["Let It Rock" playing]
[Howard] It is now time for the Royal Rumble.
[Ross] Welcome to the Royal Rumble.
There is not a person sitting down.
Hulk Hogan and the Warriors.
[Ross] Oh, yes. Flair did it.
[Vince] Michaels is the first man and the last man standing.
[Jerry] It has been a Royal Rumble 316.
The Rock has won the Rumble.
[Jerry] He is on a rampage now.
[Ross] The Game. The Game.
[Michael] Rey Mysterio is going to WrestleMania.
John Cena has won the Royal Rumble in a huge, huge shocker!
[Vince] Who will headline WrestleMania?
The road to WrestleMania begins at the Royal--
["Voices" playing]
♪ I hear voices in my head They council me, they understand ♪
Excuse me, Mr. McMahon.
Your daughter here slapped me in the face for no reason at all.
If your last name wasn't McMahon, you would be a complete nobody.
[crowd clamoring]
♪ Council me, they understand They council me, they understand… ♪
They pay to see me, and not you.
But ever since your daughter here has popped you out a couple of grandkids…
she has become essentially worthless.
[tense music playing]
Who the hell do you think you are?
You apologize to me or else, I'll terminate you right here on the spot.
[crowd clamoring]
♪ They tell me things that I will do They show me things I'll do to you ♪
-Randy Orton, you're-- -[crowd clamoring]
♪ Talk to me ♪
[tense music playing]
[Jerry] Oh!
[man] Oh, my gosh!
-[indistinct chatter] -[crowd clamoring]
Dad!
♪ They talk to me ♪
[crowd cheering]
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the McMahon family
is keeping the condition of the chairman private.
Well, rumors have been running rampant
and certainly Mr. McMahon suffered a concussion,
but possibly more serious neck injuries.
And as for Randy Orton, we understand he will be reprimanded.
We just don't know if it will be a fine,
perhaps a suspension, maybe even termination.
Or some other form of retribution.
But despite Mr. McMahon's injuries, although substantial,
The McMahon family says tonight, the show will indeed go on.
["Let It Rock" playing]
[narrator] And now WWE Royal Rumble,
the road to WrestleMania begins tonight.
♪ Because when I arrive I, I'll bring the fire ♪
♪ Make you come alive I can take you higher ♪
♪ What the saints… ♪
[Michael] Welcome to one of the most exciting, prestigious
and unpredictable events of the year.
Welcome to the 22nd Royal Rumble.
You are looking live at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
There's not a seat to be had.
Sixteen thousand six hundred eighty-five WWE fans are here.
[Jerry] We're on the road to the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.
[crowd cheering]
["Live for the Moment' playing]
♪ Whoa, yeah ♪
♪ I can slap a tornado ♪
[Todd] Well, here comes the former ECW champion
for the first time in nearly five months.
Hardy is the challenger after losing the championship to Jack Swagger
two weeks ago on ECW alongside Matt Striker.
My name is Todd Grisham.
And Matt, how does, uh, Hardy's mentality change
now that he's no longer the champion?
Well, this is a great way to kick off an extra special Royal Rumble.
Matt Hardy's focus is on the one thing that means more to him than anything,
the ECW Championship.
♪ I can slap a tornado ♪
♪ I can dry up a sea, yeah ♪
[Todd] You can see the look of determination
in Matt Hardy's eyes and his face.
He's very upset that he doesn't have the gold around his waist.
["Get On Your Knees" playing]
♪ Check one, two, aw, yeah! ♪
[Striker] Well, here comes the embodiment of the 21st century superstar.
The reigning and defending undefeated ECW champion,
the franchise player, the all-American American Jack Swagger.
And I like it, a true champion wears his title.
See that? Around the waist, Jack Swagger.
[Todd] Well, I recall the first time we saw Jack Swagger in action.
You commented that Swagger was a candidate's prospect,
but somehow he's still managed to exceed almost everyone's expectations.
[Striker] The sky is truly the limit for this talented young man.
[Todd] This will be Swagger's first ever ECW Championship title defense.
How do things change
when you're on the other side of the court?
[Striker] Well, again, being champion, you don't have to be pinned.
Think about it.
[bell ringing]
[Chimel] The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it is for the ECW Championship.
Introducing the challenger from Cameron, North Carolina,
weighing in at 236 pounds, Matt Hardy!
[crowd cheering]
[Chimel] And from Perry, Oklahoma, weighing in at 263 pounds,
is the ECW champion, the All-American American,
Jack Swagger!
[Todd] So here we go, Hardy, Swagger, part two.
If it's anything like the first one was,
we are in for a fantastic match.
[Striker] What I was alluding to was the simple fact
that Jack Swagger has many different ways out if he so chooses.
A pinfall or a submission
are the only ways a title can change hands.
[crowd chanting] Hardy! Hardy!
[bell ringing]
[Todd] So, Hardy has his sights set on reclaiming the ECW Championship.
Hardy won it back five months ago, nearly five months ago
in that scramble match at Unforgiven
and hadn't relinquished it until just two weeks ago
at the hands of the unbeaten Jack Swagger.
[Striker] Matt needs to be careful here.
On a disqualification, the title does not change hands.
On a count out, the title does not change hands.
Matt needs to pin or submit the undefeated All-American American,
a daunting task.
[Todd] Swagger, a two-time All-American amateur wrestler
from Oklahoma, also played defensive tackle in football.
[crowd chanting] Hardy! Hardy!
[Toddy] He's used to winning, he's not used to losing,
which is something he hasn't done since coming to ECW.
[Striker] How about that?
Matt just knocked Jack Swagger right down with a right hand.
Pugilistic endeavors from Matt Hardy.
[indistinct chatter]
[Striker] Whoa, Swagger trying to lull Hardy in but Hardy not buying it.
[Todd] I like it. Matt's taking a… an interesting approach here.
He knows that wrestling is in Jack Swagger's favor.
So, Matt is using his hands and his fists.
[both] Oh!
[Todd] Again, get back in the ring.
A countdown does not win the championship, Matt knows that, though.
Look how close to the ring he keeps Swagger.
[Striker] You can hear the impact of that right hand
all the way up in the top deck of this sold-out arena.
Standing room only for the 22nd annual Royal Rumble.
[Todd] Look and listen. Bang, big right hand.
[crowd clamoring]
[Todd] Swagger not quite ready to engage with Matt Hardy.
[Striker] I think it's smart, the champion regroups,
the champion knows that the clock
and the outside of the ring is to his advantage.
[Todd] As you know, the Royal Rumble one of the biggest nights
on the WWE calendar each and every year.
Over 60 countries around the world watching right now live from Detroit,
including Australia, Egypt, Malaysia,
and in the United Kingdom on Sky Box Office.
[Striker] Look again right here, bang, hold that.
[chuckling] Swagger going down to a knee.
Brings us to where we are right now.
I mean, Matt Hardy's so hungry, he's chewing water.
This ECW Championship means so much to Matt Hardy.
[Todd] You can see that Swagger appears to be rattled right now,
trying to find an answer to what Matt Hardy has brought so far.
[Striker] Uh, Ma… Matt's smart-- I'm sorry, Jack's smart right there.
The double leg taking Matt Hardy down.
Now, you're gonna see what makes Jack Swagger so good.
[groans]
[Todd] Well, last week on ECW, Matt admitted to me
that he may have underestimated Jack Swagger in their first matchup.
It doesn't appear that Hardy's making that mistake again tonight.
[Striker] Not smart to get his belly off the mat, get up to a vertical base here,
trying to minimize the damage that Jack Swagger can do.
Yeah, there's some nice chain wrestling from Matt Hardy and it's over.
[Todd] Oh! Nice takedown there by Swagger.
[Striker] Pretty granby roll by the All-American American.
[Todd] And like you mentioned, it's to Swagger's advantage
to turn this into a wrestling match, and that's what Swagger's doing right now.
Let's not forget, less than 48 hours ago,
Matt Hardy was in a vicious battle with the Rated-R Superstar Edge.
It was also compounded
by the interference of Jack Swagger and Mark Henry,
so Matt may not be at 100%.
[Striker] Oh! [chuckling]
[Todd] The boots connecting right to the jaw
of the Perry, Oklahoma native,
and right now, it's all going wrong for Swagger.
A bulldog! Hardy for the cover.
-Hook in the leg. Two. -[Striker] Oh!
I'll tell you, man, some tough guys have passed through this town.
I mean, Bob Probert, Bill Laimbeer, Tommy Hearns,
and Matt Hardy took that one. Look at that, right to the face and chest.
[both] Whoa.
[Todd] Swagger meeting Hardy at the top rope.
Perhaps by necessity, he knew what was coming, Swagger.
[Striker] Matt looks to be-- Yeah, he's favoring that left arm.
That left arm was the focus of the attack by Jack Swagger
when he won the ECW Championship.
Again, just look at how Matt falls, just--
Man, just a reckless toss down to the floor.
Keep in mind, that left arm is the arm that Matt uses for the twist of fate.
If that left arm is injured or incapacitated,
you take away a huge weapon from Matt Hardy.
[Todd] There have been some rapid rises, uh, in the WWE
over the years by a new superstar. How about Jack Swagger?
Coming to ECW two days after Matt Hardy
won the ECW Championship--
And, uh, all of a sudden, now Swagger's the champion.
It's unbelievable, in just over four months,
what Swagger, the undefeated rookie, has managed to do.
[Striker] Look at here, I mean, yes, take his rookie status into account,
but this is a veteran maneuver here.
A key lock with a bicep cutter,
standing over your opponent, increasing the pressure.
Swagger's a smart, talented young man. Don't count that out.
-Hey! Hey! Hey, get back. Come on! Hey! -[groans]
[Todd] Hardy in about 14 days’ time has gone from the hunted to the hunter,
has his sights set on reclaiming that ECW Championship.
The first major championship of Hardy's decorated career.
[both groan]
[Striker] Uh, Swagger sacrificing his own back there to inflict punishment.
[Todd] I should say that--
that's the first major singles championship of Hardy's career.
A multi-time tag team champion.
-[groans] -[Todd] Oh!
[Todd] Swagger blocking that clothesline, and how about that for a big boot?
Swagger, covering the former champion at two.
[Striker] What does it say about the resiliency of Matt Hardy
that he chose to use that injured arm as a weapon?
Smart. Again, listen, Jack Swagger may be young, in fact,
he's the second youngest ECW champion in history,
but he's smart, going right back to that injured left arm.
[groans]
[Todd] Swagger lifting Hardy and all his 236 pounds,
weighing up by that single arm. He's gonna dislocate his shoulder there.
[Striker] The AC joint, the clavicle, the collarbone meets the shoulder there.
So many different types of injuries can occur when you jerk an arm like that.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Hardy! Let's go, Hardy!
[Todd] Jack Swagger has picked out his target.
He's locked in on that left arm of Matt Hardy
and has not relinquished it until that move.
[Striker] That could-- that could be the break that Matt needs right there.
That could be the break if he can keep Matt.
If Matt Hardy can keep Jack Swagger at bay,
then this is something that Matt needs to take advantage of
right here and right now.
Oh! Interesting move right there. Go for a cover. Yes, Matt.
[Todd] Going for the cover. No.
[Striker] See Matt really favoring that left arm.
Slow to get up, too, as he puts all the weight on it.
-How much pain is Matt Hardy in? -[screams, groans]
[Todd] Swagger hard into the corner,
and as you can see Hardy pretty much a one-arm superstar at this point,
but the resilient warrior will not back down.
-Hardy. Do we have a new champion? -[Todd] No.
[Striker] You've got to think that if Matt Hardy's left arm was 100%
that he'd be able to hook the leg deep and get a better lateral press.
Matt Hardy is showing pure fight here.
[crowd cheering]
[Striker] Oh!
Sharp elbow from Hardy. Will it be enough? No.
[Todd] Again, notice Matt using his right arm
for most of the leverage in that lateral press.
That left arm is really taking its toll. Matt Hardy's left arm is in trouble.
[Striker] Belly to belly! Down goes Hardy!
You can see the pain all across his face and not quite yet!
[Todd] Again, it was the left arm of Matt Hardy that he used to kick out.
What kind of toll did that take?
All these things matter in a match of this type of magnitude.
[crowd chanting] Hardy! Hardy! Hardy!
[Jack groans]
[grunts]
[Todd] Swagger executing perfectly again.
Shoulders down and another near fall for the ECW champion.
[Striker] Todd to find the last Carolinian to win a major championship in this state.
We need to go all the way back to 1987
where we find Ricky Steamboat capturing the Intercontinental title.
Can Matt Hardy rewrite history tonight?
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Hardy!
[grunts]
[Todd] Certainly some great moments in WWE history
have happened here in the Motor City. Most notably, perhaps, WrestleMania III.
Over 93,000 fans witnessing history that night.
[Striker] Let's not discount, the Undertaker won his first title here,
pinning Hulk Hogan. That's huge.
[Todd] And this certainly is huge for Jack Swagger.
The biggest match by far of his young career,
and it may all go wrong right now.
-Hardy from the top rope, he hit it. -[Striker] Oh!
[Todd] Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Hardy will reclaim the--
No! Swagger somehow kicked out again.
[Striker] Up and down the ebb and flow.
This shows you what the ECW Championship means to Matt Hardy.
It also shows you what it means to Jack Swagger.
[Todd] Oh!
Hardy trying to go for that Twist of Fate. It didn't connect. Side Effect.
Swagger quickly out, tossing Hardy hard into that steel ring post.
That could be a game changer.
[Striker] I think Matt's head hit too. Matt… Matt looks like he's out.
-[Jack grunts] -[Todd] Matt is limp.
[crowd cheering]
[Todd] Swagger.
[Striker] It's… it's gonna take a lot to get Matt up.
[Todd] The gutwrench powerbomb! No one has kicked out of this move yet.
Will Hardy do it now? No, he won't. Jack Swagger is still your ECW champion.
[announcer] Here's your winner and still the ECW champion,
the All-American American, Jack Swagger!
["Get On Your Knees" playing]
♪ I got you… ♪
[Todd] Well, Stryker, a lot of questions were answered tonight.
Swagger stepped up again big
on one of the biggest nights the WWE has to offer.
[Striker] Listen, you know, I, for one, thought that Matt had it here,
the Moonstar comes crashing down.
If that left arm was 100%, could the leg hook have been deeper?
Matt going for one of his most lethal weapons, the Side Effect.
Not enough, Swagger has it counted.
And look, shoulder and head collide with steel.
And look at the strength of Swagger,
picking up a limp body for the gutwrench powerbomb.
Jack Swagger has arrived as a bonafide champion in the entire WWE.
[Todd] That is the look of confidence. It is the look of a champion.
And that is what Jack Swagger is.
And, you know, what must be going through the mind of Matt Hardy,
just two weeks ago he's at the peak of his career
and now for the second straight time,
Hardy has to watch Swagger leave the ring
carrying the ECW championship.
[Striker] It tells you how good Swagger is,
but-- and, in the meantime,
where everyone needs instant gratification,
you've got to know that Matt Hardy is a patient and enduring man,
but that ECW title meant everything to Matt.
And now it's around the shoulder and waist of the All-American American Jack Swagger.
That might just be the epitome of the agony of defeat.
[Todd] Disappointment all over the countenance of Matt Hardy.
♪ Down on your knees! ♪
[Striker] Can't help but feel for him, his entire life,
his entire career has been a fight.
He'll fight again.
[Todd] Well, ladies and gentlemen, Randy Orton has arrived here in the arena.
And let me tell you something, when the Legend Killer showed up,
you could hear a pin drop when he arrived.
[crowd cheering]
[Striker] This is, uh, earlier today, Randy Orton arriving at the arena,
just look at the looks on the faces of everyone. It's…
[crowd cheering]
["Let It Rock" playing]
[Michael] Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
we are in one of the WWE's great all-time cities.
Detroit has hosted two WrestleManias, Survivor Series, SummerSlam,
and now the 2009 Royal Rumble.
A capacity crowd tonight at the Joe Louis Arena.
["Paparazzi" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Lilian] The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it for the WWE Women's Championship!
Introducing the challenger from Los Angeles, California, Melina!
[Jerry] Well, Randy Orton's entrance here at the Royal Rumble
was, uh, uncomfortable to say the least,
but here's an entrance we all love, Melina.
[Michael] Melina, the two-time Women's Champion
who had to win a, uh, six-game battle royal
just to get here tonight
for an opportunity at the Women's Championship.
Well, I'm certainly glad she's here.
Melina versus Beth Phoenix right here at the Royal Rumble.
Could three times be a charm tonight for Melina.
["Glamazon" playing]
[Lilian] And making her way to the ring from Buffalo, New York,
she is the Slammy Award winner,
and the WWE Women's Champion, Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon.
[Michael] 2008 Slammy for Diva of the Year.
And of course, uh, Santino in tow as Glamarella makes their unique entrance.
[Jerry] I think Santino must be a Marv Albert fan.
-[Michael] Why? -[Jerry] I don't--
[stutters] Just put the bite on Beth Phoenix every chance he gets.
[Michael] Beth Phoenix won that women's title at SummerSlam,
has held it since then.
Remember, Beth Phoenix and Melina used to be very good friends, King,
until a fallout early last year.
Now, they're battling for the women's gold.
[Jerry] Oh, impressive sight, to say the least.
[Michael] Whoa!
Melina took part in WWEUniverse.com live blog earlier on today.
Ten thousand members of the WWE Universe participate.
And, King, she said that,
"God, I've worked so hard to get back here after my surgery,
I'm not going to allow myself to lose this match tonight."
"I will not back down from Beth Phoenix."
[Jerry] Well…
sometimes when you're, uh,
-facing Beth Phoenix… -[bell ringing]
you might want to keep your words soft
and sweet because you may have to eat them.
[Michael] Beth Phoenix, the most physical diva
that you've ever seen compete in the squared circle, King?
[Jerry] Well, without a doubt one of them, maybe, uh, maybe the most physical.
I mean, her strength is just-- It's… it's amazing.
[Michael] Melina gonna have to be crafty as she always is to stay away
from the power and strength of Beth Phoenix.
[both grunting]
[Jerry] Sometimes, you know… sometimes you have competitors
that if you get them angry, it… it's almost a good thing
because they lose focus and they'll-- Oh! Make mistakes,
but Phoenix…
[chuckles] …I mean, the madder she gets, the better she gets,
and the more she hurts her opponent.
Look at her just swinging poor Melina around like a ragdoll.
[Michael] I think Beth Phoenix believes
she has something to prove here tonight, King.
I mean, look at what happened on RAW this past Monday night when…
Well, Santino wants to be an intern,
Rosa Mendes ran into the ring and attacked Melina.
Remember what Beth was screaming at her?
"I don't need any help to take care of Melina."
[Melina grunts]
[Michael] Well, that's what this match is all about tonight!
-[Jerry] We'll find out. -He-- hey!
[Melina grunts, groans]
[Jerry] There's that-- that strength and power.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Santino is a-- is a cheerleader.
[Jerry] Beth Phoenix needs Santino out here
about like a fish needs a bicycle.
[Michael] Beth, the women's champion.
-[Melina grunts] -[Michael] Whoa-oh!
Melina knows what it is like to be a champion as well, but Melina--
Takedown. Phoenix goes for the armbar there.
And I'll tell you if you can take that arm out of, uh, the arsenal of Beth Phoenix,
take that power away.
Remember, championship can change hands if the champion submits.
[Jerry] Melina, because of the strength of Beth Phoenix, not able to--
And now look at this.
-[chuckling] Oh, man. -[Michael] Pure power. Pure power.
And that is what Melina has to contend against. Wow.
-Gotta, for once… -[Santino] Hey, hey, hey!
I hate to say it, agree with Santino when he said that was awesome that--
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Michael] Oh! Oh, man.
Bring it!
[Michael] Melina falling hard on her left arm.
In a recent interview with Beth Phoenix, King,
she said that her biggest fear is that WWE is running out of divas
to beat up--
[referee] Hey, hey, hey! Come on! Back down.
[Michael] Beth Phoenix, I mean, just-- Watch what happened here.
Nice elbow from Melina,
but this is what turned things around right here, watch.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Michael] And again, a vicious assault.
And the champion into a cover, hook in the leg, and Melina stays alive.
[Jerry] Well, Melina realizes she's got her opponent hurt
or at a disadvantage, man. She's-- There's no stopping her.
-Oh, look at this. -[screams, groans] No!
[Michael] Melina missed months of action last year.
Needing ankle surgery, fell off the top turnbuckle back in June.
-[screams] -[Santino] Ring the bell.
Ring the bell.
[Jerry] Santino just screaming for our timekeeper to ring the bell.
-She's not giving up. -You okay, Melina?
[Michael] She may not have a choice. Gosh, look how her leg is contorted.
-Melina determined. -Grab the rope, Melina.
[Michael] She needs to get to the bottom rope to force a break.
And there again is the strength of Beth Phoenix.
-Just hauling her opponent. -[Jerry] Goodness!
[Michael] Look at this, what in the world?
[both] Oh!
[Michael] Using her own foot as a weapon, we know Melina's flexible.
-I've never seen anything like this ever. -[groans]
Let me see. You okay? Okay?
[Michael] Santino yelling and I… I echo his sentiment,
-I can't believe I just saw that. -[groans]
Oh!
What are you doing? Come on!
[Jerry] Certainly your le… you leg is not supposed to bend in that manner.
[Michael chuckling] Her flexibility hurt her there, Melina's did.
And Beth Phoenix is just… And Melina still with fight.
[Jerry] Uh, actually, Michael, I don't think Melina is that flexible. Oh!
Beth made her that flexible.
[Michael] Look at the power again by the champion, and Melina stays alive.
Just finish it, honey, no more games.
[screams, groans]
No more games. Come on.
[Jerry] No more games?
Let's go party, have some fun.
[Jerry] If these are games that Beth Phoenix is playing,
I… I don't want to be on her playground.
-Oh. -[Michael] Unbelievable strength.
[Jerry] Gorilla press slam.
-Whoa! No! -[Michael] Glamazon. And Melina.
Melina trying to drop behind Beth Phoenix.
Now, she's able to counter that.
-Honey, just finish her! -[Michael] How much does Melina have left?
Trying to fight back.
[Jerry] I don't even know how Melina can stand up to the way we saw her laying.
-Come on. -[Jerry] Wrenched.
-Oh, nice move. Nice. -[Melina screams]
[Michael] Melina.
Beth's in trouble. Shoulders down, champion's in trouble.
-[indistinct chatter] -Move back. Now you're…
-[Michael] Near fall for the challenger. -Be consistent.
-[Beth groans] -[crowd jeering]
-[Michael] Drop toehold. -[Melina screams]
[both] Oh!
[Jerry] Knees into the back of Beth Phoenix from Melina.
[Michael] And the champion's hurt, the champion is hurt.
-Challenger, cover, hooks the leg. -[Melina groans]
[Michael] Oh, another near fall.
[Melina groans]
[Jerry] You can see the look of concern on the face of Santino.
[Michael] WWE Women's Championship is on the line.
Beth Phoenix, the champion. Melina, the challenger.
Melina!
[Jerry chuckling] Both of these young divas
-throwing caution to the wind. -[Beth groans]
[Michael] Melina trying to do everything in her power
to somehow take out the Glamazon. She might do it here!
[Jerry] Oh, man, Beth Phoenix able to duck that leg.
[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] Whoa! -[Jerry] Look at this!
Champ in trouble, champ's in trouble.
Melina got her.
-[bell ringing] -[Jerry] Melina's the champion.
["Paparazzi" playing]
-[Jerry laughing] -[Lilian] Here is your winner
and the new WWE Women's Champion, Melina!
[Jerry] Oh, the look of shock on the face of Beth Phoenix tells it all.
Melina, the new Women's Champion.
[Michael] What a gritty victory for Melina,
who is now a three-time Women's Champion.
[Jerry] Well, you're right, Melina somehow found an answer
for every offense that the Glamazon came up with.
[Michael] Beth Phoenix is shocked.
[Jerry] Well, Beth Phoenix pretty much dominated this match.
And I thought that was gonna spell the end for Melina
when she fell awkwardly on the left arm.
-Oh! -[referee] Hey, hey, hey! Come on!
[Jerry] And watch this, Michael,
I've been around a long time and I've never, ever seen this before.
My gosh.
[Michael] Well, Melina somehow dug down deep, King, and pulled it out.
[Jerry] Watch this great counter.
The back roll up, and the three count
and the victory, and a new women's champion.
[Michael] Elation for Melina,
but the face of Beth Phoenix really told the story.
Disappointment, shock, disbelief.
[Jerry] Well, that's the key word, disbelief.
I don't think Beth Phoenix thought she was capable of being beaten,
and especially not here at the Royal Rumble.
[Michael] Uh-oh. The Glamazon's five-month reign as champion is over.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I don't think Santino wants to be too close to Beth Phoenix right now.
Well, ladies and gentlemen,
the Women's Championship has just changed hands.
Melina, the new champion.
The question now is, will the World Championship
change hands here tonight at the Royal Rumble?
Well, I'm going to tell you something, that's what it's all about.
JBL challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship.
And of course, in the corner of JBL, his employee, Shawn Michaels,
trying to take the World Heavyweight title from John Cena.
[Michael] And this unique business relationship
between JBL and Shawn Michaels all began at Armageddon.
[somber music playing]
[Shawn] The economy has hit all of us very hard
and unfortunately, I am not immune to it.
[JBL] I'm gonna help you out.
[Shawn] I don't know how many years I have left.
[JBL] I'm gonna help your family out.
[Shawn] I am not gonna become a wrestling tragedy,
I will not let that happen.
[JBL] I'm gonna make sure your sweet little kids go to college.
-[Shawn] This is not something I wanna do. -[JBL] What's it gonna be?
[Shawn] This is something I have to do.
[tense music playing]
I hired you to get me to WrestleMania as world champion.
[Michael] Four former champions.
The winner will face John Cena for the World title at the Royal Rumble.
[JBL] I know you won't let me down.
[Michael] Jericho doesn't know the tag was made!
Sweet Chin Music!
We're down to three!
[Jerry] Will he connect with some more Sweet Chin Music?
-Here it is! Yes! -[Michael] He does!
Orton's been eliminated! It's moment of truth time!
[Jerry] Here we go, one-on-one! Boss and employee!
Holy, whoa, whoa, whoa!
["Serbian Lament" playing]
[Michael] Shawn had loaded up Sweet Chin Music,
but didn't pull the trigger.
[Jerry] This has got to be tearing Shawn Michaels apart inside.
[Shawn] This is not something I want to do.
This is something I have to do.
[JBL] My employee was great out there tonight.
It's official, the reign of JBL as World Heavyweight Champion
is now a matter of time.
[somber music playing]
[Michael] Shawn Michaels will be in JBL's corner
at the World title match Sunday at the Rumble.
Shawn really in a personal crisis here.
[John] Shawn, when you first made this choice,
I did whatever I could to support it,
but I don't understand anymore because last week we had a match.
[Michael] Back and forth this match goes.
[John] Last week, I didn't compete against a broken man.
[Michael] Shawn Michaels showing the world why he's indeed the main event.
[John] Last week, I had a match with The Showstopper!
[Michael] A distraction! Sweet Chin Music!
Shawn Michaels has pinned the world champion!
[John] You're Mr. WrestleMania, not JBL's puppet.
An employee is not a puppet.
I know Shawn still has it. That's why I hired him.
John, it's not personal,
-It's merely a business decision. -Shut up!
The idea that I have to take money
from a disgusting individual like you makes me sick.
I despise what I've become, but I do it, and I'll continue to do it.
And you, you think you know my situation. You don't live in my world.
I've got pressures that you couldn't possibly fathom.
I'm gonna do what I have to do.
If it costs you the World Heavyweight Championship,
then so be it.
[tense music playing]
[JBL] I hired Shawn for one reason,
and that is for me to become World Heavyweight Champion.
Sunday, that dream becomes a reality.
Thanks to Shawn Michaels.
[somber music playing]
[crowd cheering]
Shawn.
There's no reason to be conflicted, despite what John Cena said.
Look, I'm gonna make this very simple.
When I become World Heavyweight Champion tonight,
I will not only pay you all the money that I'm gonna owe you,
I will pay you all the money that I owe you tonight.
You will never, ever have to work for me again.
It's done.
And I will guarantee, after I become World Heavyweight Champion,
that tonight you will have a spot in the Royal Rumble.
You go to WrestleMania, hometown of Texas,
you get a headline again, Shawn, Mr. WrestleMania against…
wrestling god, JBL.
There's no reason to be conflicted, Shawn.
It's all laid out in front of you.
-[breathes deeply] -[crowd cheering]
Sometimes…
it's hell getting to heaven.
[JBL] Let's go, Shawn.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
This contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship!
[crowd cheering]
["Longhorn" playing]
[Michael] Well, talk about a bonus package.
Talk about incentives tonight
for Shawn Michaels to help JBL win the championship.
[Jerry] I mean, is there no end to the amount of strings
that JBL can pull? What a…
what a bombshell he dropped on Shawn Michaels
right before coming out here to ringside.
If JBL becomes the World Heavyweight Champion,
JBL's gonna pay Shawn Michaels all the money that he owes him tonight.
And Shawn doesn't have to work for JBL anymore.
Plus, JBL somehow guarantees Shawn Michaels a spot in the Royal Rumble.
[Michael] A shrewd, smart, calculating move
by the businessman JBL.
And he admitted, King, he hired Shawn Michaels for one reason,
and that's to become world champion.
And to go back to Houston in the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania,
a quote, "puckering hero."
[Jerry] Well, you got to feel for Shawn's financial situation
that he has resort to this.
[crowd clamoring]
[Jerry chuckling] Shawn near bankruptcy, and winds up an employee of JBL.
[crowd chanting] Cena, Cena, Cena!
-["The Time Is Now" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Krrr, Amadou! ♪
♪ Your time is up My time is now, now, now ♪
♪ You can't see me My time is now, now, now ♪
♪ It's the franchise, boy I'm shinin' now, now, now ♪
♪ You can't see me My time is now, now, now ♪
♪ In case you forgot or fell off I'm still hot, knock your shell off ♪
♪ My money stack fat Plus I can't turn the swell off ♪
[Michael] The World Champion John Cena,
this is, in a sense, a two-on-one handicap match here tonight.
Much like we saw a couple of weeks ago
when John Cena squared off with HBK and JBL
aided Michaels to the victory.
Or the attack last week during the contract signing.
♪ …Competition I got the whole block wishin' ♪
♪ They could run with my division ♪
[Jerry] Now, we saw last week John Cena trying to--
I mean, it was a heartfelt… heartfelt talk,
he tried to talk some sense into Shawn Michaels,
but it just-- He fell on deaf ears.
Introducing first, the challenger, from New York City,
John Bradshaw Layfield!
[crowd cheering]
And from West Newbury, Massachusetts, weighing in at 240 pounds,
he is the World Heavyweight Champion,
John Cena!
[Michael] John Cena and John Bradshaw Layfield
have a very rich history.
In fact, John Cena was quoted as saying that…
JBL has given him his most brutal matches ever.
They've been involved in matches for the WWE title,
I Quit matches. Who will ever forget
last summer's New York City parking lot brawl.
[Jerry] And now tonight, with the World Heavyweight Championship
at stake, you add Shawn Michaels to the equation in the corner
of his employer, JBL.
[Michael] And I can still hear those words echoing, King, from last week.
Shawn Michaels point-blank looking Cena in the eyes and saying,
"I'm gonna do what I have to do
and if it costs you the World Championship then so be it."
Go. Check it up.
[Jerry] Well, you know, I mean… [stutters]
…you… you feel like you can see things more clearly from the outside.
We're certainly not in Shawn Michaels' shoes.
I mean, these are tough economic times.
-Some people have lost jobs… -[bell ringing]
…people have lost their houses,
uh, and… and certainly they could probably
more relate to Shawn's situation than you or I,
but, I mean, Shawn is virtually bankrupt. He's lost everything.
[Michael] But that could all be over tonight.
Shawn Michaels has every reason to help JBL in this match,
-it could all be over for Shawn tonight. -[John grunts]
[Michael] And John Cena, on the attack in the early going.
World Championship is on the line here at the 22nd Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] That's why it's easy for JBL to walk in
and tell Shawn Michaels not to be conflicted, but--
[grunts]
[Michael] And for Shawn Michaels, he's gotta be careful
if he is gonna help JBL, King,
because remember, for some reason, there's a disqualification,
the championship's not gonna change hands.
Pinfall or submission for the challenger, JBL, to win that title.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Cena! Let's go, Cena!
[Michael] And just the mere--
Shawn's mere presence at ringside is a huge--
It's a… it's a huge distraction for… for John Cena.
He's got to be aware of… of Shawn's whereabouts
at every minute in this match.
He's got to be concerned with what Shawn may try.
Oh!
[Jerry] And it's… you know, it's a… a big help, a big advantage for JBL.
Look at this action.
[Michael] Here's the cover by Cena, hooks the leg and a kick out by JBL.
Time for the longest reigning WWE Champion in SmackDown history,
JBL, to regroup.
[Mike] Let's go. Two…
-[JBL whispers indistinctly] -[crowd clamoring]
[Michael] I just-- Wonder what that was about.
[crowd jeering]
[Mike] Six!
Get back in the ring!
[Jerry] See, they can think whatever.
He was trying to read the eyes and body language of Shawn Michaels.
-And I know that when JBL was… -[Michael] Ooh!
…you know in a pinning predicament, Shawn didn't move a muscle.
-[JBL grunts] -[groans]
[Michael] Say and think whatever you want about JBL…
Enough! Hey!
[Michael] …but he made a brilliant move hiring Shawn Michaels.
[Jerry] Well, you know, you spoke earlier about how Cena said
that some of his most brutal matches
were against JBL and you see why right there.
JBL with that huge right clubbing fist of his can knock your lights out
with one punch, much less three, or four, or five in a row with brawl--
[Michael] Nothing pretty about JBL's offense,
but John Cena quickly again with a cover, hook to the leg.
And again, we see another near fall and a quick cover for the champion.
-Is that great-- Oh, and look at this. -[Jerry] Look out!
[Michael] Again, Cena for the cover.
Can he put JBL away here? A great strategy by Cena.
Trying to take Michaels out of the equation
if you can put this match away early.
[Jerry] You're right. Well, you see, we saw twice,
Cena planted JBL's head face first into that mat.
And once again, Shawn Michaels didn't move a muscle.
Wait a minute, watch your back there, Bradshaw.
-Oh, oh, look at-- Oh, and there's it. -[Michael] Uh-oh.
[crowd jeering]
[Michael] John Cena pulled up just for a moment when he saw Shawn.
And that slight distraction allowed JBL to take advantage.
[Jerry] Well, that's what we were concerned about earlier.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jerry] Just the mere presence at ringside of Shawn Michaels.
[Michael] And you mentioned earlier too,
the amount of respect that John Cena has for Shawn Michaels.
[Mike] Six!
[Michael] Take another look at what happened--
JBL, though, world title on the line.
-Can he get Cena here? And a kick out. -Two!
[Jerry] Watch this.
Here's the hesitation on the part of John Cena.
And that momentary hesitation… gave JBL the advantage.
And when a man is physical as JBL, has the advantage.
-[Michael] S-- -[Jerry] Oh, watch it. Oh!
This could do it.
[Michael] Clothesline, cover, will we crown a new world champion?
Two.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Expressionless.
But you gotta wonder what is rolling around
in the mind of Shawn Michaels.
[grunts]
[Michael] JBL wearing down the World Champion.
If this keeps up, Michaels won't have to be a factor.
-Here's the cover, a two count. -Two.
[Jerry] Michaels has already been a factor.
I don't think JBL would have this advantage right now,
had it not been for Shawn being at ringside.
That… that just second of pause there, and hesitation on the part of Cena.
[grunts]
[Michael] Bradshaw said no reason to be conflicted tonight
for Shawn Michaels.
See his right-arm hooked behind Bradshaw's leg
and then the cross-face.
Twisting, wrenching the neck of Cena.
Champion submits and he taps out,
the challenger will become the World Champ.
[Jerry] I'd like to know what is going through the mind of Shawn Michaels,
I'll give anything, it's--
[Michael] Oh, Cena comes! Boom, sideslam!
Power again by JBL.
-Again, the champ's in trouble. In again! -Two!
[Michael] A near fall for John Bradshaw Layfield.
Go get him in the ring.
-[crowd jeering] -Come on.
[Michael] JBL would like nothing more than to drive into WrestleMania
in that big old limousine with a world title around his waist.
[Jerry] I think he'd like to do it with the help of Shawn Michaels.
Let Shawn Michaels earn his keep and, you know, there's no doubt
Shawn has been helping JBL begrudgingly, but he has been helping.
[Michael] Remember Cena's out on the outside.
The referee's begun his counting.
If John Cena's counted out of this match, he retains the World Championship.
The challenger has got to pin or make the champion submit.
Five!
[Jerry] Think, JBL is starting to realize that right now.
He's trying to break the referee's count.
At least get John Cena back into the ring before a ten-count.
Cena trying to--
[both] Oh!
[crowd clamoring]
[Jerry] Whatever Cena was trying to do, it was thwarted by JBL.
[Michael] Ref has begun counting again.
[overlapping chatter]
[Michael] Now the task for JBL is to…
to move this lifeless body of Cena back into the ring.
Seven!
[Jerry] Oh, referee up to a count of seven--
[Michael] JBL looking to take advantage, King,
of Cena crashing into the steel steps. Can he do it? Hooks the champion's leg.
And again, Cena has to survive at a count of two.
[crowd jeering]
Now… one…
-[Michael] JBL controlling the pace. -…two.
[Jerry] I just can't help, but, um-- [chuckles]
You know, I'm trying to watch Shawn out of the corner of my eye here
-as I watch the action in the ring. But… -[grunts]
-…I mean, I… you have to think that… -[JBL grunting]
…maybe Shawn Michaels would… would want to see JBL become champion.
And… and Shawn Michaels maybe not have to be a part of it,
-not have to help JBL. Oh! -[grunts]
-Come on. Tell him to get down. -[grunts]
[Jerry] Man, big right hands.
Come on!
[Michael] John Cena's been distracted through this… this whole matchup
by Shawn Michaels' presence. So, already Michaels is… is helping JBL.
[Jerry] Oh, and you're right there.
I mean, he's… he's definitely a help advantage.
But I think Shawn could maybe find it easier to live with himself
if he didn't physically have to get involved. Oh!
[Michael] Cena, the great determined champion.
Right hands.
A momentum change could be happening.
And if that happens, what does Michaels do?
[Jerry] Because he's not moving a muscle still.
[Michael] Oh, here comes Cena!
And there's the leg drop to the back of the neck.
John Cena could be in position to retain the world title.
Taking too long to get the cover. Here it is.
Hooks the leg. Can John Cena do it? JBL gets the shoulder up in two.
[Jerry] Well, if John Cena could have had a quicker cover
-right after that big leg drop. -[Michael] He rattled himself.
Came off the top rope.
[grunts]
[both] Oh!
[crowd jeering]
[Michael] Cena dropped.
-JBL-- -[grunts]
[Michael] Oh, look at Cena just tackling Bradshaw.
And Cena could probably get the best of him too.
-[grunts] -[groans]
-[Michael] Now, John Cena-- -[Jerry] John Cena with a head of steam.
[Michael] Turn up the pace.
And you can suddenly feel the momentum shifting.
[chuckling] It's not shifting, the momentum has shifted.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Check it out, JBL.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] How about a little Five-knuckle-shuffle
from the World Champ? Oh!
[Michael] John Cena perched, looking to put JBL away.
Bradshaw's out of it. Here goes Cena. Cena going for the victory.
Oh, and what an elbow.
The bridge of the nose.
[Jerry] Oh, and a drop toehold.
[Michael] And look at this, Cena.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Michael] The STF, trying to lock in the STF.
Submission maneuver.
And this is almost shades of… of a couple of weeks ago.
[Jerry] And the referee just warning Shawn Michaels.
[Michael] And when it was JBL outside the ring,
and Michaels in this maneuver,
and JBL would move the ropes closer to help him out.
-Will Michaels do the same tonight? -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[speaking indistinctly] -[crowd jeering]
[Michael] But again, that… that slight distraction
by Michaels allowed JBL to again regain control.
[indistinct chatter]
[Michael] If JBL wins the world title tonight,
that man, Shawn Michaels, will be free of all his burdens.
His burdens financially, his burdens to JBL.
[Jerry] I couldn't see. Could you tell, Michael,
if Shawn Michaels pulled that middle rope down?
[Michael] Sorta looked that way,
but it was hard to see if it was intentional or not.
[Jerry] Cena's got to stay focused on JBL.
[Michael] And he's not, and there's a Clothesline from Hell.
And we may have a new world champion from out of nowhere, and Cena kicks out.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] JBL thought the Clothesline from Hell was gonna put Cena away,
but the champion survived again.
[Jerry] I thought the Clothesline from Hell put Cena away.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I… I don't know what JBL is expecting
from Shawn Michaels at this point.
But he's staring a hole through Shawn and…
-[Michael] John Cena! -[Jerry] Oh!
[Michael] JBL's in trouble. And again, JBL.
-[grunts] -[Jerry] Oh, my gosh!
[Michael] Right into the referee.
Both men knocked down, center of the ring.
Referee Mike Chioda has been knocked clear out of the ring.
[Jerry] It was accidental, but the ref is out.
[Michael] What in the world is Shawn Michaels gonna do?
In one hand, he hates JBL,
and the other hand, his livelihood could be back in his hands!
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] The referee is lying on the floor of the side of the ring.
Face down, he's out.
Cena's down, he's…
barely moving.
-[Michael] Michaels is soul-searching. -[Jerry] Here comes JBL to…
Shawn Michaels.
Bringing in some Sweet Chin Music for Cena.
-[groans] -[Jerry] Oh, my God!
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Shawn, what did you do?
[Michael] Shawn Michaels just blew the whole deal!
[Jerry] What?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Cena can't believe it, but he… he likes it!
[indistinct crowd chanting]
-[Jerry] What? Oh! -[Michael] Sweet Chin Music to Cena?
[Michael] What?
[Jerry] The champ and the challenger laid out.
[Michael] I… I don't get it.
[Jerry] Oh, no!
-[Michael] What? Oh, no. -[Jerry] Wait a minute!
[Michael] Oh, no.
It…
Shawn, what--
It…
He-- I think--
I… I think HBK just did what he was getting paid for, but--
[crowd chanting] Cena, Cena, Cena!
[Jerry] It's another official coming down!
[Michael] And the World Championship is on the line
and there's a two count and Cena kicked out!
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh!
Somehow John Cena got his shoulder up.
[Michael] Instinctively…
the match continues for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Jerry] But what now?
Shawn Michaels has left the ring.
[Michael] I'm not even sure it's sunk into Bradshaw or Cena
what's transpired here.
[crowd chanting] Cena, Cena, Cena!
[Jerry] I don't think either of these guys knows what's--
[Michael] Look at… look at Cena! Cena! Cena hooked him! The cover!
John Cena retains the world title!
["The Time Is Now" playing]
[Lilian] Here is your winner
and still the World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena!
[Jerry chuckling]
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I'm gonna tell you, Michael, that may be one of the most
bizarre endings of a match that… that I've ever seen.
♪ …And I stay under you fightin' Plus I'm stormin' on you chumps… ♪
[Jerry] Shawn Michaels…
shocks the world when he…
delivers the Sweet Chin Music to JBL, then he does the same thing to Cena.
[Michael] JBL's plan and all seemed so perfect.
♪ …I got my soul straight I brush your mouth like Colgate… ♪
[Jerry] Well, first… first of all, let's see what happened to the referee,
and why we had a second official.
Whoa, they found out what JBL's boot tasted like.
Then we thought Cena was about to receive the Sweet Chin Music, and instead-- Man!
Now, Cena was happy that Shawn Michaels had just laid up JBL
when Cena suffered the same fate.
[Michael] And then Shawn Michaels had pulled his employer JBL into the cover.
The second referee was there,
but somehow instinctively Cena would kick out.
[Jerry] And then the Clothesline from Hell was countered.
Cena hits his patented move on JBL, and it's all over.
[Michael] It seemed like the perfect plan.
But in the end, John Cena remains the world champion.
♪ …A man's measured By the way that he thinks ♪
♪ Not clothin' lines, ice links Leather and minks ♪
♪ I spent twenty-plus years Seekin' knowledge of self ♪
♪ So, for now Marc Predka's livin' live for wealth ♪
♪ Krrr, Amadou! ♪
["Let It Rock" playing]
[Michael] Let's talk about rockin', let's say thank you
for "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolph,
the official theme song of the Royal Rumble. Pretty cool.
[Ross] And up next, ladies and gentlemen, WWE Champion Jeff Hardy
will make his very first WWE title defense
here on pay-per-view since winning, um, 42 days ago at Armageddon.
Jeff Hardy. And what a rivalry and what a story
that has brought us here that began, really, in Boston.
Jeff Hardy was found unconscious in the stairwell of his hotel.
He's here!
-[Ross] Jeff Hardy! -[Jerry] You've got to be kidding me!
[Ross] What a wild night it is! My God, it's our new WWE Champion!
[Edge] I am sick and tired of everyone blaming me
for what happened to Jeff, because I didn't do it.
[Jeff] You know I won't be denied. I will have justice.
The screw-up has found his cause.
["Let It Rock" playing]
♪ And you take your time ♪
♪ And you do your crime ♪
♪ Well, you made your bed ♪
♪ I made mine ♪
[Michael] My God, Jeff Hardy, from daredevil to champion.
♪ Because when I arrive I, I'll bring the fire ♪
♪ Make you come alive I can take you higher ♪
♪ What the saints forgot I must now remind you… ♪
[Jeff] I am the WWE champion.
-[car thuds] -[ambulance siren wailing]
[dispatcher over radio] You-- 108, uh,
I have, uh, just seen an accident here on the highway 55…
[police officer] All right, what's your name?
-[Jeff] Jeff. Jeff Hardy. -[police officer]Tell me what happened.
We were on our way home, man, I see this guy come flying up behind me,
I think he's just gonna pass us, some nutcase,
next thing I know, he runs us right off the road,
smashes right into our… our side of our car.
He was going how fast?
Man ,we were doing like 35-40, he had to be doing 60-65.
-Did you know him? -No, I have no clue.
[Jeff] I'm just thankful that Beth wasn't injured, seriously.
I'm thankful that I wasn't injured, seriously.
Thank God, you know, nobody was hospitalized.
[tense music playing]
[Edge] It seems like the black cloud that was hanging over Jeff's head in 2008,
well, it's… it's followed him in 2009, and that's unfortunate.
I'm happy
that Jeff and his girlfriend are okay, I… I really am,
because now there's no more distractions, no more disruptions.
I wanna get Jeff out here himself, so I can tell him face-to-face.
Jeff Hardy's first and only WWE title reign was an accident.
["No More Words" playing]
[Tazz] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome my guest tonight, Jeff Hardy.
-[poignant music playing] -[Jeff] It's obvious
that someone is trying to stop me from living my dream.
-Edge, I pity you. -[intense music playing]
[Jeff] I know that you're behind all of this, and you know what,
you failed trying to take me out just like you're gonna fail this Sunday.
Have you ever heard of the saying,
"There is nothing to fear but fear itself?"
Edge… I'm not afraid.
[echoes] Are you?
-[bell ringing] -This contest set for one fall
-is for the WWE Championship! -[crowd cheering]
-["No More Words" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] A rockstar-like ovation for the 37th WWE Champion
in World Wrestling Entertainment history.
Certainly a pause to gaze at the pyrotechnics…
-[Tazz] Yeah. -…before he advanced.
[Tazz] Yeah, well, Jeff definitely looked a little tentative
before the pyro… pyrotechnics went off.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy, a victim of tampered pyrotechnics last week.
Also our general manager--
By the way, ladies and gentlemen, if you've been living in a cave,
is the wife of the number one contender, the man that Jeff Hardy's about to face.
Customarily, the challenger will come out first and be introduced.
But it's somewhat ironic that the champion is coming out first here tonight.
-Be that as it may. -[Tazz laughing] Yeah.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy's first WWE title of picks.
Just winning the championship in Armageddon, 42 days ago.
[song continues]
[Tazz] Some… some people thought that Jeff Hardy, J.R.,
could never make it to the top.
He proved everyone wrong.
[Ross] Certainly a long, hard battle,
an amazing journey in the life of Jeff Hardy.
-Starting out in the WWE as a teenager. -[Vickie] Excuse me!
-Excuse me! -[Ross] Oh, Lord!
[crowd cheering]
[Vickie] Excuse me!
Jeff, don't even think of getting out of this match
and saving your title by getting disqualified.
I have now changed the match to no disqualification!
-[chuckles] -[crowd cheering]
Now, introducing your next WWE Champion,
my husband, Edge!
["Metalingus" playing]
♪ On this day, I see clearly… ♪
[Ross] Well, I am surprised to say the least
that this has been made a no disqualification match.
I'm also surprised that…
Edge is, uh, not coming alone.
And Chavo Guerrero in tow, our General Manager's nephew.
♪ …Chance to chase a dream 'Nother chance… ♪
[Tazz] I'll tell you what, Edge has got that look in his eye.
He wants to regain that WWE title in a very bad way.
[song ends]
[Justin] This contest is now a no disqualification match
for the WWE Championship.
Introducing first, the challenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
weighing 241 pounds, the Rated-R Superstar,
-Edge! -[crowd cheering]
And his opponent, from Cameron, North Carolina,
weighing 225 pounds, he is the current WWE Champion,
-Jeff Hardy! -[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] Well, you know, Jeff Hardy, Jeff Hardy, uh, accusing Edge of… of
the night before, uh, Survivor Series,
Jeff being attacked in that stairwell in his hotel in Boston.
Jeff accusing Edge for the, uh, being the victim of a vehicular assault…
and… and… and, uh,
-Jeff also accusing Edge… -[bell ringing]
…also accusing Edge of the pyrotechnics, uh, accident.
Everything pointing towards Edge in Jeff's mind.
[Ross] Caught the indictment and caught the aggressive start
by the WWE Champion in this one-fall, now,
no disqualification match for the WWE title.
[crowd jeering]
[Tazz] And throughout all of Jeff's accusations,
Edge is saying, "I didn't do it!"
As much as I love good, old Jeff Hardy pain and suffering,
Edge is claiming, you know, innocence.
[Ross] Edge has talked about a black cloud and up,
he sounds like a menacing meteorologist.
[Tazz] Ooh!
[Ross] Certain a black cloud, it was-- Someone was behind it.
Jeff Hardy certainly believes it was Edge,
he made that very clear on Friday Night SmackDown.
[Tazz] Well, everything that Jeff's been through,
I mean, I feel you got to give the man credit,
-for his moxie and his grit. -[Ross] Oh, wait a minute.
[Tazz] Show up here and defend his title.
[Ross] Yeah. Oh, what is this?
[Tazz] No disqualification, J.R., so…
-It's all legal! -[Ross] Oh! God!
Jeff Hardy left himself in a vulnerable position.
[Edge grunts]
[Ross] Jeff Hardy is purely retribution focused.
He could be severely challenged to leave here with a WWE title.
[Tazz] J.R., I agree with you 100%.
Sometimes, if your emotions get the better of you during a contest,
-especially with someone like Edge… -[crowd] Hardy! Hardy! Hardy!
…you could be in deep, deep trouble.
[groans]
[Ross] So, it is to Edge's benefit to ground.
-[Edge exclaims] -[Jeff groans]
[Ross] Take Jeff Hardy out of the game!
Eliminate that quickness advantage…
as we just saw Jeff Hardy utilize.
[Tazz] Well, Jeff Hardy well-documented that reckless style,
-the unpredictable… -[Ross] First cover of the matchup.
…the unpredictable style of Jeff Hardy.
[Tazz] High-energy Jeff right here, with the athletic ability.
Boom! Tremendous timing and quickness by the champion.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy has total belief in himself,
something that all successful people, I truly believe, must have.
[Tazz] Hey, you don't have that confidence.
If you don't have that self-assurance, you're done.
-[Jeff grunts] -[Edge groans]
[Ross] Hardy, the daredevil, the risk taker.
You gotta be careful not to make any catastrophic mistakes
with a man as talented as the six time WWE Champion.
[Tazz] Let's face it. J.R. is a-- I'm sorry.
Let's face it, Jeff Hardy is a… is a misfit too.
J.R., yeah, let's be honest.
He, uh, he's different. He's off beat, to say the least.
-[Ross] Is that so wrong? [Tazz laughing] I think it's cool.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy… playing some mind games here,
physically manipulating the challenger.
[Tazz] Here we go, watch… watch Hardy, baby, whoa! Oh!
Oh!
[Ross] Hardy landed on his feet,
made the adjustment and scores with high risk.
-[crowd member 1] Let's go, Jeff! -[Tazz] The always explosive Jeff Hardy.
One of the main reasons why Hardy is the WWE Champion.
Well, that's here.
Able to stop himself in midair,
but Edge got a whole lot of Hardy right there.
[Ross] A lot of smack, and velocity, and again, Hardy leaving his feet,
left himself a little vulnerable again, and again, the very talented…
[Tazz] But, hey, Chavo… Chavo distracted Jeff Hardy, though.
[Ross] Well, distractions or not, we talk about focus.
[Tazz] Yes.
Let's take a look at the distraction by Chavo Guerrero.
Jeff takes his eye off the ball, and then…
[groans]
[Ross] And of course, I'm not sure the referee saw the distraction
or not, but it would have been irrelevant.
-This is… -[Tazz] Ooh!
…a no disqualification match.
Jeff Hardy was not prepared for these rules.
I have a sneaking feeling that Edge may have had some insider information.
[Tazz] You think? Watch this.
That's a boot in face!
-Champion got the worst of it there. -[crowd booing]
[Ross] Hardy turned inside out of the security wall.
[Tazz] And Edge is so cunning, so ruthless.
He will systematically, if the opportunity is there,
-attempt to pick apart Jeff Hardy. -[crowd jeering]
-[Tazz] Watch out, watch out. -[Ross] Out here-- Oof!
Jeff Hardy's head!
[Tazz] Again, this is no disqualification.
[Ross] Cracking the announce table and looking at a complete trifecta.
A tri-branded headbutt on three announce tables.
[Tazz] On a horrific hat trick, to say the least.
[Ross] In Hockey Town. [chuckling]
So, now Edge with a obvious distinct advantage.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] I suggest he not waste any time.
[Tazz] Well, this is… this is where Edge is most dangerous, in my opinion.
-Oh, oh! One, two… -[Tazz] Oh!
Oh, man, this is where Edge is most dangerous, J.R.,
when Edge feels he has the momentum in his corner.
[Ross] Many call Edge "the ultimate opportunist,"
and he certainly has a magnificent opportunity as we speak.
[Tazz] Well, Edge's like setting up for something.
[Jeff groans]
[Ross] Kick to the ribs, driving the air out of Jeff Hardy.
[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] Well, we know Jeff Hardy is loaded with intestinal fortitude
and heart…
and resiliency, but, uh, you know, the champion obviously being tested…
-[grunts] -…by the challenger.
-[groans] -[Edge yells]
-[grunts] -[groans]
[Ross] Edge with his patented spear.
Hardy nowhere to go, trapped in the corner.
Good strategy, again, by the challenger,
driving the air, again, out of the champion.
[crowd jeering]
[Tazz] Notice how Edge is not rushing into anything.
Taking his time, stalking his opponent.
[Ross] Edge wants to eliminate all
-high risk mistakes. -[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
-[Ross] A clean sunset flip! -[Tazz laughing]
You see, that's how quick, though.
That's how quick Jeff Hardy can change the swing of the match.
-[grunts] One… -[Ross] And cover.
-…two… -[Ross] And…
-[grunts] -…near fall.
[pants]
[Ross] Edge, one second away from becoming WWE Champion.
[groans]
[Tazz] I mean, J.R., you've done… you've done
the interview last week with Jeff Hardy. You sat there one-on-one with him.
Come on, tell me, psychologically,
all these things that have been happening to Jeff,
it had to take some sort of a toll on him.
[Ross] Well, I-- We talked a little bit about that off-camera,
and I think that, you know, Jeff tried to sell me
the fact that he was gonna be focused,
he was not gonna be, he was gonna be here
to… to strictly wrestle and win this match.
-[groans] -[Ross] One could tell,
he's a human being.
-[Tazz] Right. -[Ross] The things that have happened
to Jeff Hardy could have easily ended his career.
How can you just leave that behind, come to the ring and wrestle?
I just don't think a guy can.
I hope I'm wrong.
[Tazz] Then again, Jeff is Jeff.
Yeah, watch here.
Got no disqualification, a blatant hair-pull by… by Edge.
[Ross] Well, it's not like the referee's gonna disqualify Edge…
-[Tazz laughing] No, I know. -…for pulling my hair.
The bottom line is that…
is that, uh,
anything can happen in these no disqualification matches.
We have seen Edge and… and Jeff Hardy
in the first ever, uh, Tag Team Ladders matches.
The first ever TLC matches on WWE pay-per-view.
The risk these men can and have…
-[groans] -…and may take
are just absolutely amazing.
[Tazz] Oh, yeah, Jeff Hardy's nothing but extreme and erratic, baby.
-Whoa! -[Ross] What a counter.
Hardy… sailing through the air, looking, I think,
for maybe a crossbody,
but got a drop kick counter for his efforts.
And now the cover,
-the near leg is hooked. -One,
-two… -[Ross] We could have a-- Ooh!
[Tazz] Edge, uh… Edge every time with-- counters of maneuver.
Or once Jeff crashes and burns, then Edge goes for a cover.
It's smart strategy.
-[crowd jeering] -Get out of my way!
-[pants] -[crowd jeering]
[Tazz] J.R., this is no disqualification.
[Ross] Two chairs this time.
Jeff Hardy tried to introduce a chair earlier to no avail…
and to Hardy's own misery.
-[Tazz] Well-- Oh! -[Ross] Oh, my gosh!
What a spear, taking Edge off the apron.
[Tazz] Well, I think… I think maybe… maybe…
maybe Edge had a concerto on his mind, but…
[Ross] You know, um, Jeff Hardy cutting off at the pants right now.
-[Tazz] Look at that! -[Ross] Oh!
Hardy paying a big price.
Now, trying to pull himself back up.
And, oof!
The risk-taking, daredevil, WWE Champion,
cares not if he breaks himself apart, if he can leave here the WWE Champion.
[pants]
[Tazz] You can see the toll the physicality is taking
on both these athletes.
[Ross] A very physical, intense at times, unorthodox WWE title match!
-[Tazz] My God! -[Ross] Oh, my God!
-[Tazz] Oh, man. -[Ross] What a twist of fate!
Edge bouncing off the apron of the ring, as did the Champion.
[Tazz] Oh, we gotta take a look at this again.
How sudden, how swift!
-[Ross] Oh! -[Tazz] Out of nowhere.
-Good God! -[Ross] And for Jeff Hardy,
it's too bad that one didn't come in the center of the ring.
Well, this one could be over!
-[Edge groans] -[Tazz] Like you said, J.R.,
Jeff doesn't mind abusing himself out here
as long as his opponent's getting most of the abuse.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Hardy retaliating and then raising the stakes.
Hardy looks like he's going… in a gambling term, "All in."
-Raising the stakes here. -[crowd jeering]
-[Tazz] Oh, God! Oh, no, no! -[Ross] Which is a--
My gosh, and remember,
this is completely legal with no disqualifications.
I'll tell you what…
[Tazz] I'll tell you what, I'm standing up and getting ready to move.
[Ross] Our general manager may regret that she made this no disqualification.
Her husband and number one contender lying helplessly on the announce table.
[crowd jeering]
[Tazz] Oh, man.
-What the-- Chavo! -[Ross] Chavo Guerrero…
the general manager's nephew trying to intervene and does…
-[Tazz] Oof! -…and pays for it.
-Chavo paying a price. -[Jeff] Come on, come on!
[Ross] Edge's eating steel ring post.
[groans]
[Tazz] Yeah, no disqualification in Jeff Hardy.
Jeff Hardy's looking pretty good right about now!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy taking out his wrath on an interfering Chavo Guerrero.
[Tazz] Chavo Guerrero, I think,
he's about to be the sacrificial lamb here, J.R.
[Ross] But it's not the man that Jeff-- Jeff Hardy taking a… a hell of a chance!
[Tazz] Oh, that's Jeff Hardy!
[Ross] Hardy almost slipped off the top of the ladder,
came off of one leg, from his own anatomy…
aggressively, legally, pointedly through Chavo Guerrero.
Who's not even in this match!
[Tazz] Oh, my God, J.R., complete devastation!
Let's take another angle, another look at this.
Annihilating Chavo Guerrero, did Jeff Hardy.
Oh, my God, look at-- This is--
[Ross] For the height, the chance, the risk, the impact.
[Tazz] Oh, my Lord, talk about reckless!
[Ross] And we still got a WWE title match in progress.
-[Tazz] Oof! -[Ross] And Hardy…
his body's gotta be just rocked with pain from head to toe,
has eliminated Chavo Guerrero from the proceedings,
or at least it would seem.
[Tazz] There we go, here goes Jeff again!
-[Edge groans] -[Ross] Nice hang time.
-What will a crossbody do? -One, two…
[Ross] Referee's hand coming down for three.
Jeff Hardy has literally leveled the playing field.
[Tazz] But to your point J.R…
Vickie Guerrero laying down the no disqualification rule,
I mean, it… it's actually helping Jeff Hardy to some degree.
And one can only assume that that was not our general manager's, uh, motive.
[Tazz] We've got to take another look at this here,
this amazing maneuver.
The un-- Just how dangerous,
-how reckless… -[crowd cheering]
…is Jeff Hardy destroying Chavo?
[Ross] And now, Edge doing some… some handiwork,
exposing the steel on the top turnbuckle.
And again, there's nothing the referee can do about it.
It's a no disqualification match.
-And these guys… -[Tazz chuckling]
…Edge, and the champion Jeff Hardy here…
-[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! -…this could do it, this could do it.
-Exposed steel! -[Tazz] Look at Hardy!
-[Ross] Ooh! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And the whisper of the wind's here to get it done!
Oh, my gosh!
Somehow, someway,
Edge willed himself out of that predicament.
[Tazz] How quick, just a sudden burst of zest.
How quick Jeff Hardy builds up that speed.
-So impressive. -[Edge grunts]
-[Ross] Hardy in control, counter-- -[Tazz] Bullseye!
[Ross] A DDT by Edge.
An amazing counter.
What a twist of fate,
-this time in the ring, could do it! -One, two…
-[Tazz] Edge, Edge got him! -[Ross] Edge hooked!
[crowd cheering]
-[Tazz laughing] -[Ross] And as close as the referee was
in counting down Edge a moment ago,
he was even closer in counting down Jeff Hardy on that exchange.
[Tazz] What a match, what a match!
[Ross] It's all about the WWE title,
the most coveted championship in all of World Wrestling Entertainment.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Edge looking to hit one, big, offensive move!
-And that one has a block. -[Tazz] Ah!
-[groans] -[Tazz] Tremendous counter by Edge.
-[Ross] Let's go! Inside cradle. -[Tazz] It's one take! It's good!
-[Ross] And how ironic would it be… -[Tazz laughing]
-…with all the high risk. -[Tazz] Yeah.
[Ross] And you got a match cut down in one
-with that inside cradle. -[Jeff groans]
[Tazz] Hey, sometimes, that's the way it goes down.
-That can happen. -[Ross] I love the irony.
-[Tazz] Oh! -[Ross] Facebuster suplex.
-And Jeff Hardy… -[Tazz] Here we go.
…has built momentum, and regained it, and survived it.
[Tazz] Hardy's going where he loves to be. Oh--
[Ross gasping]
A smart move by Edge, but Hardy said, "You're not getting away."
[Ross] Whoa, whoa!
-[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! -[Ross] Oh!
Oh! The exposed turnbuckle.
Hardy's face bouncing off steel.
Hardy's face being mangled around the steel turnbuckle.
[Tazz] Edge… Edge is seconds away from being the WWE champion!
-One, two-- -[Ross] Edge should have it.
-We will have it. -[Tazz] Got it!
Oh, Hardy kicks out!
Again, the exposed turnbuckle, no pad whatsoever.
And face first, I believe it, looks, bam, goes Jeff Hardy.
[Ross] Man, there's nothing there, no padding.
Just unforgiving steel in the face of the WWE Champion.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And the ebb and the flow of this amazing…
-[Tazz] Oh, man. -…WWE title match
sees Edge on the advantage.
[Tazz] At the moment, it does not look good for Jeff Hardy.
Come on!
[Ross] Psychotic eyes tell amazing stories!
-Oh! -[Tazz] Oh!
[Ross] Spear was countered into a-- with a twist of fate.
I've never seen that particular counter.
[Tazz] Neither have I. That was… that was… [chuckling]
…an awesome counter.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy willing himself.
-Jeff Hardy living his dream. -[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, but--
[Ross] But there's the… the Guerrero, the General Manger.
-Our General Manger. -[Tazz] It's no disqualification.
-[Ross] Here to intervene. -[Tazz] Look at Hardy!
-[Ross] Swanton bomb! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And that should do it!
Can Jeff capitalize? Can Jeff zone in for the cover?
Edge down. Edge not moving.
-Get him. Get him. -[Chavo screams]
-[Ross] Oh, come on! -[Tazz] Wow!
[indistinct shouting]
[Ross] The general manager interrupted the count.
That virtually guaranteed that this will be over.
[Tazz] Oh, Matt Hardy!
[Ross] And there's--
Now, the table's got a little bit-- Set a little differently.
[Tazz] Yeah, no disqualification here.
[Ross] Jeff's brother Matt…
[indistinct shouting]
…handing his brother a legal weapon.
[Vickie continues shouting]
[Ross] All right. The Hardy's…
[Tazz laughing]
…shades of TLC…
con-chair-to city.
[Tazz] Ooh! Oh, my God!
[crowd cheering]
-One, two, three! -[bell ringing]
["Metalingus" playing]
♪ On this day, I see clearly everything… ♪
[Justin] The winner of this match and new WWE champion,
the Rated-R superstar, Edge!
♪ …On this day, it's so real to me ♪
♪ Everything has come to life ♪
♪ One more chance to chase a dream ♪
♪ Another chance to feel Chance to feel alive ♪
♪ Oh! ♪
♪ I've been defeated And brought down ♪
♪ Oh, dropped to my knees… ♪
[Ross] I'm absolutely in shock.
I don't believe what we have just witnessed
here tonight at the Royal Rumble.
[Tazz] Staggering, I'm… I'm shocked,
-[Ross] I don't know what to say. -[Tazz] I…
[Ross] Jeff Hardy was living his dream,
and now his dream has become a family nightmare.
[Tazz] You know, J.R., I don't think Edge had any idea…
[stammers] …of any of this unfolding the way it unfolded. I… I…
Nor did I think Vickie had anything to do with this.
In shocking fashion, we crowned a new WWE Champion?
[Ross] Wow.
A WWE Champion for the seventh time,
but we thought this one was academic right here.
This was--Swanton Bomb.
It was hit dead center.
[Tazz] Well, it just needed a three count. Jeff, just needed a cover, and then, uh,
and then, uh, out of nowhere,
again, it's a no disqualification match,
our general manager comes out and made a fierce.
I guess Matt Hardy couldn't take it anymore, and--
Well…
Before he goes with chair-- Oh, no!
-[Ross] I've seen so many… -[groans]
…shocking things…
here in the WWE.
This-- Matt's face will tell a better story than I could ever tell you.
♪ …One more chance to chase a dream Another chance to feel… ♪
[Ross] Quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen,
it almost makes me sick,
physically ill to see one brother do this to another.
♪ Fear will kill me ♪
[crowd cheering]
-[Tazz] All right, then Matt Hardy just… -[groans]
…did the unthinkable. I can't believe what we just witnessed.
[Ross] I tell you, I just--
We can look at this a hundred times…
and still not know all the answers, but I can only imagine
the… the emotional pain… that Jeff Hardy must be in.
Far more than any physical pain that he's ever endured.
Nice and easy, Jeff. Whoa, whoa, easy, easy, easy.
[crowd applauding, cheering]
[indistinct chatter]
[Ross] One can only speculate
why one brother would turn against another as we have seen here tonight.
Joining me at this time is of course Randy Orton,
and Randy I was hoping you could address the rumors
that after last week's altercation you had with Mr. McMahon,
that tomorrow night, on Monday Night Raw, legal action would be taken.
[smacks lips] Todd, I haven't heard anything from the McMahons,
so as far as I'm concerned.
I'm still in the Rumble tonight, until I hear otherwise.
Well, with that being said, a lot of people are wondering
-how you can maintain your… -Can you give us a moment, please?
Sure.
[crowd cheering]
I know we're about ready to compete in the Royal Rumble match, Orton.
I wouldn't exactly call us friends.
But I've seen how everyone's been treating you today,
pointing their fingers at you,
and vilifying you for what you did to Mr. McMahon.
And I just wanna tell you, I don't blame you one bit.
I thought the Mr. McMahon that was gonna show up last week
was gonna be the creative genius,
the god who created the heavens and Earth of the WWE Universe,
but instead, we got a pandering, shameless drone.
A sycophant even worse than the fans who boo me every week.
A man who had no problem
acquiescing to the demands and whims of his petulant, little daughter.
You didn't take out Mr. McMahon, Randy. The real Mr. McMahon was already dead.
[inhales sharply, smacks lips] Why are you telling me this, Chris?
Trying to make me feel better?
Or are you trying to earn my trust so that I lower my guard in the Rumble?
Because if that's the case…
-it's not gonna happen. -No.
I'm telling this for two reasons, Randy.
First of all, because I'm an honest man.
-[huffs] -I tell things like it is.
And secondly, I don't know how much more of a chance
I'm gonna have to tell you what I think.
The McMahons are vengeful people, Orton.
And win or lose tonight…
I believe this is your last night as an employee
of World Wrestling Entertainment.
-Good luck. -[breathes sharply]
-[adventurous music playing] -[narrator] The Royal Rumble match,
30 superstars…
one winner.
The prize, a main event championship opportunity
at WrestleMania 25.
Over 20 years of history…
[Howard] It is now time for the Royal Rumble.
…22 winners
a who's who of WWE superstars,
[Gorilla] It's over! What a Rumble!
[Ross] Oh! The Big Show's over. The Rock has won the Rumble.
[narrator] What makes this match so special? Let's count the ways.
-[dramatic music playing] -[narrator] Five hundred and ninety-eight.
Since 1988, 598 superstars have tried to win the Rumble,
only to be eliminated.
Thirty-six. The head of the 2009 Hall of Fame class
holds the record for eliminating the most competitors.
[Vince] It has been Royal Rumble, 316!
Eleven. The record number of victims eliminated
by the demented Kane in a single Rumble match…
-[Vince] Kane is going crazy here! -[Ross] He is on a rampage now!
…and entering his 11th consecutive Rumble match,
could the twisted and disturbed monster top his own terrifying record?
One, the ninth wonder of the world, Chyna,
is the only woman to ever compete in a Rumble match.
Unfortunately, someone had her number.
[Ross] Oh! Here goes, Chyna!
The rattlesnake doesn't give a damn if you're a man or woman!
[narrator] Sixty-two minutes, 12 seconds.
-[triumphant music playing] -[narrator] Rey Mysterio endured an hour,
two minutes and 12 seconds of fierce competition to make history
with the longest appearance in a Rumble match.
[Ross] He did it! He did it! Rey Mysterio did it!
[narrator] Two seconds.
The Warlord earned a dubious distinction with the shortest time in a Rumble match.
[Gorilla] Where's the beef is right, and there goes the beef!
What a surprise! Warlord out of there!
[narrator] Three Stone Cold reigns in Royal Rumble wins
with three grueling victories.
[Vince] Stone Cold is going to WrestleMania!
[narrator] And tonight, numbers mean everything.
Both the highs and the lows.
Number one.
A definite disadvantage where time is not on your side.
Yet a number that has produced the same amount of winners
as the coveted number 30 spot.
-[Ross] Oh! -[Vince] Cena does it!
John Cena has won the Royal Rumble in a huge shocker!
-[intriguing music playing] -[narrator] So, which number brings
the greatest of fortunes?
That would be number 27.
Four men have won the Royal Rumble being the 27th selection.
Tonight, will that number again lead to success?
And to whoever wins the Rumble.
Since 1993, 70% of the winners have gone on to win the big one
at that year's WrestleMania.
And that is the most telling number of them all.
Tonight's the 22nd Royal Rumble match.
If the numbers have shown us anything throughout its illustrious history,
it's that anything can happen.
[Michael] Who will headline WrestleMania?
[narrator] It only happens once a year.
There's only one road to WrestleMania, and it begins at the Royal Rumble.
[bell ringing]
The following is the Royal Rumble match!
Two superstars will start in the ring.
Every 90 seconds, another superstar will enter the ring.
Elimination occurs when you are thrown over the top rope
and both feet touch the ground.
The last remaining superstar is guaranteed a championship match
at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania!
[crowd cheering]
["Booyaka 619" playing]
♪ Booyaka, booyaka ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ Booyaka, booyaka ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 Booyaka, booyaka… ♪
[Justin] Introducing the first participant,
from San Diego, California, weighing 175 pounds…
Rey Mysterio!
[Ross] Rey Mysterio, the 2006 Royal Rumble winner
who went on to WrestleMania 22
and became the heavyweight champion of the world.
Now looking forward to this, kind of got the band back together.
-[laughs] -The band's back together.
Well, it's great to be back over here, J.,
you know, usually it's good to be number one
but not when it comes to the Royal Rumble.
It's not too bad to be number two usually, but not when it comes to the Royal Rumble.
That means if you're gonna win this thing, you've got to outlast everyone,
and Rey Mysterio has the very unfortunate distinction
of starting off this majestic Royal Rumble.
[Ross] And Rey, at one time, went 62 minutes and 12 seconds.
A record-- The record, as far as longevity, in a Royal Rumble.
So, Rey has proven that he can do it.
He's done it in the past, but can he do it tonight?
And let's see who Rey's opponent will be.
["Ain’t No Make Believe" playing]
♪ Now, listen This ain't no make believe… ♪
[Justin] From Los Angeles, California, weighing 290 pounds,
he is one of the World Tag Team champions,
two-time Slammy Award winner, John Morrison!
♪ …Ain't gonna waste no more… ♪
[Jerry] J.R., don't you wish we could do that with our hair.
[Ross] I'd like to have abs like that.
♪ …Rock on! Hey… ♪
[Ross] John Morrison, no doubt, ladies and gentlemen,
would love to win the Royal Rumble match,
and then roar into our next opportunity to join you on pay-per-view.
Seattle up for the big "No Way Out" Elimination Chambers.
[Jerry] Oh, that's absolutely a brutal Elimination Chamber.
[Ross] So, we start here with John Morrison and Rey Mysterio.
In 90 seconds, entrant number three of 30 will enter the contest.
♪ …Hey, you should'a never… ♪
[Ross] Well, King, there's a lot about the look of the drawn,
and getting a break here or there to… to win this.
-But golly, the… -[bell ringing]
…the winner gets such a huge reward at the end of the night.
[Jerry] Now, that's what the Royal Rumble is all about.
-That's why it is, well, the most-- Oh! -[Morrison groans]
…unpredictable and exciting event that we have in the WWE.
It only happens once a year, and it started right now.
[Ross] The winner of the Royal Rumble match guaranteed…
-[Morrison groans] -…a championship match
and a main event at WrestleMania, the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.
Well, these are two talented, well, athletic-- Oh!
I think dare say, "athletically innovative competitors."
-[Rey groans] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Rey Mysterio went over the top, but remember,
both his feet must touch the ground to be eliminated.
That's why the officials are gonna all be on the outside here tonight,
-looking for feet. -[Morrison groans]
[Jerry] Both feet touching the ground is a bad thing.
It means you're eliminated from the Royal Rumble,
and Rey was close there for a second now, look at this!
Nice move.
[Rey grunts]
-[Ross] Mysterio using the ropes. -[Jerry] Oh, my goodness!
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] What a beautiful, headscissor takeover.
[Jerry] Twisting and turning and there goes!
[Ross] Oh! Whoa, whoa! Oh, whoa!
Morrison athletic enough to… to grab the disc with the top rope.
-[Morrison exclaims] -[Jerry] Oh! Still…
-Still hanging on! -[Ross] Referee looking for feet there.
[crowd] …Four, three…
-[Jerry] And the clock's down to 2. -…two, one!
[buzzer blaring]
-["Bad Apple" playing] -[Jerry] Hey, hey!
[Ross] Here's one half of the WWE Tag Champions,
Carlito, who along with his brother, Primo,
compete every Friday night on SmackDown.
[Rey groans]
-[exclaims] -[Ross] Oh!
-And it's, again, every man for himself. -[grunts]
[Jerry] I was… I was about to say, "No time for, uh, eating apples
when it comes to the Royal Rumble," but Carlito came with a mouthful.
Oh, man!
[Ross] What a simulating, swinging neckbreaker.
-[Carlito groans] -[Ross] And here goes Carlito,
but only to the apron.
[Jerry] We'll judge him by what we've seen
from these competitors so far--
-Oh, look at this! -[Ross] Beautiful!
Beautiful springboard succession, or springboard maneuvers by Carlito.
[Jerry] I think these, uh, superstars have been schooling themselves
on ways to avoid…
hitting that floor after being thrown over the top rope.
[Ross] I get up every morning,
and I'm thankful about both feet are on the floor…
-[Jerry] Yeah. [laughing] -…but not tonight for these guys.
-Look at this, bing, spring, hit. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Man… -[groans]
…it's like, uh, poetry in motion there…
-[Rey groans] -…but it wasn't a good thing
-for Morrison. -[Rey groans]
[Ross] Three of the great young superstars
-here in the WWE. -Yeah!
SmackDown, Monday Night Raw…
-[Rey groans] -…and of course, John Morrison
and his partner, Miz, often appearing on… on, uh, ECW on SyFy.
-[grunts] -[Rey groans]
-[crowd] Ten, nine, eight… -[Morrison groans]
[Ross] They tried branding their star to be here, King.
[Jerry] They're always appearing on wwe.com, which they're dirt cheap.
-…three, two, one! -[buzzer blaring]
["I'm Comin'" playing]
[Ross] Well, M.V.P. can certainly erase a lot of losses.
He got out of the lost column
with the help of Sledgehammer and Triple H…
-[Morrison groans] -…a couple of weeks ago.
[Jerry] M.V.P. back to his winning ways on a big win streak,
and he would love to continue it here tonight!
[Ross] I don't know how big a winning streak,
-but, uh, it's a winning streak. -[Jerry laughing]
[Ross] Very talented guy.
[Jerry] All I know is earlier today, M.V.P.'s…
-[Rey groans] -…came back on a big win streak.
-[Morrison groans] -[Ross] Nice throw by M.V.P.
The oldest reigning U.S. champion in Friday Night SmackDown history.
-[grunts, groans] -[Ross] Man, nice crisp offense!
-[Morrison groans] -[Ross] But again, the object--
Throw your opponents over the top rope…
-[Morrison groans] -…and make sure
both of their feet touch the floor.
[Jerry] M.V.P. doing a good job…
-[M.V.P. groans] -…of trying to get his opponents
first incapacitated and enable them to come over!
[Ross] And MVP, uh, ducked just in time, and a drive-by taking down John Morrison.
[crowd chanting] MVP! MVP!
[Jerry] And looks like M.V.P. got a sight set on Rey Mysterio.
[grunts, groans]
[Ross] Mysterio's got other thoughts.
-Mysterio wants-- -[Jerry] Over the rope!
[Ross] And again, Mysterio able to land on the apron.
I think like a second or third time Mysterio's walked the tightrope.
-[Jerry] This was a short 90 seconds. -[crowd] …Six, five, four,
-three, two, one! -[buzzer blaring]
-["Land of Five Rivers" playing] -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] Well, I think business has picked up, King, at least in size.
-[Jerry] You're right there. -[Ross] And the size matters.
This guy matters a lot, because he's seven feet three, 420 pounds,
the most popular athlete from India ever in the WWE, a great colleague.
[Jerry] Well, business is picking up,
and all the superstars in the ring are gonna be looking up now. Whoa!
[Ross] Khali's gotta get in the ring to be eliminated, but it was--
[Jerry] I think that was sound strategy on the part of, uh, Carlito,
and these guys trying to take Khali out early.
[Ross] Even though, it's every man for himself,
common sense has got to come into play at some point.
[Jerry] I don't think there's any one man in this Rumble
that's gonna be able to single-handedly eliminate The Great Khali.
[Morrison groans]
[Ross] Strength.
-Yeah! -[Ross] He's a--
You and him got a lot in common.
-[Jerry] What's that? -[Ross] He is the Punjabi Playboy.
-[Jerry] Oh, is that? [laughing] -[Ross] Oh, yeah.
-[groans] -[Ross] Rey Mysterio…
-[Jerry] That had no effect! -[Ross] Where the heck did Rey come from?
[Jerry] Well, it's every man for himself!
[Ross] Uh. I guess he's gonna scratch the backstabber.
-[Jerry] They didn't even, uh-- -[Ross] Scratch the backstabber.
[Jerry] Okay, that didn't make sense. [laughing]
[Ross] Punjabi punch!
[Jerry] This doesn't look anything like the Khali Kiss Cam, does it?
-[Ross] It does not. -[crowd] …three, two, one!
[Ross] Khali has dominated since he arrived at number five.
["Pain" playing]
[Ross] Well, we go from India to Russia…
and the global presence of the WWE, never been better illustrated,
the undefeated Russian, Vladimir Kozlov.
This should be most interesting here, Khali and Kozlov.
-And look at that vice, the Khali Vice. -[Jerry] Oh!
Kozlov's head being squashed
-immediately upon entering. -[groans]
[Ross] Kozlov's got that veteran--
-[Jerry] Look at this! -[Ross] Good Lord, I can't believe it!
-Kozlov-- -[Jerry] I can't believe it either!
He single-handedly eliminated Khali!
-[M.V.P. grunts] -[Ross] That's impressive!
-[grunts] -[Ross] Very, very impressive.
And look at M.V.P., showing no intimidation.
No fear, no back up from the…
-[yells] -…from Vladimir Koz… Kozlov.
-[groans] -[Ross] What a shot.
-[Jerry] Oh, man. -[Ross] Right to the kidneys.
-[Jerry] Whoa! Ow! -[groans]
[Ross] M.V.P. can be back on that winning streak at another time.
[Jerry] Well, we've had two lose, and now, no, no, no, just two eliminations.
[Ross] Carlito lands on his-- On the apron.
-[groans] -[Jerry] Two eliminations, courtesy…
-[groans] -…courtesy of Kozlov.
[Ross] Vladimir Kozlov's first ever Royal Rumble match.
[exclaims]
-[groans] -[grunts]
[Ross] Kozlov imposing his will, and will there be another elimination?
[Jerry] Oh, yes!
[Ross] Indeed there will, Kozlov eliminated three men.
[Rey groans]
[Ross] Khali, MVP, and Carlito.
-[grunts] -[crowd] …Nine, eight, seven, six, five…
[Ross] I think number eight is about to join us.
…three, two, one!
-[buzzer blaring] -[Ross] Rey trying to go for the…
-[groans] -…battering ram.
-["The Game" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Well, standing ovation is for the 2002 Royal Rumble winner.
The Game enters at number seven,
and Kozlov and The Game lock intense, menacing eyes.
[Jerry] Oh! [laughing] This is gonna be good!
[Ross] Triple H and Kozlov involved in the Handicap match
two days ago.
And this is how that match started, and it's continuing right here.
[groans]
[Jerry] Virtual slugfest from these two.
[Ross] And a battering ram.
What a--
That headbutt is a battering ram maneuver onto the sternum.
[Jerry] Triple H was coming in with such momentum and jarred…
-[grunts] -…Kozlov as well.
Look at the strength of Vladimir.
-[grunts] -[Ross] Vladimir is 6'6",
-about 300 pounds. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry exclaims] -[Ross] And The Game
has eliminated Kozlov!
I forgot about John Morrison, who kind of laid in the weeds.
[Jerry] Like a slug, his best natural defense
was when Kozlov was in there.
[Ross] Kozlov eliminated three men, but just got eliminated by The Game.
-[grunts] -[Ross] So, we've got three men now,
Triple H, John Morrison, and Rey Mysterio…
-[crowd] …Five, four… -…as the clock ticks down
-to number eight. -…three, two…
[Ross] Rey Mysterio still suffering in the effects of that blaster.
-["Voices" playing] -[Ross] That's-- Oh, oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Morrison holds on, but look at this!
Well, that question, the most controversial…
individual in all the WWE, Randy Orton.
[both grunt]
[Ross] Randy Orton has never won the Royal Rumble.
Orton and The Game, members of Evolution.
[Jerry] Well, Orton was saying earlier-- Whoa!
Orton was saying earlier that he hasn't heard
what retribution he's gonna suffer for what his actions
that he called against Mr. McMahon.
Look at Orton now, ready to strike like a coiled viper.
-Here it is, RKO! -[Ross] Orton thinking RKO!
And now, The Game looking to check out Orton's pedigree.
John Morrison intervened!
-Well, how judicious that was. -[Jerry] Oh, oh!
[Ross] And now, Rey Mysterio will have seated sub-senton.
-[groans] -[Jerry] Man, that big knee right
to the midsection of Rey.
-A senton and now… -[Jerry] Hey, hey, hey!
-[Ross] You got the number. -[Jerry] Dial it up!
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] 619.
And look at the carnage and the… the bodies lying in the ring.
[Jerry] That's what's great about the Royal Rumble.
You gotta get one of these guys, somebody be thrown over the top rope,
both feet hitting the floor to be eliminated.
[buzzer blaring]
-["Bringin' Da Hood T U" playing] -[Ross] Who's next?
[male voice] It's Cryme Tyme.
[Ross] Which ones are gonna be, Big Chad or JTG?
[Jerry] It can only be one. They're gonna flip a coin.
Is that a coin?
-[Ross] What do you think it was? A tooth? -[Jerry laughing]
[Jerry] No telling.
-Maybe a license plate these guys made. -[Ross] Well, the, uh…
[Jerry] It's a… it's a double-sided coin!
-[laughing] -[Ross] JTG wins the toss!
-And is elected to offend. -[Jerry] It was a two-headed coin!
-[Morrison groans] -[Jerry] Ooh!
[Ross] Nice quick offence by JTG.
[Triple H groans]
[Jerry] That's what's great about the Royal Rumble.
You know, the later you come in, the fresher you are,
and the more worn down your opponents are.
Triple H, Morrison, Orton, Rey Mysterio,
all these guys have been battling, JTG fresh.
[Ross] Like a lot of them, JTG might have stuck with someone else
other than the Cerebral Assassin.
The first try to eliminate, look at Randy Orton on the other side
with Rey Mysterio.
-Mysterio teetering. -[Jerry] Oh, meeting at the lines. Ooh!
[Ross] And you need 40 television cameras to cover all the action.
Look at Mysterio holding on.
Remember, the winner of the Royal Rumble match
goes to the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania
and competes for a title in the main event.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight
-seven, six, five, four… -[Ross] After all these 90 seconds
-I'm tellin' ya… -…five, four…
-…three, two, one! -[groans]
[buzzer blaring]
["Priceless" playing]
♪ Yeah, I'm priceless, oh, baby… ♪
[Ross] Oh, here comes Ted DiBiase,
the son of the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.
This should be very interesting,
considering it's supposed to be every man for himself.
DiBiase and, of course, Randy Orton,
along with Cody Rhodes have got us-- I've been watching Monday Night Raw.
-[Jerry] Yeah, you're right. -[JTG groans]
[Jerry] And I think that Randy Orton has made it clear to Priceless,
or to the legacy, that, uh, Randy Orton…
[Jerry] Oh, wait a minute.
Randy Orton needs to be the winner of this Royal Rumble.
But Orton's almost out at the hands of Triple H, look!
[Ross] Randy Orton is…
-[Jerry] Teetering. -…near elimination.
-[grunts] -[Morrison exclaims]
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
[Ross] Wait a minute!
Look at the feet dangle… They're near elimination.
[Jerry] JTG hanging on by one hand!
Morrison as well, they're kicking, still fighting.
[Ross] Mysterio in trouble, good Lord, how-- wait a minute, how--
[Jerry] Rey-- Well, that's Rey Mysterio and DiBiase.
[Ross] DiBiase and Rey Mysterio on one side of the ring,
Morrison and JTG, and then Orton and Triple H.
[Jerry] And as close as every one of those guys came to being eliminated,
they all saved themselves.
[Ross] Well, that's what it means to compete
and do everything you can to do that--
[Jerry] Ooh!
[Ross] No more golden terms.
That was very effective though, nonetheless.
-[crowd] …Three, two, one! -[Morrison groans]
[Ross] That'll take Orton out of there.
Royal Rumble mindset for a few minutes.
-[Jerry] Whoa! -["Break The Walls Down" playing]
[Ross] The 2008 Superstar of the Year,
who got fired on Monday Night Raw about a week ago,
got re… rehired, and a groveling apology.
And now you know that,
I think that may have really motivated Chris Jericho.
He's going right for Randy Orton.
These two guys just had a conversation about a half an hour ago.
-[Jerry] Well, Jericho… -[grunts]
…told Randy Orton, in no uncertain terms, he thinks
this is Randy Orton's last night in the WWE.
-Jericho could well be right. -[Ross] Darn right he could.
[Jerry] Orton just waiting to hear what his, uh, fate is gonna be
after his actions last week.
[groans]
[Ross] Triple H sent for the right far side.
And again it's all about going over the top rope.
Both feet of your opponent's touching the ground.
[Jerry] Lionsault, the… the play changed to move out of way.
[Ross] It's not a Lionsault night.
[Jerry] It's not.
-[Ross] Walls of Jericho looking to-- -[Jerry] Wow!
[Ross] And what leg strength!
That's from a man that's had both of his quads reattached.
Think about that, ladies and gentlemen.
[Jerry] Randy's got to feel good about himself
if he sees that move from Triple H.
[Ross] The Game got one reattached, came in and won the 2002 Royal Rumble.
If that's not a gut check, there's no such thing.
-[groans] -[groans]
[Ross] Look at Orton and DiBiase, double teaming Morrison.
-[crowd] …Nine, eight, seven… -[Ross] Jericho.
-…six, five, four, three, two… -[Ross] One leg dangling.
-[Jerry] Who's gonna join us? -[buzzer blaring]
-["Death Grip" playing] -[Ross] Uh-oh.
[Jerry] This monstrous Mike Knox.
[Ross] This guy's a little psychotic, this huge Mike Knox.
[Jerry] A little psychotic.
[Ross] Yeah, he's going right to Rey Mysterio,
just like we've seen on Monday Night Raw.
[Jerry] And Mike Knox has the audacity to claim
that he has-- doesn't know why he attacked Rey Mysterio,
has nothing against Rey Mysterio?
[Ross] Maybe he doesn't know why.
-Some… some psychotic… -[groans]
…or sociopathic people don't know why they do what they do.
[groans]
[Ross] Not that I want to get close to Mike Knox and ask him.
[Jerry] Look at what we're gonna see here,
this is supposed to be every man for himself.
[Ross] JTG's legacy being questioned.
[Jerry] Orton and DiBiase, ganging up, if you will, on JTG.
[Ross] Rey Mysterio!
[Jerry] Rey about to be eliminated at the hands of Mike Knox.
[Ross] And The Game interrupted that to get a piece of Mike Knox.
[Jerry] Why would anybody want a piece of Mike Knox? Ooh!
[Ross] That's a very good question.
One I cannot relate to.
-[Jerry] JTG… -[crowd jeering]
-…Orton and DiBiase. -[crowd] …Nine, eight,
-seven, six, five, four, three… -[Ross] Who's lucky number 13?
-…two, one! -[buzzer blaring]
["Reality" playing]
[Jerry laughing] Well, another chance to see if every man
will indeed be for himself.
[Ross] It's John Morrison's tag team partner,
The Miz, one half of the World Tag Champions.
[Jerry] Miz comes in fists flying.
[Ross] As you said… [stammers] …the fresh man in is invigorated.
He can see what's going on, see who's been weakened.
-[Jerry] Yeah. -[groans]
[Ross] With a little bit of advanced planning,
but later the numbers go,
the more planning the superstars should be able to do.
[Jerry] Well, The Miz is doing some damage here.
He had laid out Triple H, we have Rey Mysterio.
-[groans] -[Jerry] Oh, and there's a shot
to the kidneys of Randy Orton!
[Ross] Miz's tights look like they're made by--
[Jerry] Look! Look! Here you go.
-[Ross] There is some double team. -[Jerry] Yep.
[Ross] Miz and Morrison double teaming Randy Orton.
-[yells] -[groans]
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
Nobody home there for The Miz.
You know what that turnbuckle feels like.
-[Ross] Whoa! -[grunts]
-[Jerry exclaiming] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Orton with the RKO.
Very nicely delivered!
Now, the both tag team champion-- And JTG gets one!
[Jerry] Orton's on RKO rampage, and then-- Oh! stopped by The Game!
-Pedigree! -[Ross] Orton's Pedigree…
was just thoroughly checked.
And The Game just eliminated the Tag Champions.
[crowd] …Five, four, three, two…
[Jerry] Well, the Tag Champions were put on Green Street…
-[buzzer blaring] -…by Randy Orton's RKO,
-and The Blade sent him for a ride. -[Ross] Whoa! Rey Mysterio!
[Jerry exclaiming] Look at Rey! Look at Rey Mysterio!
[Ross] Mysterio's feet never touched the ground.
[Jerry] He used Miz and Morrison as a stepping stone.
[Ross] And the quiet man, the Irishman, Finlay.
That's how he ride down Finlay's alley.
[Jerry] He loves to fight.
[Ross] It's like being in a tavern or a pub, I should say.
-[Jerry] In Belfast? -[Ross] Yeah.
It's not a real happy hour.
[Jerry] Oh. They don't have happy hour over there until the fight starts.
Oh, look out!
[Ross] Finlay with a little bombs away action.
[exclaims, groans]
[Ross] And look at this, Finlay trying to eliminate Chris Jericho.
And Rey Mysterio giving an assist.
[shouts indistinctly]
[Jerry] All right, some of the… some of the pubs that Finlay frequents.
This is the way they decide who picks up the tab.
[Ross] Something you usually don't ever do.
-[Jerry] Oh, look at this. -[Ross] Look at Orton…
Orton was in a very precarious spot there
until Mike Knox tried to pick off Fin… Finlay.
-[Jerry] Big Mike Knox. -[grunts]
[Jerry] Finlay… giving it to Mike Knox here.
[Ross] On the left side, Finlay came with a lot of force.
-[Jerry] Wow. Oh, yeah. -[groans]
[Ross] I think Finlay has hit everybody in this match.
At least once.
[Jerry] He just spit one of JTG's gold teeth out.
-[Ross] Worse than mine. -[crowd] Ten, nine…
[Ross] Orton again, Randy Orton, uh, saving Ted DiBiase.
[Jerry] So, obviously, when it comes to Orton and DiBiase, it's not every--
-[buzzer blaring] -[Ross] Apparently not.
["Priceless" playing]
♪ Yeah, I'm priceless… ♪
[Ross] And speaking of that, speaking of legacy,
the son of the American dream, Dusty Rhodes,
will be joining Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton
in a "Every Man for Himself" match.
[Jerry] Look at this, it's like, "Let's go fellas."
A little pep talk for Randy Orton, and they're, as you said, reinvigorated.
[Ross] And now, these three men triple teaming The Game.
Obviously legacy, highly intelligent, second generation stars,
looking to pick off the baddest and the strongest first.
[groans]
Oh, it certainly appears to be a collusionary effort.
I know I'm not a detective.
[Jerry] At least for the moment, it's not every man for himself.
It's three men for legacy.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh, and a Mysterio score!
-[Ross] Yeah, is Rey Mysterio, amazing? -[Jerry] I… I… I think… I think
Orton caught Rey Mysterio coming in with an RKO.
[Ross] If it did, it happened in the blink of an eye,
I'd love to see that again.
-[Jerry] Yeah, it was-- -[Ross] Mysterio and John Morrison now
-in the first two men in the ring. -[Jerry] Let's see if we can see
what happened. Rey incoming, yes!
-[Ross] You're exactly right. -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] That's why you're in the Hall of Fame.
[Finlay groans]
[Ross] That was a great counter by Orton, he had to give the devil his due there.
-[crowd] Seven, six, five, four, three… -[Jerry] JTG wearing out Jericho.
Nobody close to being eliminated right now, who's next?
-[buzzer blaring] -Whoo!
["Rest In Peace" playing]
-[Jerry] Whoa! Whoo! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Well, there's no guesswork.
When the lights go out,
and you hear that music walking down the road to WrestleMania.
Right down the double line is a man that's never lost at WrestleMania.
And that has captivated the sold out crowd and every superstar in the ring.
[Jerry] We can see from the expressions on the faces of everyone,
The Undertaker is about to make an impact.
[Ross] The 2007 winner of the Royal Rumble.
The Demon of Death Valley is in his element, striking.
[Jerry] Good grief.
No one's safe from the onslaught of The Undertaker. Oh!
Even JTG must obey the law of gravity when it's administered by The Undertaker.
[Ross] JTG got some hang time, thanks to The Undertaker.
And the star power in this Royal Rumble match.
[Jerry] Just look at those three right there,
The Undertaker, Randy Orton, and "The Game," Triple H.
[Ross] Undertaker, one of the dominant superstars on Friday Night SmackDown.
SmackDown superstars won four of the last six Royal Rumble matches.
And…
[Ross] Young Cody Rhodes, if you will, just like some timber.
[crowd] Three, two, one.
[buzzer blaring]
["Gold-Lust" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry chuckling] The skeleton in his family's closet.
[Ross] The bizarre…
and often times controversial, Goldust.
[Ted groans]
[Jerry] You're right, Goldust is bizarre and he is controversial.
-[Ross] Look at this! -[Jerry] Oh!
-Whoa! Good one. -[Ross chuckling]
[Cody groans]
[screams]
[Jerry] Goodbye, Cody-- No!
-[Cody groans] -[Ross] Cody…
Holding on.
[Jerry] Landed on his feet on that ring apron.
I thought Cody was history there.
-Oops! -[groans]
[Jerry] Patented move by Goldust. Once again, Cody.
[Ted groans]
[Ross] Goldust-- Oh! RKO!
The suddenness, the effectiveness of the RKO again.
[Jerry] Randy Orton signaling…
[Ted screams]
[Ross] And then, Orton just-- And struck--
-DiBiase is about to be eliminated. -[Jerry] DiBiase is about--
But look at this!
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
four, three…
-[Ross] DiBiase in trouble. -…two, one.
-[buzzer blaring] -[Ross] Orton and the Rhodes
haven't noticed, DiBiase's in danger.
["This Fire Burns" playing ]
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] CM Punk!
[Ross] The new Intercontinental Champion…
-CM Punk. Oh! -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] Making his third Royal Rumble appearance,
and man, has this guy been on a roll.
[Jerry] Boy, a fresh CM Punk can do some serious damage.
[Ross] In seven months, CM Punk has won the ECW title,
the World title, and the Intercontinental title.
Now, that's a load.
[Jerry] How big would it be for CM Punk to win this Royal Rumble match?
[Ross] He won the Money in the Bank ladder match as well at WrestleMania.
-[Jerry] Hey! Hey! Hey! -[Ross] Looking to put The Game to sleep.
-[CM Punk grunts] -[Triple H groans]
[Ross] The "Go To Sleep" just nailed the Cerebral Assassin.
[groans]
[Ross] Jericho…
[Jerry] Jericho in jeopardy over here. He's…
hanging on, he's…
he's wrapped around the top rope, the bottom rope.
Well… trying to avoid elimination.
[Ross] Jericho doing all he can to stay in this Royal Rumble match.
Perhaps, a thumb to the eye just--
-Save Jericho. -[Jerry] Oh, woah…
-Mysterio in big trouble! -[Ross] Myterio, Mysterio, holding on.
Mike Knox trying to eliminate Rey Mysterio.
[Jerry] I think those ring steps save Mysterio here.
He was able to catch himself before he hit the floor
-on those ring steps. -[buzzer blaring]
["Some Bodies Gonna Get It" playing]
[Jerry] Oh, no. [chuckles]
[Ross] The strongest man in the world, Mark Henry.
[Jerry] Who could ever throw him over the top rope?
[Ross] And this is gonna make everybody…
-re-evaluate the game plan. -[Jerry] Oh!
[Jerry laughing]
[Ross] A 600-pound bench presser can throw anybody over the top rope,
I'll assure you.
[Jerry] Those huge headbutts being delivered by Mark Henry,
finding their mark, so to speak.
[Ross] Mark Henry imposing his massive, near 400-pound will on The Undertaker.
-[Mark grunts] -[groans]
[crowd jeering]
[Jerry] Well, you know, uh, and just looking at this, J.R.,
I don't know if I can remember ever having as many participants
not eliminated in the ring at one time as we have right now.
-[Mark groans] -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Ross] Rey Mysterio has been in the ring about 25 minutes.
[Jerry] Big offense on the part of Jericho on The Undertaker over here.
[Ross] Mysterio came in at number two.
[Jerry] Mark Henry just dropping all his weight
right on the chest of Triple H.
[groans]
[Jerry] Got a lot of…
-got a lot of damage being done. -[Ross] Finlay! Finlay!
Hey, hey, hey, hey! Punk over the--
[clicking tongue] Punk slipped back in under the bottom rope,
-Very athletic to save himself. -[buzzer blaring]
[“Ain't No Stoppin' Me" playing]
♪ Ain't no stoppin' me now ♪
[Ross] And the United States Champion,
representing Friday Night SmackDown, The Gold Standard, Shelton Benjamin.
[Jerry] I'll tell you, J.R., what this shows me is that…
how much this Royal Rumble,
how much winning this Royal Rumble means to all of these guys.
I mean, they have obviously prepared themselves
on the art of being thrown over the top rope,
but still not letting your feet hit the floor.
I mean, how many guys, how many close calls have we seen?
Oh!
[Ross] We've seen some amazing athleticism,
and you're right, a lot of preparation.
And look at Jericho and Punk, they're both up there in no man's land.
[Jerry] That's not where you wanna be in this type of match.
-Look at Mysterio. Oh! -[Ross] And what elevation by Benjamin.
But Jericho and Punk…
both on the second rope. Jericho went for the top rope.
[Jerry] Punk trying to hit, but Jericho off the top.
Look at Benjamin, my God. Good Lord, what a move.
It was like a… that was like a double DT,
but it was the wrong way.
[Ross] Arguably the best pure athlete in the WWE.
-Uh-oh. -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[Ross] Well… -[Jerry] Whoa. [laughs]
-Man! -[Jerry] That-- What a kick.
-[Triple H grunts] -[CM Punk groans]
[Jerry] Uh-oh, here goes CM Punk.
-[Ross] Tough holding. -[Jerry] Watch his feet.
[Ross] Referee there to get a good look.
Triple H has been in this match the second longest as we speak.
Approximately 20 minutes.
[crowd] Eight, seven, six…
[Jerry] Five seconds away from the next entrant.
[crowd] Three, two, one.
[buzzer blaring]
["Regality" playing]
[Ross] Well, the man that came close in becoming the--
in retaining his Intercontinental title last week on Raw.
Certainly, I know our fans in the United Kingdom
watching on Sky Box Office.
[Jerry] I was just about to say, Rey Mysterio was about to, uh…
join the ranks of the eliminated here. But somehow, Mys-- he escaped. Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Exploder Suplex by Regal.
[CM Punk groans]
[Ross] And look at Regal, man, he is taking his wrath out on the man
that beat Regal for the Intercontinental title, CM Punk.
[Jerry] And you can see the vicious attack that…
-Regal is delivering there on CM Punk. -[Ross] Very personal for Regal.
[Jerry] Knox… Knox in the corner over here,
Finlay almost has Knox eliminated.
[Ross] Mark Henry's walking away to-- Mark Henry get--
[Jerry] Knox has gone over the top rope, but he's…
back in underneath now.
[Ross] Mark Henry just got eliminated, folks.
[wrestlers grunting, groaning]
[Ross] We apologize-- Look at this! Rey Mysterio simply pulled that rope down
and Henry's own momentum took him out of the Royal Rumble match.
[Jerry] Well, that's-- You gotta pay attention every second,
-look at Triple H, Triple H! -[Ross] Triple H!
Triple H is upside down,
-he could be eliminated at any time. -[Jerry] Whoa!
-Oh! -[Ross] Whoa!
-The Game… -[crowd] Ten, nine…
-eight, seven… -…getting seated on the turnbuckle
-still holding on. -…six, five,
-four, three, two… -[Ross] But how close was that?
[Jerry] Triple H back in underneath that bottom rope.
[buzzer blaring]
["S.O.S." playing]
-♪ You know ♪ -♪ You, you know… ♪
-[Ross] Kofi Kingston. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Enter number 22.
♪ …S.O.S. ♪
[Ross] Representing beautiful Jamaica.
[Jerry] Kofi Kingston, I was gonna say, I don't know if there's enough room
in the ring right for Kofi Kingston to utilize his expertise,
but he's doing a good job. Oh!
[Ross] Kofi's so athletic…
[Jerry] Wow!
…nothing Kofi Kingston can't do in the ring.
I can tell you that, but can he win the Royal Rumble match?
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Nice elevation.
[Jerry] Yeah, but Kofi needs to elevate some of these…
some of these superstars over the top rope, down onto the floor.
[Ross] Can… can you believe that Rey Mysterio's been in this match
over 33 minutes?
[Jerry] Well, you know what, he might do it again.
-Could you imagine that, J.R.? -[groans]
I'm trying to… I'm trying to see if I can count
how many superstars are in this ring at one time.
Oh! Look at The Undertaker.
[Ross] Undertaker's busted open.
That's not gonna do, uh, his adversaries any favors.
[Cody grunts]
-[Benjamin] Yeah! -Cody!
[Ross] Uh, Shelton Benjamin trying to take advantage
-of The Undertaker. Oh. -[groans]
[Jerry] And there goes Benjamin… at the hands of The Undertaker.
-[Ross] All about the Benjamin's-- -[Jerry] Hey, hey, look!
There's Rey, there's Rey!
-[Ross] Ray Mysterio… -[crowd] Nine, eight, seven…
…has been in this match the longest, about to be eliminated.
[Jerry] Ray about to be dropped on his head
-outside on the… on the ring floor. -[buzzer blaring]
["Man On Fire" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Man, oh, man.
[Ross] A man that holds the record for the most eliminations.
-[Jerry] Look at Rey! -[Ross] Hello, Rey!
[Jerry] Oh, Rey, he's just barely surviving there.
[wrestlers groan]
[Ross] Kane!
Undertaker and Kane, now that could be an unholy alliance.
If they decided to have some collusionary or some partnership.
[Jerry] As I said, um, I don't think--
I think there's either 12 or 13 superstars in this ring at one time.
I don't believe I've ever seen this many…
this many of these… of the Royal Rumble entrants-- Uh-oh.
-Look at this face off. -[audience cheering]
[Ross] Kane and The Undertaker…
-Brothers of Destruction. -[Ted groans]
[Jerry] Uh-oh!
[Ross] And I don't like the chances… of survival…
[Jerry screams]
[Ross] …for young Master DiBiase.
Triple H came in this match at number seven.
-[Jerry] Yeah, Kofi! -[Ross] He's been in the match 25 minutes.
[wrestlers groan]
[Jerry] Jericho fired into that ring post but through the middle rope.
[Ross] These matches are so dangerous. You never know where you're gonna get hit.
From the side, from behind, down low, up high.
CM Punk on the outside-- Oh, Regal!
-[Ross] Punk's trying-- -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] CM Punk eliminated Regal.
-[audience cheering] -[Jerry] Regal's gone!
[Ross] William Regal eliminated by CM Punk.
[Jerry] Just one more reason for William Regal to despise CM Punk.
[buzzer blaring]
["What's Up?" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Ross] Well, we know "What's up" with R-Truth.
At number 24…
Win the Royal Rumble and go to main event
for a title at WrestleMania, the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.
That can make a lot of dreams come true.
The accolades, the championships,
the cash for winning a title at WrestleMania.
-[Jerry] I was watching Triple H. Oh! -[Ross] Man!
[Jerry] The Game just, kind of, biding his time
waiting over in the corner.
Maybe trying to stay under the radar until R-Truth can't… R-Truth can't--
-[Ross] Randy Orton, Randy Orton. -[Jerry] Where?
[Ross] And then, Kane! Kane right in front of us.
[Jerry] Orton has Kane almost-- Kane's teetering.
[Ross] There's a collaborative effort to eliminate Kane.
Three men could not do it.
[crowd jeering]
[Jerry] Finlay… I think about to--
CM Punk, I think trying to actually suplex Finlay out of the ring onto the floor.
[Ross] Rey Mysterio again.
How many more bullets can Rey dodge
-in this Royal Rumble match? -[Kingston groans]
[Ross] After avoiding elimination by three men,
Kane now beginning to kick people off.
[crowd] Five, four, three, two, one.
[buzzer blaring]
["One of a Kind" playing]
-[Ross] Triple H! -[Jerry] Triple H!
[Ross] Triple H is about-- Wait a minute, wait a minute!
[audience cheering]
[Ross] It can't be!
[Jerry] We told you the Royal Rumble was unpredictable.
[Ross] Rob Van Dam! And the superstars in shock.
-The fans on their feet, 16,000 plus. -[Jerry] Whoo-hoo.
[crowd chanting] R.V.D.! R.V.D.!
[Jerry] The R.V.D. chant reached for the rafters.
[Ross] Rob Van Dam,
a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble is rocking and rolling this Rumble.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] The educated feet.
[Jerry] Look at Rob Van Dam go!
Watch out, Mike Knox, the monstrous Mike Knox,
grounding, or trying to ground R.V.D.! What a moment.
[Ross] What a shot. What a simulating shot
to the temple by Rob Van Dam.
That amazing flexibility, the uncanny use of his feet.
Can you imagine Van Dam headlining WrestleMania,
the 25th anniversary, King.
[Jerry] Rob Van Dam, fresh as a daisy here now.
[Ross] Van Dam in at number 25.
That's a great number to draw.
[Jerry] I know, Rob Van Dam, this is not too smart.
[crowd] R.V.D.!
[Jerry] Whoa!
-[crowd] Five, four, three, two, one. -[Ross] What is that?
-[buzzer blaring] -[Ross] Number 26.
["Man With A Plan" playing]
[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] The Brian Kendrick.
Entering and he will-- he will be alone in a second.
Ezekiel Jackson will not accompany Kendrick to the ring.
[Jerry] Well, ordinarily when you look at these
massive superstars that are still left,
you wouldn't think The Brian Kendrick would have a--
-Oh! Oh! Kofi's out! -[Ross] Oh!
Kofi Kingston eliminated by Brian Kendrick.
-[Brian groans] -[Jerry] Kendrick just--
Whoa, whoa--
He got thrown through the rope, but now--
And Kendrick at the top rope, and out!
[Ross] Can tell his tale of a Royal Rumble match to his associate, Ezekiel Jackson.
[Jerry] How long did he last, 15 seconds?
[Ted groans]
[Jerry] Triple H throwing The Brian Kendrick out of the ring.
[Ross] The fourth man that The Game has eliminated.
The Game, north of 30 minutes in this match.
[crowd chanting] R.V.D.!
[Jerry] Right hand from Triple H on Kane and--
[Ross] Hey, look at Van Dam and Punk exchanging right hands.
[crowd chanting] R.V.D.! R.V.D.!
-[Jerry] Whoa! Oh! -[Ross] R-Truth and Rey Mysterio again!
And Punk, three sides of the ring, three near eliminations.
[Jerry] I don't know how CM Punk avoided hitting that floor that time.
-[crowd] Ten, nine, eight… -[Jerry] Undertaker…
taking a lot of abuse from Legacy over here.
-[crowd] Four, three, two, one! -[Ross] As we have heard,
-more men have won this match… -[buzzer blaring]
…at the… number 27 than any other number.
-["Time To Shout" playing] -[Ross chuckling]
[Jerry] Come on down and introduce yourself to the Royal Rumble.
[Ross] Dolph Ziggler.
Not even bothering to take off his, uh, ringlet jacket. Well, there it is.
Yeah!
[Jerry] Yeah, we know you're Dolph Ziggler,
-and that's, uh, uh, you know, Kane. -[Ross] How you doing? Glad to meet you.
I'm Dolph Ziggler.
[Ross] Dolph Ziggler, Rush Chamberlain.
-[Jerry] Woah! -[Ross] And goodbye, Dolph.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] A due to Dolph.
[Jerry chuckling] That's quite an introduction.
And now, Jericho.
Well, you see how Kane, you know, when someone just--
Kane immediately…
one of his legs around that second rope to avoid--
Oh, Rey about to be-- Rey, again about to be eliminated.
[Ross] Rey Mysterio pushing the 42-minute mark.
The second man in the match, Mysterio.
[Jerry] Hey, hey, hey, hey! DiBiase!
[Ross] Rey, DiBiase, Rey, DiBiase, they're all over the darn place.
[Jerry] All over the place.
-And now-- -[Brian groans]
[Ross] R.V.D!
Yeah, well, Randy Orton focusing on Rob Van Dam.
-[grunts] -[Randy groans]
[Ross] Folks, we are trying our best
to keep up with the action, it's darn near impossible.
[Jerry] Rey Mysterio needs to get back in the ring
and try to stay in the center of the ring, away from the ropes.
-[buzzer blaring] -[Ross] Yeah, stay away
from the Doggone Turnbuckle.
["La vittoria e mia" playing]
-♪ La vittoria è mia, è mia… ♪ -[Jerry] Oh, no.
-[Ross] The King of the unibrow. -[Jerry chuckling]
-[Jerry] What? -[Ross] Oh! The Lord!
-[Jerry] What-- -I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready.
No, I wasn't--
[Ross] No, I think the Warlord's record may have been broken.
[Jerry] And no redo, Santino.
[crowd booing]
[Jerry laughing] Let's see.
Let's see if we can time this in our head, 1,001.
Whoa. Hey! He didn't even last two seconds.
-About a second and a half. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] So does-- Santino may have gone to the record book.
-But not in a way, he would have liked. -[Jerry chuckling] Whoa.
Punk dropped off the top rope, Santino.
[Ross] Well, we got two more men to enter.
-Oh, come on. -[Undertaker groans]
-That would be 29 and 30. Yeah. -[Jerry] I got you.
[Ross] It's hard for me to do the math. So much action going on in this…
amazing Royal Rumble.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Oh, look out here, Jericho.
Undertaker's got Jericho in a precarious position.
I'm not sure if Jericho knows it,
but I got a feeling he may find out sooner than later.
Rob Van Dam been--
Making a wish of Van Dam's-- Those legs.
[Jerry] Speaking of math, J.R., see here, Ted DiBiase Jr. just…
well, he's just past the 30 minute mark of survival here in the Royal Rumble.
[Ross] Well, Randy Orton's been in longer than DiBiase.
[crowd] Nine, eight, seven…
-[Jerry] Been there-- Oh! Oh! -[Ross] Triple H. Triple H now.
-Triple H-- -[crowd] Four, three…
[Jerry] Kane has just got
-The Game hanging on by a… -[buzzer blaring]
-…by a hand! -["Two by Four" playing]
-[Jerry] Whoa! -[Ross] Look at this!
-[Jerry chuckling] -[Ross] An oldie but goodie.
The first winner of the first Royal Rumble ever!
-In 1988! -[Jerry] How appropriate,
Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Oh! What a big right hand.
[Ross] Duggan coming up big.
Like smoked ham.
[Jerry] And listen to this USA chant.
[Ross] Und--
Duggan going toe to toe with the Undertaker.
-[Jerry] Hacksaw revitalized here. Whoa! -[crowd] Ho!
[Ross] Can you imagine if Hacksaw Jim Duggan, 21 years later,
-would win the Royal Rumble match… -[CM Punk groans]
…for the second time?
[Jerry chuckling] That would be something.
And anything can happen in the WWE.
[Ross] I think… I think that's been proven time and again here tonight.
[Jerry] Hacksaw just hammering away, he's hitting everybody in sight.
-Ho! -[Jerry] Ho!
[crowd] Ho!
[Ross] Rey Mysterio at the 45-minute mark…
as Hacksaw Jim Duggan--
-It's Triple H now. -[Jerry] The Game! Look at The Game!
[Ross] The Game-- Oh, he was looking to get that…
his leg hooked to the bottom of the inside rope.
[groans]
[Ross] Well, the inside of the bottom rope,
if you're keeping the score at home.
[Jericho] Let's go!
-[groans] -[Ross] Orton with
-a cheap shot on Finlay and… -[crowd] Ten, nine…
…Cody Rhodes almost eliminated by Finlay.
[Jerry] CM Punk has someone dangling over there,
-I can't… I can't see who it is. -[crowd] …three, two, one!
-[buzzer blaring] -[Jerry] Oh, it's DiBiase.
-["Crank It Up" playing] -♪ Well, it's the Big Show ♪
-[Jerry chuckling] Whoa! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The longer they come, the bigger they get
as entrant number 30 is the biggest athlete in the world,
The Big Show!
Seven feet, 441 pounds, and the last two Rumble winners, King,
have come at number 30.
[Jerry] The luck of the draw for the Big Show.
[chuckles] And the smile on his face tells that story.
♪ …Get ready for something… ♪
[Ross] Remember, it's over the top rope, both feet touching the floor.
And the biggest man…
in the WWE, The Big Show.
With those big 18 Triple E boots firmly planted on the canvas.
-Can they be planted on the floor? -[Jerry] Oh, look at this.
[Ross] And The Undertaker stepping up like,
"I'm the man that can get it done."
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] No. Oh, God!
[Jerry] Kane! Sending a message to the Big Show,
but you know what J.R.?
Look at this ring, look at the Royal Rumble,
one of these men, that's left in this ring right now,
are gonna be going to the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania in the main event.
-[Ross] With the championships-- -[Jerry] And look at Hacksaw.
-[Ross] What do you-- Oh, Duggan. -[Jerry] Hey! He will throw you back out!
Whoa!
[Ross] Well, Hacksaw was in the right place.
-I'm saying his strategy was gonna work. -[Jerry] Oh! Whoa! Watch out, Hacksaw.
[Ross] Hacksaw Jim Duggan…
eliminated by the Show.
[crowd booing]
[Kane groans]
[Ross] Hacksaw, obviously a crowd favorite here.
Chris Jericho trying to get a sleeper of some sort
on the Big Show.
[Jerry] Hacksaw, sentimental favorite, eliminated.
That would have been a sentimental story for sure, wouldn't it?
-[Ross] Yeah. Look at this! -[Jerry] Whoa! Look at this.
[Ross] Man, Punk… I thought Punk was certainly gonna be eliminated there.
CM Punk's got some stickum or some rosin maybe, on the… those taped hands.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] I don't know how
he's been able to hang on to that top rope so many times.
[Ross] And that could really go for several men.
[Jerry clicking tongue, chuckles] I don't know how many times
has Rey Mysterio narrowly escaped elimination.
[Ross] Triple H several times.
[Jerry] And here goes, whoop, whoop, whoop!
-[Ross] DiBiase. -[Jerry] DiBiase.
[Jerry] Get out of here with that list.
[Ross] The ever-growing list of survivors here in the Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] What we just saw from DiBiase, if you can--
Oh, no, now look at Randy Orton teetering.
-[Randy groans] -[Jerry] You can do what DiBiase did,
use your own momentum as you're going over that top rope
to swing yourself back in underneath the… the bottom and middle rope.
You can save yourself, that's what DiBiase just did.
[Ross] Randy Orton's been in the match
-over 38 minutes. -[Jerry] Oh! Look at Big Show!
-[Ross] Good Lord! -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] Big Show eliminates his second man.
[Jerry] No way to save yourself from that.
-[Ross] That's the truth. -[Jerry chuckling]
[Ross] Oh!
-[Jerry] Cody Rhodes. -[Ross] Cody Rhodes.
[grunts]
[Ross] That boy, he's lucky.
He hadn't been in the woods, yet enough, and he just almost got eliminated there.
Look at this.
-[Jerry] Have you ever seen so many guys-- -[Ross] Oh! He does it!
That's amazing.
And look at CM Punk assaulting The Big Show,
-and the Intercontinental Champ-- -[Jerry] CM Punk…
hangs on for dear life in the Royal Rumble.
[chuckling] Good move, good thought.
-[Ross] Oh, turning-- -[Jerry] Look!
-[CM Punk groans] -[Ross] Oh, the right hand!
-[Jerry] Oh! Knocked right… -[Ross] Oh! The knockout!
The unruly!
[Jerry] CM Punk, you just got knocked out of Royal Rumble.
[Kane groans]
[Ross] CM being punked out and knock out.
-[Jerry] Watch this one more time. -[Ross] Whoa!
[Ross] Golly!
That massive fist.
[Jerry] Hey, hey watch Finlay over here-- The Big Show.
-Whoa! Rey Mysterio! -[Ross] Rey Mysterio!
Mysterio and Knox out, I think, were both out!
[Jerry] Oh, wait!
Hornswoggle!
[Ross] Where'd he… Where'd he come from?
[Jerry] Is he in the-- Oh! Uh-oh! Uh-oh!
[Ross] Finlay coming to the aid of his, uh, diminutive son.
Hornswoggle, there, fifteen.
-[Jerry chuckling] -[Ross] I think everything's off here.
-Honrswoggle trying to help-- -[Finlay grunts]
[Jerry] Oh! Finlay! -[Ross] And Finlay eliminated.
[Jerry] Oh, man, did he hit hard.
[Ross] The fatigue and the toll of this matchup.
[Jerry] Let's watch the way Rey Mysterio and Mike Knox…
hurts-- and they're taking each other out of the Royal Rumble.
And I-- Just being told that Rey lasted an impressive 49 minutes.
[Ross] Amazing. Absolutely amazing,
considering the punishment and the level of competition.
[groans]
[Ross] So, from my ca… cal… calculations,
that makes Triple H, now, the longest, uh, survivor in this match.
He came in at number seven.
Everyone that preceded The Game has now been eliminated.
[Kane groans]
[Jerry] Codebreaker, codebreaker by Jericho on Kane.
-[Ross] The Game at 41 minutes. -[Big Show groans]
[Ross] And the shocking Rob Van Dam
returning here tonight to the Royal Rumble match.
-[Ted groans] -[Triple H groans]
-[Ross] Van Dam came in at number 25. -[groans]
[Jerry] Van Dam delivering a shot right to the side of the kneecap.
The Big Show gonna--
-[Ross] Body shots by The Big Show. -[Jerry] Hey, hey hey.
-Triple H. -[Ross] Triple H. Triple H now!
-Randy Orton almost eliminated-- -[Jerry] Oh, no. Wait, wait, wait.
This will be worse than being eliminated.
-[Ross] Gosh. -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] What a…
what a sick… sick DDT.
[Jerry] And look at this.
[Ross] And now, that…
we've seen these two battle on Friday Night SmackDown.
The Big Show and The Undertaker-- Big right hand.
Undertaker floating to right.
he's gotta avoid the right to stay upright.
[grunts, groans]
[Jerry] Undertaker able to block every right hand
that the Big Show is throwing, but Undertaker landing.
Now, Jericho getting a little help from the… the… the backside.
[Ross] Unlikely help from Chris Jericho.
And-- Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Rob Van Dam…
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Van Dam hit with a splash,
and got eliminated by Chris Jericho, who's proud of his head--
[Jerry] Oh!
Don't turn around, you won't like the view.
[screams, chuckles] Whoa, man.
[Ross] The hit--
[Jerry] Jericho with a big smile on his face
from eliminating Rob Van Dam but…
Whoa!
-Look at Jericho go. Ah! -[Ross] Yeah, look at Jericho go.
[audience cheering]
[Ross] Go to the showers, Jericho eliminated by The Undertaker!
And the body count is getting smaller…
that is, in the ring.
[Jerry] Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Randy Orton,
Kane, The Undertaker, The Big Show, and The Game
-surviving. -[Randy grunts]
[Ross] But who will headline the 25th--
-[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa, look at this! -[Ross] Whoa, whoa!
The double team, the triple team, and Legacy eliminates Kane.
The three Legacy members eliminated Kane.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And now, we're down to six.
[Jerry] And Triple H realizes in watching that,
that it's not every man for himself.
[Ross] I think everyone realizes that, and perhaps…
that became crystal clear…
as we have seen this match's progress.
And The Big Show assaulting The Game, leaving Legacy to surround The Undertaker.
[Jerry] Undertaker only attacking, I guess he figures he's trying to mount
some of the offense early, but the numbers game taking over here.
[Ross] One of these six men will headline
the 25th anniversary-- Oh, chokeslam-- of WrestleMania.
And it could just well be, the biggest athlete in the world
who just chokeslammed The Game.
And this-- And I speculate because…
how do you put a 441 pounder,
who doesn't wanna go over the top rope, to the floor?
-[Ted grunts] -[Jerry chuckling]
[Ross] Legacy tried to triple team The Undertaker.
-[screams] -[Jerry] Look at this!
[Ross] Triple--
Triple H has been in this match over 45 minutes.
[Jerry] But it's The Undertaker that's got things
squarely in hand right now.
[Ross] Yeah, he's got Cody Rhodes in hand…
or by the throat.
And now, we're back to this again.
The Undertaker and The… and The Big Show.
[crowd chanting] Taker!
[Ross] Straps are down, King, you know what that means?
This has picked up big time.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[groans]
[Ross] Watch those rights, Undertaker striking.
It's just judicious offense by The Undertaker.
[Jerry] And now, The Big Show, after having those big right hands
aimed at The Undertaker's head blocked earlier, goes for the body blows.
-[Big Show groans] -[Ross] Body shots can be debilitating.
-[Jerry] Watch out. -[Undertaker grunts]
-[Big Show groans] -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] What a slobber knocker of a clothesline.
That's the 6'9", 300 pounder taking down the world's largest athlete.
Impact.
[Jerry] And already-- The Big Show better get on his feet.
-[Ross] That'll do it-- -[Jerry chuckling] Whoo-hoo!
[Ross] I don't believe what I'm seeing.
Did you see that athleticism?
[Jerry] The Big Show taking a page out of CM Punk, Rey Mysterio,
everybody's book here tonight.
[Ross] Yeah, but the Big Show's a super heavyweight.
-[Jerry] He's… he's super strong. -[Ross] Uh-oh, it's Orton.
-Randy Orton looking for the RKO. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] But the Undertaker just says, "No." And now, the Big Show…
with a massive hand on the Demon of Death Valley.
Both men in no man's land.
-[Undertaker grunts] -[grunts]
[Ross] And a battle of wills.
[Jerry] I got a feeling somebody's gonna go here.
-[groans] -[Ross] Oh! What a shot!
[Ross] And a right hand, a clear right--
-RKO. -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] Orton eliminates the Big Show with the RKO.
He just suffered a right hand from The Undertaker
who's pulled his way right back into the Royal Rumble.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Oh!
-The Big Show eliminated The Undertaker. -[Jerry] What?
The Undertaker…
-eliminated by The Big Show. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Be it fair or not, The Undertaker is eliminated.
There are four men left, the three Legacy members and The Game.
[Jerry] The Undertaker is not gonna take being eliminated
from the Royal Rumble lightly.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, look at the look on Orton's face.
[Ross] Is there any way The Game can survive
what is essentially a three-on-one situation?
Will Legacy stay on the same page?
Or will the allure of being in WrestleMania be too much?
And look at The Game.
Triple H has got to fight with every fiber of his being to survive this onslaught.
Get up! Kick him! Kick him!
[Ross] Orton's shouting directions, directing traffic, calling the signals.
[Jerry] Orton holding Triple H…
while DiBiase and Cody Rhodes do the damage.
-Now, Orton turns loose. -[Ross] Hard, violent, clean shots.
-[Jerry] Good grief. -[Triple H groans]
[Ross] Again and again, to the head of The Game.
[Randy] Pick him up!
[crowd jeering]
Pick him up!
[Jerry] Shouting instructions to Rhodes and DiBiase.
[Ross] And Rhodes and DiBiase being subservient.
Doing-- Oh, come on…
slappin' him.
Tell me, haven't you? Haven't you?
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Randy groans]
[Ross] Orton too much talking.
-The Game countered the RKO. -You all right?
-[Jerry] DiBiase checking on Orton.
[Ross] But The Game with a facebuster on Cody Rhodes!
A Double A spinebuster, simulating, to Ted DiBiase.
And The Game has willed his way back into it.
The Game has fought his way back into the fight.
[Jerry] He's about to deliver a pedigree, but now-- Oh! There goes Orton!
[Ross] Orton's gone-- No, no, Orton's not going!
-What a pedigree, the pedigree to Rhodes. -[Jerry screams]
[Ross] DiBiase's gone, we're down to three, we're down to three!
[Jerry] And there goes Rhodes, but he's gone, Coby Rhodes is gone--
-Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait-- -[Ross] Triple H is gone!
-[bell ringing] -[crowd cheering]
["Voices" playing]
♪ I hear voices in my head… ♪
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble,
Randy Orton!
[Jerry] Randy Orton from behind,
just as The Game had eliminated Cody Rhodes, Orton struck!
[Ross] The Game eliminated two-thirds of Legacy, but Randy Orton
took advantage of opportunity…
to win the 2009 Royal Rumble!
And you know what this means?
[Jerry] Well, it means that…
that man, Randy Orton,
has a one-way ticket to the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania.
But he didn't do it alone.
There's his help.
♪ …I taste the blood that's drying I feel the tension rising… ♪
[Ross] There's no doubt in my mind that The Game truly believed
that he had thrown Randy Orton out and over the top rope.
Look at this.
-Right there. -[Jerry] You and I thought so, as well.
[Ross] I felt it. I really felt it. It didn't happen.
And then, the… the pedigree, watch.
There's DiBiase.
-Sidestep, goodbye. -[Jerry] And then, watch here.
Bang, there goes Cody Rhodes, but from behind!
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh,
-The Game fought, and fought, and fought. -[bell ringing]
Tried to hang on, but it was too much!
The odds were too much! And now, Randy Orton's legacy is this,
he is guaranteed a championship match
at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.
[Jerry] Forty-eight minutes and 27 seconds, it took Randy Orton…
to win this Royal Rumble.
♪ …I feel justice crawling I see faith has fallen ♪
♪ I hear voices in my head ♪
♪ They council me They understand, they talk to me ♪
♪ They talk to me ♪
♪ They tell me things… ♪
[Ross] Randy Orton is going to WrestleMania
to become a champion, to compete in the main event,
and it's guaranteed.
♪ …I see heroes dying I taste the blood that's drying… ♪
[music concludes] s dying I taste the blood that's drying… ♪