-- 1/31 WWE Royal Rumble PPV Reax

Henry Jenkins of Seattle, Wash. (7.5): Best Match: The Rumble. Worst Match: Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson. I appreciate being surprised, just not when it ruins a logical story. But there's nothing better than the moment when you can really say "Oh! Of course! That's a great idea!" Randy Orton as a babyface? Consider me gobsmacked! I wouldn't have said it was possible, but I bought it. Edge winning the Rumble? It didn't occur to me that he was a front-runner until Triple H was eliminated, and even once I'd guessed it, I was still excited when Edge made his entrance. ... The rest of the card was good, but nothing special. Christian and Ezekiel had a nice contrast in styles. But, since I don't watch ECW, I didn't care that much. It was great to see The Miz get a singles match against MVP, but for some reason these two really talented guys just weren't connecting. I was really glad to see Mickie get the vindication she deserved. I don't even mind that there was barely a match. The payoff was beautiful. The Undertaker and Rey was a fresh match. On the way to WrestleMania, I just want to see the storylines develop between Edge and Jericho, Undertaker and HBK, and Bret and Vince. The only thing that burns my biscuits is that I can't picture Edge and Jericho ending the show, which means we'll be left with the image of Triple H awarding himself another bonus, just like corporate executives nationwide.

John White of Houlton, Maine, c-store manager (7.0): Best Match: Royal Rumble match. Worst Match: Undertaker vs. Mysterio & the women's match/cake crap. I was really surprised at how sloppy Undertaker's match was with Mysterio. The last minute or so saved it a bit, but overall a real let down. Very slow. They also dragged out the women's match way too long, well, not the match itself but the before and after mess. Seriously, it was stupid and made for a good bathroom break. The Rumble match itself did not let down. It had a few really good surprises and really kept a good pace after the opening few minutes with C.M. Punk. Triple H leaving the match early on really shocked me. I was hoping to see a few "blasts from the past" involved somewhere, but I guess they have plenty of workers where they don't need to do that right now. When it came down to the final three - after Shawn Michaels was eliminated in another nice surprise - I was rooting hard for Edge. I simply did not want to see John Cena driven down our throats again. I'm hoping now for a bit of a DX split. Triple H needs to be back out on his own.

Gary Sartori of Windsor Locks, Conn. (5.0): Best Match: Undertaker vs. Mysterio. Worst match: Mickie James vs. Michelle Mc.Cool. This was an average PPV at best. The ECW Title match was nothing special. Christian needs to go to either the Raw or Smackdown brand. He is totally underultilized in ECW, even with being the champion. Either that, or team him back up with Edge. The Women's Title match was a total rip-off. A 20-second match is not what I want to see, especially at a PPV. After Mickie won the title, the cake scene was the best part of that match. Why Beth Phoenix isn't the champion is beyond me. Taker and Rey had a solid, good match. Rey hit his signature moves, and Taker's bloody nose added a hint of realism. Rey always impresses me with his work and ability to take a whole lot of punishment. The Sheamus-Orton match was very disappointing. Why Sheamus is still the champion - or was even allowed to become champion in the first place - completely mystifies me. Sheamus is a mid-carder at best and certainly not in the same league as Triple H, Michaels, Orton, Cena, Taker, or Jericho. I do hope they turn Orton face. Time to end Legacy, and to see Orton go it alone. The Rumble itself had some good points and bad points. The whole Shawn Michaels part with him getting eliminated and his break down afterwards was excellent. I would have loved to see Beth Phoenix eliminate a few more wrestlers and Batista should not have been No. 30. Punk on the mic was awful. I want to see action, not some clown on a microphone. His act is okay on Smackdown, but not at a PPV. The announcers were okay, but Matt Striker does not belong with Lawler or Cole. Like I said, the PPV was okay, but certainly nothing to write home about.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on the PPV, click here.

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