2007 Rumble: Most star studded in years?
 

<font color=goldenrod>Kind of a random thought just dawned on me. Since each brand is likely to have 10 Rumble participants...I think this match could potentially be the most star studded in years because conceivably each brand would only enter its top superstars. Come to think there would probably actually be very little room for the guys who are flat out jobbers (except for some of the ECW'ers I suppose).

Think about it. Let's assume Cena, Batista, and Lashley are still champions...and they are challenged by Umaga, Kennedy, and RVD at the Rumble PPV.

The following could all still possibly take part in the Rumble match:

RAW - Carlito, Chris Masters, Edge, Kenny Dykstra, Jeff Hardy, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Triple H

Smackdown - Chavo Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Gregory Helms, Finlay, Kane, King Booker, Matt Hardy, MVP, Undertaker

ECW - CM Punk, Great Khali, Hardcore Holly, Sabu, Sandman, Test
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Right there are 25 guys who can be labeled as upper-midcarders or as guys who are huge names on the brands they represent. The other 5 spots could go to jobbers or mystery entrants (I, for one, would LOL if JBL was a mystery entrant for Smackdown and did something similar to what Lawler did - enter, get eliminated, return to commentary).

I dunno, if WWE plays their cards right I can see this being one of the more open Rumbles in years with a list of wrestlers like that (until the winner is inevitably leaked hours before the show)</font>

This is exactly why I want the brand split to end. WWE has so many top superstars but it doesn't really seem like it because they are all stuck on different shows and don't usually compete with each oher.

^ Agreed. Just weakens their star power by splitting the shows.

This is the first Rumble since 2001 where the winner hasn't been glaringly obvious to the best of my knowledge.

2002: Triple H returned from quad rehab with shit loads of momentum, so he was obvious.

2003: Brock Lesnar and Big Show fought for the final spot, where Brock was anhialated by show but still won the match. Obvious.

2004: Chris Benoit was told by SD! GM Paul Heyman he would never get a title shot against Brock, so HE was going to win that one.

2005: Batista was getting jibbed by Evolution and more specifically Triple H who just happened to be champ.

2006: Rey dedicated the match to Eddie. 'Nuff said.

At least in 2001 you had Austin, The Rock, Kane, Undertaker, surprise return of Big Show, Bad Man Rikishi and Drew Carey. Could have gone either way.

Anywho, I'm rambling. Peace out.

It'll have to be tons better than last year's Rumble Match. But yeah, we could have some interesting spots here, and I'm optimistic about the Rumble match.

It should be a solid rumble match. But they'll wave the D2D wand and make it shitty.

For example...

CM Punk will beat Bushwacker Luke's record.
Sabu will get "beat up" and no show.
Carlito will probably start fancying Chloe more than Torrie, then run off with her.

Sorry, i went way off point there.

More starpower in the Rumble match isn't necessarily a good thing. You need some jobbers in there for more anticipation and some quicker clean eliminations. They don't wanna bury the main eventers so they usually come up with cheap ways to eliminate a lot of them or something but you can't have that throughout the Rumble.

4 of the 5 entrants: Mick Foley, Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love.

I would mark out for that, even though it's a rehash.

It would only make sense to make it 3. I wouldn't count "Mick Foley" as one because it's the Three Faces of Foley.

Yeah, but "Mick Foley" is pretty different from all the others. At best, he's most like the later Mankind, but I still consider it a separate persona.

Yesh but I still don't think that would make sense. I've always kind of thought of "Mick Foley" not to be his wrestling persona.

Even though he's wrestled numerous times as Mick Foley? Including, but not limited to vs. Ric Flair and in the Four Corners match at WM2000.

I know but it wouldn't be the same. He also didn't use until after he was 'retired' by HHH. (Well, he did but that was early in his career before he was well known.)

Well, you know The Warrior's is and if you meet him, good luck understanding what he says.

Throw Jack Foley in there. Then he can be all 5 entrants.

Haven't they done something like that before?

Yeah, 98 I believe.

Like I said, it'd be a rehash.

Yep, it was 1998. Cactus Jack was the first entrant and was eliminated by chainsaw Charlie(Funk) and later came out as Mankind and eliminated Chainsaw and then after he got eliminated, he entered as Dude Love later.

If anything, Foley's persona developed out of shedding the Mankind gimmick, so I'd call it pretty separate.

I think he said that WrestleMania 2000 was the first time he'd EVER wrestled under the name "Mick Foley".

Anyway, despite varying costumes etc., the only time he has wrestled as anyone OTHER than Mick Foley since then was at Taboo Tuesday 2005 when he faced Carlito as "Mankind".

Anyways, I think they should make this year's Rumble a 40-man match.

Actually, he wrestled as Cactus a few times including against Orton.

Orton's gunna win, pretty obv

He wrestled in the Cactus Jack gear, but was announced as, and refered to during the match, as Mick Foley.

Maybe you're right, I don't remember exactly at the moment...

I only remember because at the time WWE.com kept changing the billing of the match from "Cactus Jack vs Randy Orton" to "Mick Foley vs Randy Orton" and back several times in the week before, so there was some speculation as to which character he would be. Come the night, he was dressed in full Cactus Jack gear, but was billed as Mick Foley, and the on-screen graphics and commentators also called him Foley throughout.

I think they need to change the stipulation attached to the Royal Rumble. Honestly, it's getting far too predictable to hang the WrestleMania title shot on it anymore.

Have John Cena defend his WWE Championship in it, or something. Crown a new #1 Contender at No Way Out in an Elimination Chamber Match, or something.

Foley wrestled the first time under his name against Terry Funk on Raw (I believe in 1998).

I also remember before his match against Orton at Backlash 2004, Foley cut a promo saying something about how he's bringing Cactus Jack back to help him compete in the match (although WWE didn't acknowledge this much)

Star studded? Meh.

That's what I've been saying for months now. The past several Rumbles were easy to predict. Not this one.

Yeah you're right. I remember him mentioning in his book that he'd never worked under his own name prior to that match, but I mixed it up with the WM2000 match. Oops.

Edge will win

I hope so.

I hear a certain former WWF Intercontinental champion may be a surprise entrant. ;)

I wouldn't call it the most star-studded. Technically, 2001 probably was, just because that was a time where the midcard was more of stars than some of the top names nowadays....

I hope it's better than the last battle royal