2004 Royal Rumble Review

Benoit wins! Or as the WWE puts it, that-guy-Orton-beat-for-the-World-title wins!

• Ric Flair and Batista defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Tables Match to retain the World Tag Team Championship (4:23)
o Batista eliminated D-Von after a spinebuster through a table.
o *1/4
Wat too short to be anything.

• Rey Mysterio defeated Jamie Noble (w/Nidia) to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3:12)
o Mysterio pinned Noble after a Droppin' The Dime.
o *1/2
Again, too short.

• Eddie Guerrero defeated Chavo Guerrero (w/Chavo Guerrero, Sr.) (8:03)
o Eddie pinned Chavo after a Frog Splash.
o After the match, Eddie assaulted both Chavo and Chavo Sr.
o **
Just another short match.

• Brock Lesnar defeated Hardcore Holly to retain the WWE Championship (6:30)
o Lesnar pinned Holly after an F-5.
o *
Wow. 4 matches, all short.

• World Heavyweight Champion Triple H fought Shawn Michaels to a double count-out in a Last Man Standing match (22:46)
o Both men were counted-out after they hit their finishers on each other (Triple H hits the Pedigree on Michaels, and Michaels hits the Sweet Chin Music on Triple H) and fell unconscious, Triple H retained the title.
o ***
Not as good as their match on RAW weeks earlier, but still good.

• Chris Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble (1:01:30)
o Chris Benoit and The Big Show were the final two participants. Benoit, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, John Cena and Rob Van Dam all ganged up on Big Show, trying to eliminate him. However, each wrestler was eliminated one-by-one by Big Show until it went down to the final two. Big Show tried to press-slam Benoit over the top rope but Benoit countered with a standing guillotine choke, pulling Big Show over the top rope as Benoit hung onto the ropes for the win.
Entrant Eliminated by Time
1 Chris Benoit
- WINNER 1:01:30

2 Randy Orton
17 Foley 33:43

3 Mark Henry
3 Benoit 5:14

4 Tajiri
2 Rhyno 3:39

5 Bradshaw
1 Benoit 0:38

6 Rhyno
7 Benoit 14:00

7 Matt Hardy
8 Duprée 14:18

8 Scott Steiner
5 Booker 6:49

9 Matt Morgan
10 Benoit 12:14

10 The Hurricane
4 Morgan 0:19

11 Booker T
12 Orton 9:11

12 Kane
6 Booker 1:30

13 Spike Dudley
- Never made it to ring 0:00

14 Rikishi
11 Orton 3:48

15 René Duprée
9 Rikishi 0:33

16 A-Train
13 Benoit 1:44

17 Shelton Benjamin
14 Orton 0:37

18 Ernest Miller
15 Orton 0:56

19 Kurt Angle
27 Big Show 29:04

20 Rico
16 Orton 1:06

21 Mick Foley
18 himself 0:43

22 Christian
19 Jericho 7:39

23 Nunzio
22 Goldberg 3:48

24 The Big Show
28 Benoit 22:38

25 Chris Jericho
26 Big Show 14:58

26 Charlie Haas
20 Goldberg 6:53

27 Billy Gunn
21 Goldberg 5:37

28 John Cena
24 Big Show 7:37

29 Rob Van Dam
25 Big Show 6:44

30 Goldberg
23 Angle 2:07
o ****1/2
Best Rumble match ever.

~ The LMS match was good (although disappointing). The Rumble match was the best ever with the best finish ever.

January 1 – Rey Mysterio beat Tajiri to win the Cruiserweight title. ***3/4

January 29 – Eddie Guerrero won a Smackdown Royal Rumble match. ****

February 9 – Randy Orton beat RVD and Booker T to retain the IC title. ***1/4