigns was being slaughtered by Strowman. Owens picking up the win after Strowman powerslamed Reigns through the table set up in the corner worked for me as it means that Reigns is almost certainly out of the title picture for a little while. ***3/4
3. WWE Cruiserweight Championship - I enjoyed this match as well and I've really enjoyed this new side of Neville over the course of the last month or so. His facial expressions and body language are great at conveying him as a guy that's pissed off at the world and has a huge chip on his shoulder. Neville winning the title was the right move and I thought him screaming to the referee to "bring me my crown" as he really wrenched in his submission was a nice little touch. I hope Neville keeps the title for a while because he's easily the guy who can do the most for it and the Cruiserweight Division. **3/4
4. WWE Championship - Cena and Styles once again put on one helluva match and I was a surprised they went with Cena winning his 16th World Championship here instead of at WrestleMania. Styles winning at SummerSlam last year gave this their match just a little bit more oomph than this one, but there's no denying that it was a fantastic outing that the fans were invested in from bell to bell. Cena and Styles work extremely well together, both have proven able to have killer matches against just about anyone but they have really great chemistry together. I also like that it ultimately took 4 Attitude Adjustments for Cena to score the win, including one from the turnbuckles, to score the win. ****3/4
5. Royal Rumble Match - It's hard to rate battle royals in general, especially the Rumble, but while I think it could've been better, it most certainly could've been worse. There wasn't much in terms of surprise entrants but, to be honest, I'm kinda glad that we didn't have Nakamura, Joe or Balor as surprise entrants if there was little to no chance of them winning. Sure, it would've made for a cool moment, but it also would've sucked balls to have seen them just chucked over the ropes like scrubs by Lesnar, Goldberg or Taker. They kept the focus on Strowman having a strong performance, Goldberg making Lesnar his bitch once again and the potential of Taker vs. Reigns. I was a bit disappointed when Reigns was #30 mostly because I couldn't help but think that this was how he'd wind up winning the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, but I dug how they really sorta kept Reigns looking like a heel as it was smart booking. WWE had to know Reigns was gonna get the crap booed out of him and they played that up by having him not only eliminate the Undertaker, but to sneak up behind him and eliminate him. Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble was something the live crowd enjoyed quite a bit because it meant that Reigns lost and was eliminated by Orton but, of course, this begs the question of whether this means it's Cena vs. Orton for the 10,000th time at WrestleMania. There've been rumors of Orton taking on Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania and, after last night, that might indicate that Wyatt could win the title at Elimination Chamber. I'm also wondering if this means Orton could potentially go after the Universal Championship if the winner of the Rumble is given the "choice" of which title he'd go after. I have to think that Cena drops the strap at Elimination Chamber or Orton goes after the Universal Championship because I simply can't see Cena vs. Orton going down because it's the proverbial dead horse of WWE for the past decade. ***1/2
Final Thoughts - I enjoyed this year's Royal Rumble ppv more than I have previous years. The only match that didn't do anything for me, all in all, was the six woman tag team match on the kickoff show. Aside from that, I felt that every match on the card had a purpose. The matches that most expected to deliver, in my opinion, ultimately did deliver as all the matches on the main card were entertaining. Charlotte vs. Bayley was fun without giving too much away, Owens vs. Reigns was a highly entertaining brawl, Neville claimed his crown as "King of the Cruiserweights" Cena & Styles delivered another classic while Cena won his 16th World Championship and the Royal Rumble match set up some good stories for WrestleMania season. Like everyone else, I'm not quite sure what to make of Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble match itself, I think it'll be one of those decisions where we could look back on and say "yeah, it was the right call" or "I seriously can't believe they thought this was the right call" depending on where they go with it.
Grade: B+
The Life Of Pablo Ren
I know my name/avi/sig don't match.
I was gonna make a thread for this but I figured it might just get merged so I'll put it in here. Unless they retcon it (and this is the WWE so the chances are pretty high) Orton can't challenge for the Universal Championship. Some months ago, it might have been for the press release they said that the winner of the Rumble would challenge for their brand's World Championship. And during the build up, nobody has said there was a choice so I'd assume they're still sticking to that.
As far as my thoughts on the event, I thought it was great. I thought it was questionable to have Cesaro and Sheamus drop the titles on the pre-show and I still don't see how AJ dropping the title here does any favors to his likely feud with Shane considering he was mad at Shane for putting the WWE Championship up for grabs in the Chamber but now it looks like he might need the Chamber to get the title back, but still a great show. Match of the night was obviously AJ/Cena but I expected that, so my favorite match was actually Owens/Reigns. I'm glad they actually took advantage of the No DQ stip and Owens took some really nasty bumps that made me cringe, it was fun and far exceeded my expectations.
I know I'm in the OVERWHELMING MINORITY here but I thought Reigns at #30 and lasting to the final two was perfect. It made Orton's win feel huge with the pop that he got from the crowd, a pop that I'm sure wouldn't have been as big if it came down to him and Undertaker or Jericho... that probably would've gotten him a great deal of boos actually. It wasn't the best Rumble match, there was a lot of awkward waiting around because I guess Lesnar, Goldberg and Taker had to do their clearing the ring spots but it wasn't horrible. It set up a few stories and got a legitimate huge pop at the end which is something we haven't gotten in quite some time.
As far as my thoughts on the event, I thought it was great. I thought it was questionable to have Cesaro and Sheamus drop the titles on the pre-show and I still don't see how AJ dropping the title here does any favors to his likely feud with Shane considering he was mad at Shane for putting the WWE Championship up for grabs in the Chamber but now it looks like he might need the Chamber to get the title back, but still a great show. Match of the night was obviously AJ/Cena but I expected that, so my favorite match was actually Owens/Reigns. I'm glad they actually took advantage of the No DQ stip and Owens took some really nasty bumps that made me cringe, it was fun and far exceeded my expectations.
I know I'm in the OVERWHELMING MINORITY here but I thought Reigns at #30 and lasting to the final two was perfect. It made Orton's win feel huge with the pop that he got from the crowd, a pop that I'm sure wouldn't have been as big if it came down to him and Undertaker or Jericho... that probably would've gotten him a great deal of boos actually. It wasn't the best Rumble match, there was a lot of awkward waiting around because I guess Lesnar, Goldberg and Taker had to do their clearing the ring spots but it wasn't horrible. It set up a few stories and got a legitimate huge pop at the end which is something we haven't gotten in quite some time.
