Show
Royal Rumble
Match Results
Date and location
Sunday, Jan 29 | 8 PMET/5 PMPT
Open Invitational Match for the Cruiserweight Championship
At the Royal Rumble, Kid Kash was slated to face five former Cruiserweight Champions in an Open Invitational Match. While he may have had a battle plan for Funaki, Nunzio, Jamie Noble and Paul London, the announcement of RAW's Gregory Helms as the final participant caught everyone off guard; while the five SmackDown Superstars attempted to take him out of the match early, the element of surprise prevailed in the end, as Helms walked out as the new Cruiserweight Champion.
Held under Texas Tornado rules with the first man to score a fall becoming the champion, the Invitational saw fast and furious action from the beginning. As every Superstar attempted a pinfall or applied a submission maneuver, another Superstar would invariably break up the action. As the match neared conclusion, Paul London seemed to have the advantage, and hit a breath-taking Shooting Star Press onto his opponents standing on the floor.
As he climbed to the top once more to attempt to finish the match, Gregory Helms caught him, driving London to the mat with a vicious top-rope neckbreaker. While Helms was too stunned to capitalize, Kid Kash seized the opportunity and nailed London with the Dead Level. It looked as if he'd retain, but Nunzio and Funaki broke up the count.
A short time later, Jamie Noble had Funaki trapped in the Dragon Sleeper, but a recovered Helms attempted to break up the maneuver. Noble avoided his Shining Wizard attempt, but when he went to grab Helms, the former Hurricane sent Noble crashing to the floor. With that hurdle cleared, Helms turned his attention back to the groggy Funaki. His Shining Wizard connected on Funaki, and Helms made the pinfall to claim the Cruiserweight Championship once again.
At the Royal Rumble, Kid Kash was slated to face five former Cruiserweight Champions in an Open Invitational Match. While he may have had a battle plan for Funaki, Nunzio, Jamie Noble and Paul London, the announcement of RAW's Gregory Helms as the final participant caught everyone off guard; while the five SmackDown Superstars attempted to take him out of the match early, the element of surprise prevailed in the end, as Helms walked out as the new Cruiserweight Champion.
Held under Texas Tornado rules with the first man to score a fall becoming the champion, the Invitational saw fast and furious action from the beginning. As every Superstar attempted a pinfall or applied a submission maneuver, another Superstar would invariably break up the action. As the match neared conclusion, Paul London seemed to have the advantage, and hit a breath-taking Shooting Star Press onto his opponents standing on the floor.
As he climbed to the top once more to attempt to finish the match, Gregory Helms caught him, driving London to the mat with a vicious top-rope neckbreaker. While Helms was too stunned to capitalize, Kid Kash seized the opportunity and nailed London with the Dead Level. It looked as if he'd retain, but Nunzio and Funaki broke up the count.
A short time later, Jamie Noble had Funaki trapped in the Dragon Sleeper, but a recovered Helms attempted to break up the maneuver. Noble avoided his Shining Wizard attempt, but when he went to grab Helms, the former Hurricane sent Noble crashing to the floor. With that hurdle cleared, Helms turned his attention back to the groggy Funaki. His Shining Wizard connected on Funaki, and Helms made the pinfall to claim the Cruiserweight Championship once again.
