Royal Rumble is this weekend so time for a fresh post. We're also 66 days away from WrestleMania 33.

Prediction sheet can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RZgRvUsyrRwPDsnlMGaeo3ymxXn0duAuyi0Soi5Urnc/edit?usp=sharing

Final Royal Rumble card:
2017 Royal Rumble Match
WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) v. John Cena
WWE Universal Championship: Kevin Owens (c) v. Roman Reigns
WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Charlotte (c) v. Bayley
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Rich Swann (c) v. Neville
Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella & Naomi v. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & Natalya
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Cesaro & Sheamus (c) v. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Sasha Banks v. Nia Jax

Bonus Questions:
1. Who will have the most eliminations in the Royal Rumble match?
2. Who will record the longest time in the ring in the Royal Rumble match?
3. Who will be in the Final Four (1 point for each correct guess)
4. What number will the winner enter at:
a) 1-15
b) 16-20
c) 21-25
d) 26-30

Those of you in the top 10 in the prediction series standings (aka who have consistently participating) are in the Rumble. The draft didn’t go well at all so I ended up nixing the picks that were made and randomizing it, with everyone getting a pick in the 1-10, 11-20 and 21-30 ranges. You can see your entrant numbers and the scoresheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DYCAAZfOap1L7_-b0rcsH98d6cPxOWIbvbwX78QPoTc/edit?usp=sharing

You’ll notice next to your name on the right there is a column for “Guess Your Entrant”. Please put a superstar’s name here and if he ends up being one of your entrant you’ll get an extra 2 points. Let me know if you have any questions. Full rules can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_hUA8TyxKPDdQ9ayzmuYOhv9w3Hb7zab2otprerjU0/edit?usp=sharing

Rumble
1 Max_Ptah
2 magilla vanilla
3 Af-1
4 Y2Flound
5 Great1 2k7
6 KCPlayer21
7 Jimaveli
8 Selassie I God
9 pretentious_username
10 Oak27
11 Max_Ptah
12 Jimaveli
13 Y2Flound
14 KCPlayer21
15 Oak27
16 pretentious_username
17 Selassie I God
18 Af-1
19 magilla vanilla
20 Great1 2k7
21 Jimaveli
22 magilla vanilla
23 Selassie I God
24 Max_Ptah
25 pretentious_username
26 Oak27
27 Great1 2k7
28 KCPlayer21
29 Y2Flound
30 Af-1

And we have 3 shots he is that number. Don't pick a guess for each of our numbers?

>Royal Rumble is this weekend so time for a fresh post. We're
>also 66 days away from WrestleMania 33.

I am excited for this weekend of rasslin. I had a shot to go to San Antonio for it, but I chilled since there's real stuff going on (my pops is sick..he's doing alright but The C is what it is).

The Rumble is gonna be awesome as long as HHH doesn't come out at the end with infinite specials and murk everybody (like the last time).

They might sack up and have Balor win this thing about not announcing him at all. Safe money is on Taker tho. It ain't like he needs it to get a title shot, but going this route works out too. Or he can just show back up in February and roll his eyes at somebody and get a shot. Folks are talking about...*potential 'spoiler'*














Taker vs Reigns instead of Taker vs Cena. What do you know...both of those dudes are in title matches this Sunday...IJS.

and I am weirdly proud of that. The SI writer happens to be in my wrestling FB group that the pool was based in:

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/01/25/wwe-week-wrestling-royal-rumble-ric-flair

"I’m fortunate to be part of the famed John Baglio/Sean Wilkinson Royal Rumble pool, which is a 30-person pool with pay-outs for the Rumble winner, most eliminations, longest in the Rumble, and even a prize for the “Santino Spot” for the runner-up. This is, by far, my favorite pay per view of the year. As for predictions: Baron Corbin with most eliminations; Dolph Ziggler as the longest in the Rumble; Bill Goldberg as the runner-up; and Finn Balor as the winner."

I'm famed now guys.

Blech.

Dear god please no.

NO NO NO NO NO.

NO.

JUST FUCKING NO.

Sigh.

Outside of Taker these 2 may have the best entrances of all-time in the WWE. Roode is just perfect for the WWE main event scene. He already fits right in and I think he'd make a great MITB winner when called up. The delivery of his finisher was much better and brutal looking than ever before so I hope he can replicate that in the future. Not really much memorable on the rest of the card but the only complaints I'd have is about the women's match. Asuka wasn't involved enough but Nikki looked great here. Much better than at the house show I saw her at.

I think if we saw this card last year at the Rumble we'd be amazed at how great the show is, but it didn't hold up against both Brooklyn shows, Dallas or Canada.

There was no moment or match that you'll talk about for the rest of the year, but it was overall a good card.

My biggest complaint is the end of the main event felt like a Monday Night Raw main roster cop out ending. The overselling of an injury that seemed to come from nowhere. Nakamura not just pinning Roode when he was knocked out and then care for his knee made as little sense as Sasha tapping out with 2 seconds left in the ironman match.

I think they tried to hard to not let either guy look like the loser through storyline and circumstance instead of just making them both look great through a great match like most other NXT title matches.

they also had very little time between takeovers and were on the road for much of that time so they were scrambling to set the stories up. The standard "getting over the newer guy" matches were fine although I gotta say I'm disappointed they can't throw Tye just one big win. Perhaps they hit the reset button when his number is called at the rumble??? DIY/Authors was better than I was expecting and they didn't make DIY look bad in the loss. I think both them and Shinsuke are better chasing the titles than holding them so from a pure booking standpoint this night was a success.

>Outside of Taker these 2 may have the best entrances of
>all-time in the WWE. Roode is just perfect for the WWE main
>event scene. He already fits right in and I think he'd make a
>great MITB winner when called up. The delivery of his finisher
>was much better and brutal looking than ever before so I hope
>he can replicate that in the future. Not really much memorable
>on the rest of the card but the only complaints I'd have is
>about the women's match. Asuka wasn't involved enough but
>Nikki looked great here. Much better than at the house show I
>saw her at.

The Takeovers have gone from being 2 hours of supreme rasslin for rasslin nerds to being like 1.2 hours of supreme rassling for rasslin nerds.

The thing I love most is the lack of sacred cows. ANYONE can lose a match. ANYONE. Okay, okay! Asuka is an exception for now, but Ember Moon is coming for her. And Daffney's crazy lil sister was gunning pretty hard last night too. They had to almost give her the Brock treatment to get rid of her.

Just look at our prediction pool, there are 6 different names listed and the final 4 is all over the place.

My biggest concern is we have all fantasy booked 1000 things we want to see and when that doesn't happen we tend to be let down. But no matter who wins tonight the build and mystery is at a level that the Rumble has not had in forever.

>Just look at our prediction pool, there are 6 different names
>listed and the final 4 is all over the place.
>
>My biggest concern is we have all fantasy booked 1000 things
>we want to see and when that doesn't happen we tend to be let
>down. But no matter who wins tonight the build and mystery is
>at a level that the Rumble has not had in forever.

Same here. I'm borderline amped. As long as HHH doesn't show up with infinite specials on to win again, I'm good with being wrong. I'm pretty chalky though so we'll see. Either AJ or Owens retaining would be sweet. But it is going to be HARD to have Owens retain without having Jericho win the Rumble somehow. And the whole layout of how Jericho would win could be amazingly fun. But I don't see it going down like that. Taker winning and 'picking' which belt seems like the way to go. Goldberg/Brock getting on some WM8 Hogan/Sid stuff works for me too. And of course, Strowman is gonna be handing out a Kane amount of beatdowns.

>

Whenever he can Indy it up, his mind for this shit works amazingly. And it elevates the WWE main event format in the process.

Roman can add yet another good and physical outing to his resume. Hating his booking is one thing. His ring work is hoss money.

We the children of the Light, you know what I mean?
That's why I'm hating on the darkness like Paula Deen
Cause in my hood they masked up like it's Halloween
We going hard for the Rock, but we not some fiends
- Andy Mineo

Just taking turns randomly hitting big moves and finishers, but the match won't end until you hit like 8 of them. I think I remember a long time ago they were trying to improve the AI so the video game matches were more realistic. But apparently in the real matches, they just said F it.

That match was just dumb. Fans seemed to like it and announcers hyped it like the greatest thing ever though. I checked out after like the 5th kick out that shouldn't have happened.

It ain't a finisher if it doesn't finish, IMO, but I guess that ship has sailed.

I basically have the network to watch old PPVs that we couldn't afford to buy when I was a kid. I watch the new ones, and barely pay attention to most of the matches.

I usually like the women's matches best, because they make more sense and end when they should end.

I've got false finisher fatigue.

>I've got false finisher fatigue.

Finisher routine and they always do it.

Sometimes the rock beat people with a spine buster and a rock bottom . Then shit popped off and he had to rock bottom and maybe a people's elbow after the bell.


That way you protect the finishers and send the fans home happy

<--- Big Baller World Order

>

The match was silly good. I'm fine with it. And there's no way anyone sees these matches and thinks anything less of AJ Styles, so he's good. Indy/tna/Japan cats are blowing up something fierce in WWE nowadays.

We the children of the Light, you know what I mean?
That's why I'm hating on the darkness like Paula Deen
Cause in my hood they masked up like it's Halloween
We going hard for the Rock, but we not some fiends
- Andy Mineo