Post by Slade on Jan 30, 2021 17:07:28 GMT -5
Date: January 18, 2021
From: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Jim Cornette, and Rowdy Roddy Piper
Ring Announcer: Lillian Garcia
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DANIEL BRYAN vs. ANDRADE CIEN ALMAS
Daniel Bryan executed a front missile dropkick and then went to town on Andrade Cien Almas’ chest with a series of Yes! Kicks. When he finished that, he tried to apply the Yes! Lock, but Almas fought with all his might to block it, scrambling to the ropes to secure a rope break. When Almas got up, he ducked a discus elbow smash, faked a front kick and knocked Bryan silly with a discus back elbow. Then, he applied a rope-hung triangle armbar. Being that he was in the ropes, he could only hold it for seconds, but it was enough to set Bryan up for a springboard hurricanrana, which he executed. He got held Bryan down for the pin and got a 2-count. Once they were up to their feet, Almas executed a springboard and tackled Bryan into the corner. He put Bryan in the tree of woe and gave him a diving double foot stomp.
With Bryan down in the corner. Almas ran to the opposite corner and back. He was going for the running double-knee smash, but Bryan scooted forward and countered with a drop toehold into the turnbuckles. When he got up, he kicked the middle rope into Almas throat. Zelina Vega didn’t like it. She got on the ring apron to shout at Bryan. She tried to slap him but he blocked. He turned around and quickly ducked a superkick that then knocked Vega off the ring apron. Bryan rolled up Almas while he was distracted and got a 2-count. When Almas got up, Bryan executed a German suplex, creating the distance he needed to then charge at Almas and connect with the running high knee. Bryan pinned him and got the 3-count to advance to the semifinals. (22:09)
Winner: Daniel Bryan
***
Coming back from the commercial break, we see video of an event that happened moments ago outside the arena. A fast-driving car comes to a complete stop outside a restricted entrance to the Enterprise Center. Kevin Owens gets out of the car. Security say he’s not allowed in. He tells them that he is talent. They tell him that they’ve been notified that he is suspended and were ordered not to let him in. He tried to pass by them, but they blocked his entrance, so he forced his way in by beating the crap out of the two security guys. Michael Cole, Jim Cornette and Rowdy Roddy Piper reacted to the footage by wondering what he was up to, with Piper stating that if Owens was on his way to the ring, he would be ready for him.
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RICKY STEAMBOAT vs. JAKE HAGER
Jake Hager put Ricky Steamboat down in the corner with an exploder suplex. He went for the Hager Bomb, but Steamboat put his knees up. Once back to their feet, Steamboat chopped Hager and whipped him into the corner. He charged in and got a boot to the face and then a stiff clothesline. Hager pinned but Steamboat kicked out. Hager applied an ankle lock. Steamboat flipped to his back and kicked Hager away. He got up and ducked a clothesline, then pushes Hager into the ropes with a rear waistlock and took him down to the mat with a roll-up. Steamboat leaned back into an inverted jackknife cover to prevent Hager from kicking out. Steamboat was declared the winner. Hager was pissed and tried to attack Steamboat, but he was quick to escape the ring. Santana and Ortiz rushed down, but Steamboat hopped into the audience and celebrated his win with the fans sitting in the lower bowl. (13:35)
Winner: Ricky Steamboat
***
Jonathan Coachman is backstage for an interview with the Street Profits, who say that a little birdy told them that a tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions was to begin the night after the Royal Rumble and declared that they were going after the titles because they want the smoke. Unfortunately for them, Kevin Owens came through beat the crap out of them. While they had the numbers advantage, it didn’t matter. Owens gave Ford a stunner and gave Dawkins a powerbomb through a nearby catering table. He picked up Ford and launched him like a lawn dart into the side of an ambulance stationed in the backstage area. He came back over to Coachman and asked him if he knew where to find Rowdy Roddy Piper. Coachman told him that Piper was at ringside, on commentary. Owens looked into the camera and said that he was coming for Piper.
Back at commentary, Piper said he was ready for a fight. He took his headset off and got up from the commentary table, pulling a baseball bat out from under his kilt. He pounded the bat against the ringsteps as he climbed them up to the ring and got in. He waited for a few minutes, but Owens didn’t show.
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ROB VAN DAM vs. BRAY WYATT
Rob Van Dam ran to the ropes and performed a springboard sommersault senton onto Bray Wyatt and his Wyatt Family, who were trying to help him regroup after Van Dam started a late match rally. With momentum firmly on his side, Van Dam picked up Wyatt and tossed him into the barricade and then back into the ring. He began climbing the turnbuckles and when he got to the top, Wyatt was on all fours, doing the inverted crab walk. It was a freaky sight, but Van Dam shrugged at it and performed a 5-Star Frog Splash anyway. He went for the pin, but Wyatt got a shoulder up at the very last moment. Van Dam was surprised. After a moment, he decided to go up top for another one. This time, he hit the canvas. When he got up, Wyatt ran through him like a freight train, hitting him with a flying cross chop. Wyatt got up and quickly gave Van Dam the Sister Abigail and pinned him for the win. (16:27)
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Coming back from the commercial break, the commentary team talk about the Royal Rumble and next week’s RAW, which will feature semifinal RAW bracket matches in the WWE Universal Championship tournament. They were interrupted when Kevin Owens’ entrance music began to play. Piper stood up and looked through the ring to the entrance area for Owens, but he didn’t see him coming. Instead, Owens attacked from behind, wrapping something around Piper’s throat from the other side of the barricade. He choked him for a while and then climbed over the guardrail to brawl. There was a delayed response from WWE ring officials and arena security. Unfortunately, they ran out too late. After giving Piper a powerbomb on the side of the ring apron, Owens cleared off the announce table, laid him down on it, climbed onto the barricade and jumped off it, landing on Piper with a splash that caused the table to collapse. Owens raised his arms in victory, but then hoped the guardrail, fleeing from security by escaping through the crowd.
***
BRIAN PILLMAN vs. CHRIS JERICHO
Brian Pillman and Chris Jericho were trading knife-edge chops until Jericho gave Pillman a step-up enzuigiri and then a lionsault. He pinned for a 2-count. Jericho turned Pillman over into the Walls of Jericho. He was hoping to secure a submission victory here, but Pillman lifted himself off the mat and pulled Jericho with him to the ropes. Jericho was pissed off and allowed himself to be distracted by the presence of Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith, who were at ringside to counter the presence of Santana and Ortiz. He started shouting at them and demanded the referee eject them from the ringside area. When he finally turned his attention back to Pillman, he received a headscissors takedown and then a running clothesline that sent him over the top rope and down to the floor, next to Hart and Smith. They took a few steps back, but it didn’t stop Santana and Ortiz from running around to that side of the ring. The threat of a fight breaking out caused the referee to jump outside the ring and tell both teams to leave ringside.
As the referee was dealing with that, Sammy Guevara ran into the ring with a chair and hit Pillman in the back with it. He threw the chair down, jumped onto the top rope and ricochet back at him with a springboard diving cutter onto the chair. Guevara slid out of the ring with the chair, then was chased into the crowd by Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. Meanwhile, Chris Jericho slid into the ring. He waited for Pillman to slowly start to get up before charging at him and giving him the Judas Effect. He pinned Pillman and got the win. (18:52)
At the conclusion of the match, a brawl broke out on the entrance ramp as Santana and Ortiz broke free from the officials escorting them to the back and attacked Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. This caused Bret “The Hitman” Hart to come out, and then Jake Hager. Chris Jericho jumped into the fray and the brawl, which was too difficult for officials to control continued until the show went off the air.
Winner: Chris Jericho
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