Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 18,239
February 3, 2007
THE TWF ENTERTAINMENT LOGO FLASHES ACROSS THE SCREEN, FOLLOWED BY THE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL INFORMATION.
THE VOICE OF HOWARD FINKEL IS HEARD, SOUNDING LIKE IT's OFF IN A DISTANCE.
"It is now time for the Royal Rumble".
SHOTS OF INDIVIDUAL SUPERSTARS FROM PAST ROYAL RUMBLES ARE SHOWN ALONG WITH FOOTAGE FROM ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES.
Audio Voiceover: "It only comes once a year..........
THE UNDERTAKER IS SHOWN TOSSING OUT MANKIND TO WIN THE FIRST ROYAL RUMBLE.
Thirty men..... one prize".
TRAVIS WAKEMAN ELIMINATES VAL VENIS TO WIN IN 2001.
For these thirty men, this is the chance of a lifetime. For some, it is not meant to be, while for others, it happens more than once.......
THE UNDERTAKER IS SHOWN DUMPING EDDIE GUERRERO OUT IN 2002 FOLLOWED BY TRAVIS WAKEMAN ESCAPING ELIMINATION AND THROWING TREVOR MURDOCH OUT LAST YEAR.
Some make the most of the chance........
ROB VAN DAM ELIMINATES RHYNO TO WIN IT ALL IN 2003.
While others throw it all away........
CHARLIE HAAS GETS THE WIN IN 2004, BUT IT's REVEALED THAT HE BOUGHT A HIGHER NUMBER THAN HE ACTUALLY DREW.
It's luck of the draw....... survival of the fittest...........
QUICKLY, SHOTS OF ALL 30 SUPERSTARS IN TONIGHT's RUMBLE ARE SHOWN.
Who will emerge victorious"?
FROM THERE, THE SHOT GOES INTO THE UNITED CENTER WHICH IS PACKED FULL OF TWF FANS WHO ARE GOING WILD AS FIREWORKS AND PYRO BLAST OFF THE STAGE.
THE CAMERA PICKS UP SEVERAL GREAT SIGNS IN THE CROWD, AS WELL AS A YOUNG GIRL DRESSED EXACTLY LIKE ASHLEY K. SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW.
ONE OF THE SIGNS STATES "WORLD's STRONGEST CHIMP" AND HAS A PICTURE OF MARK HENRY EATING A BASKET FULL OF BANANAS WHILE ANOTHER IS A TERRIFIC DRAWING OF ROB VAN DAM HOLDING UP THE ECW WORLD TITLE.
Jim Ross: "It is the eighth annual TWF Royal Rumble and we are in the windy city where a ton of folks have filled the United Center to witness this historic night, King"!
Jerry Lawler: "And who can blame them, J.R.?! I haven't seen a card this good in like.... well forever"!
J.R.: "Of course this is one of our inter-divisional pay-per-view events so we've got company tonight, take it away guys"!
THE SHOT GOES OVER TO THE PRIMETIME BROADCAST POSITION WHERE MICHAEL COLE IS SITTING NEXT TO JBL.
Michael Cole: "Thank you, J.R., and you made mention of an historic night here at the Royal Rumble and it most certainly will be! Seven titles to be decided tonight, JBL"!
JBL: "This is the Royal Rumble, Michael, the official start of the road to WrestleMania and for these guys, this is where it all starts, this is the event you want to establish yourself, where you want to stamp your ticket to WrestleMania"!
THE WORLD's GREATEST TAG TEAM's MUSIC HITS AND THAT BRINGS SHELTON BENJAMIN AND CHARLIE HAAS OUT TO A GOOD CHEER.
Cole: "Of course that thirty man Royal Rumble will feature stars from Rampage and PrimeTime but it looks like you guys have the first match"!
Lawler: "What did you expect, Michael Cole? They want to start this event off right"!
J.R.: "Now, now, last time I checked, they have one heck of a tag team title match tonight as well. What an oppurtunity here for these two young studs Haas and Benjamin, a chance to end a title reign that started last May"!
BOOS FILL THE UNITED CENTER AS THE BASHAMS' MUSIC HITS AND THEY COME OUT, EACH WITH THEIR TAG TEAM TITLE BELT OVER THEIR SHOULDER.
Lawler: "Well like them or not, J.R., they've had one of the more impressive title reigns in TWF history".
J.R.: "And they're also benefitting because they've given in to this ridiculous idea of a reformed Rampage and we know for a fact that Haas and Benjamin are on Muhammad Hassan's hit list"!
Rampage Tag Team Title Match Challengers: World's Greatest Tag Team vs. The Bashams The bell sounded to start the match but the Bashams had an extended conference in their corner, hoping to throw Haas and Benjamin off their game. But Benjamin waited patiently and finally, Doug came at him, only to be whipped to the mat with an arm drag. Benjamin had an armbar in but Doug got to his feet and pushed him to the ropes. Benjamin ducked a clothesline and made a swift tag to Haas who came in and ran over an unsuspecting Doug Basham with a clothesline. Haas hit the ropes again but Danny slowed him down with a knee to the back, or so he thought. Haas turned and rocked Danny with a right hand before ducking a clothesline and catching Doug with a stun gun manuever. A cover was made but Danny was in to break up the count with a stomp to the back of the head. Haas grabbed the foot of Doug, trying to prevent a tag but he couldn't and Danny was in, throwing rights and lefts that knocked Haas into a corner, the wrong one for him. After using referee Scott Martin's count for 3 blatant chokes, Danny lifted Haas up by the throat, looking for the Brain Damage. But Haas got free and was able to catch Danny with the Exploder suplex. But Haas didn't have enought to get up and make the cover. Tags were made on both sides of the ring and Benjamin hopped in, beating Doug to the punch and knocking him to the mat with a right hand. He then hit the ropes and drilled Doug with a flying clothesline. From there, Benjamin went to the turnbuckle, perching himself on the top rope. But Danny blatantly shoved him off in front of Martin, risking a disqualification. Martin allowed the match to go on, and Doug covered Shelton for the 1......2......., but he couldn't get the 3. Doug pulled Shelton to his feet and shot him to the corner but missed with a flying body splash, a move Shelton likes to use. Both men were down, but Benjamin was able to make the tag. Doug was only halfway to his corner but Danny clapped his own hands, trying to simulate a tag, and he jumped into the ring. But Martin turned to see this and knew something was up, so he ordered Danny back to his corner. After a brief war of words, Danny, who obviously took exception to this, shoved Martin across the ring, leaving Martin no choice but to disqualify the Bashams. Match Time: 7:05 J.R.: "Ah.... you gotta be kidding me"! Lawler: "What, Haas and Benjamin won the match"! HAAS AND BENJAMIN's MUSIC PLAYED BUT THE BASHAMS QUICKLY GRABBED THEIR TITLES AND LEFT LAUGHING WHILE HAAS AND BENJAMIN LOOKED ON, CLEARLY UNHAPPY. J.R.: "Oh you know what the Bashams did here, King. They blatantly got themselves disqualified cause they know they can't beat Haas and Benjamin"! Lawler: "Oh, I don't know if I'd go that far". J.R.: "When have you seen someone celebrate a loss"?! THE SHOT GOES INTO THE BACKSTAGE AREA WHERE CAMERAS GET A SHOT OF A ROOM. THE DOOR ON THE OUTSIDE SAYS "ROYAL RUMBLE DRAWING ROOM". INSIDE, SHANE McMAHON AND DAWN MARIE STAND ON ONE SIDE WHILE PSYCHOSIS, MACKENZIE ROSE AND TRINITY STAND ON THE OTHER. DAWN MARIE AND TRINITY ARE BOTH WEARING NOTHING BUT LINGERIE. Shane McMahon: "So seriously, where's the GM of Rampage? He and I have some catching up to do". Mackenzie Rose: "He asked us to handle the drawing tonight". Shane: "And he expects that to work? Like you guys have been able to handle anything". "Misterrrrrrrrrrr Kennedy"!, shouts a voice from down the hall and Ken Kennedy enters the drawing room. Ken Kennedy: "Well folks, the winner is here, go ahead woman, grab me a number". IRRITATED, DAWN MARIE REACHES IN AND GRABS A BALL, HANDING IT TO KENNEDY. HE POPS IT OPEN AND LOOKS AT IT WHILE ANOTHER HAND REACHES IN AND PULLS OUT A BALL. KENNEDY LOOKS UP TO SEE JOHN CENA STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. Kennedy: "Sorry, Johnny boy, I've already gotten the best number you can get". CENA POPS OPEN HIS NUMBER AND LOOKS AT IT. John Cena: "Well you must have a better chance than I do then, I guess I'll have to go out there and take my chances". BACK AT RINGSIDE, "FIREFLY" BY BREAKING BENJAMIN PLAYS AND CHRIS PLATOON IS GREETED BY SOME SERIOUS HEAT AS HE COMES OUT FROM THE BACK. JBL: "Did you hear that, Michael, Mister Kennedy has number thirty! He's gotta be the odds on favorite to win the Rumble"! Cole: "No, I didn't hear anything. I heard Kennedy claim he has the best number, but you can't trust that as far as you can throw it"! JBL: "Okay, well excuse me a minute while I run to the back and tell him you just called him a liar"! Cole: "The last time we saw this guy on pay-per-view, he was beating the hell out of Arn Anderson and tonight, there's a good chance he's gonna regret that"! THE CROWD LOUDLY POPS WHEN "WOOOOOOOOO" IS HEARD AND OUT STEPS RIC FLAIR, WEARING HIS CLASSIC BLACK ROBE. HE STRUTS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE RING AS PLATOON IS SHOWN LOOKING ON, SEEMINGLY VERY FOCUSED. JBL: "Chris Platoon is in the prime of his career, Michael while both Flair and Anderson, respectfully are not. This is going to be the coming out party for Chris Platoon". Cole: "Well let's talk about what this is really about. Chris Platoon decided to viciously attack Flair's best friend Arn Anderson because Flair turned down three invitations from Platoon to show up on PrimeTime but fact is, Flair doesn't know Platoon from Adam"! JBL: "Look, Michael, I have talked with Platoon on this very subject and Flair does know who he is, giving him some advice earlier in his career. The problem is, with the age has come some unfortunate memory loss for the Nature Boy and Platoon felt disrespected. I don't blame him a bit". Cole: "Of course ya don't". Chris Platoon vs. Ric Flair As the bell sounded, the two men circled each other, looking for an opening. Flair had a sly grin on his face while the expression on Platoon's hadn't changed. They locked up in a collar and elbow tie and Platoon quickly took a page out of Flair's book with a thumb to the eye. Platoon then rifled Flair with 3 hard rights before whipping him to the ropes for a big back body drop. Platoon then hit the ropes and landed a big knee right to the forehead. Platoon was in control early but after pulling Flair up, Flair flung Platoon's arms up and then smashed his chest with one knifedge chop after another, the crowd "Woooooing" after each. Flair then shot Platoon to the corner and followed in with a running back elbow before using a snap mare. Flair then hit the same jumping kneedrop before covering Platoon for a 2 count. Flair yelled for Platoon to "get up" before helping him do so. He pushed Platoon to the corner and went back to the chop, but Platoon stopped them with another rake of the eyes. After a big knee lift, Platoon rammed Flair face first into the top turnbuckle. Flair stumbled around the ring before falling flat on his face in typical Flair form. Platoon then picked him up but Flair used a nice go behind into a shin breaker. Flair then yanked the left leg away from Platoon's body, stomping on the back of the knee. Flair repeated this process 3 times and the crowd grew louder each time as they could see what Flair was setting up. Flair pulled Platoon to his feet, this time by the hair but as he went for another shin breaker, Platoon jammed a thumb into the eye yet again. This time, referee Chris Kay jumped in his face, threatening a disqualification, which would be the second in as many matches. Platoon fired back at Kay verbally when from behind came the Nature Boy with a nasty chop block on the left knee. Platoon crumpled to the mat as Flair grabbed the left leg, calling for the figure four. But as he went into his turn, Platoon used his right foot on the rear end of Flair and pushed him shoulder first into the steel ring post! Flair hit with plenty of authority and screamed in pain on impact. When he turned around, Platoon kicked him in the gut before hitting the "Last Chance", driving his face into the mat before rolling him over for the win. Match Time: 6:44 JBL: "Yes! He did it! Give that man some respect this minute, Michael, he just defeated Ric Flair"! Cole: "A stunned silence has fallen over this crowd". FLAIR WAS STILL DOWN AS "FIREFLY" PLAYED AGAIN AND PLATOON LEFT THE RING, WALKING UP THE RAMP AND LOOKING BACK WITH ONE ARM RAISED IN THE AIR. JBL: "Boy I wish we could conduct a post match interview with Flair! I bet he knows who Chris Platoon is now"! Cole: "There's not a whole lot you can say, Chris Platoon beat Flair in the middle of the ring, you have to give him some credit". JBL: "Nobody thought it would happen and like I said before the match started, Michael, this would be Chris Platoon's coming out party"! DRAWING ROOM THE SHOT GOES BACK TO THE DRAWING ROOM, WHERE TAYLOR MADE HAS JUST GOTTEN HIS NUMBER, WHICH KELLY SELECTED FOR HIM WHEN PJ CASH WALKS IN. CASH REACHES IN AND PULLS OUT A BALL, PULLING IT OUT AND POPPING IT OPEN, TAKING A LOOK AT IT. HE THEN LOOKS AT SHANE McMAHON. PJ Cash: "Isn't that the guy who has always made a big deal about all the women he can get"? Shane McMahon: "It sure is". WITH THAT, CASH PULLS TRINITY IN AND KISSES HER RIGHT ON THE MOUTH. Cash: "Man, I'm really starting to like it around here". CASH WALKS OUT AS TRINITY LOOKS ON, SMILING. MICKIE JAMES' MUSIC HITS AND SHE COMES OUT TO A FAVORABLE REACTION, WAVING TO BOTH SIDES OF THE CROWD. Lawler: "Man, I gotta get the nerve to do that". J.R.: "Well don't look now, King, we're about to have two more divas out here"! Lawler: "I realize that, J.R., how do I get this monitor to zoom in"? THE WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY FIGHT SONG PLAYS AND ASHLEY K. COMES OUT TO MOSTLY BOOS FROM THE HUGE CROWD. Lawler: "It was this past Halloween when Ashley K. took the Women's title from Mickie James at TWF DoomsDay and tonight is Mickie's chance to get it back". Lawler: "What are we listening to, J.R."? J.R.: "That would be the song of the Wisconsin Badgers, Ashley's alma mater". Lawler: "What she study there"? J.R.: "I'd have to do some more investigating to find that out, King, but I do know that both these ladies are extremely intelligent but they'll have to combine that with some physicality to get to the top of the Women's division which in my eye, is as competitive as it's ever been right now". Lawler: "Well let's not forget that Ashley enters this title defense having lost two matches in a row, thanks mostly to Mickie James". TWF Women's Title Match Challenger: Mickie James vs. Ashley K. Referee Jack Doan was assigned this match and he asked for the bell to start it. Ashley ran up to Mickie and the fight began with some open handed slaps and hair pulling. Mickie definitely wanted to get into more of a wrestling match, scooping Ashley up and slamming her to the mat. Mickie then went into a side headlock but the very athletic Ashley was able to use her legs to scissor the head and neck of Mickie and escape. Both women were on their feet and Ashley went for a clothesline but missed and Mickie shot her to the ropes, catching her with a spin kick to the abdomen before grabbing her for a nasty jumping bulldog. Mickie made the cover but could only get a 2 count. She pulled Ashley up and shot her to the corner but Ashley caught her across the throat with a back elbow. As Mickie kneeled down in pain, Ashley ran over and kicked her right in the head and jaw area! Mickie fell to the mat and appeared to be out as Ashley covered her, hooking the leg, but Mickie kicked out at 2 and a half. Ashley pulled her up and whipped her into the corner, following her in, but Mickie got her right foot up in her face before wrapping her legs around the neck and throat of the champion, almost like a vise grip. Doan counted to 4 before Mickie broke the hold, but when she went for her "Mick Kick", she missed and Ashley caught her with a nice move, pulling her down jaw first onto her knees. Ashley then went to the outside and climbed to the top rope. Mickie got up, only to be taken out by a crossbody block which got a 1...........2........, but no, Mickie escaped again! By this time, Ashley was furious as she pulled the challenger up by her hair. Ashley went for an irish whip but Mickie countered into a textbook hurracanrana, landing on top of Ashley and pulling both of her legs forward into an inescapable pin and a new champion was crowned! Match Time: 5:22 J.R.: "She got her! Oh what a move by Mickie James, a perfect move into the winning combination, King"! Lawler: "Well you gotta give Mickie credit, that was a great move! You've heard that song, Oh Mickie you're so fine? Well that hurracanrana was Oh so fine"! MICKIE JAMES' MUSIC PLAYED AND SHE JUMPED UP AND DOWN LIKE A KID AT CHRISTMAS AFTER BEING HANDED THE TITLE BY DOAN. A DEJECTED ASHLEY WALKED OFF AFTER LOSING THE GOLD. J.R.: "It damn sure was, what a night for Mickie James"! DRAWING ROOM THE SHOT GOES BACK TO THE DRAWING ROOM WHERE DAWN MARIE IS SPINNING THE GOLD TUMBLER FOR EDDIE SAINT JAMES. WHEN IT STOPS, THE SAINT ALLOWS MONICA TO SELECT HIS NUMBER. MONICA REACHES IN AND PULLS OUT A BALL, HANDING IT TO THE SAINT. THE SAINT OPENS IT UP AND LOOKS AT IT WHEN JOHNNY HAZARD WALKS IN. Eddie Saint James: "Hopefully, I'll see ya out there. (The Saint offers a handshake and Hazard goes for it but The Saint pulls him in so they are nose to nose) Those other twenty eight guys won't know what him them if we get in there together, Johnny"! HAZARD CRACKS A SMILE AND GRABS HIS NUMBER AS THE SAINT AND MONICA LEAVE THE ROOM. BACK TO THE RING, "SUPERSTAR" BY SALIVA COMES ON AND THE CROWD GOES WILD AS JASON OLIVER COMES OUT, THROWING HIS HANDS UP TO GET THEM LOUDER. J.R.: "Well it looks like we've got back to back Rampage matches here, King, so you and I get to call another one". Lawler: "That's alright, ol' Cole and JBL are used to being the backups, they can wait a little longer"! J.R.: "TWF King of Cable title about to be put on the line here and not only is this match for the title, but there is a major difference in attitude between these fellow countrymen, King". BOOS SOUND OFF LOUDLY AS THE CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS AND ROB STORM COMES OUT WITH THE KING OF CABLE TITLE AROUND HIS WAIST. Lawler: "I talked to Jason Oliver earlier today and he told me that he would love to have his title back, but the main point of this match from his perspective is to win one for his homeland. He actually insinuated that Canadians don't love Rob Storm"! J.R.: "Oh, I can't imagine that they would hate him, I mean, all he's done is take one of the more extreme political stances we've ever seen here in the TWF and make it seem like he's the speaker of the north and all Canadians share the same opinion"! Lawler: "Don't forget, J.R., we've already seen Storm beat Oliver a few weeks ago, he can do it again". J.R.: "Yeah, but that was with the help of his personal hitman Aldo Corleone who I hope keeps his nose out of this match, for competition sake anyway". TWF King of Cable Title Match Challenger: Jason Oliver vs. Rob Storm Referee Chad Patton asked for the bell to start the match, but Storm insisted that he check Oliver for foreign objects. Patton patted Oliver down, finding nothing. Storm then moved in for a lockup, but pulled away and was loudly booed. Oliver asked Storm to bring it and Storm just walked up and slapped him across the face! An "Oooooh" echoed through the crowd but unfortunately for Storm, that was about all the offense he had in this match. Storm threw a right hand but Oliver blocked it and smashed him with one of his own, then another. Oliver went for an irish whip but Storm reversed it, only to have Oliver springboard off the ropes into an amazing reverse DDT. The crowd was buzzing after that move and Oliver stood over Storm, who was on his hands and knees, and blasted him with swinging forearms to each side of the head. Oliver then pulled him up and hit a belly to belly suplex. Storm was in trouble and he had no answer for Oliver. After a pendulum backbreaker, Oliver went to a famous Canadian submission hold. It wasn't the Sharpshooter, but it was the Lion Tamer. Storm had nowhere to go, but he wouldn't give up. Finally, Oliver broke the hold and backed off as Storm used the ropes to pull himself up. But when he turned around, he got kicked in the gut and then BAM, Oliver drilled him with the "Claymore" and hooked the leg for the 1.........2..........3. Match Time: 4:05 J.R.: "My God he did it! Jason Oliver has just taken Rob Storm to the wood shed and taken his title"! Lawler: "I can't believe it, J.R., Storm doesn't know what hit him"! AS "SUPERSTAR" PLAYED, OLIVER GRABBED THE CANADIAN FLAG FROM A FAN AT RINGSIDE AND BROUGHT IT INTO THE RING, WAVING IT PROUDLY IN HIS RIGHT HAND WHILE HOLDING THE KING OF CABLE TITLE BELT IN HIS LEFT. J.R.: "What a moment! What a performance by Jason Oliver, he was not to be denied tonight and if you ask me, Canada has a new favorite son"! Lawler: "Get some help out here for Storm, he can't even get up"! PARKING GARAGE THE SHOT GOES OUT TO THE PARKING GARAGE WHERE TODD GRISHAM IS STANDING. THE CROWD INSIDE POPS WHEN THEY SEE TRAVIS WAKEMAN AND MELINA WALKING INTO THE ARENA. Todd Grisham: "Travis..... Travis, the world wants to know, will you be putting that title on the line tonight, or will you hand it over to the World's Strongest man? WAKEMAN AND MELINA JUST WALK RIGHT BY GRISHAM, NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING HIM. Can you at least tell us what the ribs feel like?! GRISHAM LET's OUT A DEEP SIGH. Back to you guys out there, as you can see, I'm not getting any answers". CAMERAS BACK AT RINGSIDE SHOW THE STEEL CAGE BEING LOWERED DOWN FROM ABOVE. Cole: "Well it seems like awhile since we've had some action here on the PrimeTime side, but what a match we have coming up next"! JBL: "Jerry Lawler, get your hands out of your pants and look at your monitor because what you're about to witness is tag team action that you won't see on Rampage! Unlike your big tag team title match, disqualifications are impossible in this one"! CHEERS FILL THE UNITED CENTER AS THE HIGHLANDERS' MUSIC PLAYS AND THEY COME OUT LOOKING VERY EXCITED. Cole: "Huge oppurtunity here for the Highlanders and I'm certainly not trying to defend Rampage, but last month at War in the Winter, it was the Blood Brothers who intentionally got themselves disqualified to retain the titles". JBL: "But like I just said, Michael, disqualifications are impossible here! This match has Blood Brothers written all over it! Do you really think these two Scottish morons have what it takes to defeat the Blood Brothers, who have held these titles since August, inside a steel cage"?! THE FANS BOO UNANIMOUSLY AS "COME ON" BY WATERPROOF BLONDE PLAYS AND OUT COME THE BLOOD BROTHERS, BOTH WEARING TRENCH COATS AND CARRYING THEIR MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTING STAFFS. Cole: "Well this is a situation that exploded when the Blood Brothers, dispicable as they are, tried to physically disect the legendary Rowdy Roddy Piper, who had just announced he has cancer"! JBL: "Piper is a legend in this business and you will never hear me deny that. But he had no business in the ring that night and, bad as it sounds, that's what the Blood Brothers were trying to get through to him that night! If anyone made a mistake, it was the Highlanders"! Cole: "The only way to win this match is by escape, meaning that both members of a team must get out of the cage in order for there to be a winner"! Steel Cage/TWF Tag Team Title Match Challengers: The Highlanders vs. The Blood Brothers Taking full advantage of the no DQ atmosphere, the Blood Brothers brought their fighting staffs into the cage and cornered the McCallister's. Rory and Robbie tried to fight them anyway, but to no avail. Sean O'Haire hit Rory in the jaw with his staff and Dustin Kash wacked Robbie across the back. After beating both the challengers down, Kash took Robbie and threw him face first into the steel cage while O'Haire used the top rope to choke Rory. O'Haire and Kash talked about trying to leave the cage, but the Highlanders were up and ready for more. Kash threw a right hand but Robbie blocked it as Rory ducked a roundhouse kick from O'Haire and picked him up for an inverted atomic drop. The Highlanders got it going after drilling Kash with a double clothesline. They then picked O'Haire up for a double flapjack before looking at the cage and trying to leave together. They began to climb but O'Haire and Kash each came over, grabbing both men by their kilt and ripping them down. The war continued but for the next 7 minutes of the match, the champions showed the world what has made them so successful. Piece by piece, they began to take apart the Highlanders. After a kick to the gut on Rory, Kash whipped him right into a nasty spin kick from O'Haire. Kash then grabbed Robbie for a side russian legsweep just as O'Haire smashed him with a clothesline, a move known as the "Blood Bank". Kash then told O'Haire to go to the top rope and he did, coming off with the Seanton Bomb onto Rory. With the Highlanders seemingly out of the match, the Blood Brothers decided to take the gamble. Kash climbed up and over the cage wall, falling to the floor. But a cheer rose from the crowd as Robbie got up and charged at O'Haire, slamming into him from behind and pinning him against the cage in the process. Robbie then helped up his cousin as it seemed possible this is exactly what the Highlanders wanted all along. With the odds 2 on 1, they took it to O'Haire and after delivering a Bushwhacker-style Battering Ram, they each grabbed one of the martial arts staffs. The crowd loudly popped as Rory went low on O'Haire, smacking him in the shins while Robbie went high, pounding O'Haire across his chest. With the crowd on their feet, the Highlanders delivered the "Scot Drop" to O'Haire. Kash, helpless on the floor, was beside himself. The Highlanders pointed to the cage and began to climb it at the same time. They got to the top and Kash began to climb up to prevent them any way he could. But Rory met him and after a headbutt, he rammed Kash face first into the top of the cage. Robbie climbed over and hit the floor and seconds later, Rory followed as the bell sounded and the crowd went completely nuts. Match Time: 15:16 Cole: "The Highlanders are the new champions"! JBL: "I don't believe what we've just witnessed! This has got to be one of the biggest upsets of all time"! Cole: "You said in the weeks leading up to the match that the smarter team would win and it appeared to me that the Highlanders outsmarted the champions"! O'HAIRE GOT UP IN THE CAGE AS A FURIOUS KASH TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'D LOST THE MATCH. MEANWHILE, THE HIGHLANDERS LEFT WITH THEIR MUSIC PLAYING AND THE TITLES HELD HIGH. JBL: "Well no matter what, you have to give the Blood Brothers a round of applause. They had one of the better tag team title reigns of our generation and they will be back from this loss"! Cole: "I just can't help but think that somewhere, the Hot Rod's got a big smile on his face right now"! DRAWING ROOM....... EDGE HAS JUST PULLED HIS NUMBER OUT OF THE TUMBLER AND HE GETS A BIG GRIN ON HIS FACE. Edge: "Ha ha, doesn't get much better than that". JUST THEN, BATISTA WALKS INTO THE ROOM AND HE AND EDGE SHARE A TENSE STARE DOWN BEFORE EDGE WALKS OUT. BATISTA THEN REACHES INTO THE TUMBLER AND PULLS A NUMBER. AT THIS POINT, SHANE McMAHON HAS LEFT, AS HAS MACKENZIE ROSE AND PSYCHOSIS. WHEN THE SHOT GOES BACK TO THE RING, SEVERAL UNIFORMED SECURITY GUARDS ARMED WITH NIGHTSTICKS HAVE SURROUNDED THE RING. JUST THEN, "LYING FROM YOU" BY LINKIN PARK PLAYS AND JOE COREY STEPS OUT ALONG WITH PAUL HEYMAN TO THE LOUDEST BOOS OF THE NIGHT TO THIS POINT. J.R.: "What the hell is going on here?! Who are all these guys"?! Lawler: "I see what this is about, it looks like Corey has taken preventive measures against having what happened the last time he faced RVD happen again"! J.R.: "But there must be twenty of thirty of these guys"! A DEAFENING CHEER STARTS UP AS "ONE OF A KIND" BY BREAKING POINT HITS AND ROB VAN DAM COMES OUT AND HIS PYRO POUNDS OFF THE SET. THE ECW WORLD TITLE IS AROUND HIS WAIST. UPON SEEING THE SECURITY GUARDS, HE GOES INTO THE BACK BRIEFLY BEFORE RETURNING WITH A 2x4 WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE. Lawler: "Well it looks like Van Dam's got an equalizer of his own"! J.R.: "When I talked to RVD this morning, he told me that the only thing he didn't like about having that ECW title is the fact that some people say he needed help to win it so he made it clear to me that he would have no help tonight". Lawler: "Well it is extreme rules so anything goes, J.R. and as we saw at the King of the Ring, when the name ECW is involved, anything can happen"! ECW World Title Match Challenger: "The Show" Joe Corey w/ Paul Heyman vs. Rob Van Dam With the title on the line, these two wasted no time getting after it. Corey struck first, getting the best of a tradeoff of right hands before delivering a backdrop suplex. He then hit the ropes but RVD sprung up into a back heel kick before landing the Rolling Thunder. After going to the top rope, RVD caught Corey with a flying kick straight to the chest. A cover was made but Corey kicked out at 2. However, he was still in a world of trouble as RVD peppered him with kicks to his legs and body. After hitting the ropes, RVD ducked a clothesline but Corey bounced off the other side and smashed RVD with a flying knee to stop the proverbial bleeding. Corey wanted to slow things down and after whipping Van Dam to the ropes, he drilled him with a spinebuster. From there, he tossed RVD over the top rope to the security guards who, like a pack of wild dogs, attacked RVD with their nightsticks. After rolling RVD into the ring, the guards watched as Corey made the cover to get a long 2 count. Corey asked for a steel chair and Heyman grabbed one but RVD popped up and kicked the chair right in Heyman's face with a Vandaminator which drew arguably the biggest pop all night. But RVD's momentum was instantly killed when Corey kicked him from behind in the groin. Using the barbed wire 2x4 that RVD brought out, Corey grinded across the head and face of the champion, slicing him open. Corey then tossed Van Dam outside the ring again and for a second time, it looked like a lumberjack match. The guards rendered Van Dam nearly unconcious before rolling him into the ring but when Corey made the cover, he again could not keep RVD down for the 3 count. Corey pulled him to his feet and picked up the 2x4 again but RVD punched him in the gut and caught him with a jumping spin kick to the jaw. Blood was pouring freely from the forehead of RVD but he had no quit in him. Corey rolled to the floor, but RVD flew over the top rope, taking him out along with 3 of the guards. 2 more guards rushed over, their nightsticks drawn, but RVD took them both out. RVD then got back into the ring when he saw Paul Heyman getting back up on the apron. Meanwhile, Corey had gone over to the timekeeper and grabbed the ring bell, bringing it into the ring. RVD knocked his former boss down with another right hand that knocked him to the floor but when he turned around, Corey took the ring bell like a rock and thew it at the face of Van Dam, overhand style. RVD crashed to the mat and he was out as Corey covered him, hooking the leg for the 1..........2..........3! Match Time: 10:44 Lawler: "It's all over.... we have a new champ"! J.R.: "He just took that ring bell like a he was Kerry Wood and winged it at the head and face of RVD! My God.... RVD might be permanently disfigured"! "LYING FROM YOU" PLAYED AGAIN AND HEYMAN GRABBED THE ECW WORLD TITLE BELT BEFORE BRINGING IT INTO THE RING AND HANDING IT TO COREY. COREY RAISED IT UP WHILE STANDING ON THE MIDDLE TURNBUCKLE, LISTENING TO THE BOOS OF THE CROWD BEFORE LOOKING DOWN AT THE BLOODY, BEATEN RVD. Lawler: "That's the price you pay in these extreme rules matches, J.R."! J.R.: "Well we've heard for months about Corey's vision for ECW, what the hell is gonna happen now"?! Lawler: "Who knows, maybe he'll give me a reason not to call it extremely crappy wrestling anymore"! TRAINER's ROOM...... CAMERAS SHOW TRAVIS WAKEMAN SITTING ON A TABLE IN THE TRAINER's ROOM, HAVING HIS RIBS TAPED AS MELINA LOOKS ON. Trainer: "I really think you should stay out of that ring tonight..... Melina". Melina: "The decision's his doc, if he wants to go out there, he has my support". Travis Wakeman: "Just put some more tape on there". WAKEMAN IS IN OBVIOUS PAIN AS THE TRAINER WRAPS HIM UP WITH MORE TAPE. MICHAEL COLE AND JBL ARE BOTH SHOWN SITTING AT THEIR BROADCAST POSITION. Cole: "What a Royal Rumble we have had so far tonight and it is now time for the main event of PrimeTime"! JBL: "Three men battling for one title. It's a triple threat on a level I don't think we've ever witnessed, Michael"! GOLDEN PYRO SPITS OUT OF THE TOP OF THE SET AS "BURN IN MY LIGHT" BY MERCY DRIVE KICKS UP AND RANDY ORTON COMES OUT TO A TON OF BOOS. Cole: "And here comes the man who just one month ago wore the gold, only to lose it in the Elimination Chamber match at War in the Winter". JBL: "Randy Orton has had a legitimate gripe since that match. He was basically beaten by a man who had already been eliminated and tonight is his chance to right that wrong"! THE CROWD COMES OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND THE CHEERS ARE INCREDIBLY LOUD AS "BACK IN BLACK" BY AC/DC HITS AND JORDAN ROCKWELL COMES OUT. Cole: "Already a two time Universal champion, Jordan Rockwell would love to pull the hat trick here tonight"! JBL: "But he hasn't held that title for a year and a half, Michael and at twenty nine, he is the oldest guy in this match". "LIT UP" BY BUCKCHERRY HITS, BRINGING AXL IRVIN OUT WITH TRACI BROOKS AND HE HAS THE UNIVERSAL TITLE IN HIS RIGHT HAND. Cole: "Many say that Axl Irvin snuck in the back door to win the Universal title but he wants to prove tonight that he is the real deal and he'll have to do it against two of PrimeTime's biggest stars". JBL: "The lights are on bright, Michael! A spot in one of the main events at WrestleMania is on the line! Who has what it takes to rise above the rest"?! Cole: "Well if you remember, Randy Orton had the power to select a stipulation for this match but he has gone back on that, making this a regular match". JBL: "Well I guess Orton has the power to do that, but these fans were promised a ladder match and that's what they should get". Triple Threat/TWF Universal Title Match Randy Orton vs. Jordan Rockwell vs. (c) Axl Irvin w/ Traci Brooks The crowd was buzzing as the bell sounded to start the match and the 3 men got ready to get it on. But Axl and Orton seemed to have some kind of pre-arranged alliance and they went after Rockwell, together. Rockwell did his best to fight them off, but to no avail. After a stiff european uppercut from Orton, Axl rocked him with a right hand before Orton took him out with a standing dropkick. Orton then pulled him up and shot him to the corner before irish whipping Axl right into him. Axl exploded into Rockwell with a clothesline. As Rockwell fell to the mat, Axl made the cover but Orton pulled him off. Orton and Axl then stood face to face and that's when their short lived union came to an end. Orton nailed Axl with a right hand but Axl responded and the two began trading punches until Rockwell came fron behind with a double sledge to Axl. Orton threw a right hand at Rockwell but Rockwell ducked hit the ropes, hammering him with a clothesline. Rockwell then picked Axl up and delivered a big suplex before catching a charging Orton under the arm and shoulder. He was looking for the Rock Smasher but Orton elbowed his way out of it and then pushed Rockwell into the clutches of Axl who delivered a one armed spinebuster slam. Orton tried to capitalize by covering him but Axl broke the pin up. Again, Orton and Axl were going tooth and nail in the center of the ring, slugging it out. Axl knocked Orton into the corner before drilling him with a discus punch. Orton looked like he had a tooth knocked loose but Axl was surprised from behind, rolled up by Rockwell who nearly pinned him. Rockwell then caught Orton with a clothesline that knocked him over the top rope and to the floor. Rockwell then turned his focus to the reigning champion. Axl threw a right hand but it was blocked and Rockwell fired back with 2 of his own before shooting Axl to the ropes for a powerslam. Traci could see things slipping away as Rockwell positioned himself once again for the Rock Smasher. He grabbed Axl but from the floor, Orton grabbed his foot. Rockwell let go of the hold and Axl took a step back, kicking Rockwell right in the face and knocking him to the floor. Orton slid back into the ring and he and Axl went at it again. But before Rockwell could get back into the ring, Chaos Wolf and Vlad the Impaler appeared at ringside, taking it to the "franchise". But Rockwell was ready for them. After smashing Vlad with a clothesline, he rocked Wolf with 2 right hands before attempting to get back into the ring. But Axl, who had just caught Orton with a tilt-a-whirl slam, knocked Rockwell to the floor again with a running forearm. Axl then went to pick Orton up but out of nowhere, Orton pulled him to the mat with the "RKO". Traci yelled "No" loudly as Orton made the cover and referee Mike Enos' hand pounded the mat 3 times as a new champion was crowned. Match Time: 11:25 Cole: "That RKO came out of nowhere and Orton has taken the title back"! JBL: "He's regained possession of his property and now he heads to WrestleMania, Michael". "BURN IN MY LIGHT" PLAYED AGAIN AS ORTON CELEBRATED ON ONE OF THE TURNBUCKLES WHILE ROCKWELL STILL BATTLED WITH WOLF AND VLAD UNTIL OFFICIALS CAME OUT FROM THE BACK TO BREAK THEM UP. MEANWHILE, TRACI CONSOLED AXL, WHO WAS DEVASTATED BY THE LOSS. Cole: "The sad truth about a triple threat match is that the champion does not have to be pinned to lose the title but that's not the case tonight. Axl's plan of using Chaos Wolf and Vlad the Impaler to retain the title didn't quite work out". JBL: "No, but it prevented the so called franchise from winning the title and I have no complaints about that"! ONE LAST SHOT OF ORTON RAISING THE TITLE WAS SHOWN BEFORE THE SHOT WENT BACKSTAGE TO THE DRAWING ROOM. DRAWING ROOM IN THE DRAWING ROOM, TAZ HAS JUST SELECTED HIS NUMBER WHEN MONEY MIKE AND STEPHANIE WALK IN. Money Mike: "Well, what do we have here"? Taz: "Mike........ Money Mike: "That would be King Mike to you. So, what number did you draw, not that you have a chance to win with me in the Rumble". Taz: "Don't think for a second that I have forgotten about the past we have.... Mike. If I see you in that ring tonight, I won't hesistate for one second to toss your ass out"! TAZ LEAVES THE ROOM AS MIKE REACHES IN TO DRAW A NUMBER. Money Mike: "Hmmm, seems like the same old Taz to me. Whiny, loud and not able to follow through on what he claims". BOOS FILL THE ARENA AS "SOMEBODY's GONNA GET IT" BY THREE SIX MAFIA HIT AND THE GARGANTUAN MARK HENRY COMES OUT. J.R.: "Well we just saw a new TWF Universal champion crowned and we now take a look at a man who can do the same without even competing tonight". Lawler: "Well I don't think there's any doubt that Travis Wakeman is coming out here to compete, but against this man, it may be the last thing he ever does in the TWF". THE CAMERA GETS A GOOD SHOT OF THE SNARLING FACE OF A DETERMINED HENRY. J.R.: "He is the world's strongest man and there is no doubt he has the ability to permanently cripple the champion tonight". AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE, "MAKE WAY" BY METHOD MAN HITS AND TRAVIS WAKEMAN IS LED TO THE RING BY MELINA. HE HAS HIS RIBS HEAVILY TAPED AND IS CARRYING THE WORLD TITLE BELT IN HIS RIGHT HAND. THE CROWD RESPONDS WITH RESPECT AND ADORATION FOR THE CHAMPION. Lawler: "This will no doubt be Wakeman's toughest title defense of his career, J.R.". J.R.: "We've seen Wakeman in submission matches, we've seen him face Vader in a Last Man Standing match, we've seen him take on The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match and the list goes on and on, but I don't know if we've ever seen him in a situation like he's in tonight"! Lawler: "Well you heard the trainer's recommendation. His title reign is in serious jeopardy tonight". J.R.: "Jim Korderas has been given the duty of calling this thing as the nearly four hundred pound challenger from Silsby, Texas takes on the man known as the Technical Magician and one of the greatest superstars we've ever seen here in the TWF". TWF World Title Match Challenger: Mark Henry vs. Travis Wakeman w/ Melina The bell sounded and like a shark smelling blood, Henry came right at Wakeman. But Wakeman was ready, grabbing Henry and pushing his face into the mat before hooking his arms behind him and rolling him over into a clever pin that looked like it got a 3 count. Henry apparently kicked out by the narrowest of margins, avoiding defeat in about 15 seconds. Wakeman tried to follow up by hitting the ropes but Henry stood up and drilled him with a clothesline. As expected, Henry then went to the power game, attacking the cracked ribs of Wakeman. After several blows to the side, Henry drove his shoulders into his ribs, smiling as Wakeman yelled in pain. After an irish whip to the corner, Henry followed in with a big avalanche before lifting Wakeman up in the gorilla press and slamming him to the mat. Melina pulled out a white towel and had a discussion with Korderas. A camera at ringside picked up Korderas say "Yes, if you throw it in, the match is over". Melina stood helplessly watching as Henry continued the assault, standing on the prone body of Wakeman. Henry then pulled him up and whipped him to the ropes but he missed with a clothesline and Wakeman scored with a nice back footsweep. Henry got up quickly, but Wakeman zeroed in on Henry's known weak spot- his legs. After several kicks to the legs, Wakeman used a double leg to take Henry down in incredible fashion. After several strikes with his forearms and elbows from the mount position, Korderas asked Wakeman for a break. Wakeman grabbed Henry's legs, looking for the Sharpshooter, but there was no way. Henry used his foot to kick Wakeman away before getting up and running him over with a clothesline. After an irish whip, Henry caught Wakeman and turned him over with a ring shaking powerslam. He made the cover, hooking the leg but at 2 and 7/8, Wakeman got his right shoulder off the mat. Henry went into a bear hug on the mat, squeezing the ribs and Wakeman was in some obvious, intense pain. Henry was able to roll Wakeman onto his shoulders and Korderas made the count, but again he could only get a 2 count. Wakeman was on the verge of passing out as Henry's massive arms were wrapped around his body. But Wakeman caught Henry with a big elbow to the head that shook him up. Wakeman then got to his feet, hitting the ropes but Henry caught him and delivered a nasty belly to belly suplex. Henry could feel the title in his hands as Melina looked very close to throwing in the towel. But fans urged her not to as Henry went to the outside, smiling at her. He then began to climb the turnbuckle, looking down at a helpless Wakeman. It looked like he was thinking of coming off with a big splash, but Melina took the towel and threw it in Henry's face. He pulled it off and threw it behind him before pie facing Melina to the floor! But Wakeman was up and after running up the turnbuckle, he caught Henry with a knee right to the jaw. Henry was definitely seeing stars and from there, Wakeman was able to position him and get him onto his shoulder. It took everything Wakeman had but he was able to hold Henry up long enough to drive him into the mat with the "Royal Flush" and cover him for the 1...........2..........3. Match Time: 10:14 A LOUD "HOLY SHIT" CHANT WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE UNITED CENTER AS "MAKE WAY" HIT AND MELINA CAME INTO THE RING WITH THE BELT, HANDING IT TO WAKEMAN. J.R.: "My God what a move! That may be the damndest thing I've ever seen, King! He Royal Flushed the world's strongest man"! Lawler: "I don't know if I've ever seen the winner of a match take more a beating than Wakeman just did"! WAKEMAN HOBBLED UP THE RAMP, HOLDING HIS RIBS IN PAIN AS A CONCERNED MELINA TRIED TO HELP HIM. IN THE RING, HENRY WAS STILL DOWN. J.R.: "It may've taken every ounce he had in him, but what a performance! That right there is what the TWF is all about"! Lawler: "It was a great performance, but look at Wakeman, was it worth it"? DRAWING ROOM....... CAMERAS IN THE DRAWING ROOM SHOW MUHAMMAD HASSAN, WHO IS IRATE WITH WAKEMAN's VICTORY. SHANE McMAHON's VOICE CAN BE HEARD NOT TOO FAR AWAY. Shane McMahon: "Dawn, Trinity, have all the numbers been........ SHANE ENTERS THE ROOM TO FIND HASSAN. Muhammad Hassan: "All the numbers have been picked, I handled the last of them and I have a good feeling that someone from the reformed Rampage will be winning this year's Royal Rumble". Shane: "Listen, if you did anything to rig this drawing, then....... Hassan: "You'll what"? Shane: "I haven't forgotten what you had your guy do to me at King of the Ring and if my father ever gets some sense in him about you, you'll be off Rampage and out of the TWF for good"! SHANE LEAVES THE ROOM AS THE SHOT IS SENT BACK TO THE BROADCAST POSITION WHERE JIM ROSS IS SITTING WITH JBL. J.R.: "A huge night here at the Royal Rumble and as I sit here with JBL himself, we get ready to call the eighth Royal Rumble match". JBL: "It is the most exciting match in the TWF, J.R., with the most riding on it. The winner here joins the likes of Travis Wakeman and The Undertaker to win this match and punch their ticket to the main event of WrestleMania"! Howard Finkel: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the Royal Rumble match! A LOUD POP IS HEARD FROM THE CROWD Participants have drawn numbers at random and will enter the ring every ninety seconds. In order to be eliminated, a superstar must be thrown over the top rope and have both feet touch the floor. So, without any further adieu, let's find out the man who drew number one"! JBL: "Who's it gonna be"?! THE CROWD CHEERS LOUDLY AS "THE NEXT EPISODE" BY DR. DRE HITS AND MATT CRUZ COMES OUT, HEADING TO THE RING. J.R.: "Well you talk about the luck, number one for Matt Cruz, the former NCAA wrestling champion from Texas and he's got his work cut out for him". JBL: "He has no chance to win this, J.R., no chance". THE CROWD POPS AGAIN, PERHAPS AS LOUD AS THEY HAD ALL NIGHT WHEN "THIS FIRE BURNS" BY KILLSWITCH ENGAGE HITS AND CM PUNK COMES OUT. JBL: "And look who's got number two, it's CM Punk". J.R.: "The man who calls himself straight edge is on his way to the ring to make it one guy from Rampage and one guy from PrimeTime". 2007 Royal Rumble Match The fans were on their feet as Cruz and Punk faced off. They locked up and immediately both men tried to get leverage for a quick elimination. Cruz actually got him to the apron, but Punk caught him with a forearm before hitting a springboard clothesline to bring himself back into the ring. Punk then tried to slap on the "Anaconda Vice", but Cruz avoided it. Both men got back to their feet and Punk threw a few kicks to the body when the buzzer sounded to bring out #3, it was Money Mike. Mike came in and went at both men, knocking Punk into the corner with a right hand before grabbing Cruz in a standing side headlock. He worked Cruz over to the ropes and tried to lift him over but he couldn't. Punk flew in with a forearm on Mike to split it up. #4 came out and it was the Intercontinental champion Bobby Lashley. Lashley hit everything that moved, smashing Mike and Cruz with clotheslines before tossing Punk over him with a belly to belly throw. Lashley then hit another clothesline on Cruz, knocking him over the top rope but Cruz landed on the apron and rolled back in. Punk was trying to get Mike over the top rope, but Mike used a rake of the eyes as Johnny Nitro ran out as the 5th entrant. Nitro hit the ring and went straight for CM Punk. Nitro pounded Punk in the corner with right hands before charging at him but Punk moved out of the way and then drilled him with a running knee to the face. Punk took in some of the crowd's cheers but Cruz came from behind and tossed him out of the ring. Just after this, Lashley went for a clothesline on Money Mike but Mike ducked and was able to backdrop the Intercontinental champ out of the ring. Nitro and Mike then seemed to make some kind of pact, shaking hands before Nitro went right at Cruz. But Cruz was waiting with a kick to the gut and he ran him to the ropes before Mike ran over and helped him get rid of him. Mike and Cruz stood in the ring, trading shots as the only 2 men in the match officially. That's when #6 came out and the crowd went wild as it was Max Ogden. He went straight for Money Mike, stomping and kicking him all over the ring. Ogden was like a madman as he went after the reigning king of the TWF. Cruz wisely stood back and took in the brawl before Snitsky came in next. Snitsky and Cruz tangled while Ogden had Money Mike on the brink of elimination. Johnny Hazard came in at #8 and he and Cruz tried to chop down the big redwood Snitsky. Meanwhile, Money Mike caught Ogden with a lowblow and had him halfway over the top rope when Cruz came from behind and dumped the king to the floor! The crowd was stunned as one of the perennial favorites was eliminated. Paul Birchill joined the fray as Ogden thanked Cruz for the save. But Cruz paid him back by catching him off guard with a clothesline that took him out! Just as Ogden was walking to the back, Umaga came out at #10 and the former bitter rivals got into it in the aisle. Referees were able to pull the two apart and Umaga got into the ring and went after Birchill while Cruz and Hazard again doubled Snitsky. Umaga was just all over Birchill as Carlito came out next, being booed all the way to the ring. He came in and targeted Cruz but Cruz fought him off and then clotheslined Johnny Hazard out of the ring. Sylvester Terkay came in at #12 and almost immediately eliminated Snitsky after a crushing kick to the head. Terkay and Umaga had a war of their own which the crowd enjoyed and after catching his leg, Umaga dropped Terkay with a headbutt. Kevin Thorn joined the match and the ring was starting to fill. Cruz and Carlito continued to battle as Thorn came in and used his right hand to choke Cruz. Umaga dropped a headbutt on Birchill before tossing him to Terkay who threw him out. The Native American Tatanka came out next and he too went after Cruz, smashing him with a tomahawk chop to the head. But Thorn struck Tatanka with a big kick to the face. Carlito felt he had Cruz eliminated, but after setting him up and running at him, Cruz backdropped him over the top rope and to the floor, his sixth elimination of the match. Mr. Kennedy came out next and just as he did, Tatanka's short lived stay in the Rumble was ended by Terkay. Cruz and Kennedy began trading right hands right by the ropes and that allowed Kevin Thorn to come over and toss both men out. Thorn then went over and helped Terkay dump the Samoan Bulldozer Umaga out of the ring. Taz came out next and just like he did when he came in, Umaga got into a fight in the aisle, this time whipping Taz into the steel ring steps. Taz was slow to get into the ring, and did so just as Thorn was able to eliminate Terkay. Finlay came out next, followed by Lenny Armstead. Taz battled Finlay while Armstead faced off with Thorn. These four men faced off almost like two tag teams but the next two spots in the Rumble belonged to an actual tag team. Bahamut had #19 and Strife came in at 20. Together, they wreaked havoc on the 4 men in the ring. But amazingly, as they tried to eliminate Finlay, Finlay latched onto the bottom rope and had enough leverage to pull the top rope down and eliminate the former multiple time tag team champions by himself! Taz then caught a dropkick from Armstead that knocked him out of the ring. Armstead tried to pull Finlay up but he forgot about Thorn who kicked him right in the face. The 21 year old millionaire PJ Cash came out next followed by Rex Redford and Carney. Cash reached into his tights and pulled out some cash, offering it to Finlay. Finlay took it but when Cash turned his back on him, Finlay reached for his shillelagh and cracked Cash in the back of the head, making him an easy elimination. Redford, Carney and Armstead decided to team up against Thorn and Finlay, trying to get at least one of them out. Armstead and Finlay went at it in one corner while Redford and Carney tried to get Thorn out in the other. Redford got down on his hands and knees, acting as a springboard for Carney who ran and jumped off Redford but missed Thorn in the corner. A right hand by Thorn then knocked Redford over the top rope. Carney went over to help Armstead with Finlay, but the Irishman was able to dump him over the top rope before J.J. Ramplin came out as #24. Ramplin helped Finlay beat up on Armstead while Thorn recovered in the corner. Finlay and Ramplin knocked Armstead into a precarious position on the ropes but when Thorn tried to come and eliminate him, Finlay caught an unsuspecting Thorn with a clothesline to the back of the head that knocked him over the top rope! Taylor Made was out next but he had one of the shorter stays in the ring all night, lasting only 32 seconds before The Ram threw him over the top. Finlay and Ramplin went back to beating up on Armstead, who had saved himself from 4 near eliminations. Aldo Corleone came out next, followed by Eddie Saint James. The Saint went after Finlay while Aldo went to helping Ramplin try and eliminate Armstead. But after fighting Aldo off, Armstead caught Ramplin with a jumping enziguri before throwing him over the top rope! Aldo then charged The Saint with a clothesline but telegraphed it from a mile away and The Saint pulled the top rope down to get rid of him. Finlay punched The Saint in the gut as the #28 entrant came out and it was heavy favorite Batista. Seconds after Batista got in, Armstead caught Finlay with a dropkick that took the Irishman out after almost 20 minutes in the ring. Eddie Saint James threw a clothesline but Armstead ducked that and used another nice kick, this time a wheel kick, to eliminate him. Armstead and Batista were the only 2 guys in the ring as Edge came out with the second to last number. Edge went straight at Batista, looking for the big elimination. After a minute and a half, John Cena came out with #30 and the best chance to win. Armstead jumped on Cena as he got into the ring while Edge set Batista up for the spear. But he missed with it and Batista lifted him up, trying to drop him out of the ring but Edge grabbed the ropes and fell over them backwards, eliminating Batista and latching on to save himself. But he didn't last long as he was on the apron talking trash to Batista and Cena ran over, drilling him with a forearm to knock him out of the match. It was John Cena and it was Lenny Armstead, the final 2 men in the match. One had drawn number 30, the other had been in the ring for 20+ minutes. For the next 4 minutes, the two would go at it in a fierce battle the Royal Rumble had never witnessed. Armstead was able to survive the "F-U" and the STFU to catch Cena with a superkick that knocked him to the apron. Armstead hit another dropkick but with everything he had, Cena held onto the top rope. Armstead hit the ropes on the other side looking for the momentum to knock him off but Cena blocked his right hand and grabbed Armstead, ramming him face first into the top turnbuckle. Cena then got back into the ring and got Armstead up on his shoulders, using the F-U to eliminate Armstead and win the Rumble. J.R.: "John Cena has done it! John Cena has won the golden ticket and just like last year, we have a repeat winner in the Royal Rumble"! JBL: "This shows how important that draw is, J.R.. The man who came in last has won it and as much as I hate to see that it's John Cena, at least it's a PrimeTime guy"! "THE TIME IS NOW" PLAYED AND THE MAJORITY OF THE CROWD CHEERED AS CENA CELEBRATED THE WIN. J.R.: "In 2005, as a member of Rampage, John Cena used a victory in the Royal Rumble to win the World title at WrestleMania and now, he'll have a chance to make lightning strike twice"! "THE TIME IS NOW" CONTINUED TO PLAY AS CENA EXCITEDLY CELEBRATED THE WIN.
Notes
Most Eliminations: Matt Cruz- 6, Finlay- 5, Terkay/Thorn/Armstead- 4 each Most Time in the ring: Armstead- 24 min. 38 seconds, Cruz- 18 min. 2 seconds
