WWE Royal Rumble 2009 DVD Review

The Royal Rumble has always been one of the highlights of the wrestling calendar, particularly since 1992 when the WWE title became the focal point of the match. In 1992, the winner (Ric Flair) won the vacated WWF Title in a fantastic match. From 1993 onwards, the winner of the Royal Rumble has won himself the chance to challenge for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania.

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 163mins (approx. excluding extras)

Disc: 1

Chapters

ECW Championship Match: Matt Hardy v Jack Swagger
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Beth Phoenix v Melina
Shawn Michaels and JBL in the Locker Room
World Heavyweight Championship Match: John Cena v JBL
WWE Championship Match: Jeff Hardy v Edge
Todd Grisham Interviews Randy Orton
The 2009 Royal Rumble Match

Extras

Todd Grisham Interviews the Surprise Royal Rumble Match Entrant
RAW – 26th January, 2009: The Randy Orton Story

Yokozuna was the first man to claim this honour; going on to Wrestlemania IX and defeating Bret Hart for the WWF Title… only to lose it less than three minutes later to Hulk Hogan. The stipulation changed slightly in 2003 when the brand split led to WWE having two champions. Chris Benoit was the first wrestler to exploit a loophole and jump brands to cash in his title shot. The Rumble was also used to bring to a head the burgeoning feud between Triple H and Batista and propel “The Animal” into the main event picture; a position he holds to this day.

Even outside the “Winner gets a title shot” stipulation, the Rumble match has played host to many great confrontations, including the very first physical exchange between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior in 1990. Owen Hart turned on his brother, Bret Hart after a tag title match, Vader cleanly pinned Undertaker one year after making his debut in the 1996 event and scaring the crap out everyone with his physical destruction, Sid defended his WWE Title against Shawn Michaels in a heated match, Undertaker was robbed in his bout against Bret Hart in 1996, Triple H made a triumphant return in 2002… and the list goes on and on.

As one of the original “Big Four” PPVs, the Royal Rumble has a mystique that is lacking from many of the other PPV events. It is always looked forward to and has one of the best, and simplest, gimmick matches in history. The format (credited to Pat Patterson) is brilliant and has everyone counting down with the on-screen clock in anticipation of who will be next. The match can be used as a surprise return for a wrestler (more about this later) or to treat the fans to a one-off appearance from a legend of the sport, but whatever your motivation for watching, the Royal Rumble is a PPV that rarely, if ever, disappoints.

The Show

The event starts with a nice little look at Rumbles past, including a few I mentioned above, before we cut to a montage of the wrestlers competing in this year’s event… until we get to Randy Orton, where the production crew earn their crust by putting together an awesome (and stunningly edited) highlight reel of the weeks leading up to the PPV (kicking Vince). With only the main titles on the line on the undercard, the 2009 Royal Rumble, at least on paper, looked to have the potential to be a stellar event.

The ECW Championship Match between Jack Swagger and Matt Hardy was the best bout that title’s had since the glory days of John Morrison v CM Punk. I make no secret of my love for all things Jack Swagger (I predicted greatness the minute he set foot in the door and I stand by that claim), the guy just has “it” and, once nurtured and allowed to grow as a wrestler, has the potential to headline the company for years. I’ve not been this excited about a newcomer since Brock Lesnar. It doesn’t hurt that he has fantastic entrance music either.

Matt Hardy, on the other hand, is (with the possible exception of Finlay) the best wrestler on the roster for making an opponent look good. The two together, in a rematch for the title, put on a great opener that has the fans into it from the start. The story of the match is told both logically and beautifully, with a nicely worked finish. It was also a bonus to have Matt Striker on commentary duty; he is the best addition to commentary since JBL left the Smackdown announce position.

Following on from that, Beth Phoenix (with Santino Marella) and Melina, two women who work great together, add another chapter to their rivalry. Unfortunately, this bout is not a patch on any of their earlier outings and, for WWE’s eternal shame, Santino is underused at ringside. If any match can be skipped on the disc, this would be it, but, for the Half-crab-into-kicking-herself-in-the-head spot from Beth to Melina.

The storyline between HBK and JBL, while starting shakily, was expertly worked by both men (hardly surprising when you have two masters of the promo going face-to-face). Going into this match, JBL had Michaels in his corner and, in the lead up, Cena has been superkicked by Shawn and Clothesline-from-Helled (it’s a word, lol) by Bradshaw, so the odds were well and truly against him.

There will be a lot of fans out there who will have said that JBL v John Cena has been done to death and, for the most part, it has, but, and it’s a big but, most of their matches have been entertaining. The addition of HBK in JBL’s corner added an extra wrinkle and also left the outcome in some doubt (a rarity in this era of pro-wrestling). Both men pulled out their usual repertoire and put forth a heated match in front of a hot crowd. HBK did his job at ringside nicely, the announcers put over the importance of the bout and the various outcomes and the finish is a work of genius and plays with the crowd’s emotions beautifully.

Closing the undercard, we have another round of the Jeff Hardy/Edge rivalry that has its roots from almost ten years ago in the tag ranks. It really is amazing to think that there is a rivalry in WWE that has been going that long and still gets the fans excited every time they face off.

A video package preceding the match highlights all the “accidents” that befell Hardy in the lead up to the Rumble, with the idea that the returning Christian was behind all the mishaps, even though all the accusations were being slung in Edge’s direction. Some people say it made Jeff look weak going into the PPV, with him not actually wrestling on the shows, but I feel the opposite. It gave Hardy more sympathy with the fans and also left him with a reason for overcoming the odds (something every face should have to do).

As for the match itself, I have only good things to say. Vickie Guerrero was brilliant before the match started, both wrestlers were on the top of their game (the No-DQ ruling helped), the crowd were super-heated throughout, Tazz and Jim Ross were on fire on commentary and the action was hard-hitting and featured nice evolution from their previous encounters. As for the finish… well, let’s just say that things changed forever and, even though it wasn’t Christian (rumour has it Vince McMahon altered his plans at the last minute due to internet leaks), the perpetrator was no less important. As a last point, credit where credit is due; Edge’s reaction is what makes the finish work so well, so he deserves some kudos for that.

With the fans drained from the action and finishes of the previous two matches, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they would be somewhat muted for the main-event… and they possibly would be if the main-event wasn’t the Rumble match. The format works for those with a short attention span and also goes by so quickly, the fans don’t get a chance to be bored.

Before the match, there is (what appears to be a now customary) countdown of facts and figures from the previous events. Most of them are the same as last year’s, but some have changed (the number of wrestlers to have competed, appearances, etc).

21 years since the first Royal Rumble

22 winners (which I said didn’t make sense in last year’s review, but I forgot about 1994’s co-winners)

569 wrestlers have been eliminated since the first event

36 – the record, held by Steve Austin, for most eliminations overall

11 – the record, held by Shawn Michaels and Kane, for the most entries into a Rumble match

11 – the record, held by Kane, for most eliminations in a single match

9 – the record for most consecutive Rumble appearances; also held by Kane

3 – the record for most entries into a single Rumble. Mick Foley entered as Cactus Jack, Mankind and Dude Love during the 1998 Rumble.

2 – the number of feet that must hit the floor for an elimination to take place

1 – the number of females who have entered the event. Chyna entered the 1999 event as a member of DX.

62mins 12secs – the record, held by Rey Mysterio, for the longest time spent in the Rumble match

02secs – the record, held by The Warlord, for the shortest time spent in the Rumble Match

3 – the record, held by Steve Austin, for the most Rumble wins (with an asterix next to the 1997 victory)

1 – the number drawn when Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit went on to win the match in 1995 and 2004 respectively. Rey Mysterio won the match from #2, which is basically the same thing.

30 – the last number available to be drawn, but has only provided one winner; Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble from that position

27 – the number to provide the most winners (John Studd, Yokozuna, Bret Hart and Steve Austin)

73 – the percentage of Rumble winners (since the stipulation was introduced in 1993) who have gone on to Wrestlemania and won either the WWE or World Title.

The 2008 Royal Rumble started out with HBK and Undertaker (who were the last two standing in the awesome 2007 Rumble); the 2009 Royal Rumble couldn’t have started any differently as Rey Mysterio and John Morrison were #1 and #2 respectively. It should also be noted that Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross are reunited on commentary duty for this match.

Carlito, one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, joins us as #3 and then, from there, the entrants start to flood the ring at ninety-second intervals. The action is exciting (especially considering there is little scope for actual wrestling moves) and even though the competitors feature the usual bunch of no-hopers and outside chances, and there are very little in the way of surprises (although the one major surprise is VERY well received). The countdown clock still has the power to get you anticipating who is going to be next and the Royal Rumble match is possibly the greatest example of keeping the fans guessing you will ever see.

The Great Khali entering the match is the first “OHHH” moment, with Vladimir Koslov following him immediately afterwards and getting a huge rub by eliminating the massive Indian on his own. This was to be expected, to be fair, as it was in the middle of the Russian’s monster push on Smackdown. Triple H comes out at #8 (which was a big surprise to us watching at home and those in the arena, as the big names are usually kept until late in the match unless they are the first two entrants). The #9 entrant is even more of a shock and, from there, the story of the match unfolds.

There is only one surprise entrant (#25), but he easily gets the biggest and most sustained reaction of the night, and, by the time #30 appears, things are laid out for a grandstand finish (even though, with the preceding angle coming in, the result was as obvious as Kurt Angle kicking out of every finisher in the and locking in hundreds of ankle-locks in his matches). The announcers are sublime in getting over the importance of winning the Rumble and the last six men in the bout work their asses off until the end.

A really, really good Rumble that, while not reaching the heights of the previous two years, is still an astounding outing that also has a brilliantly booked segment between the brothers Runnels (Goldust and Cody Rhodes). Oh, and as a last note on the match, #28 is one of the greatest moment of any Royal Rumble in history.

Extras

Normally, on these extras, a backstage interview is used to pad things out, but, in this case, it really is an additional extra. The #25 entrant, Rob Van Dam, gives us the low-down on his one-off appearance and gives a subtle dig to “other promotions” into the bargain.

The second extra is simply a segment from RAW that chronicles Orton claiming that he cannot be fired due to suffering IED and, that if he is released, he will sue the company due to the legally binding contract he has to main event Wrestlemania. If fired, Orton will “cancel Wrestlemania”. It’s a powerful segment, but without the context of the earlier and later parts, means it loses some of its impact.

Overview

A great pay-per-view that kicked off with a bang, stuttered with the second match, but picked up steam again with the third and kept that momentum until the Rumble was over. Even though we’ve seen JBL/Cena and Jeff/Edge many, many times before, there were enough additions to the mix to keep both matches fresher than they had any right to be.

The Rumble itself, like the WrestleMania name, sells itself. With some great exchanges between the wrestlers (Orton hitting multiple RKOs will never get old), rivalries and storylines being continued and/or advanced, an almighty one-night-only surprise return and a (surprisingly?) popular result, the 2009 Royal Rumble can go in the record books as a success.

Points: 8/10

Buy It:

UK: DVD

USA: DVD

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

WWE Royal Rumble 2009 DVD Review

Chapters

The Show

Extras

Overview

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you