From the WO Newsletter:

 

]The ending of the WWE Royal Rumble this year was not the one scripted going in.

 

The original plan was to have John Cena escape from a Batista powerbomb one time, then get powerbombed a second time and tossed for the win. However, both men lost their balance and fell out of the ring together, sending the refs into a panic.

 

At first, they declared Batista the winner, but since it was clear Batista fell first, Vince called an audible from the back.

 

He went ahead with a tie storyline with Raw referees declaring Batista the winner and Smackdown referees declaring Cena the winner. Vince also decided to come down personally and direct the rest, and of course was injured as he came into the ring. He directed everyone from his seated position, including the ending that did go down, with Batista tossing Cena relatively quickly.

 

I've actually got a bit of respect for Vinnie Mac now. He booked it on the fly, and even managed to give the instructions whilst in a helluva lot of pain. As they say, anything can happen in the WWE :P.

Respect to Vinnie, what is an audible from the back? Does a ref have an earpiece in for instructions?

 

It's quite ironic how when Batista is supposed to be selling moves and going over the ropes during matches he can't do it so rolls over the middle rope, but when he isn't supposed to be going over he manages to fall over the top rope!

I think thats a load of rubbish. Watch it again, its CLEARLY OBVIOUS that they were both supposed to go over at the same time. Whoever reported that is full of crap.

Respect to Vinnie' date=' what is an audible from the back? Does a ref have an earpiece in for instructions?[/quote']

Yup, they all do. There's a table backstage for everyone to give instructions to the referees, the commentators, etc.

 

I could believe this (and if DA MELTZ~! reported it, it's gospel, folks), and it'd make sense. I've heard for a good week or two that Vince was not meant to come out, and it did look quite a weird elimination in all honesty. Plus, the referees aren't that good actors. They waited a small while before starting to claim winners. So I can fully believe this.

Plus' date=' the referees aren't that good actors. They waited a small while before starting to claim winners. So I can fully believe this.[/quote']

 

No way, they both started claiming the other was a winner straight away! One ref grabbing Batistas hand and the other Cena's, they started that as soon as they hit the floor. If Batista was supposed to win, NOBODY would have gone anywhere close to Cena to hold up his hand.

 

Not only that, but come on guys, when Batista went for the powerbomb, he positioned himself to take the rope bump, it was so obvious. This was supposed to happen, there is no doubt about that at all.

I keep watching it now, because it's intriguing me now, and I'm not sure. It may be obvious to you, but I must be missing something crucial, because it's honestly not that obvious to me.

I did think the SD! ref was rather slow to claim Cena as the winner after Bastista's hand had been raised... Did he find it difficult to hear the instructions over the crowd noise perhaps?

I keep watching it now' date=' because it's intriguing me now, and I'm not sure. It may be obvious to you, but I must be missing something crucial, because it's honestly not that obvious to me.[/quote']

 

Watch how Dave positions for the Powerbomb. He grabs Cena by the sideropes, then sets him for the move, while moving himself into the middle of the ring, and turning his back to the aisle ropes, and takes a look back to make sure he is in the right place. Then he hoists up Cena, basically runs backwards fast to get the momentum to take the back bump over the ropes and doesnt even try to stop himself.

 

Batista is a big, strong man. There is no way he would ever lose his balance powerbombing a guy the size of John Cena, especially not enough to fly all the way back from mid-ring and hard and fast enough to fly over the ropes backwards. If he knew he was booked to win the Rumble, and for one second he thought he was about to fall over the ropes, he would have dropped down or prevented it some other way.

 

Add to this the way Batista and Cena both threw each other out in frotn of Vince after to 'prove' they were the winner...it was an obvious set up to make sure that Batista won and Cena was made to look like he could have just as easily won and so he stays strong heading into WM21.

 

This info is false, I have no doubt. Its just more internet BS rumours, nothing more.

Ha! It seems as if the story is true. If you watch closely, Batista stumbles backwards while Cena pushes more of his weight towards the ropes to try and get down. Batista tries to stay upright while Cena is evidently trying to get either off batista or over the rope. However, if you watch Cena's hands, he grabs the top rope as he is falling over (Improvising the finish a first time), but Batista is still losing his balance and with the poor leverage of the top rope combined with Cena's weight still on his right arm and head, Batista is pulled over the top rope too.

 

Another piece of evidence towards this is the fact that batista clearly hit the ground first yet the Raw referee was instantly acting upon Cena being eliminated. The way JR calls Batista winning the match is unlike the usual "draw" storyline.

 

If anyone wants me to upload this segment, feel free to ask and I'll do it.

Yup, they all do. There's a table backstage for everyone to give instructions to the referees, the commentators, etc.

 

I could believe this (and if DA MELTZ~! reported it, it's gospel, folks), and it'd make sense. I've heard for a good week or two that Vince was not meant to come out, and it did look quite a weird elimination in all honesty. Plus, the referees aren't that good actors. They waited a small while before starting to claim winners. So I can fully believe this.

 

Can't they have someone (i.e Tazz) sitting at the table and telling J.R the names of the moves and telling Lawler what to say so his commentary actually sounds good?

 

What do you mean the refs arene't good actors? Are you telling me that when Hebner turns his back on the action because he is being "distracted" by thin air that he isn't convincing? :lol

Not to mention those cute little wires the refs keep in their ears all the time.(That looks like a hearing aid) Somebody from the back most likely calls in signals when to take a bump or signals to the ref who is supposed to win the match. Refs arent the best actors they're just the best informed.

Yeah the earpieces are there so that if something needs to be altered, they can tell the ref, and the ref relays to the wrestlers to get it done, and the commentators are informed so that they can call the action more informed.

 

RF, if you would upload it, would be much grateful. I'm still sure that the story is true, because it makes a lot of sense watching it, and it's not like it's a 14 year old kid reporting it. This is a guy formerly on Vince's payroll who has more contacts than this forum has members and is regarded by almost everyone in the business (Flair, HHH, Bret, Tenay, Raven, Heenan, just to name a few quoted as putting him over) as the only guy on the internet who is a respectable journalist (Wade Keller seems to have made a few enemies, particularly in Raven and John Bradshaw Leyfield). An overbearing smark I may sound, but I'm not that doubting when a) I can see it for myself and b) who this guy actually is.

RF' date=' if you would upload it, would be much grateful.[/quote']

 

Click Here to view the ending. It is 27Mb as it stands, and the file should be fully uploaded in about 30 minutes so the file won't work until roughly 2:15pm.

Yep, I'm almost certain it wasn't planned at all now. You can hear crystal clear the SmackDown referees confiring to each other that Cena touched the floor first. Korderas asks if he touched, Robinson tells him he did, and Korderas actually backs off and agrees. Then about three seconds later, Korderas looks around, and you can see he's receiving instructions because of his facial expressions. Cena is rolling into the ring, and Jack Doan can hear something too, and tells Korderas to raise Cena's hand. Then they play from there.

 

So yeah, I'm pretty sure Meltzer was right.

I'm sticking to my guns on this one. To me, it couldnt be any more obvious if they held a sign up saying it was going to happen.

 

However, when Meltzer is involved, its best I just stay quiet, because everybody takes his word as gospel, understandably.

Well I'm watching it again and again, and it's quite clear without even reading Meltzer's report than it's not planned.

 

- Batista falls back and both men fall over.

- The SmackDown refs go to Cena, and clearly ask each other if Cena's feet hit first. Robinson says he did.

- Again, Korderas asks if he landed first, is told he did, and gives the back off signal.

- As Batista's hand is raised, both Doan and Korderas can be seen hearing something, because their expressions soon change. Doan adjusts his earpiece and Korderas goes over to Cena, who is getting up.

- Doan walks over to Korderas and audiably tells him to raise Cena's hand, which they try to, except that Cena is trying to climb into the ring.

 

 

So unless it was a HUGELY planned out finish, I'm sticking by my guns too :)