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Welcome to our live coverage of the Royal Rumble from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.  We're looking for your thoughts on the show, so you can leave a thumbs up, a thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We're also taking polls this weekend on both the Affliction and WEC shows.

Rob Van Dam is backstage and expected to be one of the unannounced participants in the Rumble.  

Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy opens the show for the ECW title.

Solid opener.  Mostly basic with Swagger working the left shoulder.  Swagger threw Hardy's shoulder and head into the ringpost and Hardy sold it like he was knocked out.  Swagger got the clean pin with a Doctor bomb.  Regarding rumors of Matt being the guy to turn on Jeff tonight, if nothing else, doing this clean of a job would seem to give evidence that has a good chance of happening.

They are pushing Randy Orton like he's on a different level of star than everyone else between his opening video and showing his arrival.

Beth Phoenix vs. Melina for the women's title is next. 

Melina got the win with a roll-up out of a Glam slam.  Some cool stuff, some botched moves in the middle and nice looking finish.  They got these two over quick so expect some long matches and run-ins from this point.

John Cena vs. JBL is already up for the World title.

They did a skit where JBL told Shawn Michaels that if he helped him win the title, he'll pay him off completely tonight and he no longer has to work for him, and he will be financially secure forever, thus the angle ends prematurely.  He said Michaels could then go into the Rumble and go to the title match at Mania.  Undertaker confronted Michaels about doing the right thing, teasing the idea of Undertaker vs. Michaels at Mania.      

The finish saw Mike Chioda get bumped.  Michaels jumped in as both men were down.  He superkicked JBL, but then superkicked Cena and put JBL on top.  Michaels walked away.  Then Jack Doan ran in, but Cena kicked out.  JBL went for a clothesline but Cena ducked and hit "the patented move" (FU which apparently hasn't been given a new name yet so that's what they called it) for the pin.  Nothing special as a match.  The finish was very predictably unpredictable.  Keeps the storyline going. 

They pushed the Legends of Wrestlemania videogame around Hogan, Rock, Austin, Andre and Ultimate Warrior.  

Jeff Hardy vs. Edge for the WWE title is next.  Vickie Guerrero announced that it has been made a no DQ match.   And it was Matt Hardy doing the turn.

Very good match.  Jeff had the match won as he hit the swanton after kicking Vickie Guerrero off the apron as she tried to interfere.  Then as Jeff went for the pin, Vickie stopped Scott Armstrong from making the count.  Matt came out and threw in a chair, putting it under Edge's head and grabbed a second chair to do a concerto.  But Matt instead cracked Jeff hard in the head with a chair and Edge got the pin.  The announcers sold the turn well and Matt was booed, but not as much heat as I'd have expected for the angle. 

They officially announced No Way Out with two Elimination Chamber matches with each title at stake.

They teased Randy Orton would either have legal action filed or be fired tomorrow.  Orton and Chris Jericho spoke of it but Orton thought Jericho was trying to get him to lower his guard.

Rey Mysterio and John Morrison started the rumble.  

Final six are Show, Undertaker, HHH and Legacy.  Undertaker and Show were on the apron brawling and Orton used the RKO on Show who fell off the apron.  Show then pulled Undertaker off the apron to eliminate him.  HHH used a pedigree on Rhodes, threw out DiBiase, then threw out Rhodes, and Orton clotheslined HHH from behind to send him over, so Orton won.

More guys were in longer than in most years.  Good Rumble.  Won't go down as anywhere near the best, but probably high middle level.  The real athletic guys like Morrison, Mysterio, etc. got to shine.  The comedy guys (Marella & Ziggler) were this year's Bushwhackers, particularly Marella who lasted one second.