| Company | WWE |
| Event | Royal Rumble 2010 |
| Series | Royal Rumble |
| Edition | 23 |
| Format | Pay-Per-View |
| Date | Sunday January 31 2010 |
| Venue | Philips Arena |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Attendance | 16,697 |
WWE Royal Rumble 2010
WWE Royal Rumble 2010 is a show which boasts plenty of star power. On paper, it has almost every top name from the era that WWE could have access to. What’s more, one of those would make a grand (and surprising) return on this very show. All of which elevates this card’s standing on the road to WrestleMania XXVI.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PREVIOUS TV SHOWS? READ OUR PRE-PPV REVIEWS OF RAW, ECW & SMACKDOWN!
ECW Championship Match
Christian (C) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
Yes, ECW was still a thing as 2010 began, but not for much longer as I’ll explain shortly. ECW had done a nice job of building up Jackson in the previous six weeks. The brand had staged a continuous run of matches starring top ECW names along with former ECW Champions. Whomever could stand tall at the conclusion of the series would challenge Captain Charisma right here. And Big Zeke would get the nod to try and end Christian’s six-month reign with the silver-eagle belt.
The match itself is adequate enough. Bear in mind that Ezekiel was still relatively inexperienced, and he didn’t have many great bouts in later years either. As a result, this has to stand as his strongest effort on PPV. He plays the big, hulking monster to effect here, punishing Christian and wearing him down throughout. For the champ to bounce back would require him to use his experience, skill and some crafty veteran tactics. That’s what he would do here, allowing the opener to tell a basic yet logical story.
And fans in Atlanta, Georgia definitely approved. This wasn’t ignored due to the third-rate nature of the ECW brand. Instead, the crowd reacted as if this really mattered. And that always helps for the atmosphere and, subsequently, the entertainment value of a match. In the end, Christian would indeed overcome the size and strength differentials with a timely Killswitch for the three-count. This era of ECW is rarely discussed these days, partly because it didn’t resemble the original ECW in any way. But Christian was delivering strong encounters whenever the title was at stake, and this was one such example.
But his efforts would be for naught. Just two nights later, Vince McMahon would announce that ECW would terminate within a fortnight. The final episode, on February 16, saw Christian lose the belt to Jackson in an Extreme Rules rematch. So, Ezekiel Jackson goes down in history as the final ever ECW Champion. It also gives this bout the distinction of providing the final PPV appearance for the ECW Championship. Incidentally, ECW would be replaced by a totally new show called NXT. I wonder how that would work out.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PREVIOUS EDITION? READ OUR WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2009 REVIEW!
Backstage, we then saw a very embarrassing comedy segment typical of the era. To avoid the shame of rewatching, I’ll just note it starred Teddy Long, Tiffany, The Great Khali, Cryme Tyme and The Miz, and it would allow Long to announce Miz defending the United States Title against MVP. How the SmackDown General Manager could provide a match for a Raw-brand title remains a mystery.
WWE United States Championship Match
The Miz (C) vs. MVP
The match in question would occur right away. I’m surprised that this was announced abruptly because the two men had been feuding for several weeks. Perhaps WWE needed to fill time on the night when putting the show together. Who knows? In any event, this was okay but nothing more. Miz was improving rapidly during this phase, with his potential rising rapidly as 2010 would progress. As for Montel Vontavious Porter, his status would be on a slow decline, though we didn’t know it in January 2010.
Though MVP was over, Miz would not be denied, as he rolled up MVP for the surprisingly clean victory. MVP would level Miz afterwards because, well, why wouldn’t you beat up Miz? It’s worth noting that fans didn’t react favourably to this attack. This tells me two things. One, Miz was getting over with fans in spite of his heel status, which is always a good sign. Two, MVP was fading in terms of his own popularity as a babyface, which is always a worrying sign. In any event, they would clash in a rematch at Elimination Chamber, with Miz again retaining.
Prior to his WWE Title shot at Sheamus, Randy Orton would have separate chats with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The two Legacy members would have similar messages for The Viper, yet with different agendas. Cody said he would have Randy’s back, but Ted planned to challenge Orton for the WWE Title after winning the Rumble. (Erm, is that a bad thing?) DiBiase, though, would say the complete opposite. Randy didn’t care and simply vowed to defeat The Celtic Warrior.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PREVIOUS PPV? READ OUR WWE TLC 2009 REVIEW!
WWE Championship Match
Sheamus (C) vs. Randy Orton
Before continuing, let’s take a look at Sheamus. The Irishman had debuted on ECW on June 30, and had only jumped to Raw in October. Somehow, by TLC 2009, he would be the WWE Champion. His rapid rise was a total shock, albeit a welcome one due to the staleness of the Raw brand back then. He was a breath of fresh air, but he still had a lot to prove to fans and to WWE. This WWE Title defence against The Viper would be a test for the champion. Did he succeed?
Erm, sort of. Sheamus would leave the ring as WWE Champion, so in that respect, his push would continue. But it was clear during the bout that he wasn’t quite up to scratch as a main eventer yet. And why would he be? It can take wrestlers a long time to excel at the highest level. There’s a big difference between stealing the show in the mid-card and holding your own as a main eventer. And Sheamus hadn’t yet achieved the former, never mind the latter. These two would go on to have much better matches in the future, but here, perhaps understandably, Sheamus could only offer so much. In other words, he wasn’t quite ready for his abrupt mega-push.
As for Orton, he was in a bit of a funk himself. Though he had ruled as Raw’s top heel throughout 2009, his style had become methodical to a fault. This meant that few of his main event matches the previous year were actually worth seeing. His portrayal of a cold-blooded killer was spot-on, but it left fans with the feeling that he was occasionally disinterested. And that would translate into his matches. This one, for instance, saw two men working a slow and cumbersome style, which didn’t please anyone. Orton would thankfully speed things up in the ring as 2010 went on, which made a big difference. Come 2011, he would be WWE’s best in-ring performer. What a difference the pace of a match makes, eh?
That was all to come at Royal Rumble 2010, though. Indeed, the action was totally unmemorable before we got to the finish. As Orton (who was cheered despite being a heel, partly because Sheamus was also a villain) went to hit an RKO, Cody Rhodes appeared and inexplicably struck The Celtic Warrior. So, while Randy hit his finisher, the referee was already calling a disqualification in the champ’s favour. Orton was furious, and while Ted DiBiase tried to quell the tension, Randy would attack both him and Cody. Fans approved of this; not so much of Sheamus hitting Orton with a Brogue Kick. This would be the beginning of Orton turning babyface, as well as the dissolution of Legacy. The latter would become official courtesy of a three-way match at WrestleMania XXVI. As for Sheamus, his WWE Title reign would end just three weeks later inside the Elimination Chamber.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FIRST EDITION? READ OUR WWF ROYAL RUMBLE 1988 REVIEW!
WWE Women’s Championship Match
Michelle McCool (C) vs. Mickie James
It’s impossible to cover this match without handling the back-story. The plotline here was that Michelle McCool and Layla (a.k.a. LayCool) were mercilessly taunting Mickie James and her weight. This included a cartoon-like segment with McCool calling her “Piggy James” and mockingly singing Old McDonald. If I’m being honest, I didn’t mind the storyline because, for bullies to garner heat, they have to be bullies. And they have to push buttons which the audience can relate to. This helps when the time comes for the wicked parties to receive their comeuppance. That being said, I can certainly understand why Mickie felt uncomfortable playing her part in this storyline. That’s partly due to the fact that few would describe her as being fat. But if enough people tell you that you have a physical shortcoming, I guess you start to believe it.
Anyway, McCool had beaten James at TLC 2009, but this rematch allowed Mickie to exact full revenge. Layla ran out dressed as a pig, but James levelled her at ringside. In the squared circle, James pinned Michelle in just 20 seconds to win the Women’s Title in rapid fashion. Post-match, several other Divas joined Mickie in slamming a cake into LayCool’s gobs. Had the story ended here, it would have been a fitting climax. For some reason, though, Michelle would regain the belt a few weeks later. This essentially allowed the bullies to triumph over the victim. Oh, and Mickie would be fired in late April 2010. Bizarre.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Undertaker (C) vs. Rey Mysterio
The final match before the headline attraction would see another clash of sizes. Undertaker was enjoying his longest WHC reign yet, while Mysterio was coming off an awesome 2009. On paper, this would be a total mismatch. But because Rey was at his peak, and due to Taker’s selflessness, there was a chance that Mysterio might just do it. And had it been at another time of the year, perhaps he might have pulled off the upset. But given that we were heading into WrestleMania Season, Rey’s odds of regaining the WHC were further limited.
Nevertheless, they could still put on an exciting match. And that’s what we got here at Royal Rumble 2010. This followed the usual formula of Rey relying on speed, agility and sudden quick strikes to gain an advantage. Taker, of course, would focus on his power, strength and generally menacing aura to maintain control. Rey did leave a lasting impression on Taker by busting open his nose. But otherwise Taker was rarely in trouble, even when Mysterio managed to connect with two 619’s. In a nice ending, Mysterio tried to hit the West Coast Pop, only to be caught for a Last Ride powerbomb. One-two-three, and this was over.
It’s hardly one of Taker’s best bouts, nor is it amongst Rey’s finest work either. But it’s a thoroughly enjoyable contest, and the only singles battle between these two on PPV. Taker’s reign as the champion ultimately wouldn’t make it to WrestleMania, as I’ll explain later. (How mad is it that amongst his 27 WrestleMania matches, Taker never once entered the ring as a champion?). As for Mysterio, though this wasn’t to be his night, he would finally reclaim the World Title at Fatal 4 Way in June.
Royal Rumble Match
Just before we get to the main event, let’s talk about Shawn Michaels. Though this Rumble would have several strong contenders, Shawn was arguably the favourite. Why? Because he would have no other option but to win. You see, Michaels had challenged The Undertaker to a WrestleMania rematch, only to be turned down. Taker felt he had nothing to prove, but he did give Shawn an opportunity. If Michaels could win the Rumble, he could then challenge Taker for the World Title, and the Streak, at WrestleMania XXVI. Before this match, Kane tried to warn Michaels about his brother, before his DX partner Triple H wished HBK good luck. But The Game did suggest that Shawn would have to find another way to get to Taker at Mania. More on this shortly.
Dolph Ziggler and Evan Bourne would be the first participants in the 2010 Rumble match. (This would begin a very strange sequence of Dolph, CM Punk, The Miz, Ziggler again, Punk again and Miz again as #1.) Their exchanges were fine, though the fans were clearly waiting for the bigger names to arrive. They would get their wish as CM Punk, with Serena, was #3, and Punk quickly eliminated both men. CM then commandeered the microphone to tell the Atlanta fans how he could save them if they joined the Straight Edge Society. He would also offer SES membership to subsequent entrants, though none took him up on his generous offer.
JTG at #4 was in and out almost as fast as you can say “Brooklyn, Brooklyn!” The Great Khali at #5 initially imitated that he may join Punk, only to chop his skull. Then came Beth Phoenix at #6. Beth Phoenix? Yes. The Glamazon was a surprise inclusion, and she was the second woman to participate after Chyna in 1999. Just as surprisingly, Phoenix kissed Khali while dragging him out of the match, which got a huge reaction. Punk then punished Beth with a GTS before eliminating her, adding further heat to his persona. He also threw out Zack Ryder (#7) with ease, before having a huge gulp when Triple H came out as #8.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LATEST EDITION? READ OUR WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2020 REVIEW!
Punk and The Game had a stare-down, and after Drew McIntyre made his Rumble debut as #9, HHH tossed Punk to the floor. Punk’s contributions here were entertaining, but they’re not quite the all-time classic actions that some would have you believe. Could it be that people fondly recall this specifically because of CM Punk as the focal point? Hey, it wouldn’t be the first time.
From there, the ring would begin to fill up. Ted DiBiase at #10 targeted his recent enemy HHH, while John Morrison as #11 focused on McIntyre, who had ended his Intercontinental Championship reign at TLC. Kane would be #12, with the announcers providing the annual reminder of Kane’s elimination record from 2001. Cody Rhodes was #13, though he chose to help DiBiase rather than further their problems from earlier on. MVP was supposed to be #14, but The Miz attacked him from behind in the aisleway.
Carlito as #15 made his final meaningful WWE appearance, as he would be gone from the company by the summer. Miz returned as the 16th participant, only for MVP to suddenly recover and beat up Miz (again), with both being eliminated in the process. So, MVP sacrificed a World Title shot at WrestleMania to attack the United States Champion. Sound logic there. Matt Hardy was #17, but despite a brief flurry, Kane gave him the quickest elimination of the night. HHH shortly eliminated Kane, which established that The Game was in control of the match. But that was about to change.
Number 18 would be Shawn Michaels. And before the next entrant could arrive, Michaels had thrown out Carlito, Rhodes, DiBiase and Morrison. Damn. DX also teamed up to dump out Morrison, which left HHH and Shawn temporarily all alone. But John Cena would be #19 to a massive pop, even if he would begin hearing the familiar boos shortly. John nailed DX with a double Five Knuckle Shuffle (which looks phoney as hell), but he tasted a Pedigree.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FOLLOWING PPV? READ OUR WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER 2010 REVIEW!
Then came a big twist, as Shawn superkicked HHH out of the match! Michaels had done something similar at Survivor Series 2009, but now he had denied HHH the chance to headline WrestleMania XXVI. HHH would never get a chance to exact any revenge on Shawn, which is a shame because these incidents could have instigated a classic renewal of their previous feud. But of course, Michaels would have a bigger issue in the coming months. One thing was for sure, though: Michaels would do absolutely anything to win the Rumble and face Taker at WrestleMania.
Shelton Benjamin as #20 wouldn’t last long, and Yoshi Tatsu at #21 would last even less time. Big Show as #22 did stick around, though, as the ring began to fill up again. Mark Henry as #23 measured up to Show as we had our annual Rumble clash of the behemoths. Chris Masters would be #24, but he was thrown out before #25, R-Truth, arrived. Truth’s first move was to dump out both Show and Henry at the same time, which is some achievement. Shame it wouldn’t lead to anything for Truth. Jack Swagger looked decent as #26, though he would be eliminated by Kofi Kingston (#27) in impressive fashion. Chris Jericho came out as #28, during which time Kofi eliminated Truth before being dumped himself by Cena. Then …
“You think you know me …”
Edge made his shock return at #29. No, it isn’t 2020. A decade earlier, The Rated R Superstar was returning earlier than expected after tearing his Achilles. Projections were for him to return at WrestleMania or shortly thereafter. Instead, he was back here at the Rumble. Now, because of John Cena pulling off a similar stunt in 2008, this didn’t surprise me as much as it did for other people. But there was no guarantee, or even a hint, that this would occur. So, it was a great moment for him to return, and he quickly dominated the action, which included eliminating Jericho. Some revenge for Edge, then, who Jericho had occasionally taunted after the aforementioned injury.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FOLLOWING EDITION? READ OUR WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2011 REVIEW!
Batista rounded out the field at #30, with only four men remaining already. I’m not sure why the Rumble ring never filled up too much throughout, nor with anyone lasting a particularly lengthy period. But whatever. Eventually, Michaels and Edge almost clotheslined each other out, with Shawn superkicking Edge back into the ring. But he was still on the apron, and Batista smelled blood. The Animal bashed Shawn, who was holding on for dear life. One hand gone, two hands gone, and Shawn was out. The favourite had been eliminated, and his dreams of facing Undertaker again at WrestleMania seemed to be dashed. Shawn had a breakdown at ringside, and he even tried to re-enter the match. When referee Charles Robinson tried to tell Michaels to leave, he took a dose of Sweet Chin Music. Michaels finally left, totally distraught.
This was a brilliant performance, with fans genuinely believing that Michaels was crestfallen. Further mishaps on Raw would lead Shawn to state that his career was now over. But of course he would resurface at Elimination Chamber to deny Taker the chance to take the World Title to WrestleMania. And that would set up their climactic Streak vs. Career match. This isn’t discussed as often as it should be amongst the greatest storylines of all-time. But it’s right up there in my opinion. And as the beginning of the end of Shawn Michaels’ career (Crown Jewel 2018 aside), its legacy is grander still.
Though we were all wondering about Shawn at this stage, there was still a Rumble match to be decided. And it would end quite suddenly. Batista charged at Cena, but John held the top rope down, sending The Animal out. Cena then blocked an Edge Spear and tried to throw him out. But Edge reversed the momentum, thus eliminating Cena; Edge had won the 2010 Royal Rumble! The return from injury and the unexpected triumph made this a major career highlight for Edge. It also marked a true babyface turn for a man who had been WWE’s best heel for over five years. Sadly for Edge, he would lose his big World Title shot at WrestleMania, and by May 2010, he was a heel again.
I personally rank this Royal Rumble match as being one of the top ten in its history. But for some reason I can’t rank it any higher than that. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t as enamoured by CM Punk’s segment as others were. Perhaps it’s because we didn’t have a full ring for the most part. Or maybe it’s due to something else which I can’t put my finger on. Whatever it is, this isn’t quite on the top rung of Rumble matches. But it’s definitely directly below. A star-studded field, some shock eliminations, Beth Phoenix entering, Shawn’s storyline and Edge’s big comeback made this compulsive viewing throughout. And it would set the stage for a great WrestleMania by teasing or furthering several Mania storylines.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FOLLOWING TV SHOWS? READ OUR POST-PPV REVIEWS OF RAW, ECW & SMACKDOWN!
Fittingly, then, WWE Royal Rumble 2010 is most notable for the Rumble match itself. The under-card is acceptable but not spectacular. And while I liked Undertaker vs. Mysterio, it’s not a classic bout that you simply have to see. Check this card out for the 30-man match, with Shawn and Edge being the stars of the show.
RELIVE THIS SHOW NOW ON WWE NETWORK!
