Following his surprise return to WWE at Sunday’s night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Bubba Ray Dudley spoke to WWE.com about the experience.
Bubba said he and his brother Devon have appeared in several Royal Rumbles, but this was the first time he went in there alone. He said it felt amazing to be back home for the first time in nearly 10 years. He clarified that back home doesn’t just mean wrestling in Philadelphia or the North East United States, but working for WWE. The former TNA Champion said flat out, “This is where I belong.”
At this time, his return at the Rumble was a one-time deal and he is not under contract with the promotion.
For those wondering, his ‘brother’ Devon was not backstage at the event, which is why R-Truth filled in for him with the Dudley Boyz double team moves.
All the signs were there, yet somehow WWE didn’t see it coming.
At the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Sunday night, the rabid, passionate fans in Philadelphia completely turned on what is generally a very popular, fun, 30-man annual match.
Things started off just fine. The momentum was great coming out of what was an excellent triple-threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Seth Rollins. Everything was in place. One left turn when WWE should have gone right, however, and everything could potentially fall apart.
WWE went left.
The match began like every other year. Out first comes The Miz, followed by R-Truth.
Whatever.
But then the countdown clock hit, the fans counted from ten to one and we had our first surprise of the night. Bubba Ray Dudley, the former “Bully Ray” in TNA Wrestling, was our first unexpected entrant of the match.
The fans were hot in Philly for their former ECW original. Dudley borrowed R-Truth for a few minutes, turning him into his own personal D-Von Dudley replacement, and the fun began.
“Wazzupp?!”
“Truth! …Get the tables!”
“3-D!”
The match was going along smoothly.
Dudley was eliminated a few minutes after popping up in WWE for the first time in ten years.
That was their first big mistake.
Seven entrants later — enter the leader of the “Yes! Movement.” Straight out of the gate it was clear — Philadelphia came to see Daniel Bryan win the match that he wasn’t even entered in last year.
It was going to be an ugly night.
Daniel Bryan was only in the match for a few minutes before being eliminated by Bray Wyatt. He was the eleventh Royal Rumble entrant to be eliminated this year. From there, the rest of the show completely fell apart.
WWE clearly had a game plan. Get Bryan’s elimination out of the way early, give the fans time to get the “boo’ing” out of their system, and then hopefully we’ll go along with our business.
Well, that didn’t exactly happen, did it?
What in the world did WWE expect to happen? Did they learn nothing from 2014?
Apparently not.
I’m assuming WWE was under the impression that once Bryan was out of the way, they would get behind Roman Reigns, and if they didn’t, when The Rock came out to endorse him and help him win, surely at that point the sheer excitement of seeing a big movie star for a few minutes would make them forget that they’re favorite wrestler had been screwed for the second year in a row.
Right?
Wrong!
Of course that wasn’t going to work. There were many other options WWE could have tried that would have saved the show from completely falling apart. For those who missed it, from the point Bryan was eliminated, throughout the rest of the entire match, except a couple of pops here and there, the rabid Philly fans boo’d the living crap out of everything that was happening.
Bryan was only cleared to return to the ring a few weeks ago. Knowing the Royal Rumble was coming up, if you’re not planning on having him win the match, why even have him return? Why not wait until after the Royal Rumble to bring him back?
Well, they had already brought him back, so that’s out. Knowing he’s back, however, why not save him for the final two? If you’re hell bent on having Reigns win the match, at least you have the fans turn on him at the very end of the match. They boo the finish. It sucks, but it’s better than 20-30 minutes of guttural boo’ing and madness.
Going forward, Roman Reigns is expected to be “the guy.” The next John Cena, if you will. If this is his launching off point, they better have their writers quickly figure out a way to turn him heel and capitalize on momentum that is already in place, because if they think that was a one time thing, they’ve got a rude awakening coming in their future.
Fans don’t forget. Reigns’ push had already peaked and started going down several weeks ago. His promo work isn’t there yet. His matches, while good, are not so good that fans will overlook the rest of the missing pieces of the puzzle. He’s simply not going to work as the top babyface superstar in the company. It’s not going to happen. Not yet, at least.
Regardless, another Royal Rumble is in the books. Another year of fans completely turning on WWE and crapping on their choice for a top guy, or a top match for WrestleMania, and they let it be known. Now, all that’s left is to wait and see if WWE smartens up and finds a way to give them what they want.
WrestleMania 31 — Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan.
Personally speaking, I don’t like the sound of that. Another triple-threat main event for the title? I’m not into it. But it’s pretty clear that the fans are choosing Daniel Bryan as their guy. Why WWE is so dead set on fighting it is completely beyond me.
But hey, I guess there’s always next year!
What are your thoughts on this year’s Royal Rumble and the fan reaction to the match? Let us know by posting your feedback below. You can also add me on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or follow me on Twitter @MBoone420.
The following matches took place in Washington, D.C. on Monday night prior to WWE RAW for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Erick Rowan def. Tyson Kidd in singles competition to open the show. This match was said to be pretty good, with Rowan looking impressive in victory.
– Fandango def. R-Truth in the final match for the taping. The crowd wasn’t too alive for this one, which didn’t last that long regardless.
As promised, here are the top pay-per-view events from 2014.
8. NXT Takeover
This event started off sluggish but certainly ended with a string of entertaining matches. In particular, the match between Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn featured solid in-ring work and highlighted why both of these guys could succeed if given the opportunity.
The real treat during this pay-per-view, however, was the final two matches of the evening. The match between Charlotte and Natalya for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship was probably the most technically sound women’s match I’ve ever seen, and the main event between Neville and Tyson Kidd was the perfect way to end the show. In my opinion, this was the event that made fans realize NXT is more than simply a developmental league for the main roster.
Worst Match: Adam Rose vs. Camacho
Best Match: Charlotte vs. Natalya
7. Payback
There was some worry heading into this one, largely due to the absence of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The event would carry on just fine without the title, however. It started off strong with a bruising contest between Sheamus and Cesaro.
From there, the Last Man Standing match was entertaining, even if it would have been nice to see Wyatt pick up the victory. With that said, this pay-per-view is all about the main event. It was an awesome 30-minute affair that featured memorable spots, brutal action, and a decisive Shield victory. This was also important because it would set up Seth Rollins’ heel turn the next night on Raw.
– Vince McMahon, Big Show, R-Truth, Summer Rae and Alicia Fox went overseas to visit the U.S. troops this weekend. You can check out an assortment of photos from the trip at WWE.com.
– WWE will be taping next Friday’s edition of SmackDown tonight in Sioux City, Iowa. Hulk Hogan is advertised to make a special appearance. Other talent advertised for the show includes Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kane, Bray Wyatt, and Big Show. The dark match main event for the show will be Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt.
Next Sunday, the WWE will dust off the tables, ladders, chairs, and apparently stairs for its annual hardcore spectacular. This year’s event will be held in Cleveland, Ohio and will be the sixth incarnation of the pay-per-view.
This will be only the second TLC pay-per-view to not feature a WWE Championship match, as Brock Lesnar is still sitting at home collecting a paycheck. In the past, the WWE has used this event to lay the groundwork for the Road to WrestleMania while providing a sense of finality to various feuds with the hardcore element. With that said, here is a look back at the first five TLC pay-per-view events.
– WWE Diva and Total Divas star Nikki Bella posted the following message on her Facebook page in response to her critics:
“I don’t have to tell you how hard I have worked. I don’t have to tell you the hours, sweat, blood and tears I have put into this. I don’t have to tell you stories so you’ll feel bad for me. My dream may have started later than yours but you can’t take my dream away from me. You say bad things about me but in the end you don’t really know me. I may not be your internet darling but what I am is Fearless. And being Fearless is what has gotten me to where I am today. 8 years of constantly being put down, I am still here. And that’s because I am a Survivor.”
– R-Truth welcomed his new baby girl to the world this weekend. The WWE Superstar posted the following photos on Twitter.
Once an occasional treat for the WWE Universe, the Hell in a Cell match has become a yearly event since the introduction of the eponymous pay-per-view in 2009. Since its inception, the company has yet to truly knock it out of the park with Hell in a Cell, although fans have witnessed some memorable moments.
This year, it will be either John Cena or Dean Ambrose headlining the event against Seth Rollins inside the most ominous structure in sports entertainment. As the company builds up its next pay-per-view, here is a look back at the first five Hell in a Cell events.
5. 2012
This event really didn’t have a pay-per-view feel to it. The undercard was primarily filled with forgettable matches that had little impact on future storylines. The main event was also lacking due to injury.
It was clear that the company had no idea what to do after John Cena went down to injury, leading to Ryback receiving a premature main event push. From top to bottom, this event was lacking and easily locks up the honor of being the worst Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to date.
Main Event: CM Punk vs. Ryback (Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship)
Best Match: Big Show vs. Sheamus
Worst Match: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players
– Although he was advertised, Kane missed the WWE live event this past weekend for an unknown reason. As we noted over the weekend, Goldust also missed one of the weekend live events, as he was on vacation in Hawaii with his family. In his place, Stardust worked a singles match against R-Truth on the show.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is included in the latest commercial advertisement for the Wendy’s fast-food restaurant advertisements, alongside “Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio and “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro. You can check out the commercial below.
“Steve Austin, Alfonso Ribeiro and Ralph Macchio are helping us spread awareness about mouth-watering pulled pork to millions of barbecuilly deprived Americans, but we still need your help.”
– Goldust missed last night’s WWE live event in Youngstown, Ohio because he was on vacation with his family in Hawaii. Stardust did work the show, however, losing to R-Truth in the opener.
– Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter regarding his upcoming autobiography.
Just finished a nifty, 12 hour day working on my autobiography. 3 straight days w/ 1 one more to go…for now. Hope to finish in 2015. #WHEW
Night of Champions is only a few days away. Even though the WWE has been serving up plates of garbage on Raw for weeks now, many still have high hopes for this pay-per-view, as every title in the company will be defended.
With that said, here are my predictions for this Sunday’s Night of Champions pay-per-view, which in case you haven’t heard, can be viewed on the WWE Network for only $9.99 (or $12.99 if you’re afraid of commitment).
Nikki Bella vs. Paige (WWE Divas Champion) vs. AJ Lee
I don’t expect it to be a terrible contest, as two of the three competitors are great workers and Nikki isn’t the worst Diva fans have ever seen. In the end, I believe Nikki will capture the title with help from her sister, reuniting the Bella Twins and putting an end to their horrible feud.
Winner: Nikki Bella by pinfall
Sheamus (United States Champion) vs. Cesaro
This should be one of the more exciting contests of the night, but I unfortunately don’t see it being given a ton of time. Although Cesaro will put up a hell of a fight, Sheamus will retain after hitting a Brogue Kick, possibly setting up a feud with Rusev for the United States Championship in the near future.
– In a recent Journal Star interview with R-Truth, which we posted highlights from last week where he noted that he’s dealing with a shoulder injury, the WWE Superstar mentioned that he and his wife are expecting a child soon. You can check out the complete interview at JournalStar.com.
– While WWE has allowed several of their talents to appear on Steve Austin and Chris Jericho’s podcasts, they apparently don’t do the same for Jim Ross. A fan recently asked JR on Twitter about Ric Flair appearinng on his show, to which he replied with the following tweet:
The following are highlights of a new Journal Star interview with R-Truth:
On a shoulder injury he is dealing with: “We take some devastating hits out there. A lot of times we’re out there injured. I’m injured now. I’m about 80-85 percent. I hurt my shoulder. But, as they say, the show must go on. So I’m out there.”
On his career highlight: “Getting the WWF contract, the WWE contract, just coming here. My highlight is being able to do all I want to do. You can’t pick one thing. I’m working for the biggest company there is, doing what I want to do. I’ve lived the dream. I’ve accomplished the goal.”
According to various sources, Vince McMahon has lost interest in the new Bo Dallas character.
Dallas, who for a while had a notable undefeated streak on WWE television, suffered his first loss against R-Truth a few weeks ago and since then, hasn’t been used in a prominent role the way he had been since debuting on the main WWE roster.
Today is the all-important day where Americans celebrate their independence by consuming large amounts of alcohol and grilled fare. No WWE superstar claims to have America’s best interests in mind more than Jack Swagger.
The so-called Real American, accompanied by his founding father Zeb Colter, has advocated an isolationist domestic policy that is free of illegal immigrants. Along the way, Swagger has made national headlines by entering into a feud with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
It appeared that Swagger was in the midst of a massive push while bickering with Beck, having just defeated accomplished stars such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan to earn a chance to compete against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.
Swagger and Colter made national news in 2013 after attracting the attention of Glenn Beck.
Unfortunately for Swagger, he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, ending what could have been a classic feud between a border-protecting nationalist and an immigrant Mexican. Del Rio defeated Swagger at WrestleMania and the Real American was quickly shifted out of the main event scene.
Since aligning himself with Zeb Colter, Swagger has always acted as a heel, often using cheap heat as a way to get his character over. However, it seems as if a face turn could be just around the corner.
In recent months, Rusev has been dominating the WWE roster, taking out superstars such as Big E, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth. Much like Swagger, Rusev has also used cheap heat as a way to build his character, praising Vladimir Putin and Russia along the way.
Rusev was up to his usual antics this past week when the crowd actually started chanting for Jack Swagger. Colter and Swagger defended America by taking out Rusev and acting as faces for the first time since joining one another. Unsurprisingly, Colter cut an amazing promo on Rusev and Lana, perfectly setting up what could be an entertaining feud.
WWE Superstar R-Truth recently appeared on the Tom Barnard Podcast to discuss a number of topics, including how tough it is to get into WWE, Iron Sheik’s crazy tweets and more.
During the interview, Truth confirmed the rumors that he will be releasing an album through WWE and that John Cena will be appearing on two of the tracks. He noted that they are in the “finalizing stages” of the project.
According to one source, there has been discussions within WWE about the possibility of doing a new version of The Nation Of Domination stable.
The talk apparently originates from the fact that Rusev has defeated Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and R-Truth since debuting on the main roster, and now has his sights set on Big E.
Woods, in fact, even teased at a possible Nation Of Domination type faction being formed, as he tweeted out a photo of the original Nation Of Domination group doing the fist gesture together.
– John Cena is advertised to appear on Tuesday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which emanates from Buffalo, New York. Daniel Bryan, however, is not scheduled to appear on the post-Extreme Rules edition of SmackDown.
– The following are the updated online betting odds for this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Odds are courtesy of BetFair.com. The favorites are listed in bold.
The following are the betting odds for Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view according to PaddyPower.com.
Alexander Rusev is the biggest favorite on the entire card as of right now, as he comes in at -1800 for his handicap match against R-Truth and Xavier Woods. In this case, you would have to bet $1,800 on Rusev to earn $100 profit on the bet. On the flip-side of the coin, Truth and Woods, who come in at +650, would earn you $650 profit if you placed a $100 bet.
It should also be noted that these odds are indicative of much until the actual “smart money” comes in on the show, which is generally hours before the event starts on the day of the show.
The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped on Tuesday night and will air on Friday, May 2, 2014 on the SyFy Network.
– Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth
– The Wyatt Family vs. Sheamus & The Usos
– Damien Sandow vs. Dolph Ziggler
– Big E. vs. Titus O’Neil
– Dean Ambrose vs. Ryback vs. Curtis Axel vs. Alberto Del Rio
For a complete spoiler report for this week’s WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two …
Following Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW, here is your latest official WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view lineup for this Sunday night.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kane
Faction vs. Faction
– Evolution vs. The Shield
WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Big E. (c) vs. Bad News Barrett
WWE Divas Championship
– Paige (c) vs. Tamina Snuka
Steel Cage Match
– John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
Handicap Match
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods
Pre-Show “WeeLC Match”
– Hornswoggle vs. El Torito
Rumored
– Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger
Make sure to join us here this Sunday night for the absolute best live WWE Extreme Rules results coverage.