1/25 WWE Royal Rumble PPV Reax

Mandi Spencer of Miami, Fla. (7.0): Best Match: Women's Title match. Worst: Rumble match. I was honestly surprised with how physical the Women's match was, and it was an honest surprise Melina won with no interference. Funny that the divas out-did the guys. Matt turning on Jeff wasn't a surprise. I pretty much thought it was either Christian or Matt, but it was a nice turn for him. The Rumble match was a major letdown. Yes, I was expecting Christian, but who they put in there and how it went from 15 to the finale was boring. The only highlight of the entire thing was RVD. What a nice surprise and glad to see he lasted a while. Orton was predictable, but absolutely needed. The crowd being quiet for the Rumble hurt it, though, and you could tell they were expecting Christian too.

Alex Roberts in the U.K. (6.5): Best Match: The Rumble. Worst Match: WWE Title. I'm disappointed. I can point to anything that took place on this show and say it was bad. In fact, the opposite is true that everything in the ring lived up to or surpassed my expectations. The problem is that as a whole, the Royal Rumble PPV was incredibly underwhelming and predictable. The Swagger-Hardy opening was a solid offering and Jack Swagger continues to impress me, although they oversold the impact of Hardy's loss. The Women's Title match had a great spot with Melina kicking the back of her own head and provided the only real surprise of the night with Melina taking home the belt. The World Title match was much better than I expected it to be, but I was ultimately underwhelmed by the Michaels progression. The WWE Title match was okay, but I detest this Jeff Hardy angle so the match lacked any real spark or emotional intensity for me. The Matt Hardy heel turn was predictable. The chair shot and Jeff's selling of it was good, though, and I'll probably be one of the few people overjoyed that Christian still isn't on my TV. The longer that lasts, the better. The Rumble match itself was enjoyable and filled with some great little moments (Show skimming the cat and Orton's mid-air RKO to Mysterio topping my list). I wouldn't have wanted anyone but Orton to win this year. I just wish they hadn't put so much focus on Triple H. Did he really need to eliminate Legacy by himself? Or Kozlov after that build-up? On the plus side, Orton's victory was the right move given that he's easily the hottest act they've got right now and this gives them an "out" of firing him on Raw. It'll be interesting to see how they tie Cena to the McMahons, although certain sections are going to have a field day with Cena representing the McMahons against Orton in the Mania main event. I have to say I'm digging the reversal of the Austin-Rock feud, with Orton playing a heel anti-authority and Cena seemingly being set up as a face Corporate Champion. Underwhelming show, but the stage has been set for some great Mania build-up, so I can forgive it.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE Royal Rumble PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on the Rumble, click here.

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