Monday, January 30, 2012

Royal Rumble Review

Even despite its ‘pre-arranged’ results, one thing that makes wrestling Pay-Per-Views entertaining is the element of surprise. No event succeeds in the element of surprise more than the Royal Rumble.


Usually a PPV filled with entertaining title matches, a bitter rivalry, then culminating in the always enthralling, highly interesting and sometimes amusing 30 man over-the-top-rope ‘Rumble’ itself.

This year, the event started with a triple threat match, inside a steel cage, Daniel Bryan defended his World Heavyweight Championship against the two giants of the WWE, Mark Henry and Big Show. The match itself was rather bland, as are most matches with Mark Henry, then ended with Bryan being held up over the top of the cage by Big Show before breaking free and hitting the floor. Retaining his World Championship.

The first match was a slight letdown, yet a predictable ending. The PPV didn’t get much better with the Divas 8 person tag match and a squash win for Brodus Clay over Drew McIntyre.

Next up was John Cena and Kane. After weeks of being tortured and beaten by the maniacal Kane, and seeing Zack Ryder being hospitalised on this past Raw. The match itself was a bit back and forth, and ended with Kane standing over a beaten Ryder, a beaten Cena and a hysterical Eve.

The ending, again predictable, was, however understandable with Kane needing to be billed as a monster, and the programme between the two needing to be extended until Elimination Chamber, before Cena diverts into a build-up to his Wrestlemania showdown with The Rock.

The prequel to the Rumble match was the WWE Championship match between CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler. A match with great potential, two great workers, with the ability to put on great matches. With all these ingredients, the match ended up in the biggest disappointment of the night.

With the emphasis of the match revolving around the issues between CM Punk and John Laurinaitis, the Raw General Manager. With Ziggler, arguably the companies best young star becoming overshadowed, and being the third party in a match he could of made a ‘Match of the year’ candidate.

Then the ‘Rumble’ itself, started with Miz eliminating old nemesis Alex Riley, then seeing new nemesis R-Truth enter at number 3. The rumble was a mundane beginning, and a mundane middle, waiting for the big names to enter the match.

Eventually Ziggler, Sheamus, Wade Barrett (the most underused wrestler in the Rumble), Chris Jericho and hometown hero Randy Orton all entering, after a few cameos from the commentators, Ricardo Rodriguez and the return of Road Dogg.

The field was left for 4, Sheamus, Jericho, Orton and Big Show. Orton defied Rumble protocol, eliminating Show on his own, with most year it taking 4 or 5 people to throw him out.

Jericho then threw Orton over the top rope in the immediate aftermath to Big Show’s elimination, thus leaving Sheamus and Jericho to battle for the main event of WrestleMania.

Sheamus and Jericho both went into a contest of near eliminations, both hanging on for dear life, with the thoughts of “who’s going to win”? Changing every second. It seemed for long periods like the returning Jericho was going to win, then all of a sudden it seemed Sheamus, undergoing a massive push, and becoming a major face of the company, was going to win.

Eventually Sheamus did win, setting up, I would envisage a ‘Mania showdown with Daniel Bryan. The Rumble match itself was average, could have been a lot worse, but at the same time, didn’t hit the heights of ‘Rumble’ matches with returning superstars and debuts of future ones.

The PPV was poor, lets not kid ourselves, a Pay-Per-View with huge potential was mismanaged, underused and far, far too predictable.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Better than Kyle Williams ball handling...i hope

A fumble! A muffed punt! A 31 yard Field Goal. The series of unfortunate authored by the San Francisco 49ers, and not Lemony Snickett, that conspired to send the New York Giants to the Superbowl.


The game, which started so ideally, when a strong defensive stand being succeeded by Vernon Davis 73 yard Touchdown grab. The Giants responded, with receiver Victor Cruz putting on a catching clinic with over 125 yards before the half. The Giants went in at half time 10-7 ahead.

The first score of the second half mirrored the first, Smith connecting with Davis to put the ‘Niners 14-10 on top. This is when the road to Indianapolis became long, winding and further away.

Slot receiver/back-up return man Kyle Williams failed to avoid a punt, with it hitting him in the knee, handing the Giants golden field position to take a 17-14 lead.

This game was more back and forth than Nathan and Lucas’s relationship on One Tree Hill, and the next twist saw the 49ers tie the game up, and spurn several opportunities to win the game, including overtime.

Overtime, nervy at any time, let alone the championship game, where the nerves multiply by around…I don’t know 3 million. Both teams had a chance to win it, they both failed. Giants blew it again, and in the battle of who could choke more, up stepped that man again, Kyle Williams.

Williams (whose received the brunt of the abuse on Twitter, I feel bad for the guy), who suddenly thought he was Devin Hester returning punts, went galloping up the middle of the field, only to be hit, hit hard. The ball popped out, the Giants pounced, the air was sucked out of the stadium. The ‘stick went silent. (Brace yourselves...)




The Giants ran, and ran, then ran again. They could of kicked at ample opportunities. They didn’t. They toyed with the crowd, making them wait for their own execution. It was brutal, sadistic. The New York Giants are the Jigsaw killer of the NFL. They play hideous mind games, and make you suffer and wait for your own demise.

Eventually Lawrence Tynes made the kick. The crowd was dead. All you can hear is players screaming, all you can see is men in white running round the field. Jim Harbaugh’s face says it all. You know he’s thinking what all 49ers fans are thinking, “we can’t be pissed off, we haven’t been relevant in 10 years….but I’m still pissed off”.

The Giants go to the Superbowl, they’ll play the New England Patriots. Tom Brady will try to conquer Eli Manning, in a rematch of Superbowl 42. The Giants ended the Patriots perfect season that year. Let’s hope Brady and Bellichick make it 4, and give the Bruins’ Stanley Cup a partner, and let Boston continue as “TitleTown”.

However, with the 49ers on the cusp of reaching it, it’s a hollow victory being an “improved team”. The team was irrelevant. Jim Harbaugh came in, transformed a losing culture, a losing team and a loser Quarterback into winners. A team who could grind out results. A team whose defence gave up nothing to other teams.He's already said "this teams is not defeated" and claimed "they will be back". He will win coach of the year this year. Deservedly. That’s not the prize he would of wanted though.

Next year will be interesting, this team will have expectations for the first time in years. Harbaugh’s intensity will go from obscene, to veins popping out of all parts of his body obscene.

If only Kyle Williams could concentrate!