-Raw 1/23/12:
-Match 1: 20 Man Battle Royale to Determine #30 in the Royal Rumble Match
-Awful battle royale. Final three are Christian, Sheamus, & Randy Orton. Orton manages to dump Sheamus, but then Christian sneaks up from behind and eliminates Orton to win. (1/2*)
-Backstage, The Conspirators [WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio, WWE Tag Team Champions Awesome Truth, & Kevin Nash] cut a group promo. They say that when Alberto Del Rio retains the WWE Championship, Awesome Truth retain the WWE Tag Team Championship, and Kevin Nash wins the Royal Rumble, the group will completely own WWE. They plan to start eliminating opposition, starting tonight when ADR & Awesome Truth face John Cena & Air Boom in a six man tag in tonight's main event.
-Match 2: Layla, Kelly Kelly, Eve, & Naomi Night VS Divas of Doom & Bella Twins
-Layla & Natalya are on loan from Smackdown. Naomi surprises Beth with the spinning heel kick to win, and Beth throws another hissy fit. It was a Divas match. (*)
-Christian cut a celebratory promo. He says that winning #30 in the Royal Rumble has pretty much guaranteed that he will finally get his "one more match" for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event at WrestleMania.
-John Cena came to the ring for a promo. He gets in serious mode and talks about Michael Cole stacking the deck by making himself the special guest referee for his title match against ADR at the Royal Rumble. Cena says that nothing will deny him the opportunity to make his match against the Rock at WrestleMania even bigger by making it be for the WWE Championship. Cena talks about The Conspirators' threat to eliminate all competition, starting with him. Cena says many have tried to eliminate him from WWE and all have failed. They will be no different.
-Match 3: Cryme Tyme VS Domination
-I am keeping Cryme Tyme around to bolster the tag division. OK undercard tag match. Vickie Guerrero provides a distraction, allowing Dolph Ziggler to interfere, which in turn leads to Ezekial Jackson pinning JTG with the Book of Ezekial. (**1/2)
-United States Champion Dolph Ziggler cut a backstage promo. Ziggler says that even though he is not #30 in the Royal Rumble, he is still the favorite to win the Rumble.
-Rey Mysterio is still coming back at the Royal Rumble.
-Match 4: Goldust VS Jinder Mahal
-I needed a filler match, and it ended up being a lot better than I anticipated. Goldust wins with the Final Cut. (***1/4)
-Match 5: John Cena & Air Boom VS WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio & WWE Tag Team Champions Awesome Truth
-OK main event. John Cena gets ADR in trouble and locks in the STF, but Kevin Nash nails the ref to draw a DQ. (**3/4)
-After the bell, The Conspirators destroy Cena & Air Boom, standing triumphant as the show ends.
-WWE NEWS: Rating dropped quite a bit this week for RAW. NO SWAGGER = NO BUYS.
-Smackdown 1/27/12:
-Justin Gabriel opened the show. He called out World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry for a confrontation later tonight. Based on the segment rating, it will be a long, long time before I let him cut a promo again.
-Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes came out to the ring for the opening match. Before it started, he cut a promo on Daniel Bryan, saying that tonight Bryan has to watch Rhodes destroy his mentor, then at the Royal Rumble, Bryan will have to watch Rhodes leave with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
-Match 1: William Regal VS Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes
-Good match. Regal tries to load the Power of the Punch, but Rhodes manages to knock the brass knuckles out of Regal's hand, and finish with Cross Rhodes. After the pin, Rhodes KO's Regal with his own brass knuckles, then add another Cross Rhodes. (***)
-Sheamus confronts Randy Orton about last week's RKO. Orton reminds Sheamus that he told him that they weren't friends, and that Orton was sending a message to Sheamus in advance of the Royal Rumble. Sheamus says he'll send his own message when the two face each other plus Christian in a Triple Threat match tonight.
-Match 2: Daniel Bryan VS Drew McIntyre
-Good, but I was hoping for great. Bryan counters the Future Shock DDT and gets the submission with the Labelle Lock. Cody Rhodes comes down to ringside to see the action, but does not interfere as Bryan keeps the hold on while staring down Rhodes. (***1/4)
-Wade Barrett cut another promo via satellite. Barrett says Orton better worry about HIM, not Sheamus or Christian come the Royal Rumble.
-Match 3: Brodus Clay VS Trent Barreta
-Quick squash for Clay to kill some time. (*1/2)
-Kane is still returning at the Royal Rumble.
-Match 4: Layla VS Natalya
-Match was typical Divas fare, but the crowd was into it. Layla wins with the Layout, but is then attacked by Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and taken out with the Glam Slam. (*1/4)
-Match 5: Randy Orton VS Sheamus VS Christian
-Another match that was good when I was hoping for great. Orton hits Christian with the RKO, but then walks into a Brogue Kick, and Sheamus pins Orton. (***)
-Justin Gabriel called out Mark Henry for their confrontation. They had a short brawl, and Gabriel managed to hit Henry with the World Heavyweight title belt, then add the 450. Gabriel poses with the belt as the show closes.
-NOTE: I was going to run Sin Cara VS Sin Cara II mask-vs-mask at the Rumble to end that feud, but I forgot to put in segments to build to it on the last couple Smackdowns, so it's been cut.
-WWE NEWS: Smackdown gets its highest rating since I took over WWE, despite the Justin Gabriel segments bombing.
-Royal Rumble 1/29/12:
-Match 1 for the WWE Tag Team Championship: Awesome Truth [c] VS Air Boom
-Good opener. Frustrated Miz pulls the ref in the way of a flying clothesline by Kofi. With the ref out, Awesome Truth manage to lay both members of Air Boom out, but then Triple H comes out through the crowd and throws Truth out of the ring before hitting Miz with a Pedigree. When the ref wakes up, Kingston hits the still-stunned Miz with Trouble in Paradise for the pin and the titles. (***1/4)
-Match 2 for the Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix [c] VS Layla
-Beth managed to overcome the recent losses, and retain with the Glam Slam. Typical Divas fare. (*1/2)
-Match 3 for the Intercontinental Championship & the Money in the Bank briefcase: Cody Rhodes [c] VS Daniel Bryan
-Good match where I was hoping for great. Bryan manages to fight off Cross Rhodes, and win the title with the Labelle Lock. (***1/4)
-Match 4 for the World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry [c] VS Justin Gabriel
-Probably as good as I could hope. Gabriel manages to hit the 450, but Henry throws him off the cover at two, and quickly finishes with the World's Strongest Slam. (**3/4)
-Match 5 for the WWE Championship: Alberto Del Rio [c] VS John Cena (Special Guest Referee: Michael Cole)
-Cole was blatantly biased in favor of ADR. Cena appeared to have the match won with the Attitude Adjustment, but Cole wouldn't make the count. Cena argued with Cole, then avoided a charging ADR, who ran into Cole. Cena managed to hit another AA and lock in the STF, but before a second ref could ring the bell because ADR was tapping, Cole pulled the ref out, and retook charge. Cena let go of the hold, and Cole shoved Cena into a schoolboy from ADR, then Cole quick-counted to give ADR the win. After ADR and Cole took off for the back, Cena stood in shock in the ring. He stared ADR and Cole down, not noticing that THE ROCK had gotten into the ring. Cena turned right into a Rock Bottom. Rock soaked in the adulation of the crowd before leaving. (**1/2)
-Match 6: The Royal Rumble
-Heath Slater is #1, followed by Zack Ryder at #2. Ryder hits the Broski Boot as Wade Barrett enters at #3. The former Nexus/Corre members double team Ryder, but cannot eliminate him. Dolph Ziggler enters at #4, and the heels eliminate Ryder. Tyson Kidd enters at #5, and the tag partners take on the other heels. That all stops when JTG enters at #6, and the heels gang up to eliminate him. The heels all agree to work together as Sheamus enters at #7. Sheamus takes a 4-on-1 beating, but hangs in there. Santino Marella enters at #8, but the babyfaces are still getting beaten down when Rey Mysterio makes his return as #9. The faces start fighting back, and Rey eliminates Kidd, then Sheamus eliminates Slater. Barrett & Ziggler are in trouble until Drew McIntyre enters at #10 to even the odds.
JBL is a surprise entrant at #11, but he takes his time cutting a long promo on his way to the ring, making sure to mention that he is "better than anyone from St. Louis". Naturally, Randy Orton is #12. JBL still hasn't gotten in the ring when Orton makes his way down. JBL offers an insincere handshake. Orton takes it, but then pulls JBL into an RKO on the floor. Orton rolls the KO'd JBL into the ring, then eliminates him. Orton sets his sights on Wade Barrett, and the two slug it out as Big Show enters at lucky #13. Show eliminates McIntyre. CM Punk is #14. Punk lays Ziggler out with the GTS as Jack Swagger enters at #15. Punk allows Swagger to dump the KO'd Ziggler. Barrett hits Wasteland on Orton, then blocks THE COBRA from Santino, and eliminates Santino. Sean Waltman is a surprise entrant at #16, and he lays everyone out with spinning heel kicks except for Big Show, who hits Waltman with the WMD. Goldust is #17. Goldust is immediately KO'd and eliminated by Big Show. Kevin Nash is #18. He and Show go at it. Waltman tries to help Nash, but takes a chokeslam. Nash gets some help from Barrett to eliminate Show. Waltman wants a high five from Nash, who responds by throwing him out. Ted DiBiase is #19, but he doesn't last long, taking a big boot and a jackknife from Nash before getting tossed. Barrett and Orton brawl on the outside, and Orton hits Barrett with an RKO on the Spanish Announce Table. John Morrison is #20. Nash tries to jackknife Rey, but Rey manages to counter with a head scissors to eliminate Nash.
Mason Ryan enters at #21, and eliminates Morrison. Ryan & Sheamus go at it, and Sheamus eliminates Ryan with a Brogue Kick. William Regal enters at #22. Nothing much happens as Shad Gaspard enters at #23. Everyone pairs off as Alex Riley enters at #24. Ezekial Jackson is in at #25, and he promptly eliminates Riley. Brodus Clay is in at #26, and he goes right after Rey. Brodus almost has him eliminated when Kane enters at #27. Kane goes on a tear, eliminating Jackson, Clay, Swagger, Regal, Shad, and Mysterio. Sin Cara is #28. He is jumped from behind during his entrance by Sin Cara II. Sin Cara II throws the KO'd Sin Cara I in the ring and leaves. Kane tosses Sin Cara I. Diamond Dallas Page is the last surprise entrant at #29. DDP counters a Kane chokeslam with a Diamond Cutter, then hits Diamond Cutters on Punk and Sheamus before taking an RKO from Orton. Christian is #30. Orton eliminates DDP. Orton almost gets Christian out, but Wade Barrett finally gets back in, and manages to catch Orton unaware to eliminate him. Barrett celebrates, but then takes a Brogue Kick from Sheamus, who then eliminates Barrett.
FINAL 4: Sheamus, CM Punk, Kane, & Christian. Punk/Christian and Sheamus/Kane pair off. As Sheamus/Kane struggle against the ropes, Christian kicks Punk in the nuts, then tips Sheamus and Kane out. Christian hits Punk with the Killswitch, but takes his time trying to eliminate Punk. That gives Punk the opportunity to hit the GTS, and elminate Christian to win. (**1/4)
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