IWE Royal Rumble (2008)

Royal Rumble (2008) 	Royal Rumble (2008) 	 	 	
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Royalrumble08.jpg/200px-Royalrumble08.jpg
Promotional poster featuring several IWE Superstars	
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Royalrumble08.jpg/200px-Royalrumble08.jpg
Promotional poster featuring several IWE Superstars	 	 	
Theme song(s) 	"Stand Up for Rock N' Roll" by Airbourne	 	 	
Information 	Information 	 	 	
Promotion 	International Wrestling Entertainment 	 	 	
Brand(s) 	MeltdownFusionXCW 	 	 	
Date 	January 27, 2008 	 	 	
Attendance 	20,798 	 	 	
Venue 	Madison Square Garden 	 	 	
City 	New York, New York 	 	 	
Pay-per-view chronology	Pay-per-view chronology 	 	 	
{| style="font-size: smaller; color: black; background-color: transparent; width: 229px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-align: center; line-height: 1.4em; vertical-align: top; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "	
{| style="font-size: smaller; color: black; background-color: transparent; width: 229px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-align: center; line-height: 1.4em; vertical-align: top; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "	Armageddon (2007)	Royal Rumble (2008)	No Way Out (2008)
==Royal Rumble (2008)==
Royal Rumble (2008) was the twenty-first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by International Wrestling Entertainment (IWE). It took place on January 27, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from the Meltdown, Fusion and XCW brands. The event was also the firstIWE pay-per-view broadcast in high defination. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble Match winner received a match at that year's WrestleMania, (in this instance: WrestleMania XXVI) for his choice at either the IWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship or the XCW World Championship.
==Background==
Royal Rumble featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scrpted feuds, plots and storylines that were played out on Meltdown, Friday Night Fusion, XCW on Sci Fi – International Wrestling Entertainment's (IWE) primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a willain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches. The event featured wrestlers from IWE's Meltdown, Fusion and XCW – a storyline division in which IWE employees were assigned to a television program of the same name.
The main feud on the Meltdown brand was between the Intercontinental Champion Josh Hooper and Kevin McAlmond, with the two feuding over the IWE Championship, which was held by McAlmond. McALmond retained the title at Armageddon against the returning Kris McGowan after being disqualified, when the then-Fusion! broadcaster John Goff ran-in, and booted McGowan in the head. McAlmond retained the championship, as a result, due to titles not changing hands on disqualifications. On the same night earlier, Josh Hooper had defeated Triple K to earn the opportunity to face McAlmond at the Royal Rumble for the IWE Championship. The following night, on the December 17, 2007 edition of Meltdown, Hooper teamed up with Ryan Barnhart to take on McAlmond and Tarry Anderson. Hooper gained advantage over McAlmond, and pinned the champion after a Swanton Bomb to earn the victory for himself and Barnhart. Two weeks later, on the last Meltdown of 2007, Hooper and McAlmond met face-to-face in an in-ring segment. McAlmond looked set to RKO Hooper, but Hooper countered, and delivered the Twist of Fate to McAlmond. Later in the night, Hooper looked set to defeat Justin Black, until McAlmond appeared on the Meltdown TitanTron and stated that he had kicked Josh's brother Matt where his appendix used to be, proceeding further to punt him in the head. The following week on a special "Meltdown Roulette" edition of Meltdown, Hooper defended his Intercontinental Championship against Keith Coleman in a Steel Cage Match. Hooper managed to overcome the odds in the Cage, jumping off the top of the cage onto Keith and hitting a Whisper in the Wind to defeat Keith Coleman. On the January 14, 2008 edition of Meltdown, Hooper agreed to face McAlmond that night with his Intercontinental Championship on the line. However, as soon as the bell rang for the match, McAlmond immediately low-blowed Hooper, getting himself disqualified. McAlmond tried to deliver an RKO to Hooper on the concrete floor that he had exposed by removing the black floor padding, but Hooper retaliated and the two began to brawl up the ramp. When McAlmond looked set to kick Hooper in the head, the Intercontinental Champion countered and back-dropped McAlmond onto the arena floor below. Hooper then climbed 30-feet above on the Meltdown set, and then Swanton Bombed off the side of the set onto McAlmond below. The following week on Meltdown, Hooper and McAlmond were scheduled to "shake hands", but Hooper instead shook the hands of "people he respected more than McAlmond", like Lillian Garcia, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, and several fans in the crowd before re-entering the ring to confront McAlmond. A frustrated McAlmond ordered Hooper to shake hands with him, but Hopper performed a Twist of Fate on the IWE Champion instead.
The main feud on the Fusion brand was between Scott Wright and Chris Gomez with the two feuding over the latter's World Heavyweight Championship. Wright won a Beat the Clock Challenge on the January 4, 2008 edition of SmackDown! defeating Chris Gomez with 90 seconds to go, and securing an opportunity for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble.
==Event==
==Royal Rumble (2008) Results==
# 	Results 	Stipulations
Dark	Shane and Jimmy defeated Devin 'n Jared 	Singles match
1 	Ric Flair defeated Mikhail Schmalzried 	Career Threatening match
2 	John Goff defeated Kris McGowan by disqualification 	Singles match
3 	Kevin Adams Copeland (c) (with Lynn Lehr) defeated Scott Wright	Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
4 	Kevin McAlmond (c) defeated Josh Hooper 	Singles match for the IWE Championship
5 	Dustin Simpson last eliminated Triple K to win 	2008 Royal Rumble match
==Royal Rumble Match Order and Eliminations==
# 	Entrant 	Brand 	Order	Eliminated By
1 	Martin McAlmond	Fusion 	11 	Ryan Barnhart
2 	Ryan Barnhart 	Meltdown	12 	Tarry Anderson
3 	Justin Black 	Meltdown	1 	Martin McAlmond
4 	Reg Hageman 	Fusion 	2 	Martin McAlmond
5 	Steven Murnion 	Meltdown	6 	Keith Coleman
6 	Joe Linderman 	XCW 	14 	Chris LeGreca
7 	Tommy Brown 	XCW 	3 	Jesse Dern
8 	Jesse Dern 	Fusion 	29 	Triple K
9 	Hornswoggle 	Fusion 	16 	never re-entered match
10 	Chuck 	Fusion 	5 	Justin Eldridge
11 	Jamie 	Fusion 	4 	Chuck
12 	Justin Eldridge	Meltdown	17 	Josh Nuss
13 	Mark Semmler 	Meltdown	18 	Triple K
14 	Keith Coleman 	Meltdown	26 	Jesse Dern
15 	Dominic 	Meltdown	10 	Martin McAlmond
16 	Joe Smith 	XCW 	13 	Hornswoggle
17 	Junior Remeriz 	XCW 	7 	Ryan Barnhart
18 	Jimmy Snuka 	 	 	
9 	Chris LeGreca 	 	 	
19 	Roddy Piper 	 	 	
8 	Chris LeGreca 	 	 	
20 	Chris LeGreca 	Fusion 	27 	Jesse Dern & Triple K
21 	Michael Ferry 	Meltdown	22 	Dustin Simpson
22 	Mick Foley 	 	 	
20 	Triple K 	 	 	
23 	Tarry Anderson 	Meltdown	25 	Jesse Dern
24 	Rob Truax 	XCW 	19 	Triple K
25 	Steven Larson 	Fusion 	24 	Dustin Simpson
26 	Josh Nuss 	Fusion 	23 	Dustin Simpson
27^ 	Dan Hooper 	Fusion 	15 	Disqualfied
28 	Jared Keller 	XCW 	21 	Triple K
29 	Triple K 	Meltdown	29 	Dustin Simpson
30 	Dustin Simpson 	Meltdown	 	
WINNER