WWE Royal Rumble 2001 (2001)

The Age of Commercialism

Perfect cast and a good story

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's the Stone Cold truth! 2001 Royal Rumble was indeed, one of the best wrestling shows, I ever saw. The show at New Orleans was truly packed from the opening to the closing, with some of the greatest competitors that ever lived. It was a night worth remembering for. However, there were a few faults, I can't overlooked even for my nostalgia love for then WWF (WWE), like comedian, Drew Carrey awkward appearance in the Royal Rumble match, when he clearly isn't a fan of pro-wrestling, to a few too many filler vignettes, to unwatchable taboo Crash TV angles, that were a bit too dumb, over sexualized, or extremely violence for even my taste, at the time. While, some of the stuff, they did back then, was truly amazing. Rewatching it, there were a lot of things that now, really bugs me, like the chair shots to the head, or the overuse of blading. Nevertheless, the show is still watchable. Just note the cringe-worthy moments are just a little bit more noticeable, now. Some parts of the show, hasn't aged well. Let's start with the pre-show episode of Sunday Night Heat, in which, Lo Down (D'Lo Brown and Chaz) faced Kaientai (Taka Michinoku and Shoichi Funaki) in a tag team match for a chance to take part in the Royal Rumble. Not only, are the wrestlers playing politically incorrect somewhat racism stereotypical characters of Arabs & Japanese, but the whole angle of seeing, what tag team was more evil, is kinda cringe-worthy, when looking back at it; seeing how WWF Magazine also printed a poster to Kaientai destroying New York City with the World Trade Center on fire in order to make them look more popular. Yes, this really did happen, a few months, before 9/11 happen. Look it up. While, I can still get a laugh at how over the top, these acts, I still kinda think of it as offensive. Added to that trouble; it's funny that the match didn't really matter, as Drew Carey wound up being entered instead. It's so bad. Despite that, the preliminary matches on the card were a lot better. The opening match to the card, saw the Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & Devon Dudley) defend their tag team championship against Edge & Christian. It was a very nice opening, with both teams being red hot. However, it was a bit hard to watch, due to the concussion angle that probably can't be done, in today's wrestling world. Nevertheless, both teams put on a show that might be, overlook, by some fans, because the lack of table shots. This brings us to the Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship between champion, Chris Benoit and challenger, Chris Jericho. What a great match with a great angle. Lots of sick looking bumps, using Benoit's head. Hard to watch at times, due to what happen to Benoit, later on, his career. Women Championship was next, with champion, Ivory facing challenger, Chyna with Right to Censor member, Stevie Richards at ringside. Alright match for the most part, but the whole broken neck angle doesn't make much sense, seeing how unrealistic fast, Chyna recovers from neck surgery in kayfabe terms. I know, it was done to make it, look like Ivory got a fighting chance, but gees louise; it kinda undermined Ivory's talent a bit here. It's sad, because I always found her to be a better wrestler than Chyna. The WWF Championship is next, with champion, Kurt Angle defending his belt against challenger, Triple H. As much as the match was great. I hatred the angle. It was so McMahon family driven. It was a bit awkward to see a heel vs heel match as one of the main event of the show. The fans didn't know, who to choose, here. In spite of that, the 30 Men Royal Rumble that follow that mess, was truly the right choice to end the show, with. Without spoiling it, too much, some of the best highlights from the match, has to be the hardcore rumble parts with Kane doing the most single eliminates in a Royal Rumble match in his career, the return of Honkytonk Man, and The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin facing down. It was amazing match, worthy to be talk about in the same astrosphere as the 1992's 'Royal Rumble', 1998's 'Royal Rumble' and others. It was one hell of a performance. Overall: Because how good, most of the matches, were. I have to say, Royal Rumble 2001 is a must watch PPV, I highly recommend seeing this show, despite some flaws.

Match 1: WWF Tag Team Title Match: Edge and Christian (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz Edge and Christian went to the outside early, but the Dudleyz stopped them in the aisle. D-Von started out by giving Edge a neckbreaker. Buh Buh got the tag and they hit a double elbow on Christian. Buh Buh gave Christian a huge flapjack. Christian came back after a headscissors takedown, but D-Von came back after a powerslam. Edge regained control after a back suplex. Christian got the tag and hit a side Russian leg sweep. Edge hit a neckbreaker for a 2 count. Edge applied a rear chin lock, and d-Von tried to escape, but Edge hit a spinning neckbreaker for a 2 count. Edge went for a piledriver, but D-Von catapulted Edge into Christian in the turnbuckle. Bug Buh got the tag but the referee was distracted so the referee didn't allow the tag. Edge and Christian went for the Conchairto, but D-Von hit a double clothesline. Buh Buh then got the hot tag and he cleaned house with a hot shot and a Buh Buh Bomb. The Dudleyz then hit the Wassup drop and Buh Buh signalled for the tables. Back in the ring, Buh Buh got a rollup. The Dudleyz signalled for the 3D on Christian, but Edge speared Buh Buh. Edge and Christian went for the Wassup drop, but D-Von moved Christian in the way. The Dudleyz then hit the 3D on Edge for the win. Winners: The Dudley Boyz by pinfall, to become the new WWF Tag Team Champions.Match 2: WWF Intercontinental Title Match - Ladder Match: Chris Benoit (c) vs. Chris Jericho Jericho started out with a back elbow. Benoit tried to go for the Corssface early, but Jericho reversed it and tried to go for the Wallks of Jericho, but Benoit escaped. Benoit hit a shoulderbreaker, but Jericho came back with a flying forearm. The match went to the outside where Benoit whipped Jericho into the steel ringpost. Benoit set the ladder up in the ring and began to climb it, but Jericho came in and propped Benoit on his shoulders and dropped him to the mat. Jericho then rammed the ladder into Benoit's head. Benoit came back and whipped Jericho into the ladder who went to the outside. Benoit went for a suicide dive to the outside, but Jericho grabbed a chair and smashed it over Benoit's head. On the outside, Benoit came back again and knocked the ladder into Jericho's face. Back in the ring, Benoit set the ladder in the corner, and threw Jericho into it. Benoit tried it a second time, but Jericho escaped and pushed Benoit into the ladder. Jericho put Benoit in the ladder in the corner, and Jericho started to climb when the ladder fell over. Benoit then dropkicked the ladder into Jericho. Jericho came back and slingshot the ladder into Benoit. Jericho then hit a missile dropkick off the top rope into the ladder on Benoit. Jericho started to climb, but Benoit caught him and gave him a back suplex over the top rope. Benoit started to climb the ladder, but Jericho caught him and applied a modified Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder. Benoit was pushed off and Jericho started to climb up, but Benoit pushed the ladder over with his feet. Jericho jumped off the ladder but Benoit caught him and applied the Crossface, and Jericho was tapping out. Benoit let the hold go, but Jericho came back and threw Benoit into the ladder. They both started to climb the ladder, but Benoit pushed Jericho off. Benoit went for the headbutt off the top of the ladder, but Jericho moved. Jericho started to climnb once more, but Benoit pushed the ladder over and Jericho hit the ropes. Benoit treid to climb up but Jericho threw Benoit off after a chairshot, and he went flying over the top rope. Jericho climbed up the ladder and retrieved the IC Title. Winner: Chris Jericho, to become the new WWF Intercontinental Champion Match 3: WWF Women's Title Match: Ivory (w/Steven Richards) (c) vs. Chyna. Chyna started out with a clothesline and a few hair biels. Chyna propped Ivory on the top rope and hit a snap mare. Chyna then tossed Ivory over the top rope. The match then went into the crowd. Chyna then press-slammed Ivory back into the ringside area. Chyna then hit a powerslam, and Richards came in but Chyna took him down with a clothesline and threw him over the top rope. Chyna then hit her trademark handspring elbow. Chyna then collapsed and held her neck. Ivory got the pin. The announcers sold it as a serious injury. Billy Gunn came down to the ring. The EMT's took her to the back. Winner: Ivory by pinfallMatch 4: WWF Heavyweight Title Match: Kurt Angle (c) (w/Trish Stratus) vs. Triple H (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) Triple H started out working on Angle's arm. Angle came back with a hiptoss, and sent Triple H to the outside. Angle hit a backdrop, and took Triple H down with an armbar. Angle took down Triple H with a few suplexes for a 2 count. On the outside, Triple H dropped Angle face first over the ringside barrier. Back in the ring, Triple H took down Angle with a drop toe hold and applied a leg grapevine. Angle came back with an enziguri. Triple H went to crotch Angle on the ringpost, but Angle pulled his feet up and Triple H went flying into the ringpost. Angle then sent Triple H into the ringsteps. While the referee was distracted by Stephanie, Triple H whacked Angle's knees with a chair. Back in the ring, Triple H took Angle down with a few chop blocks. Triple H then applied his old WCW finisher, the Indian Deathlock, but Angle escaped. Triple H then hit his head-to-knee facebuster for a near fall. Triple H then applied a figure 4 leglock. Trish tried to help Angle escape, so Stephanie slapped Trish and pummeled her on the announce table. Vince McMahon then came down and tried to separate the two. Vince then tried to carry Trish to the back, but Stephanie pushed them both over. They all went to the back. Back in the ring, Triple H tried to apply the figure 4 again, but Angle rolled him up for a 2 count. Angle hit a DDT for another near fall. Angle hit a German suplex for another 2 count. Angle then hit a Russian leg sweep, and went up to the top rope for a moonsault, but Triple H caught him and gave him a modified version of a powerbomb for a 2 count. Triple H went for a pedigree, but Angle escaped. Angle then hit a top rope moonsault, but only got a 2 count. The action went to the outside where Triple H accidently knocked down the referee. Triple H went up to the top rope, but Angle hit a top rope flying arm drag, but the referee was still knocked out. Triple H threw Angle into the steps and once again accidently hit the referee in the process. Back in the ring, Angle then hit a overheard belly-to-belly suplex. Angle went to hit Triple H with the WWF Title belt, but Triple H then hit the pedigree but the referee was still knocked out. Stone Cold Steve Austin then came out and knocked Triple H out with the WWF Title belt. Stone Cold then hit the Stunner on Triple H and Angle made the cover and the referee slowly counted to 3. Winner: Kurt AngleMatch 5: Royal Rumble Match Participants in order of their entry: 1) Jeff Hardy 2) Bull Buchanan 3) Matt Hardy 4) Faarooq 5) Drew Carey 6) Kane 7) Raven 8) Al Snow 9) Perry Saturn 10) Steve Blackman 11) Grandmaster Sexay 12) The Honky Tonk Man 13) The Rock 14) The Goodfather 15) Tazz 16) Bradshaw 17) Albert 18) Hardcore Holly 19) K-Kwik 20) Val Venis 21) William Regal 22) Test 23) The Big Show 24) Crash 25) The Undertaker 26) Scotty Too Hotty 27) Stone Cold Steve Austin 28) Billy Gunn 29) Haku 30) Rikishi.Match Details: Back and forth action early on. Matt and Jeff double clotheslined Bull out of the ring to eliminate him. Matt and Jeff went at it until Faarooq came in and pummeled both Hardyz. The Hardyz came back and hit Faarooq with the Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb, and then eliminated Faarooq. Both Hardyz then suplexed each other to the outside to eliminate each other, and Drew was the only one left in the ring. Once Kane came out, Drew asked the Hardyz to come back in the ring but they left. Drew tried to shake Kane's hand. Drew then offered Kane some money. Kane went for a chokeslam on Drew, but Raven came in and broke it up. Drew then eliminated himself by jumping over the top rope. Raven threw lots of hardcore weapons into the ring. Al Snow came down and attacked Raven. Snow got a bowling ball and rolled it into Raven's crotch. Everyone was pummeling Kane but he wouldn't go down. Blackman came out and whacked everyone with his kendo sticks.The Match: Grandmaster Sexay came in but got quickly eliminated him after a trash can shot. Kane then eliminated Raven, Steve Blackman, Al Snow and Saturn. The Honky Tonk Man then entered the Rumble. Honky came in and told Kane to stand aside for a few minutes. Honky began to sing his song. Kane then got Honky's guitar and smashed it over Honky's head. Kane then threw him out. The Rock came out to a huge pop and battled back and forth with Kane for the next few minutes. As soon as The Goodfather came in, he got punched out by The Rock and thrown over the top rope. As soon as Tazz came in, he was thrown out immediatly by Kane. Bradshaw came in and gave The Rock the Clothesline from Hell. The Rock came back and gave him a spinebuster. Kane came very close to throwing The Rock out. As soon as K-Kwik came out, Bradshaw gave him a big powerbomb. The Rock soon after gave Val Venis a spinebuster. Test came out and straight away eliminated william Regal. Test then hammered away on Albert. The Big Show came in and eliminated Test and K-Kwik. He then gave Albert, Bradshaw, Hardcore Holly, Kane and Val Venis a chokeslam. He tried that on The Rock, but The Rock low-blowed him and eliminated him. The Big Show then took The Rock under the bottom rope and chokeslammed him through the announce table. Everyone was attacking Kane until The Undertaker came out and cleaned house. Kane and The Undertaker then eliminated Crash, Bradshaw, Albert, Hardcore Holly and Val Venis. Kane and the Undertaker were the only two in the ring, with The Rock still on the outside. Scotty Too Hotty warily walked to the ring while Kane and The Undertaker looked on. Kane and The Undertaker pummeled Scotty and eliminated him. Stone Cold walked to the ring but Triple h attacked him in the aisle and continued to pummel him for the next few minutes. Stone Cold was busted open. Back in the ring, Kane and The Undertaker double teamed Billy Gunn and The Rock. Haku aka Meng came in but was double teamed by Kane and The Undertaker. Stone Cold, The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane, Billy Gunn, Rikishi and Haku were the last participants in the ring. Stone Cold came back in the ring and quickly eliminated Haku. The Undertaker then chokeslammed Rikishi. Rikishi then got revenge bu superkicking The Undertaker out of the Rumble. Rikishi went to give The Rock a Bonzai Drop, but the Rock got up and pushed rikishi over the top rope, eliminating him. Billy Gunn then got thrown out by Stone Cold. Kane, Stone Cold and The Rock were left. Stone Cold and The Rock then exchanged punches, and The Rock outpunched Stone Cold. Stone Cold turned about and gave The Rock a Stunner. Stone cold then gave Kane a Thesz press. Stone cold turned around and received a Rock Bottom by The Rock. Kane got thrown out through the middle rope. Kane then came back in and threw The Rock out. Kane then chokeslammed Stone Cold. Kane was going to thrown Stone Cold out, but Stone Cold low blowed him. Kane went to the outside and got a chair. Stone Cold intercepted him and gave him a Stunner. Stone Cold then levelled Kane with 3 chairshots and clotheslined him over the top rope. Winner: Stone Cold Steve AustinA pritty good PPV. This derserves a B+ (Drew Carrey in the Royal Rumble, I don't think so)

The 2001 Royal Rumble was perhaps the greatest ever, most certainly better than the 2000 Royal Rumble. There were four matches, and then the actual Royal Rumble itself. The first match was for the Tag Team Championship, with champions Edge and Christian taking on the Dudley Boyz. After a huge upset by Edge and Christian, Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley captured the Tag Team gold. The second match was for the Intercontinental Championship, in which Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit battled it out in a Ladder Match. Jericho won that match, and became the new Intercontinental Champion. The next match was for the Women's Championship, and Chyna made her return to battle the champ Ivory. After a freak mishap and an injured Chyna, Ivory was able to steal a win and retain the title. Chyna was rushed by medical personnel out of the ring, with Billy Gunn at her side. The fourth match was for the WWF Championship, Kurt Angle with Trish Stratus taking on the challenger Triple H with Stephanie McMahon Helmsley. After a cat fight between Trish and Stephanie, and Vince McMahon carrying the two out of the ring, and Stone Cold Steve Austin's interference, Kurt Angle was able to score a pin and retain the title once again. The main event was of course the Royal Rumble match. It was made up of 30 superstars, including the Hardy Boyz, Bull Buchanan, Hardcore Holly, Kane, Rikishi, Tazz, the Acolytes, Test, Steve Blackman, Billy Gunn, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and even Drew Carey among others. The big suprise was perhaps the return of The Honkytonk Man, Haku, and The Big Show. The winner was Stone Cold Steve Austin who defeated Kane, and will go on to WrestleMania XVII to face Kurt Angle for the World Wrestling Federation Championship. If you have a chance to catch this event, it's definately a must see.

Along with Backlash, Fully Loaded and Summerslam (all year 2000), this was is one of my favorite WWF pay-per-views. Aside from Ivory vs Chyna (which was inexcusable crap), every match was solid and excellent. The Dudley Boyz vs Edge & Christian for the Tag Team Titles was very exciting and a good starter for the great pay-per-view. Kurt Angle vs Triple H for the WWF Title was very good, though it ended differently than I expected. Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title was the best match of the night and definitely the best of the year so far.And of course there was the main event, the Royal Rumble itself. It was very exciting and entertaining, with great action moments and very funny moments too. It featured the returns of the Big Show, Al Snow and Haku. It included funny moments from Drew Carey and the Honky Tonk Man. The overall Rumble was very good, with Stone Cold Steve Austin winning, of course.Everybody knew Stone Cold was going to win, but the most impressive of the night was obviously Kane. Kane, who has always been one of my favorite wrestlers, was in the Royal Rumble for over an hour. He outlasted everybody and took out more wrestlers than anybody else did. Though he was one of the first ones out, he was also the last one eliminated, and it was almost disappointing to see Austin beat him. You've got to be impressed with Kane. It was truly his night.