The Case
Thirty WWE superstars invade WWE: Royal Rumble 2010 to compete for a
spot in the main event at WrestleMania, but only one will win the
ultimate battle. One of WWE's most popular pay-per-views is back, and here's
what's on the menu:
• Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson in an ECW Championship Match
Ezekiel Jackson may not be the most popular guy inside the ring, but in this
match, he proves he's got what it takes to help put on an entertaining wrestling
show. Christian and Jackson battle it out for the ECW title in this PPV opener,
and to tell you the truth, it's not a bad matchup. Clocking in at 12 minutes,
this fight shows both athletes using a variety of fast-paced moves to get the
crowd going in a promising start.
• The Miz vs. MVP in a United States Championship Match
The
Miz and MVP are both flexible wrestlers known for their fast and powerful
maneuvers, and in this 7-minute title match, they certainly don't leave much
room for any breaks. Although this match lacks the intensity of the previous
one, MVP and Miz engage in a large series of quick pins, which eventually works
to their advantage. I would have liked to see them at the top of their game, but
then again, you can't always win.
• Randy Orton vs. Sheamus in a WWE Championship Match
Randy
Orton clashes with Sheamus in this next battle. While both of them deliver a
technically clean show, the match as a whole is a tad too slow-moving for my
taste. Both wrestlers spend most of the time throwing punches and kicks. When
they're not outside the ring, they engage in a whole series of submission
maneuvers. This WWE title match is by no means a disaster, but with a little bit
of more variety and energy, it could've turned out a whole lot better. The
ending, however, disappoints.
• Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James
This terrible match only
lasts for a few seconds, so there's not too much to report about it. WWE writers
always underperform when it comes to diva matches; to this day, I'm not sure
why. Needless to say, this is an embarrassing mess.
• Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio in a World Heavyweight Championship
Match
This is not the first time Undertaker goes head to head with Rey
Mysterio. Consequently, most of this title match feels a little repetitive.
Mysterio uses his height and speed to run around the ring and deliver his usual
high-risk moves, while the slower Undertaker prefers to throw more powerful
punches. The two superstars try hard to deliver a satisfying pay-per-view
battle, but in the end, it's still a tad too monotonous.
• 30-Man Royal Rumble Match
The main event is obviously the
highlight of this show, and the Royal Rumble is always fun to watch. A new
superstar enters the ring every 90 seconds, and the last man in the ring wins
the race. This Royal Rumble starts slow, but things get more intriguing as soon
as the ring starts filling up. Surprises are scarce, but viewers are treated to
a bunch of solid moves, fast-paced wrestling action, and an unexpected return
that has the crowd going wild in the arena. The 2010 Rumble won't go down in
history as an exhilarating contest, but it does provide enough entertainment.
It's a good way of wrapping up the show.
The bonus section on the disc includes a 14-minute clip from a Raw
episode, during which Bret Hart confronts Vince McMahon. In terms of technical
aspects, the feature event is presented in a solid full-frame transfer with
decent television picture and audio quality.
The 2010 edition of Royal Rumble works for the most part, even though
none of the matches is exactly memorable. It's been a while since the WWE last
produced a seriously excellent PPV, but then again, we've seen a lot worse than
this.