[soft dramatic music playing]
[narrator] For 20 years, the road to WrestleMania has begun here.
Men have entered with a dream…
[Vince] Shawn Michaels is going to WrestleMania.
-…left with a legacy… -[Ross] Stone Cold.
Stone Cold is going to WrestleMania.
…and taken their passion…
[Ross] It's over. The Game. The Game.
…to the grandest stage of all.
[Ross] The road to WrestleMania has begun here at the Royal Rumble.
[narrator] Tonight, who will seize the dream?
[Michael] One of these men is going to WrestleMania.
[Tazz] No bigger opportunity than the main event at WrestleMania.
This is your chance to dance with the light so bright.
[Michael] The Royal Rumble. The most star-studded Royal Rumble ever.
[Michael] We're on the road to WrestleMania.
[Tazz] It's every man for himself.
[rock music playing]
[Michael] There are no alliances. There are no friendships.
[Ross] Thirty men over the top rope. What a match it's gonna be.
[Mr. Kennedy] It is my destiny to go to the Royal Rumble
and become the new world heavyweight champion.
[Michael] Look at the look in the eyes of the Animal.
There'll be no escaping for Kennedy at the Royal Rumble.
[Test] I am the impact player.
[Bobby] I'm leaving the ECW world champion.
[John] Umaga versus John Cena.
[Jerry] Last man standing.
[John] I've never backed down from a fight in my life
and I'll be damned if I start tonight.
[Ross] My God, don't do this. Umaga at the top.
[eerie music playing]
[Ross] Oh, God.
Umaga on a helpless, defenseless John Cena.
[Armando] There is no way you're walking out
of the Royal Rumble WWE champion.
[yells]
[music fades]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] The road to WrestleMania begins tonight.
And now, Raw, SmackDown, and ECW present
the 20th annual WWE Royal Rumble.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Welcome ladies and gentlemen
to the 20th annual Royal Rumble to our global audience.
Tonight highlighted by three championships at stake.
Plus the most star-studded Royal Rumble match in history.
I'm Jim Ross, alongside Jerry "the King" Lawler
here at ringside and we'll be handling the Raw action, King.
Oh, you're right. What an atmosphere this is tonight.
I wanna know who's gonna be the last man standing
and who's gonna seize their dream.
And now let's throw you over to our SmackDown colleagues,
-Michael Cole and JBL. -Thanks guys.
We are ready for Batista versus Kennedy for the world championship.
Are you ready, partner?
The 20th annual Royal Rumble, are you kidding?
Stars are gonna be made, legends created. The lights are all bright. Let's dance.
ECW here as well, Joey Styles and Tazz.
Thank you, Michael. A proud night for ECW, indeed.
Extremists will compete
in the Royal Rumble matchup for a championship opportunity
at the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania.
Notwithstanding that, for the first time in history,
the ECW title will be defended right here at the Royal Rumble.
["Paparazzi" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Lilián] This tag team contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California,
at a combined weight of 433 pounds,
they are the team of Mercury,
Melina, and Nitro, MNM.
[Ross] Well, certainly ladies and gentlemen,
this is a personally charged issue
as Joey Mercury is not going to be happy until one or both the Hardys
suffer the same fate as Joey Mercury suffered at Armageddon last month
at the last SmackDown pay-per-view.
[Jerry] And you remember that fate well, J.R.
Smashed in the face by that… that ladder, that steel metal ladder
and, you know, I've been around this… this profession
for a long time and I've never seen an injury quite like that.
Worst I've ever seen.
[Ross] And we haven't seen too many entrances like this.
[Jerry] Best I've ever seen. [chuckles] Oh, man.
[Ross] Let's take you back, ladies and gentlemen, last month to Armageddon.
-It was a multiple team… -[Jerry] Oh! Oh!
-Now, this is hard to watch. Look at this. -[crowd groans]
[Ross] …TLC match and there you see Mercury,
that ladder thumping him right in the face.
It broke Mercury's nose severely.
-It cracked a facial bone or two. -[Jerry] Oh, look at that.
That's what we're talking about. That was a tables, ladders,
and chairs match and that ladder right into the face of Joey Mercury.
And look at… look at the result. Wow.
[Ross] Mercury's eye already is swollen shut.
He was taken to a medical facility for stitches and to have his nose reset,
and there you see Joey Mercury wearing that facial mask,
that protective mask in this contest tonight.
[Jerry] But you can still tell by the look on his face, he wants revenge.
-[crowd cheering] -["Loaded" playing]
[Lilián] And from Cameron, North Carolina at a combined weight of 461 pounds,
Matt and the Intercontinental Champion Jeff, the Hardys.
-[Ross] Well, as we mentioned-- -[fireworks crackle]
[Ross] Oh! Joey Mercury certainly obsessed
in injuring either Matt or Jeff Hardy and that was the MNM's intent
on Friday Night SmackDown about a week ago, King.
[Jerry] I know, watch this.
Matt Hardy gets the victory but paid dearly afterwards.
[Ross] But then it was Johnny Nitro from Raw entering the contest,
an enzuigiri that took Matt Hardy down.
Now, the protective mats, those thin mats were pulled back
exposing the concrete floor.
-And right here you see, bam! -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] Matt Hardy's face drilled into the concrete
with a Snapshot from MNM.
[Jerry] Well, it didn't break Matt Hardy's nose
or do the damage that… that MNM wanted to do
but he did suffer, Matt did suffer a dislocated jaw
and you just have to wonder,
well, exactly what kind of condition he is in here tonight.
[Ross] This is a unique match in that Matt Hardy
-and Joey Mercury are both… -[bell ringing]
…from the SmackDown brand.
Jeff Hardy, the reigning Intercontinental Champion,
and of course Johnny Nitro, a former Intercontinental Champion,
representing Monday Night Raw.
Melina will be at ringside in this one-fall tag team matchup.
[Jerry] I worry about Melina
-being at ringside. -[Melina] Do what you gotta do.
[Jerry] She wants, she can come over here and sit by me.
-Whoa! Look out, here we go. -[Ross] And it's Matt Hardy
and Johnny Nitro starting it out in this one-fall match
to kick off the 20th edition of the Royal Rumble.
Tag made, a quick tag made and Nitro in. Between these two teams,
they have held the tag titles on nine different occasions.
-Open it out! -[Ross] Headline, look at Hardy trying
to cover up, that jaw still bothering Matt Hardy, it has to be.
There's no way you heal from a dislocated jaw
in this length of time, and Mercury going right to work
-on that… on that obvious… -[Melina] Smash his face in, Joey!
…Achilles' heel if you will, King, on Matt Hardy.
[Jerry] Well, you're right. Mercury trying to go to work,
and so far, Matt Hardy doing a pretty good job,
I think, of blocking those blows
and he's gonna have to do that if he wants to survive--
Oh, there's one right to the jaw.
[Ross] Nitro, a former three-time tag champion
and former Intercontinental Champion, got the tag.
Hardy trying to fight out of the corner of MNM,
which would well serve the elder of the two Hardy brothers.
[Jerry] Well, you're right, Matt needs to get out of there
as quickly as possible.
-[grunts] -[Jerry] Poor Matt been sucking soup
-through a straw for the past week. -[crowd chanting] Hardy!
[Ross] And you gotta wonder how that's gonna affect
Matt Hardy's stamina and strength, not being able to eat solid food
for well over a week, and Hardy doing those hard body shots.
One! Two!
[Ross] And now Mercury covering his face, and rightfully so
as Matt gets the tag
to the Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy.
-[Jerry] Oh, nice move. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Jeff Hardy doesn't do anything normally, I can tell you that,
cover, after that mule kick over the top rope.
You'll see some very unique and extraordinary offense
-by all four of these men, quite frankly. -Tag. Come on, get out.
[Ross] And Hardy now trapped in the MNM corner
which seems to be the strategy thus far of Mercury and Nitro.
[Jerry] Well, that's why these guys, MNM, have been so successful.
That's-- You know, that's probably the best strategy
-you can have in tag team wrestling. -[Melina] Behind you!
-[Jerry] Oh, watch out here. -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Inverted atomic drop… -San Antonio!
…finds its mark,
much to the chagrin of Melina and Johnny Nitro.
And Jeff Hardy follows up, a lateral prison.
Jeff Hardy got a long two-count, a near fall…
out of that domination offense, and Matt Hardy,
I saw him rubbing his jaw there, does accept the tag, comes right back in.
Three! Four, let's go out!
[Ross] Nice-- Oh, nice tandem offense by the Hardys.
Jeff, however, is the legal man.
Nice leg sweep taking down Mercury
and Mercury very protective of his face, can't blame him for that.
[Jerry] Well, you might say, oh, what's left of his face.
[Ross] And Mercury got that suplex,
quickly rolls outside to avoid further punishment
as it's Matt Hardy and Johnny Nitro, the two legal men here.
A Raw referee, Jack Doan, who signed the contest.
-And a spinning neck breaker. -[Jerry] Look out.
[Ross] Again, Hardy advantage, hooking the far leg and the Hardys seem
to have the offensive advantage more often than not here
in the early going in this one-fall match.
[Jerry] Well, you know how quickly that can change,
just how quickly-- Oh!
-There you go right there. -[Ross] Straight right hand
to that injured jaw on Matt Hardy and a quick tag, opportunistic tag.
Nitro did the damage, and now Mercury can't wait
to get involved and another shot right to that jaw.
It's as if Hardy's jaw's got a bull's eye drawn on it.
[Jerry] Well, you saw the look on the face of Nitro when he connected.
He knew he'd done the damage-- Oh, look…
-[Melina screams] -[crowd chanting]
[Jerry] Joey Mercury's punching Matt Hardy in the jaw.
[Ross] Tag made. He may have hurt that hand 'cause he made a quick tag
after he nailed Hardy with that right hand
and certainly nothing wrong with the right hand of Johnny Nitro.
And again most of the action offensively for MNM in their corner.
-Hard European uppercut, King. -[Jerry] Matt is gonna have
-to get out of that corner. -[Doan] One! Two!
-Three! Four! -[Jerry] If he wants to continue on
in this match, he's gonna have to try to somehow protect
that-- Oh, my goodness.
[Ross] Shot on the outside behind the referee's back.
[Jerry] Into the side of the head, that had to…
-do more damage to that dislocated jaw. -[Ross] And that may do it right there…
-One! Two! -…another cover, a cover on the hand,
coming down for a three from Doan.
Hardy got a shoulder up as Nitro forced the issue there
from the cheap shot on the outside.
[Jerry] Check this kick out one more time. Referee's back turned and then wow.
[Ross] And that was a clean shot.
A clean shot right on that injured jaw of Hardy.
[crowd chanting] Hardy!
[Ross] And Matt Hardy now fighting back up,
re-establish his vertical base.
But then Nitro, those knees to the solar plexus
does the damage again and as a trend it has…
[Jerry] I think that knee went right to Hardy's face or his jaw.
-One! Two! Three! -[Jerry] Oh, no. This is not good.
-Oh! -[Ross] Double team.
-[Melina screams] -[Ross] And right to the face again
and Matt Hardy may look worse
than Joey Mercury by the time this one's over.
Mercury with a cover.
[Jerry] What a scream of joy from Melina.
[Ross] And another count.
I haven't made a lot of women scream, so I can't tell you.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. Look out. -[Ross] And there's a takedown.
Here we go. Right there, a right hand.
-Hey! Open it out! One! Two! -[Ross] A right hand again,
right to the head and Hardy trying to cover up
as best that he can, but it's obvious the game plan…
[Jerry] Oh, man.
-[Ross] Hard, short clothesline. -[Jerry] That may be it.
[Ross] Everything that Matt Hardy has suffered from
-has been from the shoulders up. -One! Two!
[Ross] And there's another cover, and another near-fall.
And now, King, it may be just a matter of time
because it looks like Matt Hardy is…
how many… how many bullets can Matt Hardy dodge here?
[Jerry] Oh, I don't know, but these four men
put on one of the most amazing tables,
ladders, and chairs matches that I've ever seen
and that's led up to this. I don't…
You tell me, J.R., have you ever seen a worse injury
than Joey Mercury suffered in that match?
[Ross] I really haven't, King. That was… that was sickening and…
This kid's lucky his career wasn't ended there.
And Matt Hardy trying to fight back, a blatant pull of the hair.
Referee admonishing Nitro but the damage and the results are there for all to see.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[Ross] Mercury measuring Matt Hardy. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And Mercury may have hesitated a half a count too long.
And Hardy counters with a right hand.
-[Jerry] There's a tag. -[Ross] Hardy may have hurt his hand
hitting that protective mask. Tags on both sides.
Jeff Hardy and Nitro got their tags and Jeff Hardy has kicked the pace up
a couple of notches.
-[Melina screams] -[Jerry] Ooh!
[Ross] Face first, a face buster, almost a modified suplex.
The float-over, the cover, and Johnny Nitro and Jeff Hardy
who had a hellacious cage match at New Year's Revolution.
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[Ross] Whisper in the Wind,
and Jeff Hardy caught the high-risk.
And there's the cover, a three-- No. Mercury interrupted the three-count.
-[Melina screams] -[Doan] Hey!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy-- Matt Hardy in.
-[Jerry] Oh, man. -[Ross] Matt Hardy in illegally,
suplexing on Mercury.
And it's Jeff and Nitro, the legal men, and Matt Hardy in illegally.
-[Jerry] Yup. More good tag team strategy. -[Ross] Illegal.
[Jerry] Double team while you can.
Uh-oh, J.R.
-[Ross] Oh, my God. -[Jerry] They must have heard me, J.R.
-Here we go. -[Ross] The Hardys…
[Jerry] How long has it been since we've seen this?
-[Ross] Oh! -[Jerry] Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute.
[Ross] Nitro got his knees up
and drove them into the abdomen of Jeff Hardy.
And the key point is that Matt Hardy's gotta leave.
He's not the legal competitor.
[Jerry] Well, Matt Hardy hit his leg drop right on the head. Watch this.
This is like a half and half, half successful and half not.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Nitro gets the tag, Mercury has got to recover here
but Jeff Hardy got the air driven right out of him,
coming off that… that top rope.
Nitro hurt himself as well but Jeff Hardy is really in a disadvantage
and Mercury has an opportunity here to finish business,
to take care of his business here with Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Melina trying to help, I think, to resuscitate Johnny Nitro over here.
Oh, wow.
[Ross] That knee buried to the midsection again.
-And there's a cover. -[Doan] One! Two!
[Ross] Nitro looking for a three-count.
-Jeff Hardy kicked out Nitro… -Okay, it's all right, Joey.
-…with a somewhat unorthodox cover there. -Come on.
[Ross] But Hardy got the air knocked out of him and again,
you'll see Nitro going right back to that solar plexus and abdomen
to not let Jeff Hardy continue to… to breathe in and out freely.
[Doan] Back off! Back off!
[Ross] MNM has a victim this time, Jeff Hardy back in the corner.
[Jerry] Well, you can't-- You gotta give MNM credit.
These guys had a-- Obviously, like you said,
their game plan was to isolate one of the Hardys,
they didn't really care which one it was.
-Probably-- Oh, man, look at this. -[groans]
-[Melina screams] -[Jerry] Keep the Hardy in their corner
and work him over and so far, it's working.
[Ross] Nitro with a knee, the hook to the far leg.
And Jeff Hardy using what we are assuming
is just about what's left in his tank. Hard shot again to the torso.
All started with that high-risk that Jeff Hardy paid for
with the knees of Nitro a few minutes ago
and there's some nice tandem offense by a very talented MNM.
[Jerry] Nitro holding on to his jaw--
-One! Two! -[Ross] Cover. Here we go.
[Jerry] That leg drop from Matt Hardy
may have dislocated the jaw of Johnny Nitro.
[crowd applauding]
[Ross] Huge crowd here tonight in San Antonio, Texas.
Over 16,000 selling out the AT&T Center here in the Alamo City.
Standing waist lock, Hardy elbows his way free.
-And a nice cradle… -One! Two!
…avoiding the knee, and Hardy got a near-fall from that cradle.
And look at Joey Mercury going right back to work on the…
on the sternum and the abdomen of Jeff Hardy.
No, no wasted motion by MNM.
[Jerry] No, Joey Mercury just-- He comes up clubbing,
just those big clubbing right hands. He doesn't really care where he hits you.
-One! Two! -[Jerry] Oh, this is not gonna be good
-for Jeff. -Three! Out.
[Ross] A double team and the cover.
The cover, and Matt Hardy in to try to interfere…
Referee's got his hands full, I can tell you, with this one
with literally five participants if you count Melina.
[Jerry] Well, you know, you gotta-- You can't forget Melina on the outside.
[Melina] Yes!
[Ross] Nitro again and punishing the Intercontinental Champion.
These two have had some tremendous contests
over the Intercontinental Championship.
And body scissors and a reverse chinlock, modified reverse chinlock.
That body scissors, just the main application here.
[Jerry] And trying to squeeze the breath and the strength out of Jeff Hardy…
-You're weak Jeff! Weak! -…what strength there is left.
[Ross] I'm not sure Jeff Hardy's got a good full deep breath
since he got that air originally knocked out of him several moments ago.
And Hardy again using his elbows.
[Jerry] Well, J.R., you gotta admit, obviously the strategy of MNM
was to slow down the Hardys and to this point, it has worked.
[Ross] The Hardys are like a fast-breaking basketball team.
They like to kick the pace up.
And right now, Matt-- Or Jeff is trying to get to Matt, his brother.
[Jerry] Struggling with all the strength he's got.
-And look at-- -[Ross] And Mercury doing a nice job
keeping his body between the Hardy brothers.
[Jerry] So close there but no tag.
Referee's right in position to see a tag if there is one.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Nitro applying that chancery.
And now, grabbing that belt for a little additional leverage.
[Jerry] Jeff, watch the belt there.
Oh, there you go. Nice sky drop. There's a tag.
-[Ross] That drop-- Matt Hardy here… -[Jerry] And wait the-- Ref, the tag.
[Ross] Oh, what a bad break for the Hardys.
[Jerry] The ref didn't see it, Joey Mercury had the ref distracted.
-[Ross] And more importantly perhaps… -[Jerry] Look at this!
…MNM assaulting Jeff Hardy after,
and I stress, after they pull Hardy back into the MNM corner
as far from the Hardy corner as you can possibly get in the squared circle.
[Jerry] The ref missed the mugging over here.
[Ross] Now, this and anything else, officials can make a bad call
-or not see it. -One! Two! Three! Four!
[Ross] And Mercury's gotta be careful. He's gotta break on four.
You'll be disqualified on five and that would not accomplish,
I don't think, what MNM is seeking here.
[Jerry] Oh, I don't think Joey Mercury is worried about breaking the hold.
He wants to break some noses.
He would love to rearrange the faces of either Jeff or Matt.
[Ross] Tag has been made.
Oh, and this time, MNM went back to the whirl and it backfired on 'em.
And Jeff Hardy-- Well, for a moment there,
causing separation, Hardy trying to get to his corner,
desperately trying and Hardy with a heel kick.
[Jerry] There's a tag, here we go.
[Ross] And that time, we're seeing a legal tag.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Matt Hardy leveling MNM
again in this one-fall match, to kick off the 20th annual Royal Rumble.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] High elevation.
Nice back body drop by Matt Hardy, who has taken over offensively.
A reverse elbow and a drop elbow on… on Mercury.
Nitro now going for the ride and Hardy follows him in.
[Jerry] Whoa, look at that, a combination bulldog and clothesline.
[Ross] And now, Matt Hardy going for the win.
-[Jerry] He did… -[Ross] Oh, two.
And that was about as close as you're gonna get…
[crowd booing]
…without getting the three-count.
[Jerry] All right. What's Matt gonna try here?
[Ross] Matt Hardy on the second rope,
and drives a pointy elbow to the back of Nitro's head.
-[Doan] One! Two! -[Ross] Will that be enough?
There's a count, and Nitro arching his back off the canvas
to get his one shoulder…
[Jerry] Melina's about to have a nervous breakdown over--
Oh, man.
[Ross] A kick to that bad jaw again by Nitro.
-[Jerry] Look out here, look out. Oh! -[Ross] Oh. Jeff Hardy intervening,
looked like a snapshot opportunity for MNM
-and Jeff Hardy-- -[Jerry] Jeff.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] With poetry in motion by the Hardys,
great teamwork by the brothers from North Carolina.
[Jerry] There's Jeff again. Oh, nobody home.
[Ross] And look at the half Nelson, the bulldog.
-[screams] No! -[Jerry] Oh. That was only two.
[Ross] Another near-fall in a hugely competitive match
between four outstanding young superstars.
-Side Effect by Matt Hardy. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And now, Matt Hardy seems to be sitting in the driver's seat.
-[Jerry] There it is. -[Ross] Twist of Fate by Matt Hardy.
Mercury in illegally but the…
-And, oh… -[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, look out.
-[Ross] Mercury and Matt Hardy-- -[Jerry] There was a tag made!
There was a tag made, J.R.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy's the legal man.
-Swanton Bomb, Jeff Hardy the legal man. -[crowd] One! Two!
-[Ross] Hook to the far leg. -[crowd] Three!
-[Ross] And a three-count. -[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -["Loaded" playing]
[Lilián] Here are your winners, the Hardys.
[Jerry] The Hardys win and look at Melina, she's about to cry.
[Ross] There will be no celebration in the camp of MNM tonight
and SmackDown's Matt Hardy,
Raw's Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy,
come to the Royal Rumble and leave with a victory.
[Jerry] Well, let's check it out one more time.
Matt started this thing off with a nice Twist of Fate,
that put Johnny Nitro down but then Mercury comes in, watch this.
Joey Mercury drives Matt out of the ring but there's the tag,
-you saw the tag. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Referee saw the tag and Jeff Hardy saw opportunity,
a high-risk opportunity, the hang time. The height, the elevation,
the velocity, and a victory for Matt and Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Boy, you don't get a better look
at why they call those high-risk maneuvers.
[Ross] Well, folks, let's take you back to the general managers of Raw
and the special representative of SmackDown.
Raw, Jonathan Coachman,
and of course, SmackDown's Theodore Long, who'll be administering
the Royal Rumble match drawing here tonight.
[Jerry] Oh, boy.
Hey, it's going to be just like it was last year,
-SmackDown 2006, SmackDown 2007. -[sighs] Teddy, you're crazy.
Raw is gonna dominate like we do
-every other day. -Well, we'll see about that, player.
And speaking of dominating.
-Coacher. -Edger.
-[crowd jeering] -Hi, Edge.
-Hi. -I'm Kelly Kelly and I'm an exhibitionist
and the official Royal Rumble match tumbler.
-Mm-hmm. -Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
-You're the tumbler. Ain't that cute? -Yeah.
Bless your little heart. That must be really,
really difficult work.
Let me ask you a question, Kelly Kelly.
Did your parents name you twice so you wouldn't forget your last name?
Is that… is that what happened there? [chuckles] Yeah.
Well, at least that is my real name.
Now, hold on. Kelly baby, don't you worry about Edge.
He's, uh… he's just a little upset after last week.
Yours truly threw him over the top rope.
Now, if you excuse me.
[balls clatter]
You know what, man, if need be, I will do the same thing tonight.
Man, what are you doing?
Listen, listen, I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
-[crowd cheering] -[Booker T clears throat]
[crowd jeering]
Tell me you didn't just say that.
This is a historic night. For the first time ever,
the ECW world title defended right here at the Royal Rumble and in my opinion,
it's gonna resemble two speeding semis in a head-on collision.
Well, there's no doubt about that.
A lot of similarities between these two men.
But the question I have is, can the proud plus powerful champion,
Bobby Lashley, turn back the challenge
of the ultra-intense and vicious challenger named Test?
That's the question I have.
-[breathes heavily] -[tense music playing]
[Test] There is nobody in ECW more dominant than Test.
I am a winner. I am the impact player.
I'm better than Rob Van Dam. I'm better than Bobby Lashley.
I've been overlooked for a shot at the ECW world title.
[Tazz] Talk about making an impact.
[Justin] The following contest is a Triple Threat match
for the ECW world title.
[Tazz] Whoever gets the pinfall or submission first is the champion.
[Joey] RVD may be feeling froggy. Who's he gonna hit?
-[Tazz] Oh. -[Joey] Five-star frog splash.
[Tazz] Van Dam went over Lashley and chose to hit Test.
-[Joey] Oh -[Tazz] Oh, man.
[Joey] What a spear by Lashley damn near broke RVD in half.
Oh!
-[Scott] One, two, three, fight's over. -[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Wow.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, hold on a minute.
[Joey] Test is holding Lashley's title.
[Test] Tonight's just about making another impact.
-[Tazz] What the hell is he doing? Oh! -[Joey] Oh!
Test just KO'd the champion Bobby Lashley.
[Test echoing] I am the impact player.
This is mine, not yours! This is mine!
Mine, do you hear me? This is mine. This is mine.
I guarantee Test will be
the new ECW champion.
["This Is a Test" playing]
[Joey] Shades of Joe Namath on the huge guarantee.
Test claims he is going to be the new ECW world champion
but that may be easier said than done even for Test.
-[bell ringing] -[Justin] This bout set for one fall
is for the ECW world title. Introducing first, the challenger,
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, weighing 285 pounds, Test.
[Tazz] Well, Test claims himself to be the impact player.
I go with it man, I believe it, I'm down with it.
I talked to Test earlier, Joey,
he is amped up for this opportunity right now.
[Joey] Test had better be.
But Test not only calls himself the impact player,
also calls himself God's gift to ECW
and the most ruthless competitor we've ever seen in ECW,
and Test had better be if he wants to take the championship
from the powerful Bobby Lashley.
["Hell Will Be Calling Your Name" playing]
-[Tazz] Here comes the champ. -[crowd cheering]
[Justin] And his opponent, from Colorado Springs, Colorado,
weighing 273 pounds,
he is the current ECW world champion, Bobby Lashley.
[Joey] Second-generation U.S. Army Sgt. Bobby Lashley exploded into ECW
just three months ago and speared his way through the 500-pound Big Show.
[Tazz] Well, you know, you gotta realize something with Bobby Lashley,
full of confidence, full of passion, full of ability.
Very explosive is the ECW champion. One of a kind.
-Oh. -[Joey] Speaking of explosive.
[Tazz] I'm telling you, Joey,
not many men can say they're a three-time national champion
in the sport of wrestling, a four-time all American,
a two-time armed forces champion,
a silver medalist in the military world championship,
that is pretty heavy man.
[Joey] And a college sports hall of famer.
As you said, Lashley dethroned the 500-pound Big Show
to win the championship, and since then, Lashley has steamrolled every…
[Tazz] Oh, Joey, hold on, that's what it's all about baby, right there.
If you don't want that ECW title,
then get the hell out of here, that's what it's about.
[Joey] And speaking of that title, we saw Test drive the actual title belt
into the skull of the champion
at the conclusion of that Triple Threat matchup.
[Tazz] Yeah, well, you know what, that was two weeks ago
and Test attempted to walk out with a championship that wasn't his.
But if Test can get the victory here, and I'm pointing out the obvious,
Test might leave San Antonio and the Royal Rumble new ECW champion.
[bell ringing]
[Joey] Test had the opportunity to be in the ring with Lashley
just a few days ago.
Knowing that Test has more experience in the ring than Lashley,
the question is, did Test learn more from that encounter
than Lashley learned about Test?
[Tazz] Well, I said at the end of that broadcast and I'll stand by it,
Test will reload and I'm telling you, I think Test might have reloaded.
I think he's ready to go here. No knock on our champion.
There's no doubt Lashley's loaded, ooh, with ability.
[Joey] Whoa, whoa, whoa. And Lashley is not gonna be disrespected,
Lashley just spearing Test just moments into this matchup
and Test looking to get out of Dodge.
[Tazz] And now, if you're Test, you don't wanna be ridden right now.
You want-- You wanna, you know, get rid by Bobby Lashley.
-You don't want Lashley on top of you. -[Joey] Did you just say get rid?
[Tazz] Yeah, get rid, get rid of him. Get rid of him, get rid of him, get rid.
-You get it. You got it. Good. Got it. -[Joey] I got it. I think so.
Yeah. But you can't-- You do not wanna be on your back
with somebody who's got the amateur wrestling credentials
-of a Bobby Lashley. -[Tazz] Well, that was my point.
-But now… -[Joey] I was translating to English.
[Tazz] Thank you. Test going to town on Lashley, illegal maneuver right there.
-He had a five-count to break it. -[Joey] Oh, and Test is gonna use
every bit of that five-count, about four and seven-eighth seconds
-before he breaks. -[Tazz] You know, Joey, last Tuesday…
last Tuesday night on Sci Fi, the match was a non-title match.
This one's for all the marbles right here.
Both these competitors, I got the feeling, are gonna up the game.
And we've seen it on the early goings of this match.
[Joey] Oh, no question. Totally different story when it counts,
when it's for the championship.
-[Tazz] Well, you know-- Watch out. -[Test groans]
[Tazz] Again, both these men have some similarities in size and power.
Oh, watch out. Nice. Speaking of power!
Well, that's a T-Bone Suplex right there, textbook by the ECW champion.
Very impressive.
[Joey] And Lashley just waiting on the challenger.
-Let's take another look at this. -[Tazz] Watch this throw, watch the hips,
top of the hips, got that up the floor,
-beautiful throw by Lashley. -[Joey] Back to live action.
This time, a delayed vertical suplex. Look at the power of Bobby Lashley.
[Tazz] Oh, my God. One-handed. Oh, a little bit of one-handed there.
Oh, God!
[Joey] And all the blood rushing to the head of the challenger Test,
which also can't help his equilibrium,
I would assume, before he comes crashing down.
[Tazz] Yeah. That means he would lose his balance.
[Joey] We're on the same page.
[Tazz] Well, not right now. Test trying to regroup out there.
-Two! -[Tazz] And you can't blame him
-to do that. -Three!
[Tazz] Yeah. You gotta try and slow down the momentum.
Oh, oh, wait a minute.
[Joey] And now Lashley going right out after Test.
[Tazz] Oh, very smart of Lashley, don't let the man regroup.
Don't let the challenger regroup.
Everybody knows, it's no secret, well-documented,
that Test has always got some shenanigans up his sleeve.
[Test grunts]
[Joey] And Lashley going right out after-- Threw the challenger back in the ring.
-A very aggressive choice. -[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, my…
[Joey] And I don't care how big and thickly muscled Bobby Lashley is.
When… when human flesh and muscle and tendon meets a steel ring post,
-the man loses every time. -[Tazz] Absolutely.
Watch this impact here. Check it out.
Oh, my-- Good God.
A normal man wouldn't even get up from that
and Lashley-- Well, he's almost up.
[Joey] Lashley far from normal, a genetic freak.
And now it's Test throwing Lashley back in the ring.
Look at Test, wants to capitalize. Cover, hooking the leg,
-this could be it, though. -Come on, ref.
[Tazz] Did you see right here? Lashley
again with the wherewithal to kick out of that.
Lashley excellent off his back, that's that amateur background of his.
Now, an armbar by Test.
You gotta watch. If, you know… if you can take away an arm,
a wing as they say in wrestling,
on a guy like Bobby Lashley, if you're Test,
you eliminate a lot of his ability
to throw those explosive suplexes and half of his power would be gone.
[Joey] That's an excellent point and that could very well be
a result of Bobby Lashley careening into that steel ring post.
And Test, like a shark that smells blood,
going right after Lashley if, in fact, Lashley is injured from hitting the steel.
[Tazz] And I was trying to point out earlier,
both these men have a lot in common as far as size and power
and quickness and intensity.
But Lashley, the champion, very humble, very soft-spoken,
but when that bell rings, folks, he turns it up a notch big time,
-becomes a freak in there. -[Joey] Yeah. And directly opposed to Test
who is not humble by any means, and may be the most conceited athlete
-in the ECW. Whoa! -[Tazz] Hey, you know what?
There's nothing wrong with that.
You know what? If you can back it up, do it.
Right in that same shoulder by the way, the shoulder-- Oh!
The shoulder that hit the steel post.
-Test on top, we could have an end now. -[Test] Come on.
[Tazz] He might have a separated shoulder, Lashley, possibly a dislocation.
[Joey] And that may be the break, well, literally,
that Test was looking for in this matchup.
And again, Test right back to that wing as you pointed out.
[Tazz] Yeah, pulling back that rotator cuff.
I'll tell you what, I've had shoulder injuries.
That hurts like hell, man.
It's tough, it's tough to come back from that.
Who knows the… the injury that, if there is one,
in the shoulder of the champion Lashley?
[Joey] You know, Test not only calls himself ruthless
but relentless as well, and Test displaying that right now,
all over that shoulder of Lashley.
[Tazz] Can't blame Test, like the man or not,
you've got an injury, you're going after--
You got an opportunity to become ECW champion,
history being made right here, Joey.
As we said earlier, first time ever the ECW title
is being contested at the Royal Rumble.
[Joey] Right here at the 20th annual Royal Rumble
with over 16,000 fans looking on here in San Antonio.
[Tazz] And Test doing a great job right now, keeping Lashley down.
Keeping Lashley from trying to, you know, keep him on the mat.
Oh, stop him. Now give him hell, wrestle him, and that's great by Test.
But this is what you don't want.
You don't want… You don't want Lashley to have vertical base.
-Oh. -[Joey] And tossed nicely
-while sent airborne. -[Tazz] Like that.
[Joey] And that was pretty much all leg strength.
-[Tazz] Watch out. -[Joey] Lashley with the good arm.
From the right side, damn near decapitating Test.
And now going downstairs is Lashley.
[Tazz] How quick is this Lashley from a three-point stance?
-The impact into the abdomen of Test. -[crowd cheering]
[Joey] Explosiveness on the part of Lashley to create so much impact
-in such a short distance. -[Tazz] Uh-oh.
-[Joey] And look at this. -[Tazz] Can he get him up, though?
No, shoulder, man. That shoulder, you do…
you do a-- It might've went out, that shoulder went out.
[Joey] Yeah. But the left shoulder just couldn't support
the 275-pound Canadian Test.
-[Tazz] Oh, you're trying to-- Oh! -[Joey] Oh!
There's a big move right there by…
-[Henson] One! Two! Two. -[Joey and Tazz speaking indistinctly]
-[Tazz] Whoa, that was close. -[grunts]
[Tazz] Frustration by the challenger. Audible frustration.
Watch this boot.
[Joey] Oh, holy smokes.
[Tazz] Not a good way to spend a Sunday night in Texas, I'm telling you.
[Joey] Now, Test, despite being frustrated has to follow up.
I mean, you can see the wheels turning inside the head of Test.
If the big boot was plan A, what's plan B?
[Tazz] I don't know if it's gonna matter. Can Lashley come back from that boot?
[Joey] Uh-oh. Uh-oh. What's this?
Counter. Test was looking to plant Lashley
and again, Lashley pops those hips with that belly-to-belly…
[Test groans]
…followed up by that tight clothesline,
and again, from the right side, Lashley utilizing the shoulder
that didn't get smashed
-into the merciless steel ring post. -Two!
[Joey] That's what Lashley's done so well,
-he's explosive, short, quick… -Three!
-…sudden burst of energy. -Four!
[Joey] I'm gonna watch Test, my…
-Referee's up to five here. -[Henson] Five!
-[Tazz] Test got plastered, Joey. -Six!
-[Joey] You can ask Test, there's nothing… -Seven!
…wrong with Lashley's right arm.
-[Tazz] Wait a minute. -Eight!
[Tazz] Oh, he's gonna count of eight right now, by the ref, here.
-Nine! -[Tazz] Oh, come on. What?
[crowd booing]
-[Tazz] What the hell? -[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Come on.
[Joey] Uh-oh, wait a minute. Lashley is not satisfied…
-[Tazz] Uh-oh. Heads up. Oh. -…with a count-out victory.
[crowd cheering]
[Joey] Lashley going right out after the challenger.
[Justin] The winner of this match as a result of a count-out
and still ECW world champion, Bobby Lashley.
[crowd cheering]
[Joey] You would think the proud champion Lashley
is not gonna be satisfied with a count-out victory here.
[Tazz] Well, would you be if you were him?
-[Joey] Hell, no. -[Tazz] But you're damn right.
Look at Lashley going to town here on Test.
[Joey] Lashley's gonna make sure that Test remembers this matchup
regardless of what the official outcome was.
[Tazz] And look at this, again, the power. Bobby Lashley, ECW champ, has got Test.
-What the hell? Oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] And you'd never know that Test weighed 275 pounds.
["Hell Will Be Calling Your Name" playing]
[Tazz] Look at the intensity of the ECW champ.
Wow.
[Joey] Bobby Lashley showing great resilience
after going shoulder first into the ring post
in the early moments of the matchup, basically one-armed with the right hand.
[Tazz] Well, enough of that, Test decided he didn't want any more of that.
He tried to get out of Dodge. Uh-uh, it didn't happen.
You can run but you couldn't hide.
Test caught-- Test got caught and got whooped.
Wow.
Well, this is what happened. This is how--
this is how the count-out and all this began.
Test took the opportunity to bail out of here
and then after Test tried to get out of Dodge…
Look at that running powerslam by the ECW champion,
the very credible and very powerful Bobby Lashley.
[Joey] Well, Test will remember this matchup
not only because he walked away
from a championship opportunity but because in the end,
Test once again got planted by the ECW world champion, Lashley.
[crowd cheering]
-John, take a deep breath. -[breathes deeply, coughs]
-Let's take a feel of your abdomen. -Doc, doc, I get it.
I understand your concern, but I gotta go out there tonight
and have this match. And there's no way you can do--
What the hell is going on here? Excuse me a second, doc.
I mean, I don't wanna interrupt anything,
like you interrupted me last Monday on Raw.
An abdominal injury, huh?
Any chance of you not competing tonight?
Any chance of you forfeiting the WWE Championship here tonight?
-Not a chance. I'm fine. -You're fine?
-I'm fine. -I don't think so.
-You know why? -Why?
Because…
-you can't see me and I can't see you. -[crowd cheering]
After tonight, I can no longer see you as the WWE Champion.
And after tonight, I sure as hell…
Well, I just don't think I'm gonna see you as the last man standing.
[crowd jeering]
Go back to your business, doc. Good luck.
[door closes]
[upbeat music playing]
[Michael] Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, we are deep in the heart of Texas.
Smack dab in the middle of the Lone Star State,
sold out in San Antonio for the Royal Rumble.
And coming up next, the World Heavyweight Championship is on the line.
JBL from SmackDown, a match we've been waiting for.
Batista to defend against Mr. Kennedy.
Once again, SmackDown is headlining the pay-per-view.
Mr. Kennedy has defeated six world champions in the past 12 months.
He finally gets a chance to do it when the championship is on the line.
[Michael] It is the hungry world champion, the Animal, Batista,
ready to unleash against the number one contender,
the challenger, Mr. Kennedy.
Kennedy beat the clock to get here tonight.
[tense music playing]
[Mr. Kennedy] Over the past two weeks,
16 SmackDown superstars had the ability to compete
in the Beat the Clock Sprint.
And the man with the fastest time would go on to the Royal Rumble
to face world heavyweight champion, Batista.
No one could beat my time, not even the all-powerful Undertaker.
[Michael] Chokeslam! Look at this.
Mr. Kennedy just pulled Miz out of the ring.
And the referee has seen none of this transpire, John.
[Bradshaw] The Undertaker has 20 seconds to get him back.
[Michael] Undertaker back into the ring.
-[Bradshaw] We got a win-win situation. -[Michael] The referee's come to…
Going for the Tombstone.
[Bradshaw] Come on, Undertaker, here's the cover, but he--
-[Michael] No! -[buzzer blaring]
[Mr. Kennedy] I was just doing what each and every one of you would have done.
I was just protecting my best interests.
You see, I am the fastest rising superstar
in the history of the WWE.
I have defeated six world champions.
I've already proven that I have the physical ability.
-[Michael] Hey. What a cheap shot. -[Bradshaw] What the hell?
Batista with a spear. Batista speared Kennedy.
[Mr. Kennedy] I've already proven that I have the mental tools necessary.
[Michael] The Phenom in the ring, and Kennedy ducked.
Kennedy ducked and heads out of Dodge.
[Mr. Kennedy] So, therefore, it is only fitting
this Sunday at the Royal Rumble,
the winner of the match and new
world heavyweight champion,
Mister…
Kennedy.
-Kennedy! -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And for the first time in his young career,
Mr. Kennedy will battle for the World Heavyweight Championship.
-["Turn up the Trouble" playing] -[bell ringing]
[Chimel] The following contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Introducing the challenger, from Green Bay, Wisconsin,
weighing in at 235 pounds, Mr. Kennedy.
[Bradshaw] The lights are on bright, Michael.
-It's time to dance. -[crowd cheering]
Ladies and gentlemen, what you see before your very eyes
is sports entertainment,
is the next world heavyweight champion,
is Mr. Kennedy.
[crowd jeering]
-Kennedy. -[crowd jeering]
[Bradshaw] Just like my home, Michael, New York,
so damn good, you gotta say it twice.
-It's Kennedy, Kennedy. -[crowd cheering]
You big son of a bitch. Come on!
-["I Walk Alone" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] They are on their feet in San Antonio
for the world heavyweight champion,
the hungry Batista.
Batista!
[Bradshaw] They are on their feet, Michael, because they're about to see
a world championship, something you get to see very few times in your life,
but something the people of San Antonio know something about.
-[crowd cheering] -♪ Inside this pit of danger ♪
♪ A place where no one follows me I walk alone… ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Chimel] And from Washington D.C., weighing in at 290 pounds,
he is the world heavyweight champion,
-Batista. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Ladies and gentlemen, back in November of last year
at Survivor Series, Batista completed nearly a year-long comeback.
He returned from injury to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
And earlier today, the champion told me, John,
that he will do everything in his power, not only tonight, but down the road
and hopefully to WrestleMania,
to keep the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Bradshaw] You know, I personally don't give a damn what the champion said to you.
I don't give a damn who you talked to today.
For the last year, while Batista's been doing this great big comeback,
Mr. Kennedy, the amelioration of Mr. Kennedy has been incredible.
He has defeated world champion after world champion,
screwed by Teddy Long, and he's finally got this opportunity.
He has deserved for months to fight for it all.
[Michael] And that is what it's all about,
-the World Heavyweight Championship. -[Bradshaw] Look at him. Look at him.
Transfixed on that championship belt. He knows damn well
how much that means to anybody who ever dreamed of being in that ring.
[Michael] Mr. Kennedy and Batista squaring off
-for the World Heavyweight Championship… -[bell ringing]
…to be the top dog on SmackDown
and arguably, in all of World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Bradshaw] SmackDown's the cream of the crop, Michael.
You're the top dog on SmackDown, you're the top person in the world.
[Michael] And Batista cannot wait to get his hands on Kennedy.
We thought it was gonna happen Friday night.
Remember, a couple of weeks ago, John, Mr. Kennedy slapping Batista
out here at ringside and I believe angered the Animal
to a point that we have not quite seen Batista at before.
[Bradshaw] You're not giving Mr. Kennedy credit.
It's mind games, Michael. Even at his young professional age,
Kennedy has been playing mind games. He tried it with the Undertaker.
[Bradshaw] Look at him.
-That's mind games. -[crowd chanting] Batista!
[Michael] And Kennedy went right for the knee,
trying to bring the bigger champion down. And Mr. Kennedy hammering away on Batista.
[Bradshaw] Kennedy is indeed becoming the total package.
[Michael] And here's the quick cover by Kennedy.
And a kick-out with the title on the line.
We made mention of Mr. Kennedy and the six champions
he defeated last year, Rey Mysterio, King Booker,
Chris Benoit, The Undertaker, Kane,
and this man, Batista,
-on two separate occasions. -[Bradshaw] Unprecedented.
[Michael] Oh, thumb to the eye by Kennedy.
[Bradshaw] No hesitation.
You give Kennedy an opening, Kennedy takes the opening.
[Michael] And that is typical style of the brash, young,
cocky, and confident Kennedy, but he ran into a boot of the champion.
[Bradshaw] What do you mean typical style?
Typical style that he does whatever he has to to win?
If he does, that's good.
[Michael] And Batista looking to use the power game.
And a suplex delivered to Mr. Kennedy.
Quickly into the cover for the champion, shoulders down,
kick-out at two by the number one contender.
[crowd shouting]
[Michael] And Batista in pursuit of Mr. Kennedy.
As we take another look, look at the boot off the jaw.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And Mr. Kennedy bounced off the barricades out here at ringside.
And driving the champion knee-first into the steps.
And Mr. Kennedy early on, JBL, seems like he may be targeting
the knee of the champion.
[Bradshaw] Mr. Kennedy is targeting an opening, Michael. Look at him.
Batista gives him an opening, bam, he takes it.
That is the making of a champion. That's the gentrification
that you have seen in Kennedy this past year.
[Michael] And off the apron, Batista, a right hand
to the back of the neck of Kennedy, favoring that left leg.
Referee Nick Patrick at a count of seven, champion back in the ring.
Did you see moments ago how Mr. Kennedy quickly got in the ring
to break the ten-count? He realizes he cannot win the championship
via count-out. It's gotta be done in the ring by pinfall or submission.
[Bradshaw] Kennedy has defeated six world champions
but not for world championships.
-He understands the only way-- -[Michael] You said that already.
[Bradshaw] Yeah, well, listen to me, damn it.
Don't interrupt me again, smart-ass.
That is the only way to defeat Batista tonight,
is to get that gold that puts you in the hall of fame.
That gets you the chicks, that gets you the money,
that gets you headlines
-and pay-per-views. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Mr. Kennedy right back to the knee.
And it's been well-documented, JBL, when Mr. Kennedy
can target a body part, he will be relentless
and rabid on the assault throughout the matchup
-and that's what he's doing here. -[Bradshaw] Just what I said.
-Just exactly what I said. -[Michael] And if you take--
[Bradshaw] I'm sitting out here with a damn parrot.
[Michael] And if you take the knee out of the equation,
it takes the power game away from the champion.
-[Bradshaw] This is smart. -[Michael] Watch this, right to the knee.
[Bradshaw] One thing you're right about, Michael, from the beginning,
Kennedy had that knee in mind. You go after that leg,
you take out the Batista Bomb. You take out the sidewalk slam.
You take out the Animal's power. This is smart.
[Michael] Mr. Kennedy, full force of his body onto the knee.
You almost heard the Animal writhe and cry in pain
as Kennedy delivered the blow again to the knee.
Again the cover, shoulders down, world championship on the line,
and a kick-out by the champion.
[Bradshaw] How can you almost hear somebody cry?
[Michael] You can almost see it. You can almost see it materialize.
That's why you watch your monitor when you call the match.
And look at Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy
trying to round up Batista here and he does.
And he turns the Animal over on his stomach
-[Bradshaw] He's got him. -[Batista groans]
[Michael] Submission maneuver, Batista the champion in trouble.
[Bradshaw] He's got the leg hyperextended.
There's nowhere for Batista to go unless he can get to the ropes.
This is it, Batista.
[Michael] Batista needs to get to the ropes, the champion in trouble.
Will the champion tap out? If he does, Mr. Kennedy will become world champion.
[Bradshaw] How great is this? We're under five minutes
in a world championship match, and already Batista is injured.
[Michael] And Kennedy using the rope for leverage.
Referee Nick Patrick did see it. Now he's ready to force Kennedy…
-Come on. Break the hold. -…to break the hold.
You watch it on the ropes, Mr. Kennedy.
[Michael] And you heard Nick Patrick say,
-"I caught you on the ropes." -Get off the ropes.
[Bradshaw] There's a five-count, Michael. It's like the IRS.
What they don't know doesn't hurt them.
[Michael] I believe Mr. Kennedy is beginning to bleed
from one of the nostrils.
Kennedy continues the assault on the left knee of the champion.
The "Animal" Batista in trouble. Will this be Mr. Kennedy's night?
[Bradshaw] Mr. Kennedy has worked all year. Look at it.
[Michael] Oh, and a driving knee.
[Bradshaw] That's how you win a world championship.
You go to the leg, he worries about the leg,
and you knock his damn head off.
[Michael] Growing in confidence in every move in this matchup,
Mr. Kennedy has got the champion literally on the ropes.
And again drives a knee into the temple of the champion.
[Bradshaw] Broken nose or not--
[Michael] Cover, hook to the leg, will this be it here? Two! Two and a half.
-Batista kicked out. -[Bradshaw] This is the night
that Kennedy has looked forward to all of his life.
He grew up there in Green Bay, the city sucks,
you don't have anything to live for.
You get into World Wrestling Entertainment,
you got a shot at the world championship. This is Kennedy's dream.
[Michael] Mr. Kennedy trying to roll Batista over on his stomach.
Can he roll him on his belly? It looks like--
Almost a half Boston crab here as he continues the pressure
on the knee, the leg of Batista. Again, a submission maneuver,
dragging the champion more to the center of the ring,
keeping him away from the ropes where he can break the hold.
-[yells] -[Bradshaw] Not only that, Michael,
you're in that half Boston crab, the guy that is--
that had move put on cannot breathe.
[Michael] You can see Mr. Kennedy with the blood coming from the nose,
seeming to relish it, seeming to enjoy it.
Realizes the champion…
-[Bradshaw] He feels it. He feels it. -Come on!
[Michael] …may be moments away from tapping out
with the world title on the line.
[Bradshaw] You dream of getting in a championship match,
you finally get there, Michael, and you realize
you've been punched in the mouth.
I know very well about that, you realize. You know what, damn it, I belong here.
That is what Kennedy is going through right now.
He's realizing he belongs in this match.
And he can be, tonight, the world champion.
[Michael] The champion Batista's face told the entire story
as he crawls desperately toward the rope.
And again, Kennedy pulls him back to the middle of the ring.
[Bradshaw] And who thought this would happen, Michael?
Under ten minutes in the match, Batista's already crawling…
-[Michael] Look at Batista. -…to try to avoid a submission.
[Michael] What a great counter by Batista. Batista rolls Kennedy up,
they hold here, shoulders down, and a kick-out by Kennedy.
The champion almost surprised Kennedy.
And Batista with Kennedy up on his shoulders.
How is Batista doing it? Although Kennedy slips up the back end.
And again, back to the hamstring, the back of the knee.
Every time Batista builds any momentum, Kennedy's there again.
[Bradshaw] I told you, Kennedy allows any opening there is,
you cannot create any distance with Kennedy.
[Michael] Oh, look at this. Batista with a spinebuster,
that could be the opening the champion needs.
Oh, wait a minute, back to knee. Maybe that was all Batista had left.
Could he have injured the knee on that spinebuster?
[crowd cheering]
[Bradshaw] The knee was injured before that, Michael.
That's what they're going after, look at it.
[Michael] Did he injure the knee more? That's the question.
[Bradshaw] The main thing, Michael, whether he injured it more or not,
is Batista is not able to do a move and follow up on it.
This is a world championship match and Batista may have blown out his knee.
[Michael] And normally, what happens after that spinebuster,
Batista gets set for the Batista Bomb, wasn't able to do it there
because of the injured knee.
[Bradshaw] This is Kennedy's game right now.
-[Michael] And back to the knee… -[Bradshaw] Smart.
…goes Kennedy, who won the Beat the Clock challenge
in controversial fashion to be here tonight.
But that kick may have awoken the Animal.
-The Animal with a clothesline. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Now trying to fight off pain, trying to fight through pain.
-Back body drop. -[crowd cheering]
[Bradshaw] The Animal can't move, though.
[Michael] Batista storming into the corner.
He moved pretty well there. And Batista trying to bring Kennedy up,
slamming Kennedy, maybe without full force,
but perhaps effective enough.
And Batista, as Kennedy missed with a wild left hand,
up on the shoulder of Batista, the champion,
Kennedy gives the-- Wow!
[Bradshaw] Look at those elbows in the jaw.
-[Michael] Batista may be moments away. -[crowd cheering]
[Bradshaw] What an in your face. He threw the Kenton Bomb
right back at Mr. Kennedy. He's calling for it.
Batista better end it in a hurry because Batista is not at full speed.
[Michael] Thumbs up, thumbs down, going for the Batista Bomb.
-Kennedy's in trouble. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Batista's setting up the challenger
and Kennedy went to the knee again.
And an elbow to the back of the head of the referee.
And a blatant low blow. Mr. Kennedy, neckbreaker.
-And Kennedy gets the cover. -[Bradshaw] We got a new world champion.
-[Michael] Into the cover. -[Bradshaw] One, two, three, four.
Get up, Nick Patrick, come on, damn it, Five, six, seven, eight. Come on.
-[Michael] Referee Nick-- -[Bradshaw] You gotta be kidding me.
This is a world championship match. Kennedy had it.
[Michael] And Kennedy begging referee Nick Patrick to get back to his feet.
A boot to the face. And a DDT.
[Bradshaw] Get him Kennedy. Get him Kennedy.
[Michael] Here's the cover. Shoulders down.
-[Bradshaw] One, two. Three! -[Michael] Look out here.
Batista kicked out.
-[Bradshaw] He got him. -[Michael] No, he didn't.
Batista kicked out at two and a half.
[Bradshaw] What in the hell?
[Michael] Mr. Kennedy thought he had the champion
and Batista kicked out.
[crowd chanting] Kennedy!
[Michael] And Kennedy slamming away to the back of the neck of Batista.
Whipped into the corner. Here comes the Animal.
Walked into the boot but he caught him on the other side.
[Bradshaw] Get him, Kennedy.
[Michael] Kennedy ran into a clothesline.
-[crowd cheering] -[grunts]
[Michael] The Animal from out of nowhere.
Going for the Batista Bomb. Kennedy's up, Kennedy's down.
Batista Bomb. Hook to the leg. Here's the cover.
-Batista retains the championship. -[bell ringing]
-[Bradshaw] Damn it. -["I Walk Alone" playing]
[Chimel] Here is your winner and still world heavyweight champion,
Batista.
[Bradshaw] Kennedy was robbed, damn it. The referee got knocked out.
I give it to Batista. He had the guts to do it.
But the match was over, Michael.
This was a tainted championship by Batista.
That gold right there should be going to Kennedy.
And damn it to hell, Kennedy should be going to WrestleMania
as the world champion. This is a travesty. Damn it!
[Michael] The referee was inadvertently knocked out
but Mr. Kennedy used a low blow to keep Batista down.
But nonetheless, the bottom line is this--
[Bradshaw] He covered him for a ten-count, Michael.
[Michael] After a low blow.
[Bradshaw] He covered him for a ten-count.
[Michael] The bottom line is this, Batista is the world heavyweight champion.
Batista took everything Kennedy threw at him and more.
And Batista retained
the World Heavyweight Championship here tonight.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] There's referee Nick Patrick
getting knocked down inadvertently.
[Bradshaw] Here's the-- Look at this. Look at this.
Get out a stop clock.
One, two, three, four, five, six, keep counting.
[Michael] And then the Animal exploded.
[Bradshaw] The match should be over right here, Michael.
-[Michael] Well, it was over, right here. -[Bradshaw] This should never happen.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Batista retains the world championship.
A courageous effort by the champion.
[Bradshaw] Somebody call the San Antonio sheriff
because Kennedy was robbed tonight.
[Michael] Kennedy wasn't robbed. He was beaten by a game champion,
by the world heavyweight champion, the Animal, Batista.
[Bradshaw] No, he is beaten 'cause Nick Patrick had his head
up his ass, and laid down when he was-- Ignored a damn world championship count.
[Michael] I guess you didn't see the low blow.
[Bradshaw] I saw the low blow. So what? You get hit in the mouth, you get hit low,
that's what happens in world championships.
Kennedy, after a year of beating six world champions,
had a shot with the lights on bright. He danced his ass off
and he deserves to be walking out with that gold right now,
going to WrestleMania.
[Michael] And a smile on his face
as he left the ring told the story for Batista.
The Animal, retaining the World Heavyweight Championship
here at the Royal Rumble.
♪ A place where no one follows me I walk alone ♪
[song concludes]
It's just as the cards predicted.
[chuckles]
It's time to feast.
-Teddy, there are some freaks in ECW. -I'll be John Brown, to that.
-Whoa. Wait a second. -[grunts]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's he gonna do? What does he want?
-He wants to pick a number. -What does he want?
-He wants to pick-- -Just stop. Stop him.
Give the little fella a chair. Get him a chair.
-Just stop for a sec. -[grunts, growls]
Wait, it's all right.
He wants to pick a number, get him a chair there.
-[growls] -Hey, easy. Oh!
-It's okay Coach. -[grunts]
[grunts, laughs]
I hope there's not a small number in there. [chuckles]
-Oh, no! [screams] -[grunts, growls]
[screams] Oh, he bit my ear, Teddy.
-No! [screams] -[grunts, laughs]
[Theodore] Hey, Coach? Are you okay?
[laughs, gasps]
-[crowd clamoring] -[screams]
[balls clatter]
-Hey, he's got more than one ball. -Khali.
Khali, you can only take one ball. Just one.
[crowd cheering]
Wow. These are the biggest balls I've ever held.
[crowd cheering]
Damn.
["Ladies And Gentlemen" playing]
[Jerry chuckles] Do you want it? Do you need it? Do you hear it?
Well, you hear it.
That is the official theme song for WrestleMania XXIII,
courtesy of Saliva, it's called "Ladies And Gentlemen."
And J.R., look who we have with us here tonight
at Royal Rumble, there they are, it's Saliva.
[Ross] From good old Memphis, Tennessee, King.
[Jerry] Oh, yeah, my man.
[chuckles] All right!
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to decide
the WWE Championship,
the most coveted title in World Wrestling Entertainment.
And you gotta wonder the exact physical condition of John Cena.
The match I believe favors Umaga, last man standing.
But for Cena, no excuses.
That's right. Who can withstand the punishment tonight?
Will it be-- Will it be Cena? Will it be Umaga?
Who will be the last man standing J.R.?
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's what we're gonna find out.
But this Umaga is a runaway Samoan train.
[Jerry] Oh, yes.
[Ross] John Cena has a gigantic challenge awaiting him.
Umaga is a relentless super heavyweight, hell-bent on becoming the WWE champion.
[John] Last night, I got my ass kicked.
I found out the hard way why they call him the Samoan Bulldozer.
[Jerry] We may be seeing the end of the title reign of John Cena.
-Oh! -[Ross] And Cena pulls himself up.
Cena with a roll-up. Can he… Oh, my God. He did it.
[Jerry] John Cena, beaten, battered, bruised, but he's still the champ.
[Ross] Umaga gets his first loss in his WWE career.
[Armando] Cena, you should know I'm full of surprises.
[Michael] At the Royal Rumble, who better to choose
what kind of match this is going to be than Armando Estrada.
[Armando] Unlike New Year's Revolution, you're not going to be able
to get a fluke win this time.
Because at the Royal Rumble, you're going to defend the WWE title
in a Last Man Standing match.
Where the only way to win is to beat your opponent so badly
and so decisively, you can't even answer the count of ten.
[John] You actually think that I'm crazy enough to sign this?
Well, there's two things you should know about me.
One, is I am crazy enough to sign this,
and the second is that I also am full of surprises.
-[Jerry] Oh, look out here! -[Ross] Oh, Cena. Umaga's rattled.
And Cena now, oh! What a headshot.
[John] Nothing is impossible and nothing will stop me from fighting like hell
and walking out the WWE champion.
[Armando] There is no way you're going to be the last man standing
and there's no way you're walking out the WWE champion.
[Ross] The question is, will even John Cena be able to beat Umaga
in a Last Man Standing match?
[upbeat rock music playing]
[Ross] Umaga. No. Not the spike. Cena, incapacitated.
Oh, my God. Don't do this.
[dramatic music playing]
-[referee] One! Two! Three! Four! Five! -[crowd chanting]
Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!
[bell ringing]
The following is the Last Man Standing match
and it is for the WWE Championship.
Now, here are the rules.
There are no pinfalls, no count-outs, no submissions,
and no disqualifications.
The match will continue until one superstar
can no longer answer to the referee's count of ten
therefore making the winner the last man standing.
["Virtual Voodoo Pt. 1" playing]
[crowd clamoring]
[Lilián] Introducing first, the challenger,
from the isle of Samoa, weighing in at 350 pounds, Umaga.
[Ross] You know, King, notwithstanding the fact,
I'm still curious as to why Umaga's handler
got to choose the stipulation for this WWE title match.
-[Jerry chuckles] -[Ross] But one thing about Umaga
is since last April, this man has been beaten one time.
-[Jerry] Well, I tried-- -Fa'a Samoa!!
-[Jerry] Well, the reason Estrada got… -[shouting in Samoan]
…to pick the match was, we can thank Jonathan Coachman.
Coachman strikes again.
-[Ross] Well, Umaga… -[Jerry] Look out. Look out.
…Umaga, near a 400 pounder, a super heavyweight
with amazing quickness and agility. But a man that seems to be
on the brink of being out of control
each and every moment that he is in the ring.
[Jerry] Every time I hear those drums,
it reminds me of the old King Kong movie on Skull Island
when they summoned Kong.
But I think Umaga is scarier than King Kong.
[Ross] Umaga looking to win the WWE championship.
And for you karma buffs, it was 36 years ago today
that Bruno Sammartino lost the WWE title to Ivan Koloff.
Will fate repeat itself?
[Jerry] Well, we've seen two titles retained so far here at the Royal Rumble.
I'm sure as John Cena hopes it will be three.
-[yells] -[speaks Samoan]
[crowd chatter]
["The Time Is Now" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Lilián] And from West Newbury, Massachusetts, weighing in at 243 pounds,
he is the WWE champion, John Cena.
[Ross] Well, King, 16,118, that are sold out the AT&T Center
showing their respect to the WWE champion who is only six days
removed from a near tragic injury at the hands of Umaga.
We thought on Monday night that Cena may have had a--
His sternum severely injured.
[Jerry] Well, I'm gonna tell you J.R., I don't like the looks of this.
You could tell-- I could tell from John's demeanor
that he is not 100 percent.
That abdominal injury has got to be--
It's gonna come into play in this match without a doubt.
[Ross] Well, we're gonna find out later, of course, as the week progressed
is Cena did sustain an abdominal injury. He was examined again by, uh…
WWE team doctor earlier tonight.
Pretty obvious that the chairman of the WWE,
who he is favoring in this contest.
Mr. McMahon said he "You can't see John Cena being the last man standing."
[Jerry] Cena's ribcage is taped up.
I mentioned-- I mentioned bullseye earlier.
That's like--to Umaga, that's got to be like a bullseye…
-on John Cena. -[Ross] Well, you just have to, uh,
to wonder, and we're not gonna know until the match gets underway
how much trauma Cena can sustain with that abdominal injury
that is heavily taped.
-And Cena… -[crowd chatter]
[Ross] Umaga going nose to nose.
[Jerry] Both-- Both men standing now
but how long and who's gonna be the last man standing?
[Ross] Cena has no backward gear
which may not prove fruitful in this matchup.
As Cena trying to stand toe to toe with a super heavyweight.
Cena with a jaw breaker and a right hand.
Cena, relying on that right hand. Oh, but downstairs goes Umaga,
right to the abdomen.
And you see the response from John Cena,
immediately knocking out of the ring.
Cena is sucking for air here as his body is writhing in pain.
[Jerry] Cena is hurt bad and now Umaga knows it, Estrada knows it.
Look at Estrada…
He is giving Umaga the signals.
He knows-- He's telling Umaga right where to concentrate.
[Ross] And again, there is no count outs in this match,
no disqualifications, no pinfalls
and no submissions.
The match will continue until only--
'til one man cannot answer the referee's ten count.
And that means of course the winner will be the last man standing.
[Jerry] Oh, no. Look out here.
[Ross] And the steel steps welcome John Cena with open arms, so to speak.
-And Cena's abdomen smacking the steel. -[speaks Samoan]
[Ross] Guess who wins?
[Jerry] Well, John Cena hasn't been wondering
since this past Monday night
what his-- what his abdomen was gonna be like.
-Oh, that's a count of two. -[crowd] Cena. Cena. Cena.
-[Jerry] Count up to five, I believe. -[crowd] Cena. Cena. Cena.
[Ross] And Umaga, again-- We'll take another look. Look at-- Listen.
-[Jerry] Good grief. -[Ross] The torso,
the abdomen of John Cena on those steel steps.
And Umaga hammering Cena here on the outside.
-John… -[Jerry] We both know Umaga,
he doesn't care where he hammers his opponent.
These two guys are likely to be all over this arena here at San Antonio.
[Ross] Referee out there, following the action.
As we said, no count outs, no disqualifications.
And John Cena relying on what brought him here.
Oh, that's that big right hand.
[Jerry] Well, he's got-- He's got Umaga wobbly.
[Ross] And Cena now taking Umaga's head off the apron.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] But literally, or seemingly,
I should say, to no avail. But again, Umaga goes downstairs
right to those-- to that injured abdomen of the WWE champion, John Cena.
[Jerry] Man, Cena was rocking Umaga. But as soon as Cena sent Umaga
face first into that ring, I pretty-- It was like a wake-up call for Umaga.
[Ross] Thunderous headbutt by Umaga.
Cena's forehead-- The bridge of his nose, the object of that impact.
-[Jerry] Oh. Look out. -[Ross] And a hard kick,
again, right to the abdomen.
Certainly Estrada, the handler of the number one contender
has Umaga well prepared
for this Last Man Standing WWE championship match.
[Jerry] Well, you're right about that. And there was really no way that John Cena
could prepare for this match.
He had to have spent the week trying to-- Just recuperating.
[Ross] Cena couldn't train this week. He couldn't get his--
all of his physical preparation in for this match due to that injury.
And Cena now, trapped in the corner.
Referee here only to utilize that ten count.
And Cena got a foot up in self-defense.
-[Jerry] Oh, no. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, man. That… that may do it.
No pinfall, no cover here. Referee is using that ten count.
[Jerry] Let's watch this clothesline one more time.
This will knock your lights out.
[Ross] Yes. But more importantly the count is in progress.
And the count is up to five,
Cena beginning to stir.
-Cena's got to be up before ten. -Six!
-Seven. -[Ross] Seven, you heard Mike Chioda.
That's the key issue in this match. Again, don't be looking for submissions…
[Jerry] Oh, that is not good for John Cena right there.
[Ross] And that high impact, King.
The more high impact that Umaga can muster up,
the more is gonna take the lifespan of Cena's title reign away from him.
[Jerry] Wait a minute now.
[Ross] Well, the sad part about it is thanks to thanks to Jonathan Coachman,
Estrada, "last man standing" means no disqualification.
-Five. -[Ross] Cena's not standing.
That's more important right now. Cena near the ropes.
-Six! -[Ross] Six is the count.
Oh, that was mighty nice of Estrada.
He said to Umaga to hold off during the count
but now the steel steps are in the ring.
Cena got himself up at seven, maybe eight.
And John Cena hanging-- Just hanging Umaga.
And-- Wait a minute. Cena can't--
-What's John Cena doing here? -[Jerry] Look at this.
-[Ross] How is the-- Oh! -[Jerry] Look out.
-[Ross] For the love of God. -[Jerry] Oh. Oh, baby.
[Ross] How did John Cena…
go up?
[Jerry] I don't know but after that I believe John Cena
could bench press a Volkswagen, Jim. Count, ref.
And now the referee's ten count is right on Umaga.
-Three! -[crowd] Three!
You could hear the count.
-Four! -[crowd] Four!
[Ross] Umaga's got to be up by 10.
-[Jerry] He's up. -[Mike] He's up. He's up.
[Jerry] He's locationally challenged right now. Umaga doesn't know where he is.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Look at this.
Oh-ho. Have you ever seen anything like that J.R.?
[Ross] My God, that was amazing.
The… the… the adrenaline rush that Cena must've created
and… and found to get the strength in spite of that bruised--
or that torn up abdomen.
-And now Cena, fighting right back. -[Jerry] Man, it-- Oh!
Throwing those steel steps right into the head of your opponent
is perfectly legal in this match.
[Ross] And Cena knocked down again by a phenomenal athletic move
by a near 400 pound man.
Two.
[Jerry] He just had-- There's no telling what those steel steps weigh,
slammed into his head a few seconds ago.
-Four. -[Ross] Umaga may be boggy
and rattled, but Cena's having trouble navigating and-- To get back up.
And another shot there by Umaga.
[Jerry] I think Cena's having trouble just breathing right now, J.R.
-[Ross] And now… -[Jerry] Oh, no, no, no. This is bad.
[Ross] That sound as you can guess, that's got to be Estrada's coaching.
Or maybe it's the instincts of this Samoan bulldozer
trying to squeeze the WWE title out of John Cena.
[Jerry] Well, whether it's instincts or whether it's coaching,
it's going to work I'm afraid.
This is the one thing that John Cena did not need to have happen to him.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Cena is holding on. Again, no submissions.
So, Cena can't lose
by submission in this bear hug.
[Jerry] Boy, and this is one of the few--
well, I would say, few matches we've seen John Cena
in where the champ does not have the advantage,
and especially with that abdominal injury. Oh!
[Ross] Belly-to-belly suplex out of the bear hug.
And Cena down flat. Referee will start counting again.
-[speaks Samoan] -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Last man standing.
[Jerry] Umaga's got some devious things on his mind. Now what?
[Ross] And the referee counting John Cena maybe academic.
[Jerry] Umaga doesn't even wait for-- He really doesn't care
if the referee counts. He just wants to hurt John Cena.
[Ross] Yeah, but King, Cena may not be able to get up right here.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Referee now-- What's the referee on seven or eight?
[Ross] He just hit eight. He just hit eight.
-And Cena's up. -[Jerry] He's up. He's up. John's up.
[Ross] Cena is up at eight, trying to hold on.
[Jerry] Well, he's up at eight but for how long J.R.?
-Ooh, wow. -[Ross] Well, for that long.
A straight right hand took Cena down again.
The WWE champion is being physically challenged
as he has never been challenged in his entire athletic life.
[Jerry] Oh, no. I think Umaga is intent on returning the favor
with those steel steps.
Now, what the hell he's gonna do here, J.R.?
[Ross] I have no earthly idea. But Umaga is… for him seemingly,
carefully position the steps exactly where Umaga wants them.
[grunts]
Right hand, Cena knocked back into the steps.
-[Armando] Umaga! -[Jerry] Oh, no.
-[Ross] Come on. Clean shots, hard shots. -[Jerry] Oh, wait a minute.
Wait a minute, J.R.
Do you see what's coming here?
[Ross] Oh, you don't--
King, listen…
Cena's head is placed against those steel steps.
If Umaga hits this, this may not just end the match,
this may end John Cena.
-[Ross] This 400 pound man. -[Jerry] Look out.
Oh.
Nobody home. Thank goodness.
[Ross] Well, Cena just saved his WWE title at least for a moment.
-This-- My God. -[Jerry] Not again.
-[Ross] How is Cena-- -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Cena just dimmed the lights of Umaga
with the steel steps right between Umaga's eyes.
-The number contender is down. -[Jerry] Come on ref, count.
-Two! -Umaga!
-Three! -[crowd] Three!
Referee's count to three.
-Four! -[crowd] Four!
[Jerry] Umaga is stirring already. Oh, my gosh.
-[Ross] Fans are looking for ten. -[Jerry] Is there anything
that could keep Umaga down for a count of 10?
[crowd] Seven!
[Ross] Umaga is up.
-Believe it or not, Uma… It's Cena-- -[Jerry] Cena…
[Ross] Cena's up too.
-Oh, no. Cena caught in mid-air. -[Jerry] Oh, no.
-[Ross] John Cena. -[Jerry] Oh, no.
-John… -[groans]
[Ross] A tilt-a-whirl sidewalk slam by Umaga,
with all that force just drove the air out of John Cena.
And Cena landing on his lower back.
[Jerry] Check out Umaga's big miss one more time.
That-- You know what? John Cena took advantage of it,
but if that didn't keep Umaga down for a ten count, I don't know what will.
[Ross] Well, Cena's face is telling one hell of a story here.
Every time Cena tries to exhale, he said--
There's a grimace on the face of the WWE champion.
-Cena is struggling just to breath. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
Yeah, you're right. The exhaling is not the problem.
What about the inhaling? Ooh.
Umaga is basic stomping away with that big, thick foot of his.
He's still getting instructions from Armando on the outside.
-[John groans] -[Jerry] Oh, my gosh.
[Ross] That's 400 pounds right in the injured area, the abdomen.
And, yes, that face has told the story of this match.
It is John Cena's will to survive.
[Jerry] And Estrada says go again?
[Ross] Good lord. A second time.
That massive drop straight south…
by a man who could very easily leave here tonight,
the 20th annual Royal Rumble…
-[Jerry] Again, J.R., Umaga's-- Oh! -[Ross] Oh!
[Jerry] What goes up must come down.
[Ross] Big break for Cena. Can he capitalize?
-[Jerry yells] -[Ross] Umaga's face
bouncing off the steel.
The low blow led to Cena getting an advantage.
But how big an advantage?
-[groans] -[Jerry] Oh, no. Look at this.
[Ross] Cena, how in God's name? John Cena slammed this monster.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Umaga slammed right on those steel steps. That may do it.
[Ross] And this-- Cena got the spirit of a warrior, I'll tell you.
Cena holding on to all his got there. Look.
But the referee's counting both Cena and Umaga.
-Four! -[crowd] Four!
[Ross] And that's exactly what the referee should do.
-[Jerry] Oh, Cena's up. Cena's up. -[Ross] Cena's up.
Somehow John Cena is up.
[Jerry] And he's telling Umaga, "You can't see me."
-Five knuckle shuffle. Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Big right hand by Cena,
right into the face of the number one contender
-for the WWE title. -[crowd chattering]
[Jerry] Oh, wait a minute. You got to be kidding me.
-The FU. -[Ross] Oh, my God.
[Jerry] How could John Cena lift this guy?
[Ross] How does Cena-- Oh!
John Cena's head, I think, hit the steps. I know Umaga hit the steps,
but Cena's body, I think, gave away on him.
[Jerry] I think… I think Cena's lower back gave out
but I think his head was trapped between those steps and Umaga's body.
[Ross] I think Cena hit those steps and Cena may have just cost
himself the WWE title with more guts and…
maybe the law should allow, trying to FU a 400 pounder.
[Jerry] Well, the count… the count's up to five, I believe.
See if… see if John's head is between the steps and Umaga.
Oh, yes, it was. Oh, my God. The count's up to eight, J.R.
[Ross] Cena up at eight. Oh, Cena bleeding. Cena bleeding.
I think he's… he's up at nine.
Cena is barely-- Look, he's staggering.
His legs are not under him. John Cena's staggering here.
A bloody mess is the WWE champion.
[Jerry] I'm afraid it's only a matter of time now.
-[grunts] -[crowd shouting]
[Ross] Now, this savage attack.
Cena couldn't even get his hands up as Umaga…
[screams]
…just hammers away at that deep laceration.
And look at the blood flowing from the face of John Cena.
[Jerry] Well, Umaga and Estrada are sensing it now.
[Ross] Cena has been cut.
-[crowd chanting] Cena! Cena! Cena! -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] Thanks those steel ring steps that are still there on the apron.
-[Jerry] Oh, man. -[Ross] And another right hand by Umaga.
-And they're just… -One!
[Jerry] What a… what a match this is, J.R., I mean, what a match.
[Ross] It is physically intense as we expected.
-And Umaga stands over the fallen prey. -Four!
[Ross] Umaga, who is just seconds away
-from being the next WWE champion. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] That's right. Unfortunately the… these steps
as we felt this before, this-- That this match-- That this--
The stipulation-- That he shoved right into Umaga's head.
[Ross] He's up by seven and now eight…
-Cena up at eight and change. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Cena-- You know, I don't know
if John Cena can tell you what count he's in.
Another right hand.
The WWE champion walks right into another right and a big forearm.
[Jerry] But somehow John Cena is still standing.
Wow. Wait a minute.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Where in the hell is John Cena getting this?
[Jerry] Look at this.
John Cena is saying, "Come on, Umaga, give me your best damn shot."
[Ross] And Cena now, firing up.
-Oh, my God. A Samoan drop. -[Jerry] Oh, no.
[Ross] A super-sized slumber-knocking Samoan drop
that took Cena down with a velocity of a car crash.
[Jerry] Oh, man. And the way Cena landed, it was like his body was contorted.
-[Armando] Come on, ref! -[Jerry] Okay. That's got to be it.
[Ross] Those most of abdominal injuries of John Cena…
-I just know-- -[Jerry] Wait a minute, I guess two.
[Ross] A Samoan spike?
[Ross] Nobody can respond from a Samoan Spike.
-Nobody survives the Samoan Spike. -Six!
[Ross] They haven't yet. I don't think they ever will.
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Cena trying to get up and does. -Eight! He's up!
[Ross] Count of eight again.
[Jerry] He's on his feet, but he's gonna turn right into the end.
-[screams] -[Jerry] Oh, it's blocked.
-It's blocked. -[Ross] Cena… Cena trying to block.
Cena-- And a headbutt but Cena did block the Samoan spike,
at least on that occasion.
[Jerry] But all that did, I'm afraid, was buy John a little more time.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And Cena being tied upside down.
Cena upside down, nothing the referee can do here.
Remember, no disqualifications,
and that cut of John Cena is more pronounced than ever.
[Jerry] John is in bad, bad shape.
Look out here J.R. Look out. Oh, look at Cena.
[Ross] Cena sat up.
[Jerry] How did he do that?
[Ross] Just the will to remain the WWE champion is all I can surmise.
-[Jerry] What's he gonna do now? -[Ross] Cena with a leg drop.
John Cena with a leg drop that connected with Umaga.
[Jerry] And even that leg drop from the top rope
is not enough to keep Umaga down.
[Ross] The ring post welcomed Umaga that time.
[Jerry] Uh-oh. Look at Estrada. Estrada's' grabbed that TV monitor.
[Ross] Armando trying to get involved, but Umaga can't get disqualified.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] John Cena with that TV monitor in hand,
Umaga just hanging there.
[Ross] John Cena with a television monitor in his right hand.
Umaga-- Oh, Jiminy-- God!
That monitor, did you see
it bounced on the side of-- the side of the monitor!
Umaga hit right square,
smack-dab in the head with a television monitor.
-[Jerry] And it's legal. -Two!
-[Ross] What's Cena… -[Mike] Three!
[Jerry] The count's up to three.
[crowd] Four!
[Jerry] Watch this one more time and listen.
-[crowd chattering] -[Jerry] Oh.
[Jerry] It's-- I can't believe Umaga is getting up, J.R. How does he do it?
[Ross] I have no godly idea. Umaga at seven or eight.
And John Cena taking Umaga right through… right through the ring ropes.
[Jerry] Umaga is still standing. Damn.
[Ross] Umaga is on spaghetti legs but maybe not.
-And-- Oh. The ring moved. -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] Cena's spine impacted ring post.
-[Jerry] Damn. -[Ross] It moved the ring.
And Cena, who has been deeply cut here
and losing blood by the heartbeat,
his face pounded into the steel ring steps once again.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] This Umaga is using everything at ringside as a weapon.
-[Ross] Cena lying helplessly on the… -[Jerry] Look out, look out, look out.
-[Ross] The ECW announce table. -[Jerry] Watch it, J.R.
And now he's walk… Easy.
-[Ross] What are you doing? -[crowd chattering]
-[Ross] You're a crazy man. -Get him out of here. Look out.
[Ross] What the hell is this savage gonna do?
-John Cena's-- Oh, my God. -Come here, ref. Stop this.
Not that. Don't do this.
-What are you… -[Jerry] What do you mean?
What he's gonna do? Stop him.
-[Ross] Umaga running to Cena. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry laughs]
[Ross] Umaga not just trying to win the WWE title
but to end John Cena's professional career
with that running splash
that destroyed the announce table.
[Jerry] The referee is counting.
It was like a dive bomber that crashed and burned.
[Ross] Will it be enough?
[Jerry] Watch this. Across our table,
SmackDown table, and into the ECW table.
[Ross] The referee's count is up to six.
-[crowd] Seven. -[Jerry] It's seven.
[Ross] By God-- Is Cena gonna do it?
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And nine.
It's-- It's over-- Wait no.
[Jerry] Wait. Why does the referee says that Umaga is up?
[Ross] Wait a minute. Umaga got up at nine.
[Jerry] He didn't have to be back in the ring? He just had to get up?
-[Ross] That's all. No countouts. -[Jerry] Oh, hell.
[Ross] No countouts. This match continues. By God,
-if you can believe it. -[Jerry] You can't beat this monster.
[Ross] And Umaga just nailed Cena again with a right hand
as Cena went to retrieve the number one contender.
[Jerry] Now, what is-- Look at Alejandro.
What's he doing over on the other side of the ring?
[Ross] I have… I have no idea.
[Jerry] He's got some sort of tool or something. What's he got?
-[shouting] Umaga! -[Ross] Estrada just…
took off the top rope.
[crowd chatter]
-[Jerry] What is he… -[Ross] Umaga telling-- I mean,
Estrada trying to communicate--
[Jerry] I don't get what Estrada is doing here.
He just took the entire top rope loose from one ring post.
[Ross] And that's steel that Umaga is holding in his hand.
King, whatever happens, it's gonna be legal.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Armando Estrada is telling Umaga just to use that metal turnbuckle
-as a weapon and put… -[Ross] Oh, no.
-[yells in Samoan] -…John Cena's lights out.
-[Ross] Cena turns around. -[Jerry] Here it comes.
[Ross] And-- Oh! Oh, Cena.
-Oh, my God what an FU. -[Jerry] Oh!
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Good riddance to Estrada.
And now Cena's got the weapon.
-[Jerry] Look out. -[Ross] God damn!
Cena.
And now Cena with the STFU.
-[Jerry] What the hell it this? -[Ross] And a choke. A choke.
-[Jerry] It's legal. -[Ross] It's all legal.
-Cena choking and choking… -[screams]
…the air out of this 400-pound Samoan monster.
[Jerry] Look at the face of Umaga. He's being choked out, J.R., look.
[Ross] And even a monster's got to breath.
-Look at Cena with everything he's got. -[screams]
[Ross] With every torque and ounce of strength of fiber in his being,
Cena is pulling back and choking Umaga.
Umaga, my God, his hold… Uh-oh. Umaga's eyes.
Look at his eyes. Look at Umaga's eyes. Look at his mouth.
[Jerry] Somebody better get Cena off there.
He's choking the life out of Umaga.
-One! -[crowd chanting] One!
[Ross] And now the referee is counting against-- Umaga is somehow--
[Jerry] Look at this.
[Ross] My God, I can't believe this Samoan monster.
-And Cena's going right back. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Cena's going right back to choking Umaga.
[Jerry] I don't think… I don't think it's gonna work.
[John grunts]
[Ross] Umaga's air-- He can't get that air.
-Cena's… -[Jerry] His neck is too big.
His neck is too strong. He's…
[Ross] And Cena on the-- An exhaustion.
-[referee] One. -[Ross] Get up. Get up.
-He's given everything he's had. And Cena… -[Jerry] Is Umaga out? J.R., is Umaga out?
-Finally? -[crowd] Three!
[Ross] I don't wanna say. I don't know.
-Knowing Umaga who-- Cena is up. -[crowd] Four!
-[crowd] Five. -[Ross] The count is at five.
-[crowd] Six. -[Ross] We're looking for ten.
-[crowd] Seven. -[Ross] We're three away.
[Jerry] I don't think he's gonna get up this time.
-[crowd] Nine. -[Jerry] I think Umaga's done, J.R.
-[Ross] Well-- Yes. -[Jerry] Whoo! Oh, man.
-[Ross] My God, Cena's done it. -["The Time Is Now" playing]
[Lilián] Here is your winner
and still the WWE Champion, John Cena.
[Jerry] What a battle.
[Ross] John Cena has walked through hell with Umaga and has returned
as the WWE Champion.
John Cena was bloodied and battered and bruised and injured
but by God, Cena would not stop fighting.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I didn't think anything… I didn't think it was possible.
I didn't think anything was gonna work to keep Umaga down.
But finally with the help of that ring… that ring rope,
John Cena literally choked the life out of Umaga. Look at this.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] We though John Cena had won right there.
[Ross] Yeah, but Umaga survived that.
And then Umaga was gonna use that part of the ring for a weapon.
Somehow he was able to get FU'ed by Cena reaching down,
and then Cena using the ropes to simply choke out Umaga.
It took two tries.
Look at Cena's face. Look at Cena's face.
[Jerry] And listen to Cena.
Every ounce of strength in John Cena's body
is what it took to finally choke out that monster.
[Ross] A primal scream of survival.
[Jerry] Look at Umaga's tongue swelling inside his mouth.
Oh, man.
[Ross] A herculean in effort for the WWE Champion.
But you got to wonder after walking through this hell,
if John Cena can ever be the same again?
-My God, what a fight. -[Jerry] Amazing.
[Ross] Amazing physicality and Cena survived it.
The champ is still here.
[crowd cheering]
Teddy, I have a half a mind to leave right now.
Well, why don't you just do that?
I just might. Your SmackDown rejects are…
-Don't put your fingers on my face. -You're ECW degenerate-- Oh.
Oh.
-Hey, man. -Not much of a choice, eh, boys?
[crowd chatter]
Like it mattered.
You see? That's what I'm talking about.
No class whatsoever.
You always said something happened and he was bad.
But you wanna talk about a man with class, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.
Terri, is possible The Nature Boy is last?
[sighs] Okay.
Well, Mr. Flair,
you maybe last, but you are certainly not least.
[romantic music playing]
Whoo!
[Michael] An extreme exposé to extreme action moments ago.
I still can't get over that Last Man Standing Match,
-Cena and Umaga. -Unbelievable.
I mean, I have seen some amazing sights in my life, some amazing matches
but that was something.
Well, there were three championships retained here tonight.
John Cena took that World Championship
first from me at WrestleMania a couple years ago.
He has gotten better and better every time he gets in the ring.
That could be the best performance I have seen John Cena ever do.
Jerry "the King" Lawler from Raw, joining JBL from SmackDown
and myself as we get set for the Royal Rumble match coming up next.
Lives will be changed, careers will be altered.
Thirty men, one goal, WrestleMania.
[epic music playing]
[Ross] Welcome to the Royal Rumble.
[Michael] This is a Royal Rumble.
[Howard] It is now time for the Royal Rumble.
[crowd cheering]
[Jesse] Hulk Hogan and the Warrior.
[Tony] There is not a person sitting down.
[Ross] The Big Red Machine is going crazy here.
Kane is dominant.
[Gorilla] Oh, yes. Flair did it.
[Ross] It's over. The Game. The Game.
I can't believe it. Two years in a row.
[Vince] Oh, this one's over. The Rock has won the Rumble.
It has been a Royal Rumble. 3:16.
[Vince] Both men went out at approximately the same time.
-Who won this thing? -[Vince] Michaels has been eliminated.
[Howard] Only one of Shawn Michaels feet hit the floor.
[Ross] Oh. Mr. McMahon has won the Royal Rumble.
[Vince] Yes, Benoit has done it.
[Tazz] Batista has won the Royal Rumble.
-[Ross] He did it. He did it. -[Jerry] No! No!
[Michael] Rey Mysterio is going to WrestleMania.
[Jerry] The most star-studded…
-[Michael] Star-studded… -[Ross] Star-studded…
-…Royal Rumble. -…in history.
[Michael] Talk about a who's who?
[Tazz] The ECW Extremist joined Raw and SmackDown superstars.
[Ross] Your chance to dance with the lights on bright.
[Michael] And the winner to get a championship match
at WrestleMania.
[Shawn] May God have mercy on the 29 individuals
who dare to get in my way.
[Edge] You're not gonna win the Rumble and main event WrestleMania.
I am.
[Kenny] At 20 years of age, I'll be the youngest person
ever to win the Royal Rumble match.
[Tazz] The crossface. Benoit rolling toward rumble.
[Ross] This Great Khali is a dangerous animal.
We maybe be looking at the winner of this Sunday's Royal Rumble.
[Kane] That was just the first casualty.
Twenty-nine more await me.
[Booker] I'm gonna go to the Royal Rumble and prove why I am the king of the world.
[Michael] Undertaker making a major statement.
[Ross] That man wants his fifth title reign.
[Michael] It is the Royal Rumble match.
[Jerry] Thirty men in the ring. Every man for himself.
[Bradshaw] Friend versus friend, foe versus foe.
[Ross] One goal, who will headline WrestleMania?
The Royal Rumble match and the stakes couldn't be any higher.
[Michael] The road to WrestleMania starts now.
-[crowd cheering] -[bell ringing]
And now it is time for the Royal Rumble match.
[crowd cheering]
Now, in this match the two superstars
that drew number one and number two will start the match.
Every 90 seconds another superstar will join in
in the order of the number they drew.
This will continue until all 30 superstars are in the ring.
Now, the only way to be eliminated is to be thrown over the top rope
with both feet landing on the floor.
The last man in the ring will be declared the 2007 Royal Rumble winner
and will advance to the main event at WrestleMania XXIII.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Who is gonna enter number one?
-[Ric] Whoo! -[Jerry] Oh, man.
The Nature Boy.
[Bradshaw] The Sixty-Minute Man. How apropos.
-[Jerry] Well. That's-- -[Lilián] Introducing first…
[Jerry] Well, let's go the ring announcer.
…from Charlotte, North Carolina, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.
[Jerry] Ric Flair has spent his entire career trying to be number one.
And usually being successful, but tonight was one night
I don't think Ric wanted to be number one.
[Michael] Well, he should feel at home, Ric Flair,
and entering early back in 1992, 15 years ago,
Ric Flair entered at number three.
He went on to win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble
lasting nearly one full hour.
Fourth longest time in Rumble history.
[Bradshaw] Just 34 seconds short of a full hour.
But can The Nature Boy still be The Sixty-Minute Man again?
[Jerry] JBL, I'm glad Michael Cole has such a good memory, don't you?
-[crowd chatter] -[Jerry] Who's gonna be number two?
[Finlay] My name is Finlay
-and I love to fight. -["Lambeg" playing]
[Lilián] And from Belfast, Ireland, weighing in at 233 pounds, Finlay.
[Michael] Well, it's the first Royal Rumble for Finlay.
The first two competitors to begin the road to WrestleMania
will be "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair from Raw, Finlay from SmackDown.
[Bradshaw] Finlay grew up in Belfast, Ireland.
He's been fighting for the last 30 years of his life.
I don't think 60 minutes is gonna mean anything to him.
[Jerry] Well, you know what?
No better way to start the Royal Rumble than with a damn good fight, is it JBL?
-[Bradshaw laughs] I love a good fight. -[Jerry] And Finlay's always up
-for a good fight. -[Michael] Well, remember last year,
gentlemen, Rey Mysterio won the Royal Rumble match
-from the number two position. -[bell ringing]
[Michael] Lasting over an hour and two minutes.
[Bradshaw] And Mr. McMahon the guy who should be president.
Won it, coming in number two.
[Michael] So Finlay and Ric Flair to start things off.
Any strategy gentlemen you would use
as the first two men in the ring in this matchup?
[Jerry] Well, they're only gonna be in there for 90 seconds
before somebody else enters this thing. So I don't know--
You know, there's not a lot of strategy you can employ in 90 seconds, is it JBL?
[Bradshaw] No. You look at "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
when he first-- Austin 3:16 came around, he made a name for himself.
-He threw them out right and left. -[Jerry] That's true.
And if you could've eliminated your opponent
within the first few seconds then you…
-Well, stand around and wait for somebody. -[Michael] Well, there you go.
And Ric Flair with a knife-edged chop to the chest of Finlay
bringing these 16,000 WWE fans in San Antonio to their feet.
Again, the rules of the matchup, once you're over the top rope
and both legs hit the floor, you are eliminated.
[Bradshaw] I've known three generations of Finlays.
They all love to fight.
Finlay has wanted to be a World Champion his entire life.
Here is his opportunity.
[Michael] Finlay trying to toss Ric Flair off the top rope
for the first elimination of the matchup. Can he do it?
[Jerry] Oh, Nature Boy close to be eliminated
once you get that foot under that bottom rope.
[Michael] Good strategy by Flair. And rake to the eyes
by the dirtiest player in the game, Ric Flair.
Only time in Rumble history the WWE championship
is up for grabs was the Rumble Flair won in '92.
[Jerry] Well, there you see our timer on your screen, five seconds.
We're gonna find out who's third.
[crowd chanting] Three, two, one.
[buzzer trilling]
["Pure Control" playing]
[Michael] Oh, here we go.
The man who's vowed he will become the youngest Royal Rumble winner ever.
And King, a man that has had some problems with Ric Flair in the past.
[Jerry] Well, you say "man" but, I mean, this kid, in my eyes,
is just 20 years old and he's already got three victories over Nature Boy.
[Michael] Do you guys realize that Kenny Dykstra was less than a year old
when the first Royal Rumble took place?
-And Ric Flair turning it up. -[Bradshaw] Ric Flair was alive
when we used to have two people in the Royal Rumble.
[Michael] And look at Finlay, right to work on Ric Flair.
Flair and, of course, his personal animosity toward Kenny Dykstra,
Flair went right after Dykstra.
Every man for himself.
[Jerry] Yeah. And don't think Dykstra is not gonna go right after Flair.
-Oh, wait. -[Michael] Look at this.
Kenny Dykstra-- Every man for himself, Finlay looking to eliminate Dykstra.
[Jerry] That's what you got to love about Finlay, he'll fight anybody.
[Michael] And Ric Flair from behind, trying to take advantage.
[Bradshaw] There are no partners. There are no friends.
[Michael] And Kenny Dykstra not eliminated, went over the top rope,
but his feet did not hit the floor.
-Back into the matchup. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, did you hear that?
[Michael] Flair with the chops to Dykstra.
These two men who have no love lost for one another.
[Jerry] JBL, you know this as well as I do,
is there anything that can light you up more than a Ric Flair Chop?
[Bradshaw] It feels like he's chopping you from inside your chest.
It hurts so bad.
[Michael] Who will be number four tag to the Royal Rumble match?
[crowd chanting] Four, three, two, one.
[buzzer trilling]
-["Live For The Moment" playing] -[Michael] Oh, yeah,
from SmackDown, Matt Hardy…
entering his sixth Royal Rumble match
and Matt Hardy making a beeline for the ring and Kenny Dykstra.
[Bradshaw] Matt Hardy, who already competed tonight
in what was a hell of a tag team with MNM.
[Michael] Side effect. And I was gonna ask you, JBL, will that affect Matt Hardy,
since he's already competed in a match tonight?
-[Jerry] Look at Dykstra. -[Michael] Dykstra hung on.
And Finlay on the other side, trying to be ducked over by Ric Flair.
[Bradshaw] It can't help…
it can't possibly do anything, but hurt Matt Hardy.
The worst thing in the world is to compete, get tired, get cold,
get rested, and then have to come back and compete again.
[Jerry] And Matt Hardy with that dislocated jaw
still got to be tough.
[Michael] And Dykstra delivering the shoulder to the gut of Matt Hardy.
A few years ago, Matt Hardy,
a veteran of these Rumbles, lasted nearly 30 minutes.
He'll have to go longer than that tonight if he's gonna win this.
Four men in the ring, all four of the first entries
into the 30-man Royal Rumble, the most star-studded in history.
[Bradshaw] No one's been eliminated yet.
This is the closest thing we have to an endurance contest
in sports entertainment.
[Michael] And Finlay on the top rope, Matt Hardy trying to dump Finlay out.
[Jerry] Finlay's on his way out
if Matt can get a little more leverage there.
[Michael] Under ten seconds to the fifth entry.
[Jerry] Whoa. Kenny Dykstra in danger over there.
[Michael] Dykstra in trouble as well.
-[buzzer trilling] -["Metalingus" playing]
-[Jerry] Oh, boy. -[Michael] And here comes
the Former World Champion.
Now, the current Tag Team Champion, Edge from Raw, into the ring.
And Edge going right for Ric Flair.
[Jerry] Well, as J.R. would say, business is about to pick up.
Look at these spears.
[Michael] Edge and his partner, Randy Orton. Randy Orton KO'd.
Oh, and nobody holds.
Matt Hardy, who has a personal history with Edge,
delivers the twist of fate.
And Matt Hardy taking the man who actually forced him to leave Raw.
And that would be Edge.
[Bradshaw] Forced him to give up his girlfriend.
[Michael] Oh. Both men down center of the ring.
[Jerry] Boy, that is not the entrance that Edge had in mind.
-[Bradshaw] Look at this. -[Michael] Right out here in front of us,
Ric Flair has not been eliminated for the matchup, ladies and gentlemen.
What is he looking for? I have no idea.
[Bradshaw] The dirtiest player in the game is going to pull one out of the hat.
-Ric Flair. -[Michael] Steel chair in hand.
Ric Flair with a steel chair. All perfectly legal in this matchup.
[Jerry] Flair, I don't know who Flair was. Oh, I know what.
Ric Flair was going to deliver a con-chair-to Edge.
[Michael] Great point.
Flair has been on the receiving end of the con-chair-to
from Randy Orton RKO'ed over the past few weeks.
-[Michael] Eliminated. -[Bradshaw] Eliminated.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] Ric Flair eliminated by Dykstra and Edge.
Every man for himself as Dykstra… Well, he paid for it.
Hey, Kenny, there are no friends in the Royal Rumble match.
[Bradshaw] Take a shower, kid.
[crowd chanting] Five, four, three, two, one.
-[buzzer trilling] -["Bad Dream" playing]
[Michael] And entering at number 6, an ECW extremist,
here comes Tommy Dreamer.
[Jerry] Now things are about to get extreme.
[Michael] And you gotta… you gotta try to figure out, King and JBL,
the… the physical condition of Tommy Dreamer.
Remember, he has been assaulted and attacked by Great Khali
over the past month before Khali left ECW for Raw.
[Jerry] Right now, it doesn't look like he's suffering too many ill effects.
[Michael] No, not at all.
Dreamer's been in one Rumble before
when he was a member of the Raw roster a few years ago.
Yeah, look at this.
Finlay with a right to the face and a takedown, Dreamer.
[Jerry] Boy, right in the jaw of Matt Hardy, that dislocated jaw.
[Bradshaw] The hard thing about the Rumble, and you know this, King,
is you're out there, you're tired, you're trying to eliminate people,
and all of a sudden, someone fresh comes out there and comes after you.
[Michael] You guys know all about being in Rumbles for a long time.
JBL, you lasted 40 minutes in one Rumble.
King, you lasted over 36 minutes in another.
[Jerry] Yeah, but I hid for 30 minutes.
[Bradshaw] He hid under the ring.
[Michael] You stole the punchline from JBL.
-[Jerry] Oh, I'm sorry. -[all laughs]
[Bradshaw] King thought there was a young chick under the ring.
[Michael] And look at this, Edge in trouble. Edge may be eliminated.
Dumped over the top rope, but both feet did not touch the floor.
[Bradshaw] But that's a strategy.
You look at what Jerry "the King" Lawler did over half an hour in the Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] What about what Vince McMahon did?
[Bradshaw] Vince McMahon did the same thing.
Came in number two and won it.
Sometimes you pick your spots. You find a place to hide.
You find a corner to get in and just pick what you can do.
-[buzzer trilling] -[Michael] Who is it?
["Return To The Huka" playing]
[Michael] Entering at number seven from ECW, he is Sabu,
another ECW original.
[Jerry] Well, you know, they say there's no one…
[Michael] Well, what would Sabu do in a Rumble?
He'd take out a table. He's made a career out of it.
[Jerry] Of course.
[Bradshaw] We're getting extreme. I like it.
[Michael] Getting extreme early on.
[Jerry] You know, I can't help but worry that, well, I thought--
I was going to worry that these two ECW combatants might team up,
but it doesn't look like it doesn't.
[Michael] Sabu will do whatever it takes.
He'll throw his body in harm's way to win this Royal Rumble matchup.
Going right for Tommy Dreamer is Sabu.
Edge in trouble on the near corner.
And Sabu goes after Matt Hardy.
[Jerry] Sabu is like a maniac.
[Bradshaw] He's homicidal. He's genocidal.
[Jerry] And Sabu, he's not either. Anything but either.
[Michael] That is for sure. Oh, and Dreamer with that close one.
[Bradshaw] And what else?
Go ahead and finish, Michael. He's homicidal, genocidal, suicidal.
[Jerry] You didn't think I'd knew it all, did you?
-[Bradshaw laughs] -[Jerry] Well, you know what?
He's just the kind of underdog that can win this thing.
[Michael] Sabu in trouble.
Matt Hardy trying to eliminate Sabu, but he's back into the ring.
-[Jerry] Sabu hanging on… -[Bradshaw] And Finlay.
…clinging to those ropes like a spider monkey.
[Bradshaw] He came in number two.
He's been in there a long time.
About to be eliminated.
[Michael] The next entry will be number eight
in this 30-man over-the-top Royal Rumble match.
[Jerry] Finlay got two men trying to get him out of there.
-[announcer] Gregory Helms. -["It's Time" playing]
[Michael] Hey, it's the Cruiserweight champion
who JBL, a year ago tonight, won that Cruiserweight title.
He's held on to it ever since.
[Bradshaw] SmackDown's greatest secret, Gregory Helms.
He's going after his buddy from North Carolina, Matt Hardy.
[Michael] They're not buddies. They've got a major rivalry.
-He's going up to Matt Hardy. -[Bradshaw] I said it facetiously,
-jackass, listen to me. -[Jerry] Oh, man. I wanna tell you, JBL.
Going after him is an understatement. Look at Gregory Helms go.
[Bradshaw] Oh, they've had this… Oh, look at Finlay.
[Michael] Finlay stays in the matchup.
Finlay went over the top rope and remains in the matchup.
[Jerry] Athletic move by Finlay.
[Michael] Sabu choking the life out of Finlay, all legal in this match.
[Bradshaw] Edge and Dreamer. To Finlay, you add a little barbed wire
and a few people run around the streets like crazy.
It's home for him like Belfast.
[Michael] Look at Matt Hardy. Matt Hardy's on the apron.
He's been tossed over the top rope.
Will Helms eliminate his former friend, and now his bitter rival
in Sabu?
Finlay had a head of steam. Sabu holding on.
[Bradshaw] Helms and Hardy spent most of last year fighting each other.
They're picking up where they left off,
and Helms is about to eliminate Matt Hardy.
[Michael] Matt Hardy. See how he's got his legs wrapped around that bottom rope?
Both feet have got to touch the floor before he's eliminated.
[Bradshaw] Helms has been wanting to step up from heavyweight,
just like Rey Mysterio did, like Bernard Hopkins did, Roy Jones.
-This is his chance. -[Michael] Look at this.
Gregory Helms teetering on the top rope near that table
that Sabu set up moments ago.
[Jerry] Well, this is the last 30 of these guys' chance to seize the dream.
[Michael] This will be entry number nine in a 30-man over-the-top rope Rumble.
["Ain't No Stoppin' Me" playing]
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Michael] From the world's greatest tag team, Shelton Benjamin.
His fifth Royal Rumble matchup.
He is a veteran of these affairs.
Goes right to work on Matt Hardy.
[Bradshaw] There's one of your guys, King, one of the best pure athletes in the WWE,
-Shelton Benjamin. -[Jerry] Exactly.
I'm going to tell you something about this guy.
Every Monday night on Raw, he amazes both J.R. and I
-and all our WWE fans with his… -[Michael] Matt Hardy over the top rope.
Matt Hardy hanging on.
Still in the ring. Feet did not hit the floor.
[Jerry] The table's still out there at ringside.
That may save somebody, actually.
[Bradshaw] Shelton Benjamin, a legend in the Carolinas,
an All-American, a high school football player, wrestler,
track star,
one of the best athletes in the WWE.
[Michael] And Shelton Benjamin up over the top rope.
Shelton Benjamin hanging on.
Finlay in trouble. Finlay's going over the top rope.
Can Shelton Benjamin-- A little help from Matt Hardy,
will Finlay be eliminated here?
Finlay is hanging on.
[Jerry] Finlay's got his legs wrapped around.
He's like an orangutan now.
He's got his legs wrapped around Matt's shoulder.
Ooh, nice kick.
[Michael] Finlay hangs on again, the ever-resilient Irishman.
[Bradshaw] You'd be resilient too, Michael.
This is your chance to get a shot at headlining WrestleMania.
That's what the Rumble is all about. The road to WrestleMania has started.
We are on it already.
[Jerry] Doesn't get any bigger than this. Look out, Shelton.
[Michael] Oh, look at Matt Hardy.
Matt Hardy trying to take Shelton Benjamin over.
And this is entry number ten.
-[buzzer trilling] -["Slow Chemical" playing]
-[Michael] Oh, my. -[Jerry] Oh, no.
[Michael] Kane is the man who holds the record.
This being his ninth consecutive Royal Rumble matchup.
And JBL, remember what happened back in 2001
when the Big Red Machine dominated.
[Bradshaw] The Big Red Machine came out and Hell was unleashed.
He threw out 11 people, an all-time record.
Former WWE Champion Kane wants another shot at the gold.
[Jerry] How many men are in the ring right now? Are there 11?
[Michael] One, two. It's hard to count right now.
[Jerry] I think he'd like to break his own record.
[Michael] Oh, look at this. Helm slammed by Kane.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] We have ten men in the ring, superstars and extremists.
Edge in trouble. Kane with a choke slam.
And Kane picking up where he left off in 2001.
-[Jerry] Look out. Tommy Dreamer. -[Michael] Thanks for Tommy Dreamer.
Dreamer's been eliminated by the Big Red Machine.
Kane, who lasted 53 minutes, almost 50.
-[Jerry] Oh, look at that. Sabu. -[Michael] Oh, no.
Kane was trying to toss Sabu over the top rope.
[Jerry] Sabu trying to square off with Kane,
trying to clothesline. That is not going to work, Sabu.
[Michael] That's like hitting a brick wall.
[Jerry] Going to have to get a little more extreme.
[Michael] And Sabu, he's hanging on.
[Jerry] Sabu hangs on.
[Michael] Oh, look out.
-Oh, here we go. Here we go. Choke slam. -[Jerry] Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.
[Michael] Through the table.
-That's Sabu's setup. -[Jerry] A sick thud.
And Sabu smashed through that table. Listen to this.
[Jerry groans]
[Michael] How good does Kane look right now?
[Bradshaw] You ask about odds on favorite, Michael?
That's the betting favorite is Kane.
[Michael] Who will be entry number 11?
[crowd] Five, four, three, two, one.
-[buzzer trilling] -["Cult of Personality" playing]
[Michael] Another member of ACW. The up-and-coming CM Punk
looking to make a name for himself in his first Rumble match.
[Bradshaw] They say he doesn't drink. He doesn't do drugs.
I call that boring. But that's okay. He's really talented.
[Michael] But he's a hell of an athlete.
[Bradshaw] He's a great athlete.
Obviously doesn't have much of a social life.
[Michael] Looking to make a name for himself.
You see he went in right after the former world champion.
[Bradshaw] This is where you make a name for yourself, Michael.
You talk about a… talk about a meritocracy. This is what it is.
The 20th annual Royal Rumble.
[Michael] CM Punk almost eliminated by Finlay.
But he managed to stay in the matchup.
Finlay has been in longer than anyone. He entered number 2.
Shelton Benjamin in trouble, teetering on the apron.
[Jerry] Look at that. Nice move by CM Punk.
The knee right to the face of Edge.
[Michael] Punk… Punk looking to eliminate Edge.
Looking to eliminate Edge here at CM Punk.
[Bradshaw] Finlay has been in there over 15 minutes right now.
He entered at number 2.
[Michael] Finlay been in the ring longer than anyone.
[Bradshaw] You remember, two guys have come in at number two before
and won the whole thing. Rey Mysterio and Mr. McMahon.
[Michael] Rey Mysterio last year.
And perhaps many people say, including WWE.com,
that it was the greatest Rumble moment in history.
Mysterio winning.
And look at Finlay. Trying to dump CM Punk over the top rope.
Who will enter at number 12?
-[buzzer trilling] -["Dead White Guys" playing]
[Michael] The former world champion,
who had a tremendous 2006, and vows to win here tonight.
[Jerry] Well, you can't have a Royal Rumble without royalty,
-can you, JBL? -[Bradshaw] Absolutely not.
You should know, King.
[Michael] Queen Charmelle directing King Booker to the ring.
King Booker claiming he never got his one-on-one rematch with--
[Bradshaw] Claiming he never got his one-on-one rematch!
That guy right there got robbed of the world championship.
He should be the one fighting Batista,
not having to come out here in the Royal Rumble.
But what he has the opportunity to do.
Goodbye, Gregory Helms. See you later.
What he has the opportunity to do
is add one more accolade to a Hall of Fame career.
[Michael] King Booker eliminating Gregory Helms.
He vows to win this Royal Rumble match here tonight.
King Booker upset since losing that championship at Survivor Series.
[Bradshaw] A native Texan man.
King Booker started wrestling right here in Texas.
[Michael] And Finlay looking to eliminate the Big Red Machine.
And that would be a huge man out of this match-up
if Finlay could get it done here.
[Jerry] Well, all of these men have been--
This… this… this Rumble has been so physical up to now.
It's a big advantage for Booker to come into this thing fresh as a daisy.
[Michael] CM Punk from ECW.
SmackDown represented by King Booker, Matt Hardy, Finlay, and Kane.
Edge and Shelton Benjamin in the ring from Raw.
It is the first time ever all three brands have been
a part of the Royal Rumble match-up.
The next entry will be number 13.
[Jerry] I think if I was the next entrant,
I would go after the man that's been in there the longest.
-I'd go after Finlay. -[buzzer trilling]
[Bradshaw] Pick the low-hanging fruit.
["Muy Loco" playing]
[Jerry] Oh, no!
-[Michael] He's super! -[Jerry] And he's crazy!
[Michael] He's Super Crazy!
And Super Crazy, the high flyer from Raw.
And only his second Rumble appearance goes right after the King.
[Jerry] Right. See, what did we say, JBL?
You'd go after the low-hanging fruit, but not Super Crazy.
He's crazy. He goes after the freshest man.
[Bradshaw] I think he actually worked as my doorman for a while in New York.
[Jerry] That's why he's crazy. Look at this.
[Michael] Kane with a high elbow.
Royal Rumble match underway, 13 men have entered.
[Bradshaw] You remember Mil Máscaras
once entered the Royal Rumble and eliminated himself.
-[Michael] And a right hand. -[Bradshaw] He's super idiot. Like Kane.
-Hated him. He still owes me money. -[Michael] Here we go.
Kane working on Edge now in the corner.
[Jerry] You never liked him and you always will, right?
[Bradshaw] Exactly.
[Jerry] Okay, look out, Booker. Booker's in trouble.
[Michael] Like we talked about Friday night, JBL.
Every man for himself. Booker and Finlay,
well, they used to be friends.
In fact, Finlay was in King Booker's court.
[Bradshaw] Finlay knighted, uh… Booker and knighted Finlay.
-[Jerry] He did what? He knighted him? -[Bradshaw] He knighted him.
-[Jerry] Oh, knighted him. -[Bradshaw] Yes.
[Michael] And now he's trying to… Oh, look at Finlay!
And Booker almost eliminated him.
[Bradshaw] That's smart. Smart.
[Michael] Tell you, Finlay has been in this match for a long time.
Shelton Benjamin's in trouble as we await entry number 14.
-[crowd chanting] Three, two, one. -[buzzer trilling]
["No More Words" playing]
[Michael] He's the Intercontinental Champion, King,
-from Raw. -[Jerry] Yes, he is.
Jeff Hardy. But you can tell by looking at him,
he's still hurting from that earlier match.
But he's here.
[Michael] And Matt Hardy, who was in the earlier match as well,
is also still in here.
And the Hardys double teaming Finlay.
And they're taking your strategy, King, to heart.
[Jerry] Well, you say it's every man for himself,
but when you've got two brothers in there, you know, there's got to be a bond.
[Bradshaw] Yeah, but when you have gold on the line, King,
and you've got a shot at going to WrestleMania,
come on, these guys are going to turn on each other.
[Michael] And the Hardys, who've had a long history
with Edge over the years, going right to work on Rated-RKO.
[Bradshaw] Well, he stole all their girlfriends.
[Michael] And Matt Hardy with a big right hand.
Jeff Hardy entering this match at number 14.
All the years he's been in the Rumble--
[Bradshaw] Goodnight, Super Crazy. Here we go, boys.
[Michael] What a double team by Matt and Jeff Hardy
working as a cohesive unit.
They picked up the win over MNM earlier tonight
and still riding that wave of momentum.
[Bradshaw] In a hell of a match with MNM.
[Jerry] Well, I think the Hardys have picked the wrong guy now to double team.
[Michael] Oh, no. Oh, no.
And the Hardys kicks to the midsection. Right hand to Kane.
Trying to eliminate the Big Red Machine.
[Jerry] I don't know if that's good sound strategy on the part of the Hardys,
but they're going to try it anyway.
[Michael] Look at that. Poetry in motion.
Right to the throat of the Big Red Machine as we await entry number 15.
[Bradshaw] But the key is, Michael, you got to get him over the top.
You can knock anybody down.
You won't. You got to get their ass over the top
if you want to go to WrestleMania.
[Jerry] Exactly. Oh!
[Michael] We are halfway through the Rumble match.
-["The Kingdom of Dreams" playing] -[Michael] Where is he?
ECW original, there he is, Sandman.
[Jerry] Watch your back. Watch your back. He could be anywhere.
[Michael] Well, that's at least Sandman's second beer of the night.
You saw him earlier on. Oh!
He really didn't give a damn what number he entered at.
[Bradshaw] Hey, Stone Cold drank a lot of beer
and threw out a total of 36 people in all of his Royal Rumble appearances.
In fact, Austin won back-to-back Rumbles.
And here with the Singapore Cane, and all,
Sandman, an ECW original.
[Jerry] Oh, man!
[Michael] Jeff Hardy, Super Crazy, Matt Hardy, Sandman.
Well, he was using a cane for a while,
and Sandman eliminated by King Booker.
[Jerry] Oh, man, Sandman was just getting a dream.
[Bradshaw] Well, we just found out he's no Stone Cold.
Not at all. He can drink beer, but he ain't bald.
He didn't just whoop everybody's ass. He ain't Stone Cold.
[Michael] Well, you drink beer, too. As we get back to the action,
15 men have entered the Royal Rumble match. We have 15 to go.
The winner will headline WrestleMania and battle for the championship.
[Jerry] Once again, we remind you of Finlay. Finlay is…
-[Michael] Oh, look at Jeff Hardy! -[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Finlay almost eliminated Jeff Hardy.
[Michael] Jeff Hardy's skin in the cap, back into the ring.
We're under ten. Who's gonna be entry number 16?
[Jerry] Referee was right there in place to see that Jeff Hardy's feet didn't hit.
[Michael] CM Punk hanging out in front of us.
[buzzer trilling]
[Michael] Another former world champion. One half of the tag team champions.
Randy Orton and King.
You've been watching Orton and Edge over the past few weeks.
Earlier tonight, Randy Orton and Edge, well…
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Michael] And there goes Super Crazy!
[Jerry] Let me just tell you,
if these two guys get back on the same page,
everybody else better look out,
because Team Rated-RKO could eliminate everybody.
[Michael] The last Monday on Raw, Orton eliminated Edge over the top rope.
He said he'd do the same again tonight,
but the tag team champions are working together.
[Bradshaw] You look at this, Michael.
We have four world champions in there right now.
All former. You got Edge, RKO, Booker T.
-[Michael] Matt Hardy. -[Bradshaw] You've got Kane.
[Michael] Matt Hardy in trouble.
Jeff Hardy… Jeff Hardy eliminated.
And Matt Hardy eliminated as well. The Hardy brothers are gone.
[Bradshaw] Uh-oh.
[Jerry] That's a bad sign for everybody else in the Rumble.
[Michael] And remember, Randy Orton knows what it takes
to get close to winning this thing.
Last year, it was down to Orton and Mysterio
as the final two men.
Randy Orton wants to win the entire thing tonight.
[Jerry] I think Randy Orton and Edge would be content
to get it down to those two as the last two men,
then see which is the better man.
[Bradshaw] Weren't for a hurricanrana over the ropes by Rey Mysterio,
we'd have seen Randy Orton go into WrestleMania,
and you never heard the Cinderella story of Rey Mysterio last year.
[Jerry] Well, look out here.
[Michael] Orton and Edge are tag team champions,
but it's every man for himself in this matchup.
Big uppercut by Randy Orton. We're under ten.
Who's going to enter at number 17?
[Jerry] CM Punk trying to hang on in the corner over there.
[Bradshaw] Look at this, the King and Finlay working together
trying to get rid of the monster Kane.
-["Whatever" playing] -[Michael] Uh-oh.
Here comes the United States champion,
Chris Benoit,
who is in a much better position tonight than he was…
[Bradshaw] The 2004 winner, a guy who's spent over an hour.
Only one of three people to ever have done that, Chris Benoit.
[Jerry] He loves to be out here in the Royal Rumble ring.
He couldn't wait to get out.
He's running full speed to get in the ring.
[Michael] In 2004, Chris Benoit went for number one.
He eliminated The Big Show in an emotional
and spectacular Royal Rumble matchup,
and then Benoit went to WrestleMania to win the world championship.
[Bradshaw] And do you believe in karma?
This is the 20th Royal Rumble. At the 20th WrestleMania,
Benoit became world champion.
[Michael] CM Punk in trouble. Jeff Benjamin with the right hands.
Benoit just took out Kane in the middle of the ring.
Punk is hanging on. A good showing for CM Punk this fall.
[Jerry] Speaking of good showings, what about Finlay still in there?
Finlay's been in there over 24 minutes now.
[Michael] Yeah, Finlay entered at number two.
German suplexes galore for the Rabid Wolverine, Chris Benoit.
Benoit lasted one hour, one minute, 35 seconds
three years ago to win the Rumble.
Won't have to go quite that long tonight to win it.
[Bradshaw] Benoit doesn't get warmed up until half an hour.
The guy is a cardio machine.
[Michael] Chris Benoit in trouble on Finlay's shoulders.
Benoit hammering away at the shoulder of Finlay.
[Jerry] Boy, "hammering" is the right word, too.
Edge has been in there over 22 minutes.
He's the second longest entrant.
[Michael] Edge entered at number five. Who will enter at number 18?
-[buzzer trilling] -["One of a Kind" playing]
[Michael] Uh-oh.
[Michael] He is the man who-- Well, the only man in history
to hold the WWE title and the ECW title at the same time.
Rob Van Dam enters at number 18.
[Bradshaw] And we now have six former world champions all in the ring.
[Michael] Rob Van Dam will want a spin kick
to the jaw of Shelton Benjamin.
RVD, an ECW extremist.
[Jerry] Man, RVD lighting him up in there. Uh-oh, that stopped him.
[Michael] Kane, Booker right to Rob Van Dam.
The RVD chance began for the WWE fans here in San Antonio.
King Booker eliminated by Kane.
King Booker's dream of retaining the championship
will not happen in WrestleMania. And the King can't believe it.
[Bradshaw] The King should have got his title shot.
He shouldn't have to be in the Royal Rumble anyway.
[Michael] He should have won the thing and put his money where his mouth is.
[Jerry] Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute. Hey, wait a minute.
[Michael] King Booker's back in the ring.
He was eliminated. What the hell's going on?
[Jerry] Well, the referee is, uh, he is admonishing Booker.
[Michael] Well, King Booker going right after the man who attacked him, Kane.
Get him out of the ring.
[Jerry] You go get him out, Michael.
-[Bradshaw] They say it's legal. -[Michael] And Kane's eliminated.
[Bradshaw] Hey! It's legal to bring a Singapore Cane there.
It's legal to bring a chair in there.
It's legal to come back in if you can do it.
[Michael] Does that mean Kane's eliminated?
[Bradshaw] Kane is eliminated. He's over the top rope. Kane is out.
-[Michael] This is ridiculous. -[Bradshaw] It's not ridiculous.
It's fact, Michael. It is what it is.
[Jerry] It's the Royal Rumble.
[announcer] The world's largest love machine.
[Michael] Uh-oh. Here comes Viscera.
[Jerry] And I don't think he's bringing any love to the Royal Rumble.
[Bradshaw] I tell you what.
[Michael] Booker and… Booker and Kane are still going at it here in ringside.
Booker incensed, that the Big Red Machine eliminated him from the Rumble.
[Bradshaw] How the hell could he not be incensed?
He should have never had to be in the Royal Rumble anyway.
-Then the monster Kane… -[Michael] Oh, come on, John.
-It's part of the damn match. -…takes a cheap shot at him
-and throws him out. -[Michael] It's part of the match,
and you know it.
[Bradshaw] He should not have had to be in the Royal Rumble, Michael.
I'm begging you to be unbiased.
[Michael] The 485-pound Viscera hammering away on Edge.
[Bradshaw] He's lost weight.
[Michael] It took seven men to eliminate Viscera in his 1994 debut.
[Bradshaw] He lost 15 pounds when he walked to the ring.
[Michael] And look at Edge. Edge in trouble.
Rob Van Dam and Viscera trying to eliminate Edge.
Shelton Benjamin helping as well.
Three men. Now two trying to eliminate Edge.
[Jerry] You know, I don't know how many men Viscera's going to eliminate,
but is there anybody in there capable of lifting Viscera over the top rope?
[Michael] Like I said before, seven men it took in Viscera's debut.
[Bradshaw] I don't know how many men Viscera's going to eat.
[Jerry laughs]
Have you seen his appendix scar? It's two feet long.
[Michael] Guys, I'm really-- Oh, look out. Nice kick to the face.
And Viscera, right hand to Randy Orton.
Finlay is still in the matchup. He came in at number two.
Edge is still in the matchup. He came in at number five.
Who's going to enter at number 20?
-[crowd chanting] Two, one! -[buzzer trilling]
["Paparazzi" playing]
[Michael] Oh, here's another man who had a match earlier tonight.
The former Intercontinental Champion, Johnny Nitro.
[Jerry] Well, we're two-thirds of the way through the Royal Rumble.
Only 10 superstars left to go.
Johnny Nitro making his move in the Rumble now.
[Bradshaw] And Finlay still in there going strong.
[Michael] Rob Van Dam, Nitro went big after RVD.
Again, you're eliminated when you're tossed over the top rope
and both feet hit the floor.
[Bradshaw] And you see what I'm talking about strategy, Michael, look at Finlay.
Just staying out of the way. Letting everybody else beat themselves up.
That's smart.
[Michael] And conserving his energy.
[Jerry] Oh, man. Look at this.
You know, anybody that comes in from this point on,
you've got to be happy with the number that you pulled out of that tumbler.
[Michael] Of course you do.
[Jerry] And, you know, that tumbler, we've got to get an exhibitionist on Raw.
-Let's go to SmackDown. -[Bradshaw] Or just my room.
[Michael] Rob Van Dam over the top rope. Both feet did not touch. Back in the ring.
Uh-oh. Randy Orton and Edge, Rated-RKO the Tag Team Champions,
-working as a unit thus far. -[Jerry] Yep.
Still functioning as a cohesive team.
[Michael] Look at Shelton. Look at Shelton Benjamin.
[Bradshaw] Holy cow.
[Michael] Shelton Benjamin trying to hold on.
Trying to hold on. Can he get to the apron?
Can he get back to the ring? And he does.
[Jerry] How close were Shelton's feet on the floor?
[Bradshaw] That is strength.
[Michael] And Rob Van Dam may be eliminated here by Finlay.
As we await entry number 21.
[Jerry] Is Benoit trying to hold Rob in or get him out?
["Mi Destrojero" playing]
[Michael] Oh, talk about strange dudes.
The vampire-like Kevin Thorne.
-[Jerry] I'm scared of this guy. -[Michael] You should be.
And so should the competitors in the ring. He's a big man.
He's made an impression on ECW.
He wants to make a name for himself here tonight.
[Jerry] Look at this.
We mentioned earlier how close Shelton Benjamin's feet were.
How close was Shelton to being eliminated?
[Bradshaw] That is impressive.
I tell you, King, you've got to be proud to have that guy on Raw.
That could be the best athlete in the WWE right now.
[Michael] But again, remember, both feet have got to hit the floor.
[Bradshaw] Uh-oh. Oh, look at Viscera.
[Jerry] Big Vis has Rob Van Dam dangling.
[Michael] Johnny Nitro.
[Bradshaw] See, at this point, Michael, you've got everybody realizing
and smelling a WrestleMania main event.
They've got to work together if they have any chance whatsoever
to get the Big Love Machine, Viscera, out of the ring.
[Michael] Rob Van Dam trying to clothesline.
Going to take more than RVD, I believe, to knock Viscera over the top rope.
That's nearly 500 pounds.
[Jerry] You realize that Finlay has just passed the 30-minute mark in this Rumble?
[Michael] Finlay entered at number two.
[Bradshaw] Finlay has always wanted to be a world champion.
[Jerry] Try not to look amazed, Finlay.
[Michael] Hey, if Finlay wins this matchup,
it'll be the second straight year that SmackDown has won the Rumble.
In fact, since the brand extension, Raw has only won once.
And who's going to enter now at number 22?
[Jerry] Oh, nice dropkick.
-You don't see many of those in a Rumble. -[buzzer trilling]
["How Do You Like Me Now" playing]
[Michael] Also from ECW, Hardcore Holly, a Rumble veteran.
Rumble match number six.
And here's one man who's going to come out of this shooting fresh,
and you don't want to get in his way.
[Bradshaw] From LA, Lower Alabama, Bob Holly.
[Michael] And Hardcore Holly, who's still upset
after losing a championship opportunity on ECW this past Tuesday night
after Tess mysteriously put himself into that matchup.
[Bradshaw] Hardcore Holly is just upset that there are other people in his world.
[Michael] That's true, too.
[Bradshaw] We were in Mobile, Alabama, the home of Hardcore Holly.
He invited all his friends, none.
[Michael] No one showed up. And look at Edge.
[Jerry] Talking bad about the Alabama?
Those are the people that made Jeff Foxworthy a millionaire.
[laughs]
Holly's in trouble already.
[Michael] And you notice how the ring has begun to fill up.
More and more superstars.
We haven't had an elimination in some time.
[Jerry] Here comes one now.
[Michael] RVD, but he hung on. Bob Van Dam hung on.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Very unorthodox, very flexible, almost Gumby-like Bob Van Dam.
[Bradshaw] Yeah, you got a tough guy like Bob Holly coming in this late.
Holly could be the one that ends up going to WrestleMania.
[Michael] And look at him.
On the other side of the ring in trouble is CM Punk.
And there's Viscera. Four men try to eliminate Viscera.
[Jerry] JBL, did Michael Cole just compare Rob Van Dam to Gumby?
-[Michael] I said he was Gumby-like. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Bradshaw] It's disgusting. I deal with this every week.
[Jerry] Oh, look at that.
Who's it going to be coming in now?
[Michael] At number 23, who's it going to be?
-[buzzer trilling] -["Are You Ready" playing]
[Jerry] Whoa. The showstopper.
[Michael] San Antonio Dome.
Shawn Michaels, who has been on an emotional ride
over the past few weeks.
And The Heartbreak Kid, who won back-to-back Rumbles.
We're going to win one here tonight.
[Jerry] Listen to this ovation.
[Bradshaw] Thesz press.
[Jerry] Oh! -[Michael] Shawn Michaels
taking it to Finlay.
The Heartbreak Kid.
-[Jerry] Whoa! There he goes! -[Michael] Finlay's eliminated.
[Bradshaw] After half an hour, the hometown kid, Shawn Michaels.
Remember the last time a Royal Rumble was here.
[Michael] Yeah, Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship here in '97
-at the Royal Rumble. -[Bradshaw] From Sycho Sid.
[Jerry] I think Shawn Michaels just kicked some of Big Biz's teeth out.
[Michael] And Viscera eliminated.
[Bradshaw] There goes the love machine, Viscera.
[Jerry] And a couple of molars as well.
[Michael] And Hardcore Holly went to work on Shawn Michaels.
Heartbreak Kid and Holly in the back of the ring.
Shelton Benjamin-- Over top rope and eliminated.
Shawn’s eliminated Shelton Benjamin.
[Bradshaw] And Finlay was in there for 32 and a half minutes.
What a performance.
[Michael] Great performance by Finlay.
[Jerry] But that won't get you the headline WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] It won't get you the headline WrestleMania,
where the lights are so bright.
[Jerry] Look at Holly go.
[Michael] Who's gonna enter at number 24?
Uh-oh, Shawn Michaels in trouble.
[Bradshaw] Holly, who's been here 12 years,
never been a world champion.
Bob Holly would love to go to WrestleMania.
-[Michael] Uh-oh. -["Masterpiece" playing]
[Michael] Chris Masters, the Masterpiece from Raw, making his way to the ring.
[Jerry] I can tell you firsthand how strong this guy is.
He's capable of tossing a lot of men out of that ring.
[Michael] Entry number 24 goes right to work on Chris Benoit.
[Bradshaw] Million-dollar body, nickel brain, but at this level coming in,
Chris Masters could be the one.
[Michael] Yeah. Entry number 24.
Only six more men to enter.
Shawn Michaels.
And look at Rated-RKO squaring off against Shawn Michaels.
You know the history. Rated-RKO taking out Triple H,
what happened to D-Generation X a few weeks ago.
[Jerry] And you know they'd love to do the same thing to Shawn Michaels.
[Michael] Johnny Nitro eliminated.
Rated-RKO looking to take Shawn Michaels out.
Spoke with Triple H earlier this week. Says the therapy's going fine.
Triple H also says Shawn Michaels has been unbelievable.
He's been on fire.
And Triple H says that he will pick Shawn Michaels to win this Rumble tonight.
[Jerry] Check out one more time how Johnny Nitro was eliminated,
courtesy of the Rabid Wolverine, Chris Benoit.
[Michael] And Kevin Thorne and Chris Benoit in one corner.
Benoit battling it out of the corner.
[Jerry] Guess. Who do you think's been in there the longest now?
-[Michael] Edge has. -[Jerry] Edge from Raw.
-Over 31 minutes. -[Michael] Edge entered at number 5.
Shawn Michaels went back-to-back Royal Rumbles in 1995 and 1996.
[Bradshaw] Triple H won the Royal Rumble in 2002,
and it could be D-Generation X, the other side,
Shawn Michaels' time in his hometown to win it right here in 2007.
-["Chavito Ardiente" playing] -[Michael] At entry number 25,
Chavo Guerrero in his third Rumble match.
And Chavo in a prime position to win this Rumble
with the number that he's drawn.
[Jerry] He's certainly got a shot.
[Michael] And Chavo ready to work on Chris Masters from Raw.
Big uppercut by Chavo Guerrero.
Kevin Thorn. Kevin Thorn's eliminated. Kevin Thorn was eliminated.
[Jerry] I think Chris Benoit was the man that got Thorne out.
[Michael] Holly finally looking to eliminate Chris Benoit.
Shawn Michaels really focusing on Randy Orton and Edge,
other side of the ring.
Shawn Michaels taking out his aggression on those two,
much as he has over the past few weeks.
[Jerry] You know, Benoit is so physical and he's such a ring veteran.
Did you see as soon as he was almost grabbed to get thrown over,
he just locked his arm around his opponent?
-Took the advantage. -[Bradshaw] And look at this matchup.
ECW, Bob Holly and SmackDown's own Chris Benoit.
That's two tough guys beating the crap out of each other.
[Michael] And Shawn Michaels has been relentless on his assault
of Randy Orton and Edge.
[Jerry] And if I'm counting right,
there are only five superstars left to enter this Royal Rumble.
[Michael] Chavo Guerrero with that uppercut.
Rob Van Dam and CM Punk
were working on one another on the other side of the ring.
Less than ten seconds to the next entry.
It'll be entry number 26. Who will it be?
-Three, two, one. -[buzzer trilling]
-["I'm Comin'" playing] -[Jerry] Oh.
[Michael] Well, from SmackDown, Montel Vontavious Porter.
MVP, who we know has third degree burns
on his back from the Inferno match with Kane.
[Bradshaw] This is my guy.
He should have never been in a match Friday night on SmackDown.
Teddy Long has something in for him.
But here he is. It's prize time.
MVP going to make a name for himself.
[Michael] MVP burns it all. Going to look to block out the pain.
Goes right to work on Chris Benoit, The Rabid Wolverine in the ring.
And that's Shawn Michaels,
who's holding MVP for those knife-edge chops of Chris Benoit.
[Jerry] Boy, that Inferno match that MVP had with Kane was amazing, wasn't it?
-[Michael] Unbelievable. -[Bradshaw] Absolutely sickening.
[Michael] Oh! Chris Masters eliminated.
[Bradshaw] Goodbye, orangutan.
[Michael] Masters eliminated by RVD and the dropkick.
And Rob Van Dam happy with himself.
Rob Van Dam, in every Rumble he's ever been in,
has been among the final six competitors.
He knows what it takes to get close to the end.
[Jerry] Look at Randy Orton.
He's just about got CM Punk on the outside of the ring.
[Michael] And look at Chavo Guerrero and Hardcore Holly.
Rob Van Dam as well.
[Jerry] A lot of men teetering on the brink of extinction now.
[Michael] Holly and Van Dam have had some physical battles in recent months at ECW.
[Jerry] Keep it on CM Punk. I think he's gone.
[Michael] CM Punk, though, you've got to give him credit.
I'll tell you, the young extremist from ECW
has hung in this matchup since entering at 11.
[Jerry] This guy, CM Punk, is a popular young star.
He's got a huge future ahead of him, whether he wins his Royal Rumble or not.
[Bradshaw] He needs to start drinking, though.
[Michael] Entering… entering at lucky number 27…
["Bad Apple" playing]
…is Carlito. And, gentleman, the reason I say that,
number 27, four men have won from number 27 in the history
of the Rumble more than any other entry number.
-[Jerry] That's a lucky number. -[Michael] It is.
[Jerry] Let's go to the casino and bet 27.
[Michael] And Carlito hammering away on Rob Van Dam and also on Randy Orton.
So, again, the later you enter, the better off it is for you.
[Jerry] Right now, there are 11 men in that ring.
[Bradshaw] Boy, that is one hell of an intelligence statement.
[Michael] I'm just trying to remind everyone
that there's only 30 minutes before this thing.
[Bradshaw] Our fans are intelligent, Michael.
-[Jerry] Shawn Michaels! -[Michael] Shawn Michaels
almost eliminated by Rob Van Dam.
But Shawn Michaels hanging on, looking to win his third Rumble,
which would tie a record with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
-[Bradshaw] The Showstopper. -[Michael] Shawn's in trouble.
[Bradshaw] The Showstopper is about to be stopped at his hometown.
[Michael] HBK trying to hang on.
And HBK knows what it takes to hang on.
Who will ever forget 1995, gentlemen,
with Shawn Michaels one foot hitting the floor.
Almost eliminated by the British Bulldog.
People thought Michaels was eliminated. He wasn't
and he won the Rumble match.
[Jerry] Well, Shawn Michaels wants so much
to do well here tonight in front of his hometown fans.
His family is here tonight.
Shawn would love to win this Royal Rumble.
[Bradshaw] Not to mention his buddy Triple H,
the 2002 Royal Rumble winner, watching at home.
Here comes number 28.
-[buzzer trilling] -[Jerry] Who is it?
["Land of Five Rivers" playing]
[Michael] Oh, no. Oh, no.
[Bradshaw] Oh, my God.
[Michael] Now, one of you guys tell me,
who the hell is going to stop The Great Khali?
7'4", 400 pounds.
And we saw what he did on Raw Monday night, King.
He cleared the ring of everybody on Raw.
[Jerry] And he may just do a repeat performance right now.
Look at everyone in the ring getting set.
Everyone trying to hold their ground when they see Khali approaching.
[Michael] The Great Khali has dominated SmackDown.
He's dominated ECW. He's been dominating Raw.
And he wants to dominate the Rumble tonight.
[Jerry] Well, he's literally the biggest threat
in the Royal Rumble thus far.
[Michael] Great Khali with headbutts to Benoit and Orton and Holly and Edge.
It's CM Punk.
And one to MVP!
[Jerry] I guess he's got room for everybody.
[Bradshaw] The road to WrestleMania
goes through that man right there, The Great Khali.
[Michael] That is a tremendous point.
[Bradshaw] Because, quite frankly, it's his to lose.
[Michael] I was going to say the only way to eliminate this man
is going to be by double team. But that didn't work.
[Bradshaw] I don't think double team is going to do it.
I think all those bodies laying out there better jump on this man.
If anybody wants a shot, go to WrestleMania.
[Jerry] Guys, look. Look at the carnage.
Almost everyone in the ring is laid out.
[Michael] And Chris Benoit from behind.
The Rabid Wolverine as we await entry number 29.
[Bradshaw] The key is Khali has got to throw him over.
You can't just knock him down, Khali.
-[Jerry] I think he understands that now. -[buzzer trilling]
-[Jerry] He just heard you. -["I Came to Play" playing]
[Michael] Oh, boy.
Here comes Miz at number 29. One man to go.
[Bradshaw] Don't worry, King. I hate him, too.
-And Miz. -[Jerry laughs] Miz!
[Michael] Well, he may have set a record.
[Bradshaw] The Warlord had the record at three seconds.
-And Miz just beat it. -[Michael] Rob Van Dam eliminated as well.
[Jerry] Boys, this is getting serious. Look at The Great Khali now.
He's finally realized what you said, JBL.
[Michael] The CM Punk is eliminated!
[Jerry] You don't just knock him down. You throw him out.
[Bradshaw] He's throwin' them out.
They're going to be carrying them off like--
[Michael] Carlito's out.
-The Great Khali is cleaning house. -[Jerry] How many has Khali eliminated?
[Michael] There goes Chavo. There's got to be a half dozen at least.
[Jerry] I'm afraid this thing is unstoppable.
[Michael] I'm afraid Great Khali may be going to WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] And I think Thing is right, King.
[Michael] One man to enter at number 30.
[Jerry] Somebody dropped an ugly bomb on him.
[Bradshaw] I don't see any chance of anybody doing anything against Khali.
I think we have the WrestleMania main event standing right there.
[Jerry] Wait a minute.
[Michael] Shawn Michaels trying to be Game. Trying to be valiant.
Shawn Michaels in trouble. Only five superstars remain in the ring.
[Bradshaw] I think the hometown hero may finally meet his demise.
[Jerry] Did you see the look of fright on the face of Shawn Michaels
when he came face to face with Khali?
[Michael] Look at that. He almost broke Michaels in half.
The power. The strength. Who can stop? Who can stop the Great Khali?
-[Bradshaw] Absolutely nobody. -[buzzer trilling]
[Jerry] I have second thoughts about coming out next.
-[Bradshaw] Here we go. -["Rest in Peace" playing]
[Michael] Maybe there is someone.
Maybe there is someone.
The legendary phenom. The Undertaker.
[Bradshaw] But nobody has come in at number 30
-and won the Royal Rumble. Ever. -[Michael] It's never happened.
But Undertaker has faced. He has battled. He has taken out Khali before.
[Bradshaw] The roof is about to blow off this place.
[Jerry] Guys, it doesn't get any better than this, does it?
[Bradshaw] Throw some gasoline on the fire, Michael.
God, I love it.
[Michael] Undertaker with the right hand.
The four-time champion.
[Bradshaw] This is a moment that's going down in history.
[Michael] Oh, what a chop.
Undertaker still on his feet. And coming back for more.
A right hand by Khali. These two behemoths.
[Jerry] With those huge right hands by the Undertaker.
-Barely fazing Khali. -[Bradshaw] He is moving through Taker.
Have you ever seen Undertaker fighting from underneath?
Trying to get back on top.
-[Jerry] Whoa. -[Michael] Listen to these WWE fans.
They're screaming for Undertaker.
Sixteen thousand on their feet in San Antonio.
[Jerry] Undertaker has backed Khali up.
-[Bradshaw] No way. No way. -[Michael] Undertaker.
-Will he get up? -[Bradshaw] No way.
-[Michael] He does! Khali's eliminated! -[Jerry] By The Undertaker!
-[Michael] Undertaker! -[Bradshaw] That's unbelievable.
[Jerry] Raising hell.
-[Jerry] Single-handedly. -[Michael] Undertaker
eliminating The Great Khali.
[Bradshaw] The Undertaker wants his fifth world championship.
The Undertaker's got to be the odds-on favorite
to go to WrestleMania.
[Michael] The Undertaker looking to go old school.
[Jerry] Oh, baby.
[Michael] There are five men left in the Rumble.
[Jerry] Edge, at this point, has been in the longest.
[Michael] From number five-- MVP eliminated.
We are down to four.
Shawn Michaels, Edge, Undertaker, and Randy Orton.
That is vintage Undertaker.
[Bradshaw] Vintage Undertaker's body's lying everywhere.
[Jerry] MVP's got the steel chair. What's he doing?
[Michael] Well, he's got a history with The Undertaker.
[Bradshaw] It's all legal. It is legal.
[Michael] And MVP's got a history with The Undertaker in the past.
Other side of the ring. Edge hanging on.
-Edge is hanging on. -[Jerry] Orton's got a chair.
[Michael] Randy Orton with a steel chair and a skull.
[Bradshaw] It's all legal.
The world is on the line here, Michael.
[Michael] Randy Orton, who came so close last year,
wants to win the Rumble match this time around.
[Jerry] Well, Randy Orton just laid out The Undertaker with that chair.
-And, hey. -[Michael] Oh, look at Edge.
Look at Edge.
-[Bradshaw] It's every man for himself. -[Michael] Edge setting up for a spear.
-Here we go. -[Jerry] Turn around, Randy.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[Michael] Is Edge going for him or Undertaker?
[Jerry] I'm almost certain Edge was going for Undertaker.
[Randy shouting]
[Jerry] Don't you think?
[Bradshaw] No way. He was turning on his partner.
[Randy shouting]
[Bradshaw] Which I agree with. He should do.
I turned on mine!
[Michael] Shawn Michaels up
-and walked into an RKO. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Shawn is outside the ring, but he did not go over the top.
He rolled under the bottom rope. Shawn is still in the match.
[Jerry] Edge trying to reason with Orton, he's explaining
the two of them need to work together to eliminate the Undertaker,
Undertaker's the biggest threat here right now.
[Michael] Well, every man for himself, but for now,
Edge and Orton have got to concentrate on eliminating the phenom to King's point.
They're the World Tag Team Champions.
[Jerry] Oh, wait, Undertaker's busted from that chair.
[Bradshaw] You've got to hand it to Edge and Orton,
they have worked together as a team.
You see their strategy, it's right in front of you,
they get rid of the threats
and then at the end, those two fight it out.
[Jerry] Man, Orton used that steel chair to open up The Undertaker,
now they're trying to finish him off.
[Michael] Orton and Undertaker have had major battles in the past.
Undertaker bleeding from the chair to the skull.
Rated-RKO believe that they have got it.
[Michael] It is Undertaker with a right hand.
-[Jerry] What a shot. -[Michael] And the Phenom!
Road to WrestleMania.
-Here we are with RKO. -[crowd cheering]
[Undertaker grunts]
[Michael] Rated-RKO are going to be..
"rated technical knockout" after this one.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Because Undertaker is taking it to the tag team champs.
Double kick to the stomach.
[Jerry] Undertaker ducked under that double clothesline.
[Michael] Wow.
Undertaker.
[Jerry] I'm afraid Undertaker may have suffered too much damage
to be able to hang on here.
[Michael] Edge who ended at number five, how much does he have left?
[Jerry] Snake eyes.
[Michael] Snake eyes. Boot!
[Bradshaw] Nighty-night.
[Michael] Undertaker stalking Randy Orton.
[Bradshaw] He's smelling it.
[Jerry] Well, Edge is at 45 minutes almost in this Rumble.
He can't have much left.
Orton, don't turn around. You're not going to like the view.
[Michael] Undertaker with Orton by the throat.
-Going for the chokeslam. -[Jerry] Spear.
[Michael] Edge spearing Undertaker.
Saving Randy Orton.
[Bradshaw] But don't forget this. Undertaker, four-time world champion.
He knows how to finish opponents.
I don't care if it's two-on-one,
it looks bad for the Undertaker.
But that's why we do the Royal Rumble. This is what it's all about.
[Jerry] Look at this.
[Michael] Again. A steel chair to the skull again.
[Bradshaw] But they've got to get him over the top rope, Michael.
[Michael] It may be academic.
[Bradshaw] It doesn't do enough to knock him down.
It doesn't do enough to knock him out.
You've got to get his big carcass over the top rope.
-[Michael] Wait a minute. -[Jerry] Let me tell you one thing.
I don't want to disagree with you.
But there is one thing that may finish the Undertaker.
And that's a con-chair-to.
[Michael] And that is what Edge and Orton
are setting the Undertaker up for, here, King.
You've seen how devastating the con-chair-to has been
over the past few weeks.
It's been delivered to a number of superstars.
Including Shawn Michaels. Including Ric Flair.
[Jerry] If this doesn't end your career, it'll put you on the shelf for a while.
I can assure you of that.
[Michael] They are setting the Undertaker up for the con-chair-to.
[Bradshaw] I give it to Team RKO.
[Jerry] Hey, hey, hey.
[Michael] Wait a minute. Shawn Michaels back in the ring.
[Michael] Randy Orton eliminated!
Edge eliminated. Champions have eliminated Edge.
We are down to two men.
Listen to this crowd.
[Jerry] Orton's eliminated. Edge's eliminated.
[Bradshaw] I'd almost forgotten about Shawn, so did RKO.
[Jerry] Now what? Shawn's down. The Undertaker's down.
[Michael] Two of the greatest legends in the history of this business.
[Bradshaw] Two Hall of Famers.
[Jerry] Do you realize what this means? Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker.
One of these men are going to WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] This means we've still got a hell of a show left.
The lights are on bright.
We've got two legends that know how to finish people.
[Michael] Undertaker, sit up.
-Shawn Michaels, kip up. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] These two legends are face to face.
One of these men is going to headline WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] How long has it been since we've seen this?
Undertaker, Shawn Michaels.
[Jerry] I don't know if I've ever seen it, but we're about to.
[Michael] Undertaker misses with the right hand.
Shawn Michaels, the Heartbreak Kid,
riding an emotional wave over the past few weeks.
[Jerry] The strength of The Undertaker.
[Michael] And Shawn says to hell with a steel chair.
Goes right back to work on The Undertaker.
Shawn Michaels pounding away at the open wound.
[Jerry] Look at The Undertaker just swat Shawn Michaels away.
[Michael] Undertaker, hand around the throat.
-[Jerry] Ooh. -[Michael] With one arm.
And now, the lights have left.
But perhaps the best pure striker in the history
-of-- -[Jerry] What a right hand, look out!
[Michael] What a shot.
Shawn Michaels, close to being eliminated.
Can Undertaker eliminate Shawn here?
[Jerry] Shawn Michaels with some right hands of his own.
The Undertaker already opened up.
[Bradshaw] They know what's at stake.
Both of them have been to the top of the mountain.
[Michael] I don't know about you, but I got chills out here.
[Bradshaw] You better have chills.
How many times do you get a chance to see two legends,
two cornerstones of this company, go at it when everything possible,
is on the line.
[Michael] Shawn Michaels with rights and lefts.
[Jerry] And one of these two men are going to WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] And quite frankly, these two guys
who have been around the block,
both of them, never better.
[Michael] Shawn Michaels in trouble in the corner.
[Bradshaw] We are watching a moment in time.
[Michael] Shawn's on the apron. Headbutt by The Undertaker.
Shawn may be close to being eliminated here.
Undertaker went for the blue back cover.
Undertaker on the apron!
[Jerry] This is Shawn's chance.
[Michael] He's knocked off the apron, then Shawn wins it.
Shawn Michaels going for the victory.
-Undertaker hanging on. A right by Shawn. -[Jerry] How did that right hand…
If he gets it loose, Shawn goes to WrestleMania.
Feet out, trying to hang on.
And an elbow! The Undertaker surviving,
[Jerry] What's it going to take?
Both of these men are so determined.
Both of these men wanna headline WrestleMania.
[Bradshaw] Who cares what's it going to take, King?
I love watching it.
Shawn Michaels across the ring.
-[Jerry] Look out! -[Bradshaw] Neckbreaker.
This is a moment you're gonna tell your kids about,
your grandkids.
[Michael] And, ladies and gentlemen, how appropriate is it
that in the most star-studded Rumble in history,
the final two men, perhaps the biggest stars in the history
of the WWE, going at it in the middle of the ring.
[Bradshaw] And both of them in their prime
with everything on the line. It doesn't get any better.
[Jerry] San Antonio's own
-Shawn Michaels, hometown crowd. -[Michael] Oh!
[Jerry] Oh! But even the hometown crowd
is not gonna save him from that Undertaker's boot.
[Michael] That boot glancing off the jaw of Shawn Michaels has nearly silenced
16,000 in the AT&T Center
in San Antonio.
[Bradshaw] The Undertaker busted open
this very building where Shawn has season tickets
to watch his Spurs play.
He wants to win the Royal Rumble one more time to go to WrestleMania.
[Michael] He would set a record, tying Austin with three wins
if Michaels can get it done.
[Jerry] Can the Undertaker lift Shawn Michaels?
He took two brutal champ shots.
[Michael] Oh, look at that Shawn's in trouble!
Undertaker's in trouble as well!
-Who will get the upper hand? -[Jerry] Who's going to have the leverage?
[Michael] Uh-oh!
[Michael] Shawn with the right hand to The Undertaker.
[Jerry] Holding on to the Undertaker's hair!
[Michael] Undertaker bounced off the turnbuckle.
Shawn Michaels gonna go up top.
Shawn Michaels, oh, and a right hand by the Undertaker.
[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[Michael] Again, Shawn teetering, holding on desperately.
This is about WrestleMania. This is about living.
[Bradshaw] This is about destiny.
-It's about history. -[Jerry] Now what?
[Michael] Oh, no. Somebody's going out.
Somebody's gonna get here.
The right hands by Undertaker, and by Shawn Michaels.
-[Bradshaw] Somebody's going out. -[Jerry] Headbutt.
Undertaker with a headbutt.
[Bradshaw] Oh, look at this. Undertaker trying to…
[Jerry] I don't know if Undertaker wants to--
[Michael] He's going to throw him out. The Undertaker's going to throw him out.
Look where he's looking. Trying to figure out the best place
to toss Shawn Michaels.
Undertaker's looking to toss Shawn Michaels.
[Bradshaw] It's about 12 feet straight down.
[Michael] On that top rope, it's Shawn!
Right hand, the guts of a champion!
[Jerry] Shawn Michaels' relentless with those right hands.
-There goes the Undertaker. -[Michael] Showing life.
[Jerry] Oh, man!
[Michael] The Heartbreak Kid trying to feed off
these fans at San Antonio!
WWE fans on their feet!
[Jerry] Well, JBL, you're right. Shawn Michaels can hit this elbow,
but that's not gonna…
That's not going to get the Undertaker out of the damn ring!
[Michael] That is classic HBK!
[Bradshaw] You've got to get that 320-pound man over the top rope.
Shawn Michaels got the adrenaline.
-He's done it his entire career. -[Michael] And now Shawn…
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -…is going to set up the Undertaker.
The Phenom in trouble.
Shawn feeling it.
The adrenaline pumping. The momentum is shifting.
[Bradshaw] Not a person in the crowd is sitting down.
Everybody in this arena standing up and feeling it.
[Jerry] And 16,000 people
are helping Shawn tune up the band!
[crowd] Four! Five! Six!
[Michael] Shawn going for Sweet Chin Music!
-[Jerry] Here we go! -[Michael] Undertaker caught him!
Oh, no! Shawn in trouble!
Chokeslam!
-[Jerry] Oh, no! -[Michael] A chokeslam from the heavens!
[Bradshaw] But Undertaker's taken two chair shots
directly on the head.
There's that face, though.
That face where we saw him drop 15 feet and still beat Mr. Kennedy.
That face has done it for the last 15 years here in WWE.
[Michael] Undertaker saying, turn out the lights.
Undertaker giving the signal that this one is over.
[Bradshaw] Both of these legends want one more shot.
[Michael] Undertaker with Shawn Michaels up!
Undertaker! Shawn Michaels realizing he's in trouble!
Trying to slither his way out the door!
Sweet Chin Music! Sweet Chin Music!
[Jerry] Good gosh!
[Bradshaw] But Michaels doesn't know where he is either.
[Michael] But from out of nowhere, the wherewithal and the instinct
to deliver the Sweet Chin Music to the jaw!
[Bradshaw] That's the instinct of a champion.
[Jerry] And both of these men have withstood so much punishment.
[Bradshaw] I'm telling you, we're watching history.
[Michael] Undertaker trying to make it to his feet first.
Shawn Michaels as well.
[Bradshaw] Who would believe that the 20th Royal Rumble,
the most star-studded, is quite frankly the best of them all.
[Jerry] JBL, right now, who do you think who's got the most gas left in the tank?
[Bradshaw] This is how Shawn Michaels eliminated Diesel. Here we go!
[Michael] Shawn Michaels eliminated Edge like that,
with the Sweet Chin Music.
-[commentators clamor] -[bell ringing]
[Michael] Shawn Michaels! Undertaker is going to WrestleMania!
[Lilián] Here's the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble,
The Undertaker!
[Michael] For the first time in his illustrious career,
The Undertaker has won
the Royal Rumble match!
Going to WrestleMania, the main event,
The Undertaker 14-0 in WrestleMania.
[Jerry] Undertaker's brain was scrambled by the two chair shots
from Edge and Orton, but somehow,
somehow The Undertaker sucked it up and has won
-the Royal Rumble. -[Bradshaw] Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream
came true once, but not tonight.
What a match-up, Michael.
This was something you tell your kids about.
[Michael] But what an emotional performance
what a courageous performance by Shawn Michaels here tonight,
And what a performance by that man, by the Phenom, The Undertaker,
who is going to main event, a place that he's never been beaten.
[Bradshaw] I can't tell you how proud I am
to have sat there and called this Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] Well, The Undertaker's shaking on his feet, but he's standing tall.
[Bradshaw] Standing tall, standing directly in the middle
of the road to WrestleMania.
[Michael] Shawn Michaels and Undertaker exchanging glances of just pure respect.
[Bradshaw] Nothing but respect.
Two of the greatest legends, perhaps the greatest, in the WWE,
and they just fought their ass off.
[Michael] Now, ladies and gentlemen,
the Phenom is back at the top of the food chain.
The Undertaker is going to WrestleMania,
another crowning achievement in a legendary Hall of Fame career.
Not only for The Undertaker, but for Shawn Michaels.
[Bradshaw] An unbelievable effort on Shawn Michaels' part,
to have 16,000 plus here. Nobody is sitting down to this second.
They are paying their respect
to Shawn Michaels and that man, The Undertaker.
That's how you do it. You want to go to the top of the mountain?
Get this tape, watch it over and over and over
because that is the best in the business and how they fight.
I love it.
[Jerry] Shawn Michaels certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.
But that man, the Dead Man, certainly has something to be proud of.
[Bradshaw] It could have gone either way, King,
but the WrestleMania, 14-0, The Undertaker.
Don't know which title he goes after, but we know this.
He headlines it and he's never lost in WrestleMania.
-[Michael] Ladies-- -[Jerry] Look at this sight.
[Bradshaw] There's your main event at WrestleMania, The Undertaker.
[Michael] Look at that face.
Get ready, WrestleMania.
The Dead Man's coming.
["Rest in Peace" playing]
[Bradshaw] Michael, King, we have seen a classic.
[Michael] Ladies and gentlemen, what an absolute honor
and privilege to be with you tonight, to be a part
of this historic Royal Rumble.
Good night everybody from San Antonio.
[music concludes] dy from San Antonio.