Tuesday, March 19, 2024
EditorialWWE Royal Rumble Series #19 (2006)

WWE Royal Rumble Series #19 (2006)

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Welcome back to the series. This is a detailed WWE Royal Rumble 2006 match review. The concept of the match is unique, and it’s fun to relive the classics. I hope you have enjoyed it so far, and I can’t believe we’re on #19:

#1 (’88)#2 (’89)#3 (’90)#4 (’91)#5 (’92) #6 (’93)#7 (’94)#8 (’95)#9 (’96)

#10 (’97)#11 (’98)#12 (’99)#13 (’00)#14 (’01)#15 (’02)#16 (’03)#17 (’04)#18 (’05)

WWE Royal Rumble 2006 – RIP Latino Heat

Miami, Florida – January 29th, 2006

Much like how WWE changed with the absence of Howard Finkel and Jim Ross, I’d like to take this review in a different direction. While the Rumble has been the focal point of the show for years, this marks the first time it was not the main event since 1998. WWE felt John Cena winning the WWE title (by making Edge tap), and Kurt Angle retaining the World title against Mark Henry were more important.

Other matches featured on this card include The Boogeyman defeating JBL. Mickie James going over Ashley Massaro, and Gregory Helms winning the Cruiserweight title in a six way. The likely reason the Rumble did not main event, is because The Undertaker was scheduled to return. It had to go on last, as The Deadman appeared and destroyed the ring from under Kurt Angle’s feet. Another fun fact? A young Jon Moxley AKA Dean Ambrose can be seen dressed up as one of the druids.


Viva La Raza Eddie Guerrero

WWE Royal Rumble 2006 happened two and a half months after the tragic passing of Eddie Guerrero, and I remember it like it were yesterday. Everyone who knew him were so upset, and it still hurts to think he is no longer with us. I bought an Eddie Guerrero t-shirt, which I still own and wear to this day. And at first, it felt good for WWE to remember him with shirts, arm bands, and other merchandise. They were grieving, and rightly giving the fans options to buy things they could always remember him by.

It was a really difficult time for WWE, the wrestlers, and all the fans. But WWE couldn’t move on from tributing Eddie, so much so that the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded them with the Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic of 2006: Exploitation of the death of Eddie Guerrero”. It’s questionable, but the fact of the matter is, this Royal Rumble is historic because of Latino Heat. Eddie never won the Rumble in his life, but this would’ve been his if it were possible.


Rumble Roundup (#1-10)

Here’s the highlights of the 2006 Royal Rumble match. Rey Mysterio dedicated it to his big brother Eddie Guerrero. You can watch it fully in the videos above, starting from the 45:30 mark in the first video. Apologies for some small parts being cut for no apparent reason.

Lillian Garcia’s attempt at announcing the match is interrupted by The Spirit Squad. They work through their cringey routine, and it’s crazy knowing this is Dolph Ziggler’s big break in WWE. And yeah .. Lillian Garcia can be forgiven (she’s no Fink yet) for accidentally calling it the “Royal Wumble”. The first participants are ‘The Game’ Triple H and Rey Mysterio. Hunter couldn’t help but smile (send for the man!) as Mysterio entered driving Eddie’s low rider. Why didn’t Chavo Guerrero get to do this? Wasn’t this Los Guerrero’s gimmick? Loud “Eddie” chants start us off. Rey comes out swinging, but the crowd gasps as Triple H is close to eliminating him.

Here comes the fitness guru Simon Dean (always liked him) .. and yeah, major boos for going after Mysterio. Looking to team up with Triple H .. Dean gets a fist in the mouth, along with being eliminated by Rey & Hunter. Out next is Psicosis, another heel I always liked; although he never should’ve unmasked and Mexicools was very stereotypical. Rey & Psicosis pick up from where they left off. Mysterio counters and eliminates Psicosis with a head scissors. Ric Flair enters and lights up The Game with fists and chops. Triple H goes for a Pedigree, but The Nature Boy grabs him by the balls. They exchange thumbs to the eyes, before Flair gets back body dropped to the floor.

Honestly would’ve liked to see Flair hang on a bit longer than that. Despite not doing much, Triple H already looks tired as Big Show grins his way to the ring. Show uses the cast on his arm to chop, and repeatedly slams/elbow drops Triple H. Ugh .. for a second year in a row, Jonathan Coachman is wasting a spot. And doesn’t last long enough (thanks Big Show) to talk about him any further. Before the next entrant, Show chokeslams Triple H. It’s Lashley! And I have to agree with King saying his physique is on another level. Lashley and Show go at it, and while Show does stop him in the beginning, he’s soon flying through the air courtesy of the insane strength on the back drop. Big Show rolls to the outside but is not eliminated.

Oh oh! It’s the Big Red Machine Kane! He’s not only setting a record for most consecutive appearances (8), but still holds the record for most eliminations. Lashley belly to belly’s Kane like a cruiserweight. The crowd pops as Lashley lifts Triple H high with a military press .. but they’re soon hushed when he’s slammed to the mat. What a tease. Again, Lashley lifts Kane on his shoulders .. but uses Faarooq’s old Dominator finisher instead of eliminating him. Somehow, fashion consultant Sylvan (Grenier) is eliminated even quicker than Coach, as Lashley mercilessly tosses him over the top with no regard for his safety.

#11-20

Big Show’s back in the ring, so he & Kane (tag team champs) double chokeslam Lashley to hell, followed by elimination. The tag team partners come to blows in the middle of the ring as it’s every man for himself. They start choking each other while leaning over the top rope. Triple H sees this as a grand opportunity to eliminate both! So we’re back to him and Mysterio again. “I spit in the face of people who don’t want to be cool”. Carlito’s in, and I’ve always been a fan. He cheekily grins after giving Mysterio a back cracker. Triple H and Carlito get in to it, as the next entrant is due .. and umm, it’s Chris Benoit. He chops everyone down, as Triple H, Carlito and Mysterio try to stop his flurry.

German Suplex given to Rey & HHH, followed by the crossface on Carlito. Triple H breaks it up and stops Benoit’s momentum. Before the next entrant, Benoit connects with the flying headbutt on HHH. And here comes the United States Champion Booker T. He & Benoit continue their rivalry .. and whoa! Booker’s eliminated in just 18 seconds! Well that’s one way to sell your US Champ I guess. One-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions Joey Mercury is on the way; and I’ll never forget that ladder match where his face was disfigured by The Hardys. The action slows as no eliminations happen for a while. For me, the brightest spark is Tatanka .. and wow does he look amazing. Can you believe he’s still not retired? Others look confused as he enters and bounces around the ring like it’s the early 90’s.

Here comes Johnny Nitro/Morrison/Mundo/Impact etc. The ring fills up as there’s no eliminations for a while, and Mysterio & Triple H have come close several times. Trevor Murdoch is here, having recently split up from Lance Cade; King makes fun of his milky white skin. Again, not much happening til the next entrant. Eugene! What a character he was. I could see why some hated him, but I’m sure the kids loved him. Eugene mimics Hulk Hogan as Murdoch attacks him, and they get dizzy after an airplane spin.

Mysterio takes advantage by nailing them with a double bulldog. MNM finally find each other and wisely team up on Benoit. WHHAT A RUUSH! Here comes Animal. Why do the legends look more fired up than the active wrestlers? Mysterio’s in major trouble again as the countdown clock appears. And it’s Rob Van Dam! Returning after being out with a knee injury for over a year. Major RVD chants, and no one can stop him as he puts Triple H, Benoit and MNM on the mat. Animal tries surprising him from behind, but is back dropped and eliminated for his trouble.

#21-30

Orlando Jordan’s out and the crowd goes mild. More RVD chants. Eugene extends his hand to Triple H, but is kicked in the balls instead. Oooooo Chavo! He points to the sky, paying homage to his uncle. He looks amazing as the crowd pops to his offense, especially the three amigos. Guerrero climbs the turnbuckle and points to the sky once more, before Triple H pushes and eliminates him only one minute after he entered. I really didn’t like this, as not only did Chavo deserve way better, but it was apparent the quick elimination was a red herring. Other superstars took it as a great insult, especially Rey, who immediately jumped on The Game and didn’t let up.

And out comes Matt Hardy, who wants to make a name for himself. RVD and Mysterio get really close to eliminating Triple H. And after such a great run, MNM eliminate Tatanka. #24 is the other Mexicool Super Crazy, one of the most underrated workers of his time. Not much happens before the next entrant: Shawn Michaels! In the buildup, Vince McMahon told HBK his “luck would run out” in the Rumble. Trevor Murdoch whips Michaels hard in to the turnbuckle. The following clothesline backfires horribly as HBK pulls down the top rope and Murdoch falls to the floor. ‘The Masterpiece’ Chris Masters arrives with his full entrance pyro. In a scuffle with Matt Hardy, Triple H is almost eliminated twice. The ‘World’s Largest Love Machine’ enters and Samoan Drops Matt Hardy.

Awkwardly, Viscera shakes his hips before mounting Matt like one of his girlfriends, which Michael Cole finds “interesting”. However, he does manage to eliminate Hardy really well. Shelton Benjamin’s here with his Momma! And this is as high up the card as he ever got. Benoit is the man to get rid of Eugene, before Goldust makes his unexpected return at #29. Goldust’s not been since since interfering in Batista and Coach’s match at Taboo Tuesday a few months prior (and before that he worked in TNA). One more superstar to enter, the youngest World Champion and Legend Killer Randy Orton. He & Benoit get in to a scrap right away, and somehow Randy overpowers and eliminates The Wolverine. RKO on Viscera! Masters & Carlito team up to eliminate the big man. Carlito quickly double crosses his buddy though, pushing Masters over the top on to Viscera.

Closing Stages

This is one the longest Rumbles because there’s so many left in the ring after the last entrant, with no dominating giant to eliminate in quick succession. Rob Van Dam flies through the air and kicks Goldust in to the rope .. but as he’s nowhere near over, he hilariously jumps over the rope, purposely eliminating himself. Orton gets in to with Jordan, resulting in the latter falling backwards off the apron after a guillotine. Mysterio & Triple H are still in there. MNM put a stop to HBK’s momentum to impress Vince McMahon. HBK impressively uses his experience to outwit and eliminate the tag team champions, but then runs in to a vicious dragon kick from Shelton Benjamin.

Michaels turns the tables by eliminating Benjamin with Sweet Chin Music, which provokes Vince McMahon in to making an appearance. While focusing on The Chairman, Shane McMahon enters the ring and eliminates Michaels! HBK can’t believe it, and quickly gets back in to go after Shane. Triple H cuts him off and tries the Pedigree, but is back body dropped. HBK goes after Shane who has quickly left ringside. It’s strange .. because clearly this was Vince’s idea, yet Shawn doesn’t give him the Sweet Chin Music? Instead, he runs backstage looking for Shane. In the ring, RVD spin kicks Carlito .. who sells it with almost a carbon copy of what Goldust did earlier.

Down to the last four men, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio. We’re approaching the record for most time in a Rumble match. Mysterio & RVD touch hands, forging an alliance against the former Evolution members. RVD throws Mysterio on to their opponents, and hits Orton with the Rolling Thunder. Triple H fires back and straddles RVD on the turnbuckle. Mysterio leaps at The Game, who side steps and makes Rey inadvertently eliminate his friend. HHH & Orton look at each other and form an alliance against the much smaller man. Rey counters their double team move in to a double DDT!

Rey quickly evades and sets HHH & Orton up for a double 619! More Eddie chants. But The Game cuts him down with a strong clothesline. With the alliance over, Triple H counters the RKO in to a spinebuster. At the 1 hour mark, Rey uses his legs to power HHH over the top rope! This leaves only Rey and Orton, but Hunter is a sore loser and throws him hard in to the steel steps. Randy smiles as his former mentor throws Rey in to the ring. King warns Orton not to gloat too long. Orton lifts Mysterio on to his shoulders and walks towards the ropes. Rey holds on, quickly spins his body around on Randy’s shoulders, and hurricanrana’s him over the top! He looks up to the sky and tributes his friend Eddie Guerrero.


Conclusion

Out of the superstars who performed in Royal Rumble 2006, it was the last time these names were featured: Eugene, Joey Mercury, Jonathan Coachman, Orlando Jordan, Psicosis, Road Warrior Animal, Simon Dean, Sylvain, Tatanka and Trevor Murdoch. As of 2019, Rey Mysterio’s time of 62 minutes, 12 seconds remains the record for the longest time spent in a single Rumble match. He also became the fourth man (after Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon & Chris Benoit) to win the match from the #1 or #2 position.

Let me start with the good. I was really happy with the surprise entrants Tatanka, Goldust and Animal, as they certainly didn’t waste their opportunities. It also felt like Eddie was part of the match with how much the fans chanted for him. Speaking of which, WrestleMania 22 should have been the end of the line for using his name. This is an exceptional feel-good moment, and most could accept Eddie’s “divine intervention” helping Mysterio to survive. It’s the ultimate tribute to a legend we will never forget. And while his nephew Chavo should’ve probably lasted longer, his elimination gave Rey the added motivation to take out Triple H late in the game.

But there was some criticism online, with some saying Mysterio would never, ever have won had it not been for Eddie’s passing. They felt like Rey wasn’t a big enough draw to be challenging for the World Championship, and he’d predictably go to WrestleMania and win the title. And of course there were some who felt Chavo was really hard done by, and probably deserved to make the final four after the memories he & his uncle made as Los Guerreros. Rey later stated he only found out he was going over on the day. Randy Orton was originally scheduled to win and face Batista; but plans changed because Batista was out with an injury.

There was so much waste in this match, including quick eliminations of Coach, Sylvain, Booker T, Simon Dean, Psicosis, Ric Flair, and Chavo Guerrero. Carlito did really well though, considering he had the third longest time with 38 minutes. The ending did make Orton look weak though, considering he’s wrestling two guys who’d worked over an hour. Spots were almost non-existent when the ring filled up, and all we got is the typical weak brawling. This is why I cannot rate the match too highly, because while it resulted with a feel-good tribute .. there’s not much to it otherwise.

Not much to look back on and say “remember when so-and-so did this??”. I’ll say it’s a great example of how Eddie Guerrero affected WWE and its fans, but it’s not what I consider a great example of a Rumble. It needed more spots, less mid-carders, and more danger thrown Mysterio’s way. Still a recommended watch though, and while the match wasn’t as exciting as others, it still gets a thumbs up because of how emotional the occasion was for everyone who held Eddie Guerrero close to their hearts. What do you think about Royal Rumble 2006? Let me close up here by thanking you for reading! And if you would like to continue on to WrestleMania 22? You can check out my freshly edited article from 2015 here: WrestleMania 22

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