Royal Rumble (2007)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=Royal Rumble (2007)


tagline=
theme="Drones" by Rise Against [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/specialty_clips/music/dronesriseagainst|title="Drones" by Rise Against is the official theme song for Royal Rumble 2007|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-17|accessdate=2007-12-31]
promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment
brand=Raw
SmackDown!
ECW
date=January 28, 2007
venue=AT&T Center
city=San Antonio, Texas
attendance=13,500cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/rumble.html#2007|title=Royal Rumble 2007 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2008-03-29]
lastevent=New Year's Revolution (2007)
nextevent=No Way Out (2007)
event=Royal Rumble
lastevent2=Royal Rumble (2006)
nextevent2=Royal Rumble (2008)

Royal Rumble (2007) was the twentieth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on January 28, 2007 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/schedules/events/eventdetail/?id=3553484|title=WWE presents ROYAL RUMBLE!|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2007-12-31]

This marked the first time that the new ECW brand participated in the Royal Rumble match. The winner of the Royal Rumble won a championship match for his choice of either the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, or the ECW World Championship at WrestleMania 23. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/news/ecwatrumble|title=Star-studded and barbed wired|first=Andrew|last=Rote|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-24|accessdate=2007-12-31] Unlike previous years, there was an uneven distribution of participants in the Royal Rumble match between the brands (with thirteen from Raw, ten from SmackDown!, and seven from ECW).

The main event was the annual 30-man Royal Rumble match, which featured participants from all three brands. The Undertaker, the thirtieth entrant, won the match by last eliminating Shawn Michaels, the twenty-third entrant.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/matches/35535102/results/| title=A Phenom-enal Rumble|first=Louie|last=Dee|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-28|accessdate=2007-12-31] The primary match on the Raw brand was a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship between John Cena and Umaga. Cena won the match and retained the title after Umaga was unable to get to his feet before the referee counted to ten.cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/matches/3553510/results/|title=Cena: last man outstanding|first=Mike|last= McAvennie|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-28|accessdate=2007-12-31] The predominant match on the SmackDown! brand was Batista versus Mr. Kennedy for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Batista won by pinfall after executing a Batista Bomb.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/matches/35535101/results/| title=Animal survives attack|first=Brett|last=Hoffman|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-28|accessdate=2007-12-31] The featured match on the ECW brand was between Bobby Lashley and Test for the ECW Championship, which Lashley won after Test was counted out.cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/matches/35535105/results/|title=Lashley makes impact on Test|first=Andrew| last=Rote|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-28|accessdate=2007-12-31]

Background

The main feud heading into the Royal Rumble on the Raw brand was between John Cena and Umaga, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship. At the previous pay-per-view event, New Year's Revolution, John Cena defeated Umaga to end his undefeated streak and retain the WWE Championship. [cite web| url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/01/08/3235732.html|title=Cena retains, Triple H injured at Revolution |first=Dale|last=Plummer|coauthors=Tylwalk, Nick|publisher=SLAM! Sports|accessdate=2007-12-31] [cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/newyearsrevolution/matches/3678150/results/|title=Champ ends the streak|first=Craig|last=Tello|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-07|accessdate=2007-12-31] The night after on "Raw", Armando Alejandro Estrada, Umaga's manager, asked for a rematch, which Cena agreed to. Later that night, during a match between Cena and The Great Khali, Umaga interfered and attacked Cena. [cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/archive/01082007/|title=Umaga spikes back|first=Noah|last=Starr|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-08| accessdate=2007-12-31] The following week, on the January 15 edition of "Raw", the official contract signing for their rematch at the Royal Rumble took place. After it was announced that Estrada could choose the match type, Estrada chose the match to be a Last Man Standing match. Cena signed the contract and proceeded to attack both Umaga and Estrada. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/archive/01152007/|title=Dx lives|first=Noah|last= Starr|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-15|accessdate=2007-12-31] On the January 22 edition of "Raw", after Cena was eliminated from a Battle Royal, Umaga attacked Cena, and injured his spleen, which was portrayed as real as part of their storyline. [cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/archive/01222007/|title=The show WILL go on|first=Noah|last=Starr|date=2007-01-22|accessdate= 2007-12-31]

The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Batista and Mr. Kennedy, with the two battling over the World Heavyweight Championship. On the January 5 edition of "SmackDown!", a Beat the Clock Sprint began. Wrestlers competed in single matches, and the wrestler to win a match in the shortest amount of time would then become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. Mr. Kennedy, who defeated Chris Benoit in nearly five minutes, had the shortest time at the end of the show. [cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/01052007/|title=Race against time|first=Lennie|last=DiFino|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-05|accessdate=2007-12-31] The following week, the Sprint continued. In the final match, between The Undertaker and The Miz, Kennedy interfered by pulling The Miz out of the ring. After performing the Tombstone piledriver on The Miz, The Undertaker went for the pin attempt. Time, however, ran out and Kennedy became the winner of the Sprint. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/01122007/|title=Perfect timing|first=Lennie|last=DiFino|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-12|accessdate=2007-12-31] The week after, on the January 19 edition of "SmackDown!", The Undertaker was put in a match with Kennedy, where if he won, he would be added to the title match at the Royal Rumble. During the match, after Kennedy attacked Batista, who was at ringside. Batista retaliated against Kennedy, causing The Undertaker to get disqualified. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/01192007/|title=Threat averted|first= Lennie|last=DiFino|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-19|accessdate=2007-12-31] Thus, the match at the Royal Rumble remained a singles match between Batista and Kennedy.

The main feud on the ECW brand was between Bobby Lashley and Test, with the two feuding over the ECW Championship. Rob Van Dam won in an online poll against Test and Sabu to earn a title shot on the January 2 edition of "ECW", which ended in no-contest. [cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/archive/01022007/|title=Lash and burn|first=Craig|last=Tello|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-02| accessdate=2007-12-31] Van Dam was given another title match the next week. Test interfered in the match, and attacked both men. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/archive/01092007/|title=No con-Test|first=Craig| last=Tello|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2007-01-09|accessdate=2007-12-31] A Triple Threat match for the title occurred on the January 16 edition of "ECW" between Lashley, Van Dam, and Test. Lashley won, but was beaten down afterwards by Test. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/archive/01162007/|title=Rumbles and jungles|first=Craig|last=Tello|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment| date=2007-01-16|accessdate=2007-12-31] A title match between Lashley and Test was then made for the Royal Rumble. A week after that match was made, on the January 23 edition of "ECW", Lashley defeated Test in a non-title match. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/archive/01232007/|title=Premature rumblings|first=Craig|last=Tello|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date= 2007-01-23|accessdate=2007-12-31]

Event

# King Booker returned to the ring after being eliminated and eliminated Kane.
# Glen Jacobs (Kane) made his eleventh appearance in a Royal Rumble match, breaking his own and Solofa Fatu (Rikishi)'s record for most Royal Rumble appearances. It was also his ninth-consecutive appearance, also billed as a record for Kane.
# This Royal Rumble set a new record for the most wrestlers involved in an elimination, taking 8 men to throw Viscera over the top rope. This beat the previous record set in the 1994 Royal Rumble when 7 men eliminated Viscera (then known as Mabel).
# The Undertaker was the first wrestler to win the Royal Rumble match at number 30.

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/ Official Royal Rumble 2007 website]