Eyes On Royal Rumble: 2018 Royal Rumble Preview

By @Phranchize19

With the Royal Rumble kicking off the Road to Wrestlemania, its only right the fine people at Eyes On The Ring give you predictions for the beginning of the year big event in WWE. Who will be victorious at the Rumble? Let's take a look.

Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik vs TJP, Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
Kickoff Show

-The Cruiserweight division was thrown for a loop upon the firing of its most charismatic star Enzo Amore. With the brand in even more of a struggle finding its footing than it already was, this match isn’t exactly a step in the right direction. No Cedric Alexander, no Hideo Itami or anything. This spot should’ve been used to either start a tournament or a match with Cedric (the rightful number 1 contender) and someone else (could’ve been a fatal four way to decide this) to decide who will be the champion. The point is, expect the heels to go over here especially with Gulak being the most popular guy in this match.

*The Revival vs Balor Club
Kickoff Show 

-This one is a bit sketchy seeing as Gallows and Anderson have revived Bullet Club lite with Finn Balor and The Revival are desperately needing signature wins after what happened on Raw. I expect Revival to pick up the win here but this will not be the last time they fight. This could go either way though.

*US Title Open Challenge
Kickoff Show

-Bobby Roode being US Champ is the right choice. However with Rusev as over as he is, he would be a great option here to answer the challenge. I expect Tye Dillinger or Aiden English to answer the call however and Roode retains the title. Perhaps we see Ziggler appear with the belt and they start a feud once again.

*The Usos vs Gable and Benjamin
2 Out Of 3 Falls
Smackdown Live Tag Team Championship 

-This rivalry should come to a head after this and even with the recent arrest of an USO, I expect them to retain here. They’re one of the best if not the best team in wrestling and it potentially sets up the red hot Rusev Day to get a title shot, but I do expect this to possibly steal the show and be a match of the night candidate.

*Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins vs The Bar
-RAW Tag Team Championship

Part of me wants to pick The Bar, but I don’t think WWE is ready to pull the trigger on the Jordan heel turn. I believe The Revival will take the belts from these two so I expect Jordan and Rollins to retain here in a great match. Honestly, it's time to move on from a Seth Rollins led tag team against The Bar. They've faced each other consistently since July. It's almost February of a new year. Put that feud to rest.

*AJ Styles vs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Handicap Match
WWE Championship

-There’s no way WWE is pulling the trigger on a Co-WWE Champion especially considering how poorly the Co-Intercontinental Championship reign went. I do not see Zayn or Owens winning here since AJ hasn’t stood tall against these two as of yet. AJ retains the title and starts his Road to Wrestlemania.

*Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman vs Kane
WWE Universal Championship Match

-Some people think Brock is the biggest draw and that he will headline Wrestlemania. In reality, Braun is the most over and deserves to win this match so we can avoid the inevitable Brock vs Roman at Mania. However, WWE won't do that, so Brock retains by pinning Kane, who is only in the match to take the fall. Nothing to see here.

*Women’s Royal Rumble Match

-History will be made as the first ever Women’s Rumble match will take place. I honestly feel it would be a shame to waste this on a Ronda Rousey victory, as it would be an insult to all the other women who worked hard to have a Women's Revolution in the first place. If Rousey is to face Charlotte at Mania, that bout doesn’t need a Rumble victory to get to it, especially since Rousey isn’t experienced as of yet. I’m going with Asuka here.

*Men’s Royal Rumble Match

-I see this playing out only two ways. Roman Reigns or Shinsuke Nakamura. One would hope that since Reigns has already won in Philly and it backfired, that they would try and avoid that here. So, let's hope Nakamura wins this. 

-Phranchize

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Eyes on the Ring 12:04 PM  No comment

Eyes On Royal Rumble: 5 Best Surprise Entrants

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Royal Rumble is coming up and this year, there are no rumored surprise entrants on tap for the company. However, in the past, there have been plenty of surprise entrants and huge returns at the Royal Rumble that catches everyone's attention and today, I wanted to take a look at the 5 best surprise entrants in over the long history of the Rumble.

5. Rob Van Dam
(2009 Royal Rumble)

-With the Rumble set in Michigan,  the home state of Van Dam, this was a surprise that some expected, but for the most part, it was a true surprise. RVD came out to a nice ovation and would last around 15 minutes in the match. No one expected him to win of course, but it was really fun to see RVD back in a WWE ring. I would have liked to see that surprise return lead to a long term return and a big feud, but it wasn't to be at the time. Still, this was a great return for the Rumble and a nice moment for all the fans of RVD.

4. Mick Foley
(2004 Royal Rumble)

-Foley was flirting with getting back into the ring and after being embarrassed by Randy Orton, it would lead him to getting back to where he was most comfortable: the squared circle. After taking out an entrant in the Rumble, Foley walks out to the surprise of the crowd, and the ovation is thunderous. Orton looked completely shocked at the return of Foley, and when Foley got into the ring, he had no motivation besides eliminating Orton and stopping him from reaching the Mania main event. Foley would end up eliminating himself while taking Orton out, but his mission was complete.

3. Booker T
(2011 Royal Rumble)

-Diesel was a big entrant, but for me, Booker T was a bigger entrant. Diesel was expected by many, but Booker T didn't seem possible at the time. He was a part of TNA for years prior and seemingly left the WWE on less than great terms, but when his music hit, the crowd went absolutely nuts and Booker returned triumphantly. He didn't last very long in the Rumble, but his impact was felt and we got to see everything from Booker that we loved in his prime.

2. Edge
(2010 Royal Rumble)

-We saw this coming a mile away. Edge had been injured for months and he would be ready to make his return as the Rumble got closer and many people saw this one before it happened. Still, it was a great moment to see Edge get this type of push fresh off a serious injury, and he had his sights set on one man: Chris Jericho. Edge would manage to do that and then some, as he would walk away with Chris Jericho not winning the Rumble.... but as the winner himself. Edge would make the most triumphant return at the Rumble and cash a ticket on the Road To Wrestlemania to become the no. 1 contender.

1. John Cena
(2008 Royal Rumble)

-The biggest surprise entrant ever. Cena was injured. He was gone. No one saw this coming. Most thought he would end up missing Wrestlemania or was in danger of missing it at least, however, that wasn't the case at all. As the clock hits 0, the crowd is silent waiting with hushed excitement to see how is the last entrant. As Cena's music hits, the crowd goes wild for a moment, before realizing who the final entrant actually is (they would boo Cena some more after it settled), but the truth is, the shock of seeing Cena months before he was due back set a huge ripple through the wrestling world. To make it even more special, Cena wins the Rumble, giving him the most shocking win in the Rumble and making him the best surprise entrant in the history of the event.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:42 AM  No comment

Eyes On Royal Rumble: The 5 Worst Rumble Wins

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Royal Rumble is creeping up on us. It's just about two weeks away and of course, it would be Royal Rumble month without having a look at some of the horrible moments in the history of the show. Today, we take a look at the 5 worst Royal Rumble wins and why. You may not agree with some of these choices, but each pick is valid. Let's take a look at the 5 worst Rumble wins.

5. Alberto Del Rio 
Royal Rumble 2011

-This could have been ranked higher. It really could have. However, the fact that this is one of the final times that the WWE attempted to actually go out and put over an upcoming guy with a Rumble win has it right at the end of the list. The truth is, Del Rio wasn't that good at the time, but he had the momentum slowly starting to build. Despite this, Del Rio walked into the first ever 40 man Rumble match and won it. While I have some thoughts on that idea as a whole, Del Rio winning wasn't the right call. I would have preferred to see CM Punk win and move on to face John Cena or at least become a part of the WWE Title match after all of the attention he would receive due to the New Nexus. Still, whoever you would give the Rumble to, Del Rio had a very anti climatic win.

4. Roman Reigns
Royal Rumble 2015

-This would be at the very top if it wasn't for the fact that the top 3 are actually just a little worse. Reigns was not the guy. Shit, he still isn't. However, in the beginning, I don't think it was set to be that bad. I think many of us expected Reigns to get the win and while we weren't excited about that, the biggest thing that sticks out to me in this situation is the fact that the WWE attempted to pull out all of the stops for Reigns..... AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. That is probably the most surprising part of this. First, Daniel Bryan was coming back and essentially, he was seen as the biggest threat to Reigns winning and being the GUY that they were trying to force. So, with that, they would end up eliminating Bryan early while forcing Reigns over Kane and The Big Show to the boos of the crowd. Not even an appearance by The Rock to get him cheers worked and essentially backfired, as it should have. In reality, this was one of the most ridiculous scenes to watch in WWE history, as Reigns definitely didn't deserve the win or the amount of effort they put in to force it. This Rumble win has haunted Reigns ever since.

3.  John Cena
Royal Rumble 2013

-The truth is, Cena won in 2008 and I still don't know if that was the right idea. However, I can for sure say the idea to make him win in 2013 was the worst call possible. Honestly, I have no idea what the hell WWE was thinking in 2013.... or now for that matter, but the point still stands. Regardless, Cena winning the Rumble at a time when you could have given it to anyone else is criminal. The WWE roster wasn't stacked like you'd expect, and the worst part about that is the fact that they really had no one ready to take the next step due to investing way too much into Cena. No one wanted Cena vs Rock 2 and no one wanted to see Cena win the Rumble AGAIN, thus.... It shouldn't have happened. But, good old WWE booking.

2. Batista
Royal Rumble 2014

-Another example of Vince McMahon ruining what should have been and could have been. The story was perfectly set up. Bryan enters the Rumble, wins it, and the Corporation go out of their way to deprive him of the title shot. They could have went with Daniel Bryan to win like everyone wanted... yet for some reason, they decided to go an entirely different route. Vince wanted Batista vs Randy Orton which... I'm not quite sure why. Regardless, there was no Daniel Bryan, there was no one left in the final 4 that even made sense to utilize in this instance as a replacement for Batista. All in all, this is one of the most confusing decisions ever.

1. Vince McMahon
Royal Rumble 1999

-Do I even need to explain this one? I mean let's be serious here. Let's be serious. Vince didn't deserve to win anything, let alone the fucking Rumble. Why? What was the point? To stop Austin from winning the Rumble a third straight time even though he probably should have. I don't even need to go into detail about this. It was ill advised and one of the worst decisions I've ever witnessed in WWE history. I have nothing left to say here. It was essentially one of the worst moments in WWE PPV history and quite possibly the worst Rumble moment ever. It did make for some good comedy however, and there's the silver lining.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:54 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Tag Team Matches At The Royal Rumble

By @TrueGodImmortal

With the Royal Rumble a few weeks away, and it being Tuesday again, I wanted to take a brief look at some of the better tag team matches that took place at the beginning of the year event. There hasn't been a classic tag team match in years so most of these will be at least 10 years old. Let's take a look.

*1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka
Royal Rumble 1995

-This match was for the vacant WWF Tag Team Titles and it was much better than it had any business being. Both Bam Bam and Tatanka were a part of the Dibiase Million Dollar Corporation, and this would be the final round of a vacant tag team title tournament. This match was fast paced surprisingly, and at the end, the unthinkable happened: Bob Holly and 1-2-3 Kid were the new WWF Tag Team Champions in a hot match that helped open up the Rumble PPV.

*The Smoking Gunns vs The Bodydonnas
Royal Rumble 1996 

-Another tag team title match that didn't seem promising, this would end up being a solid match on a weaker PPV. Both teams were solid in the ring and as a result, this would be a short but enjoyable contest that would end with the Smoking Gunns retaining the titles. There was a tease coming in this contest of perhaps Sunny leaving the corner of the Bodydonnas and eventually she would manage The Smoking Gunns, and the seeds were planted with this match.

*The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz
Tables Match
Royal Rumble 2000

-There were three teams that were viable during this Attitude Era run and two of them were in this match. This was a match that I think deserves more credit for being a beginning point for the three way rivalry that changed tag team wrestling forever. With these two teams going at each other and trying to put the other through tables, this would showcase the brutality that made the Attitude Era so much fun. This was the first ever tag team tables match and it didn't disappoint at all. The Hardy Boyz would walk away with the victory and set another piece of the rivalry between the two teams into action and for the future.

*The Dudley Boyz vs Edge And Christian
Royal Rumble 2001

-The crowd was hot for this match, another tag team match that would open the show. With the tag titles on the line, The Dudleys would try to right their wrongs from last year and walk out victors. Though this match was a bit shorter, it had enough action to entice the live crowd who were firmly behind Bubba Ray and D-Von. At the 10 minute mark, after a huge 3D, the Dudleys got the three count and would be walking out of the area victorious and as the new tag team champions. Of all the matches on this list, this might very well be my personal favorite of them all. It has a fast pace, a great crowd, and the right winner. Dope match.

*The Hardy Boyz vs MNM
Royal Rumble 2007

-My last choice is a match between a team that was beyond their prime and a team that never really hit their prime. While MNM had a lot to offer in terms of ability and athleticism, they never quite got it right as a team IMO. They were tag team champions and had a decent gimmick, but they aren't as memorable as they should be considering, but this match was actually a highlight of their run. Kicking off the show with a mostly hot crowd, these two teams put on a high flying athletic show that would end with the Hardy Boyz having their hands raised in victory, but MNM put up a great fight. While the Rumble hasn't had a ton of classic or great tag team matches, you should take a look at all 5 of these battles before the big event.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:26 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: 5 Great AJ Styles Matches In 2017

By @TrueGodImmortal

Simply put, I think AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the game today. I could put Okada, Omega, and some other names at the top of the list, but if I had to make one choice, it would be AJ. So far this year, he's definitely been the best wrestler in the WWE and today we wanted to take a look at 5 of his best matches this year. Let's get into it.

*John Cena vs AJ Styles
Royal Rumble 2017

-When we look back at the shows this year, one show that is still confusing to me is the Royal Rumble. I would say this match is a true match of the year candidate, as it was just as good as the Summerslam 2016 classic between these two, but honestly, my only knock against this match is the fact that we see far too many finishers here, but honestly, outside of that, it's a great match. I've said time and time again that the best wrestlers bring out the best in John Cena and this was no different. I hated seeing Cena win unnecessarily just to get his 16th title run, but all in all, this match was great to watch and a great culmination to what I feel is one of the best rivalries of the last year or so in AJ vs Cena.

*AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon
Wrestlemania 33

-I was pleasantly surprised by this match, I'll be honest. I didn't expect this match to end up being as good as it turned out and I'm glad that it exceeded my expectations. The action in this one is truly amazing, as AJ literally carried Shane to what might be his best overall match in his career from a wrestling standpoint. AJ ends up winning as he should, but Shane actually  was up to the challenge and gave AJ all he could handle. AJ and Shame went about 20 minutes and stole the show and had what I consider to be the best match at Wrestlemania 33.

*AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho
Smackdown 

-This match was the best match of the feud between Owens and AJ, and funny enough, it featured a third element in Jericho. Jericho showed up as a surprise, and was instantly placed into the match. This was to make it so Owens didn't take the pin in the match so the feud can continue and also add a much needed extra element for a match. Jericho was an excellent addition, as these three men let their chemistry shine, and AJ walks away with the big victory and retains his US Title.

*Finn Balor vs AJ Styles
TLC 2017

-When we look back at this match, I think we'll remember that the WWE had an opportunity to make this even more special and give it at least 22 minutes, but they only gave them 17-18 minutes and AJ and Balor delivered a near classic match. This dream match finally came to life randomly and due to a big health issue to Bray Wyatt, we got a match that will be discussed in many WWE match of the year conversations I'm sure. Balor and AJ took each other to the limit and with little prep time for the match and not much of a build to it, they stole the show and had match of the night with relative ease. Balor won the match, but AJ put on an amazing performance as well, making this a win for the fans more than anyone else.

*Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles
Survivor Series 2017

-His most recent big time match and yet another dream match for many. Let's think about it. Brock hasn't faced many people we wanted to see him face over his 5 years back in the WWE, as only CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and now AJ Styles stick out as names that really intrigued us for matches at times. AJ vs Brock could have went one of two ways, and I'm glad it went the way I wanted it to. I personally would have preferred to see AJ win this match, but of course, WWE wasn't going to let that happen. Still, what we get is something special, as we see Brock taken to the limit by AJ in a very competitive match that exceeds the usual time limit for a Brock match (a one on one match at least).  There was a lot of offense by AJ throughout and Brock barely won this match which made it even better. Brock and AJ didn't have a classic, but they did have Brock's best one on one match since Summerslam 2013 against Punk, which says a lot about the level of work that AJ put in.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:12 AM  No comment