The Interpromotional 24-Man Battle Royal at WrestleMania

[Mr. Nerfect]

I know a lot of people aren't feeling it, but personally, I am excited for the match. I love the concept. The ECW Champion has a distinct advantage, and if the winner of the Battle Royal takes the title, they look extra good. If Chavo retains, the opponent doesn't look too bad, and it makes Chavo look like a strong Champion.

Likely winners for the match would be Matt Hardy or Kane, but this could be the perfect place for a surprise. We probably won't get one, but the thing about the ECW Championship is that it's been booked so weirdly that it's almost bound to be something semi-interesting.

Some are of course not happy about Chavo Guerrero being a "World Champion," and many don't see Kane as being worth anything anymore, but a Chavo vs. Kane match for the ECW Title excites me a lot more than a boring predictable main event featuring guys that are accepted as "main eventers" because they've been shoved down throats for so long. Plus, it is going to allow for some guys who wouldn't normally make it to WrestleMania get on the grandest stage of them all. I don't care if they're only there for padding, because I would just be happy to see Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Val Venis or Jamie Noble at WrestleMania. Especially if they get an entrance, and aren't completely buried.

I support this concept, and am quite looking forward to it. Am I alone?

[Jura]

I would actually like to see Kane as ECW champion.

[MMH]

You're not alone. I think it will be fun. I love Battle Royals and the surprise element makes it a fun filler match. Plus it gets plenty of guys on WM that otherwise wouldn't even be wrestling on a SummerSlam. I'm all for it. :yes

Fuck, I should be an Optimist. Me like WWE. :)

[Anybody Thrilla]

I don't think there will be 24 separate entrances. I don't want to see Kane win either. Also, this probably means that Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, and The Great Khali will all be on the show now. Yikes.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I would actually like to see Kane as ECW champion.

Me too. I'm a massive Kane mark, and the guy's performance in the 2001 Royal Rumble is what actually got me hooked on wrestling. Kane may not be a multi-time World Champion or anything, but I think he would add a lot of credibility to the belt, and it'd be great just to see him get two big wins at WrestleMania, and actually get re-built to something impressive.

[Lock Jaw]

I didn't even know there was a Battle Royal.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I don't think there will be 24 separate entrances. I don't want to see Kane win either. Also, this probably means that Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, and The Great Khali will all be on the show now. Yikes.

I agree with you about the entrances, unfortunately. I hope they do give them some time to enter, though. I mean, the winner will go on to immediately challenge for what was once considered a World Championship, and is still the top championship of a WWE brand.

Guys don't really need a long entrance. The WWE tends to give guys in Battle Royals until they hit the bottom of the ramp before they switch the music to someone else. Plus, they can group some guys together. For example, Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly can enter together, and I'm fairly certain there will be at least another tag team in there. Probably at least another two. I'm thinking Jesse & Festus and Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (I think Paul London & Brian Kendrick will miss out, unfortunately). Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney could both be in (Dreamer is pretty much a lock, in my opinion, with Colin being a good possibility), and they could enter together.

With this Battle Royal being on the card, I can't see too much else being added. That's nine matches for a four hour PPV. I can maybe see the inclusion of a Jerry Lawler vs. Santino Marella match (not likely) or a World Tag Team Championship match (even less likely), but even still, I can't see either getting much time, which leaves things a little short for a four hour PPV. There would be time, I'd think.

As for Khali, Big Daddy V and Mark Henry being on the PPV: I think it was bound to happen anyway. This at least concentrates all the crap. I'm hoping for a (very unlikely) spot where all the guys in the match gang up on these guys, because they've got the massive size advantage, and we get them dumped pretty early. Send Mark Henry first, Big Daddy V second, Snitsky third and The Great Khali forth. Kane can battle off the guys trying to eliminate him, and we can then have a regular Battle Royal with 20 guys remaining.

[Anybody Thrilla]

And why 24? That's a weird number for a battle royale.

[Innovator]

My money is on Kane, only recognizable big name not booked on Mania right now

[Anybody Thrilla]

The Miz is a pretty big name. :shifty:

[Innovator]

Miz is legit now, I don't wish for death when I hear his music

[Anybody Thrilla]

That kind of talk is music to my ears. Everybody should be a Mizfit by 2012.

[Londoner]

I didn't even know there was a Battle Royal.

[MMH]

And why 24? That's a weird number for a battle royale.

I think it's because it's WrestleMania 24 although you might be being sarcastic in which case :(.

[Anybody Thrilla]

OMG, I didn't even think about that.

[James Steele]

Miz is legit now, I don't wish for death when I hear his music

Shut your damn mouth.

[Londoner]

Miz has improved i'll admit. But not by much, just enough to stop me wanting to kick the shit out of him everytime he's on screen.

[Anybody Thrilla]

The Miz is pretty sweet, not gonna lie.

[Innovator]

He's gone from Fuck off heat to heel heat

[Mr. Nerfect]

And why 24? That's a weird number for a battle royale.

Yeah, as someone mentioned, I think it's because it's WrestleMania XXIV. It took me a while to work out the significance of the number 24 in relation to the Battle Royal, too. :$

The Miz is pretty good these days, too. He's not great, and I still see him making a few mistakes here and there, but he's certainly not the worst guy on the roster. He makes a fantastic heel.

Who does everyone think should be in the match? Here is my list:

1. The Great Khali (confirmed)
2. Chuck Palumbo (confirmed)
3. Kane (confirmed)
4. Jamie Noble (confirmed)
5. Big Daddy V
6. Tommy Dreamer
7. The Miz
8. Hardcore Holly
9. Cody Rhodes
10. Snitsky
11. Mick Foley (the match needs some names, damn it)
12. Rob Van Dam (see: Foley, Mick)
13. Mark Henry
14. Jimmy Wang Yang
15. William Regal (inserting himself into the match)
16. Paul Burchill
17. Elijah Burke
18. Festus
19. Val Venis
20. Lance Cade
21. Trevor Murdoch
22. Paul London
23. Brian Kendrick
24. Stevie Richards

Kofi Kingston could replace Rob Van Dam if you don't want him in the match, or can't get him. Other maybes in the match, as far as I'm concerned, are William Regal (it doesn't seem fair that the General Manager of a brand can go for another's championship, as much as I'd love Regal to be in), and Jimmy Wang Yang, who just lost in a Handicap Match to Big Show. Yang is over, though, and was WWE's pick for "Most Underrated of 2007," so I included him.

The WWE seems more interested in pushing Festus than Jesse, so I'd just have Jesse come to ringside with Festus. Shannon Moore doesn't make the match even if his partner does. It's still not a perfect list, as it seems like a pipe-dream that Val Venis, Paul London & Brian Kendrick will make the WrestleMania card, but damn it, I wanted to find room for them. Santino Marella is likely for the match, but I'd put him over Jerry Lawler elsewhere on the card.

[Mr. Nerfect]

A more realistic list of who will be in the match:

1. The Great Khali (confirmed)
2. Chuck Palumbo (confirmed)
3. Kane (confirmed)
4. Jamie Noble (confirmed)
5. Big Daddy V
6. Tommy Dreamer
7. The Miz
8. Hardcore Holly
9. Cody Rhodes
10. Snitsky
11. Mick Foley
12. Mark Henry
13. Santino Marella
14. Paul Burchill
15. Elijah Burke
16. Kofi Kingston
17. Jesse
18. Festus
19. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
20. Jimmy Wang Yang
21. Lance Cade
22. Trevor Murdoch
23. Stevie Richards
24. Matt Hardy

[Anybody Thrilla]

Paul Burchill in the fucking man right now. I'd like him to win, but I prefer him on Raw, and I don't see a Chavo/Burchill match happening at 'Mania. I like Chuck Palumbo a lot right now too, but again, don't see it happening.

[St. Jimmy]

Does the winner get anything?

[Mr. Nerfect]

Paul Burchill in the fucking man right now. I'd like him to win, but I prefer him on Raw, and I don't see a Chavo/Burchill match happening at 'Mania. I like Chuck Palumbo a lot right now too, but again, don't see it happening.

Yeah, they're both heel vs. heel. Burchill should make it right up until the very end. Maybe not the last guy eliminated, but one of the last guys. He should crack the Final Four. If they give the win to Kane, I'd have him be the last guy eliminated.

Of course, seeing as I am marks for them, I'd orgasm for a surprise Val Venis or Paul London win. Next to no chance of happening, but it'd be a really interesting surprise. I can see either guy having a great match with Chavo, and London & Chavo even have history they can play off. Just play it off as the greatest upset in WrestleMania history. It's not like anyone takes the ECW Title that seriously, anyway.

[Afterlife]

It's gonna be a face, and probably an upper-carder, supporting the Kane theory, for Chavo to beat, making him look more eligible to move on to the WWE title and back to SD.

[Jordan]

I expect Rey Misterio to come back sooner than later and take the ECW title at WM.

[Afterlife]

I know! Stevie wins the Battle by eliminating Knox, Stevie gets upper hand in title match, Knox hits him with the Knox-Your-Block-Off (b/c it'll be an Extreme Rules match) and Chavo wins.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Does the winner get anything?

The winner gets an ECW Title shot immediately after the Battle Royal, I believe.

So no. :shifty:

[Mr. Nerfect]

I know! Stevie wins the Battle by eliminating Knox, Stevie gets upper hand in title match, Knox hits him with the Knox-Your-Block-Off (b/c it'll be an Extreme Rules match) and Chavo wins.

It's not a bad idea, I mean, I'd mark out for Stevie Richards winning, but I don't think that's likely. I doubt the WWE will give that much attention to the Richards/Knox program.

Kane is a good pick, Matt Hardy is going to be my Tipsters pick if he does not make the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and the only other option I can see the WWE taking, is giving the win to Mick Foley, and then having Foley put over Chavo clean.

[RP]

Cena wins

[Afterlife]

Iron Sheik.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Iron Sheik.

Once he's in there, he's a lock. Too old to be thrown over and all.

I was so hoping he'd have got on the mic before Mike Rotundo gave Jillian Hall the aeroplane spin, and told her he was going to make her HUMBLE!

But alas.

[JH]

BIG STEVIE COOL ALL THE WAY

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Here's my list of who I think will be in:

1. The Great Khali
2. Kane
3. Chuck Palumbo
4. Jamie Noble
5. Cody Rhodes
6. Hardcore Holly
7. Elijah Burke
8. Big Daddy V
9. Mark Henry
10. Matt Hardy* (see below)
11. Stevie Richards
12. Mike Knox
13. Jimmy Wang Yang
14. Shannon Moore
15. Jesse
16. Festus
17. Snitsky
18. Paul Burchill
19. Lance Cade
20. Trevor Murdoch
21. Tommy Dreamer
22. Colin Delaney
23. Deuce
24. Domino

Yeah, I don't really see any big names in there...and the only surprise entry really is Matt Hardy...and as it is now, its a division of 12 faces and 12 heels for balance. Foley or RVD being in there would be cool, but I just don't see it. The way I see it, this match will be midway through the card and The Miz is slated to be a participant.

However, Miz runs in during MITB (usually the 1st or 2nd match on the card) to try and help Morrison and winds up getting injured and beaten down like everyone else. Later on we see Miz and Morrison ailing backstage, and an interviewer or somebody informs Miz that since he isn't fit to compete in the battle royal, a replacement has been found. The replacement winds up being a returning Matt Hardy, and he goes on to win AND wins the ECW Title. Matt can have some sort of program with Miz and Morrison (Miz being pissed off that he lost his battle royal spot) or something.

As for some other random notes for the battle royal:

-Jesse and Festus HAVE to do a spot somehow to get Festus back into his docile state. Most likely, I see them both get eliminated at the same time and a wild Festus keeps trying to re-enter the ring. Jesse rings the bell to stop him.

-Colin Delaney being in seems like an odd choice, but he's Dreamer's partner and is the perfect candidate to be the token guy who gets eliminated within 10 seconds. One of the big guys in the match can throw him way the fuck out.

-Mike Knox is another odd selection to be in but he's gonna be in sort of a feud with Stevie so they can throw him in there to carry out the feud. Plus, the battle royal is for an ECW title shot, so it'll make sense to have more ECW guys in there.

-Kofi Kingston is randomly absent from the match for no reason other than I don't see them wanting to put Kofi in because he wouldn't win...and they don't want his first loss to be in a battle royal.

-Santino Marella is absent because I see him trying to intervene in the diva's match but the "lumberjills" humiliate him somehow.

-Most the Heat regulars: Venis, Londrick, etc. are left off (sorry Noid). There's no real reason for this except for, as mentioned, if there are gonna be jobbers in the match it makes more sense for them to be from SD/ECW.</font>

[Mr. Nerfect]

<font color=goldenrod>Here's my list of who I think will be in:

1. The Great Khali
2. Kane
3. Chuck Palumbo
4. Jamie Noble
5. Cody Rhodes
6. Hardcore Holly
7. Elijah Burke
8. Big Daddy V
9. Mark Henry
10. Matt Hardy* (see below)
11. Stevie Richards
12. Mike Knox
13. Jimmy Wang Yang
14. Shannon Moore
15. Jesse
16. Festus
17. Snitsky
18. Paul Burchill
19. Lance Cade
20. Trevor Murdoch
21. Tommy Dreamer
22. Colin Delaney
23. Deuce
24. Domino

Yeah, I don't really see any big names in there...and the only surprise entry really is Matt Hardy...and as it is now, its a division of 12 faces and 12 heels for balance. Foley or RVD being in there would be cool, but I just don't see it. The way I see it, this match will be midway through the card and The Miz is slated to be a participant.

However, Miz runs in during MITB (usually the 1st or 2nd match on the card) to try and help Morrison and winds up getting injured and beaten down like everyone else. Later on we see Miz and Morrison ailing backstage, and an interviewer or somebody informs Miz that since he isn't fit to compete in the battle royal, a replacement has been found. The replacement winds up being a returning Matt Hardy, and he goes on to win AND wins the ECW Title. Matt can have some sort of program with Miz and Morrison (Miz being pissed off that he lost his battle royal spot) or something.

As for some other random notes for the battle royal:

-Jesse and Festus HAVE to do a spot somehow to get Festus back into his docile state. Most likely, I see them both get eliminated at the same time and a wild Festus keeps trying to re-enter the ring. Jesse rings the bell to stop him.

-Colin Delaney being in seems like an odd choice, but he's Dreamer's partner and is the perfect candidate to be the token guy who gets eliminated within 10 seconds. One of the big guys in the match can throw him way the fuck out.

-Mike Knox is another odd selection to be in but he's gonna be in sort of a feud with Stevie so they can throw him in there to carry out the feud. Plus, the battle royal is for an ECW title shot, so it'll make sense to have more ECW guys in there.

-Kofi Kingston is randomly absent from the match for no reason other than I don't see them wanting to put Kofi in because he wouldn't win...and they don't want his first loss to be in a battle royal.

-Santino Marella is absent because I see him trying to intervene in the diva's match but the "lumberjills" humiliate him somehow.

-Most the Heat regulars: Venis, Londrick, etc. are left off (sorry Noid). There's no real reason for this except for, as mentioned, if there are gonna be jobbers in the match it makes more sense for them to be from SD/ECW.</font>

Holy shit, dude, you are brilliant. I don't agree with everything entirely (I can't see Deuce N' Domino being in the match), but that is all really logical.

When John Morrison qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, I figured that they didn't need The Miz in there, because he could run out and bump anyway, but I completely forgot about it when taking this Battle Royal into consideration.

I agree that Colin Delaney will be the guy who gets in there and finds himself tossed immediately. Or I can see him doing quite well. Sadly, I can see the first tossed spot also going to Stevie Richards.

Mike Knox is not someone I expect to be in the Battle Royal, actually. The WWE might have plans for Knox, but I can't see them being enough to get the guy onto WrestleMania. I might be wrong, however.

I agree that Santino Marella will be elsewhere. I also agree on the Jesse and Festus spot. 100% agree, that's exactly how I envisioned it in my head. Jesse and Festus (or Jesse followed very shortly by Festus, or just Festus with Jesse at ringside) get(s) eliminated, but because Festus is in angry mode, he tries to get back in the ring, as referees and Jesse tries to stop him. Then Jesse runs to the bell, rings it, and Festus goes mellow and Jesse grabs him and walks him to the back as referees look confused. Good call, man. :y:

[Afterlife]

Just don't forget, Noid: A while back, there was a 30man battle royal on Raw to select a #1 contender for the title, and Stevie was the 24th man eliminated. That makes him the 6th best wrestler on Raw.

[BigDaddyCool]

It seems mostly like a way to get everyone on Mania.

[Londoner]

Seems like a shitty battle royal either way.

[The Heenan Family]

It should open the show....

[Afterlife]

It probably will. Start off with the biggest event on the card and move with that momentum.

[Londoner]

I would put it somewhere in the middle or after the first match.

[Afterlife]

Why?

[Londoner]

Just cause thats where i feel its best suited to be. Don't like battle royals much.

[James Steele]

I'd have have it set up like this (opener to Main Event):

Batista v Umaga (Both guys are over and will get the crowd hot)
ECW Battle Royal & ECW Title match (Clusterfuck to get the crowd excited)
BunnyMania (Piss Break)
Money In The Bank (Easy Hot Crowd)
Finlay v JBL (Intense brawl)
Flair v Michaels (Emotional moment)
Mayweather v Big Show (Spectacle)
Undertaker/Edge (Give the crowd a happy moment when Taker wins, so they aren't too sad when Cena wins)
Cena v Orton v Triple H (THE MAIN EVENT)