To Smash Wrestling Staff and Readers, This Sunday Night the WWE embarks on its first stop on the road to WrestleMania 26, and that's the Royal Rumble 2010. The WWE likes to give its usual run of statistics before the Rumble Match: How many have competed, who got the most elimination’s, who has lasted the longest, etc.
I have a list of statistics myself: since its inception, the WWE title has only changed hands four times at a Rumble event (not including Flair's 92' Rumble win) and those winners were: Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels The Rock and John Cena. There is also this lesser known statistic, until last year; never had there been a weaker line up of title defences...before now. Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels WWE title Casket Match, HHH vs Cactus Jack WWE title Street fight, Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy WWE title match, none of those match types and or the performances they delivered at their respective Rumble productions will be remotely seen this year in any shape or form.
Instead, this year we get Sheamus vs Orton and Undertaker vs Mysterio as the headlining title fights to a show that usually starts the year off with a bang, but this year it more looks like it will be lucky enough to muster a golf clap. Can this year's Rumble match, a match type that has been seen over 21 times already, create the necessary drama needed to bail out this already “sinking before its even aired” pay per view? Maybe.
Who will walk away champion, what surprises may be seen and just how successful can this show possibly expect to be with what is already being promised on paper? Check out this portion of Royal Rumble predictamania on Smash Wrestling.com!
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- The 30 Man Royal Rumble Match
It’s nearly impossible to predict which Superstars will team up and who will eliminate whom, but what's not hard is measuring the possible success of this match by the expected Superstars involved. John Cena, HHH, HBK, Rhodes, Dibiase, Jack Swagger, Jericho these are definitely some of the men who carry the weight of this year's Rumble match on their shoulders. Not to start any rumours, but I think the addition of RVD would definitely be a treat, even if he were only in for a few minutes.
The big thing that will make this Rumble successful is the entry and winning of a returning superstar, and a lot of talk has been floating around about Edge. Personally, Edge's injury to his Achilles tendon is one that I feel would be unfair to expect Edge to return from. I would love to see him come in, clean house, have the match come down to him and Jericho, and after a tense one on one encounter, Edge eliminates Jericho (or even better, John Cena) to win his title shot at the WM 26. Unfortunately I just don't think that's going to be possible (though I'd love to be proven wrong).
I think the HBK challenging the Undertaker to a WrestleMania rematch was not random, it’s going to be this year's hook. I see HBK winning the Rumble and then spending the next two months making sure that the Undertaker keeps the World Title on his waist so that HBK can take the belt from him at WM 26 and finally end the Undertakers WM win streak.
Prediction: Winner HBK Shawn Michaels
Undertaker (Champ) vs Rey Mysterio
This will be a fun match to watch, but I just don't see Mysterio having any kind of offence that can propel him to a victory over the Undertaker. I see Mysterio still being a part of the World title picture going into Elimination Chamber, but that's as far as I see him going. (Note: I would love to see Mysterio in the MITB match at WM 26 but that’s another column).
Prediction: WInner Undertaker
- WWE Title Match: Sheamus (Champ) vs Randy Orton
I hate that they have the belt on Sheamus, but it would be irresponsible of me as a columnist to say that they didn't have a reason for it. Is it a good reason, probably not but it seems to me like they (WWE creative) are committed to keeping the belt on Sheamus (at least until Elimination Chamber).
I definitely think Sheamus will be in the MITB match of WM 26, but as far as Orton goes, I still don't have a good read on what angle he will have at WM26.
Since Orton really doesn't have a set up going into the Road to WrestleMania, I think that he will lose this match due to interference.
Prediction: Winner Sheamus
- ECW Title Match: Christian (Champ) vs Ezekiel Jackson
Christian is the best guy they could possibly have the belt on, for him to drop it now to someone as unpolished as Jackson would totally kill all interest in that belt (IMO0. I think that if ECW's days are really numbered (according to numerous whispers on the web) than it would be best to have the belt on someone that the fans would want to remember fondly, instead of having them just nod and say, "Glad its finally over.”
The finish is going to be tough, I think Jackson is to big for Christian to sell a kill switch, so I think it will be a tornado DDT off the top rope (Christian jumping at Jackson and hitting it).
Prediction: Winner Christian
Women's title: Michelle McCool vs Mickie James
Of all the women in the WWE, this is a pretty lame pairing, and the story behind this one is equally snooze inducing. While I usually try to give the Divas the benefit of a doubt, this match just brings too many doubts and not enough benefit.
Prediction: Winner N/A
So there it is, most of these matches seem a little too easy to call, which says to me that there is a lot of ground needs to be paved and covered if the road to WM 26 is going to be worth travelling.
WWE has the talent, they have the resources, their problem (IMO) is that they continue to tie themselves at their wrists creatively. Thankfully, Rumble matches usually bring out the best in WWE talent, to the point that it sometimes even negates any poor writing going into it, but with the WWE continuing to drop it’s standards, as is seen by Sheamus and the Miz holding single's titles, will this year’s match be enough to save this weak looking show?
There's a chance, its just a question of will the WWE do what they need to do or will they deliver a Bragging Rights or TLC pay per view? Here's hopping against the second.
As always I'd like to thank Smash Wrestling for this opportunity and the WWE for giving us all something to write about.
Keep Smashing
Ryan Owens
Source: http://www.firetank.com/smashwrestling/
