IWE Royal Rumble (2005)

From Iwe

Revision as of 00:20, 21 March 2012

Royal Rumble (2005)
Promotional poster featuring various IWE Superstars and referencing West Side Story.
Tagline(s)	All the rumbling, minus the dancing and singing
Theme song(s)	"Find the Real" by Alter Bridge
Imformation
Promotion	International Wrestling Entertainment
Brand(s)	Raw Smackdown
Date	January 30, 2005
Attendance	12,000
Venue	Save Mart Center
City	Fresno, California
Pay-per-view chronology
New Year's Revolution (2005)	Royal Rumble (2005)	No Way Out (2005)
Royal Rumble chronology
Royal Rumble (2004)	Royal Rumble (2005)	Royal Rumble (2006)

Royal Rumble (2005) was the eighteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by International Wrestling Entertainment (IWE). It took place on January 30, 2005 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California and featured talent from both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a match at that year's WrestleMania, (in this instance: WrestleMania 21) for his choice at either the IWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship.

Five professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's supercard, a scheduling of more than one main event. The main event was the annual 30-man Royal Rumble match, which featured wrestlers from both brands. Jesse Dern, the twenty-eighth entrant, won the match by last eliminating Dustin Simpson, the twenty-fifth entrant. The predominant match on the Raw brand was Triple K versus Kevin McAlmond for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Triple K won by pinfall after executing a Pedigree. The primary match on the SmackDown! brand was a Triple Threat match for the IWE Championship between champion John "Bradshaw" Goff (JBG), Matt Borske, and The Big Marc. JBG won the match and retained the title after pinning Borske following a Clothesline from Hell.

Background

Royal Rumble featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Raw and SmackDown! – International Wrestling Entertainment's (IWE) primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches. The event featured wrestlers from IWE's Raw and SmackDown! brands – a storyline division in which IWE employees were assigned to a television program of the same name.

The main feud heading into the Royal Rumble on the Raw brand was between Triple K and Kevin McAlmond over the World Heavyweight Championship. Their feud started on the night after Summerslam, when McAlmond was kicked out of Evolution by Triple K. At Survivor Series, Team McAlmond (McAlmond, Kevin Hunter, Khris Jericho, and Maven) defeated Team Triple K (Triple K, Edge, Batista, and Dominic) in a four-on-four Elimination match. McAlmond won the match for his team by last eliminating Triple K. Two months later, at New Year's Revolution, the pay-per-view three weeks before the Royal Rumble, Triple K won an Elimination Chamber match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Triple K won the match by last eliminating Orton following outside interference from Evolution members Batista and Ric Flair. The night after on Raw, McAlmond defeated Batista to become the number one contender to the title at the Royal Rumble. The following week, after a verbal confrontation between the two in the arena, Triple K ambushed McAlmond backstage. The fought until McAlmond tried to use a steel chair, and Triple K hightailed. On the January 24 edition of Raw, McAlmond faced off against Ric Flair. During the match, as the referee was knocked down, Triple K came in and attacked McAlmond along with Flair. McAlmond, however, fought off both men and won the match.

The main feud on the SmackDown! brand was between John "Bradshaw" Goff (JBG), The Big Show, and Matt Borske, with the three feuding over the IWE Championship. On the December 16, 2004 edition of SmackDown!, Borske challenged JBG to a match for the IWE Championship. The Cabinet (Liam Phillips, Doug, and Danny Nuss) interfered and attacked Borske, causing the match to end via disqualification. They continued to attack Borske after the match until The Big Show came out, beat down everyone, and signaled to JBG that he wanted the title. Following this, JBG set up Angle to anger The Big Show, but Borske angered JBL in response. After realizing this, JBL aligned himself with The Big Show and confronted Angle; however, JBL turned on Big Show and beat him down with Borske. On the January 27 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long booked a Last Man Standing match between JBG and Borske for later that night. The two eventually turned on each other, and the match ended in a no-contest. It was later revealed that the match was Big Show's idea.

Another feud heading into the event from SmackDown! was between The Undertaker and Heidenreich. Their feud first started in 2004 at No Mercy, the pay-per-view in October. Heidenreich helped John "Bradshaw" Goff (JBG) defeat Undertaker in a Last Ride match by attacking Undertaker and putting him in the hearse. At Survivor Series, Undertaker defeated Heidenreich by pinfall after executing a Tombstone Piledriver. At Armageddon 2004, Heidenreich once again cost Undertaker his title match against JBG in a Fatal Four Way that involved Booker T and Brian McAlmond by pushing Undertaker backwards while holding JBG in the tombstone piledriver position, before JBG pinned Booker T after a Clothesline From Hell. Smackdown's General Manager Theodore Long let Undertaker name the stipulation for his match against Heidenreich at Royal Rumble. As Heidenreich mentioned his fear of caskets, Undertaker chose to face him in a casket match for Royal Rumble.

A preliminary Raw brand feud was between Ryan Barnhart and Edge. Their feud started at Taboo Tuesday 2004 when Barnhart was voted over Edge to face Triple K for the World Heavyweight Championship. At New Year's Revolution 2005, Edge lost a shot at the title in a Elimination Chamber with Barnhart as special referee. In the Elimination Chamber, Barnhart superkicked Edge, followed by a lionsault from Khris Jericho, with Jericho making the cover. Believing it was Barnhart's fault that he was not crowned champion, Edge speared Barnhart and the two men were booked into a match at Royal Rumble.

Event

Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Maven defeated Peter in a match taped for Sunday Night Heat. The first match that aired was between Edge and Ryan Barnhart. Edge mocked Michaels by performing some of Barnhart's signature taunts during the match. Edge gained the advantage after an Edge-O-Matic (sitout rear mat slam) outside the ring. Barnhart fought back until Edge left the ring. Barnhart came after him, but, with the referee's distraction, Edge speared Barnahrt, both outside and inside the ring. Barnhart then knocked Edge off the second rope and executed a diving elbow drop. Edge countered a superkick attempt into an electric chair drop and applied the Edgecator. Barnhart broke the hold and attempted a roll-up, but Edge rolled through and pinned Barnhart while holding the ropes.

Aftermath

Results

Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminations

Red ██ and "Raw" indicates a Raw superstar, blue ██ and "SD!" indicates a SmackDown! superstar. A new entrant came out approximately every 90 seconds.

¹ Matt Borske had been eliminated by Ryan Barnhart and then returned to the ring, and eliminated Barnhart in retaliation.

² Scotty was attacked by Hassan before he made it to the ring, and therefore was unable to compete and never officially entered the match.

³ Christopher Nunzio was originally going to appear in the Royal Rumble match, but he had his entry stolen by Matt Borske before the match.