2005 Royal Rumble Review

The planned WM main event 2 months early.

• Edge defeated Shawn Michaels (18:32)
o Edge pinned Michaels with a roll-up while holding the ropes.
o ***1/4
Should have been better.

• The Undertaker defeated Heidenreich in a Casket match (13:20)
o Undertaker put Heidenreich in the casket after a Tombstone Piledriver.
o Gene Snitsky and Kane both interfered in this match.
o *1/2
Whatever.

• John "Bradshaw" Layfield defeated The Big Show and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Championship (12:04)
o JBL pinned Angle after a Clothesline from Hell.
o Orlando Jordan, Doug Basham, Danny Basham, Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak all interfered in this match.
o ***1/2
Great match for the time given.

• Triple H defeated Randy Orton to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (21:28)
o Triple H pinned Orton after a Pedigree.
o Evolution was banned from ringside for this match.
o **3/4
Not so great considering the time given.

• Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble (51:27)
o The final two contenders were John Cena and Batista. Batista tried to hit Cena with a Batista Bomb but was countered with a headscissors takedown by Cena, sending both over the top rope and touching the floor at the same time. While a dispute by RAW and SmackDown! officials started over who the actual winner was, a restart was eventually requested by Vince McMahon. Batista tossed Cena over the top rope after a Spinebuster.
Entrant
Eliminated
Time

1
Eddie Guerrero
11
by Edge
28:11

2
Chris Benoit
25
by Flair
47:26

3
Daniel Puder
1
by Holly
4:09

4
Hardcore Holly
2
by Benoit and Guerrero
1:59

5
The Hurricane
3
by Guerrero
1:04

6
Kenzo Suzuki
4
by Mysterio
3:31

7
Edge
28
by Batista and Cena
40:19

8
Rey Mysterio
27
by Edge
38:25

9
Shelton Benjamin
10
by Edge
14:35

10
Booker T
9
by Guerrero
10:42

11
Chris Jericho
21
by Batista
28:22

12
Luther Reigns
7
by Booker T
7:13

13
Muhammad Hassan
5
by Edge, Jericho, Benoit, Booker, Benjamin and Reigns
0:54

14
Orlando Jordan
8
by Booker T
3:36

15
Scotty 2 Hotty
6
Attack by Hassan on way to the ring
0:00

16
Charlie Haas
13
by Michaels
6:20

17
René Dupreé
16
by Jericho
11:32

18
Simon Dean
12
by Michaels
0:20

19
Shawn Michaels
15
by Angle
4:56

20
Kurt Angle
14
by Michaels
0:37

21
Jonathan Coachman
23
by Flair
13:48

22
Mark Jindrak
19
by Kane
8:15

23
Viscera
17
by Cena
3:00

24
Paul London
18
by Snitsky
3:15

25
John Cena
29
by Batista
15:28

26
Gene Snitsky
20
by Batista
3:38

27
Kane
22
by Cena
3:54

28
Batista
-
WINNER
10:54

29
Christian
24
by Batista
2:09

30
Ric Flair
26
by Edge
1:58

o ***
Good not great for a Rumble match.

~ 3 *** matches here including the rumble match, so that works.