Despite the aggression and looming threats, according to Joe Tess in regards of Kevin Owens, after last week, he decided to allow Owens to have his say in the matter at hand. “What’s being misunderstood between Rhodes and Owens?” Tess asked. Kevin mentioned that everyone glossed over him, especially those involved in the Royal Rumble like CM Punk and Seth Rollins. They forget that he can possibly win the title after their meeting tomorrow.
KO didn’t accept Joe’s apology over the unfair interviewing opportunities not coming his way lately because of Rhodes. The only reason he’s here is to retrieve the Winged Eagle Championship and remind everyone that he’ll take the Undisputed title the following evening. And speaking of CM Punk, he’s here ahead of the Rumble. I’m sure it’s due to the name drop earlier…
He came to apologize for looking passed Owens and interrupting him knowing that when people do that, it’s very irritating. Owens cuts back by informing Punk that the thought of the controversial Superstar never main eventing WrestleMania brings a warm, fuzzy feeling to his heart like some kind of self-righteous goat. He even went further to say that he imagined Punk as an elder man, still obsessing over Mania, with the inevitability that he’ll go to his grave a “miserable failure,” Oof…
If things weren’t already strained, Punk jabs back with comments such as: he’s never lost five title matches at the Royal Rumble, he’s never lost to Logan Paul, but that’s also because he’s never wrestled him… When Punk said that he doesn’t take shortcuts like Owens does, I found myself baffled. Really? He never took shortcuts. What about that suspicion favor he has tucked in his pocket for use later? Is someone going to convince me that isn’t a shortcut??
Michin vs. Chelsea Green (c) – Women’s US Championship match
The nonsensical foolishness done by Green to avoid actually wrestling an opponent without interferences begins to show as Michin has most of the upper hand with that suicide dive on the Champion, but also wearing green-coloured ring gear in order to get inside Chelsea’s head. Green seeing green. B-Fab was also there to ensure fairness wasn’t thrown out the window.
Chelsea has been feeling the force of Michin’s kicks to the midsection numerous time during this match that she was unable to fight back. Michin may have succeeded with that cannonball, but I do wish she’d stop wasting time by twerking. Anyway, a back and forth between the women proved to make matters difficult to get a win from. Michin nailed Chelsea with Eat the Feet, but Piper pulled her out of the ring. B-Fab came to the rescue with a pump kick to the chest of Niven.
That may have happened, but Green still scurried away once shoved back into the ring by B-Fab, Michin kept following after her. Since she wouldn’t relent, Chelsea went to the timekeeper’s area to retrieve her hidden kendo stick, which obviously resulted in a disqualification, and she got to keep her title. That pissed off Michin as she grabbed hold of the kendo stick and unloaded on Green.
Winner: Chelsea Green by Disqualification
Jimmy Uso vs. Carmelo Hayes
A little bit of a tussle in the pinning combination by both men, fortunately, Jimmy got the best of it with an uppercut out of nowhere as Hayes came rushing towards him. Just as he was about to leap into the air, Carmelo surprised him with a clothesline. Later on, Uso caught Melo with a step-up enzuguri, he missed with the hip attack, but succeeded with the Samoan Drop.
Good on you, Jimmy Jim with that superplex from the second rope. It didn’t end the match, but he did amazingly all the same. Carmelo found a way to shock Jimmy with the First 48 just as he was bouncing off the rope for what I believe was a spear. He managed to knock Hayes out with a devastating Super Kick, yet it wasn’t enough. Melo remained in the game.
Jimmy’s resilience to kick out of a teeth-shattering knee to the face plus a frog splash was commendable, much to Melo’s dismay. And even more to his detriment, Hayes was overzealous and cocky in his pin when he used the middle rope for more leverage, fortunately, the referee saw. Jimmy quickly turned it around with a sudden roll up of his own for a victory.
Winner: Jimmy Uso
I’m shocked that Damian Priest would even level with Jacob Fatu despite their shared history of both being from the streets, that Fatu should have known better. After kicking Tama Tonga, Priest and Fatu engage in a brawl. The numbers game finally came into play once Tama and Jacob had an overwhelming assault plan. What was even more surprising was LA Knight’s arrival into the fold. Fatu punched a steel chair, let’s not forget that piece of information. Ha!
Los Garza & Motor City Machine Guns vs. DIY & Pretty Deadly – Tag Team match
Quite frankly, Los Garza and MCMG’s constant need to outdo each other during this match was absolutely egotistic for no reason. For some parts, they made good work out of their opponents regardless of the prideful nonsense. Los Garza flew in, knocking Pretty Deadly off their feet. A triple suicide dive stumped DIY and Pretty Deadly.
Due to that abrupt tag made by Chris Sabin to Humberto, things get out of control. Berto shoved Sabin, which led into a verbal altercation between the so-called teammates. Commentary was wondering when this was going to implode. The answer is now, ladies and gentlemen. Disturbingly so, Los Garza literally walked out, leaving MCMG to fend for themselves against both DIY and Pretty Deadly. Ciampa was seen mangling Sabin.
Back inside the ring, Sabin avoids Pretty Deadly with a Baseball slide kick, then kicked Johnny Gargano to perform a beautiful tornado DDT on Ciampa. Just as Sabin was looking to make a tag to Alex Shelley, Gargano pulled him off the apron. Tommaso nearly got the victory with that compressed roll up, but Sabin squirmed out of there before the three count. So, Ciampa made him pay with a clothesline. His cockiness didn’t prepare him for the possibility of Sabin ducking out of the way, which caused Ciampa to inadvertently deliver a big boot to the face of Elton Prince.
For some reason Ciampa was baffled when Kit Wilson wouldn’t allow a tag to be made, which helped Sabin pin him in a roll up.
Winners: Motor City Machine Guns
As we get closer to the Royal Rumble, Pat McAfee and Michael Cole welcome Tyrese Haliburton from the Indiana Pacers to the stage of the Kickoff Show with his Rumble picks. Haliburton predicted that John Cena will win, and I couldn’t be happier to hear him say that!
Naomi vs. Liv Morgan
After that shoulder tackle performed by Liv Morgan, Naomi retaliated with an arm drag that actually stunned Morgan a little bit. Naomi utilized all her assets to dominate over Liv, especially by forcing her ass into Morgan’s face. Ha! I’m not one to have someone’s butt linger in front of anyone, but this time I’ll let it pass.
Naomi had a near fall with that split cover over Liv, yet she kicked out. So, here comes Naomi with a swift knockout to the face of Liv, followed by a Mule Kick. She drove Morgan face first into the turnbuckle, then continued with a crossbody. When that didn’t work, Naomi applied the Rearview. Regardless of Naomi missing with the Split-Legged Moonsault due to Raquel Rodriguez, luckily, Bianca Belair took care of that bother, Miss Glow still won when she pushed her weight forward during a sunset flip by Morgan, so she could capture a triumph. That’s my girl!!
Winner: Naomi
Andrade vs. The Miz
The Miz has made his frustrations over his recent move to SmackDown very apparent upon remembering that the Wyatt Sicks are here, and Karrion Kross may have something to do with the whole bamboozle. Now, he has to fight Andrade. Ha! El Edolo has the upper hand in the match already. At some point, Miz used the corner to his advantage as he kicked Andrade down.
The A-Lister did a good reestablishment of self when he managed to send Andrade on the outside, but he didn’t expect his challenger to have such powerful body control when he swung him onto the floor like that. A big boot to Miz’s jaw thwarted him momentarily. He chased Andrade down with a tornado DDT from his back pocket for a near fall.
Commentary thought that Andrade’s Spanish Fly was going to be over for Miz, yet he remained in the match. A look of disbelief spread on Andrade’s face. Since Miz wasn’t familiar with Andrade, he didn’t see that Disqus back elbow El Edolo is very experienced in doing that truly and without a doubt knocked the living hell out of Miz. Ha! Ha! The A-Lister’s face was seeing all kinds of stars that had nothing to do with WrestleMania. Ha!
I think I saw a tooth fly out…
Winner: Andrade
During an interview with Tiffany Stratton on her possible WrestleMania opponent, she made sure that Pat McAfee heard her loud and clear that it didn’t matter who wins the Royal Rumble, including Nia Jax. What came next was bizarre. Stratton’s face had the perfect reaction when she saw Candice LeRae coming out. Huh? Candice was used to distract Stratton, so Nia Jax could ambush her. LeRae got accidently squashed, but Jax was able to plough through Tiffany anyway. Oh, I almost forgot to say that Candice has entered the Rumble. Whoops…
It was idiotic of Santos Escobar to even bother trying to persuade Damian Priest that if he needs help, Legado del Fantama wouldn’t be such terrible allies to have by his side. I laughed Priest quickly shut him down, even after Escobar stupidly mentioned Dominik Mysterio being right about his ego. Moving past that, I wasn’t fully paying attention to LA Knight and Damian talking, except for when Priest said that once in the Rumble, Knight will be a strange to him. I think I saw Shinsuke Nakamura hovering in the background. Hmm. R-Truth was being his usual funny self.
Coming the Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will be in one hell of a Ladder match to retrieve both the Undisputed Championship and the Winged Eagle title as well. DIY defend their Tag Team titles against Motor City Machine Guns. And of course, the Women’s and Men’s Rumble will be on display. Who do I hope will win? Pfft, I’m not telling none of y’all.
Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu vs. Damian Priest & LA Knight – Tag Team match
Priest has been reeling due to the unfamiliar hostilities coming from Fatu and Tonga, I bet he didn’t see any of this coming. It was difficult to get out of the Bloodline’s corner, so he could reach LA Knight, who went after Jacob with a DDT followed by a leaping elbow. Fatu ate every offense LA Knight threw at him and tossed an even bigger defense with a shoulder tackle that whiplashed the Megastar.
Damian was seen getting drained at the hands of Tama. Just as Tonga was running towards him for a basement clothesline I believe, Priest caught him by the throat like an inhuman being with freak-ass reflects. He wasn’t able to perform South of Heaven right there, but he turned Tama inside out with a lariat. Priest waited for Tama to rise, egging him to do it, then forced him down again with a successful South of Heaven.
That angered Fatu to swerve back inside the ring to dispose of Priest with a Pop-Up Samoan Drop followed by an incredible Moonsault. Well, see you guys tomorrow! Have fun!
Winners: Damian Priest & LA Knight
TOP PHOTO: Kevin Owens and CM Punk sharing a few words. Courtesy of WWE
