The Royal Rumble vs Aztec Warfare

In January, wrestling fans were presented with two similar yet very different elimination matches, both involving the majority of each company’s respective rosters. One was steeped in a rich 28 year history, driven by a global wrestling conglomerate, while the other had the inaugural contest of its kind, led by a wrestling company still in its infancy. It is a classic David vs. Goliath story in the making, and as the biblical reference alludes, even the most mighty can falter. What match was better, the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble or Lucha Underground’s Aztec Warfare?

The Roster

Initially the Rumble could be seen as the clear winner due to having an extra 10 participants over Aztec Warfare, however contrary to the Royal Rumble promos that air every year, it isn’t always about the numbers. Looking at the list of Royal Rumble participants, many weren’t given a fair shake. Curtis Axel didn’t even make it to the ring, and several others such as Adam Rose, Zack Ryder and Fandango, failed to make any real impact in the match and could have easily been substituted. Looking at Aztec Warfare, despite having one third less participants in their match, everyone pulled their weight. An exception could be made for Mr. Cisco who was eliminated in short order, but for the most part the Lucha Underground roster made the viewer feel like everyone had a shot at winning.

The Edge: Aztec Warfare (1-0)

Storytelling

One of the advantages to having such a large match involving so many competitors is it gives the company a chance to tell and advance multiple storylines in one match. Both matches did this, but which was more effective?

The Royal Rumble utilized Big Show and Kane to further show the dominance of The Authority, although that wasn’t so much for a storyline as yet. Daniel Bryan’s early elimination may have quite possibly been the beginnings of his story heading into WrestleMania, but it is fairly evident that it may have blown up in their faces.

Aztec Warfare not only involved some of Lucha Underground’s most heated rivalries, but the match was used to bring some big angles to a close. Sexy Star and Blue Demon Jr. finally got their revenge on Chavo Guerrero, and the feud that has been ongoing since the debut of Lucha Underground between Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo came to a close in the centre of the ring.

The Edge: Aztec Warfare (2-0)

Surprises

It has become a tradition almost every year for the Royal Rumble to have surprise entrants, to the point that bets are made among friends to see what legends or returning superstars will be amongst the 30 participants. This year was no different as we were treated to the returns (even if for only the one night) of Buh Buh Ray Dudley and Diamond Dallas Page. The Boogeyman also made an appearance but he was certainly less memorable and made no real impact as he was dispatched rather quickly by Bray Wyatt. Dudley was a real crowd pleaser early on in the match, and Page proved that The Diamond Cutter was the original move “from out of nowhere”.

The biggest surprise from Aztec Warfare was the return of Blue Demon Jr. who hadn’t been seen for several weeks after being taken out by Chavo Guerrero and his “Amigo” the steel chair. While this was a great moment in the match, and a nice surprise, it was still something that fans who have been keeping up with Lucha Underground knew was coming. Eventually Blue Demon Jr. was going to resurface, and it was during Aztec Warfare that he did.

The Edge: Royal Rumble (2-1)

Match Structure

While similar in their execution, with each being an elimination match with timed entrants, the major difference between the two matches is that Lucha Underground used traditional pinfalls and submissions for elimination, whereas the Royal Rumble was over the top rope, as it has been since its inception.

The over the top rope method is tried and true, it is what the Royal Rumble has always been and of course would never be changed. It also adds a suspense that you wouldn’t normally see, and an element of surprise when someone is eliminated by an unlikely contender. However, given the lucha libre style, having the freedom to dive over the ropes gave the wrestlers in Aztec Warfare a distinct advantage. It allowed for some much bigger, flashier spots, and with no disqualifications, also enabled Chavo to bring in his “Amigo” for some added assistance.

I wouldn’t want the Royal Rumble to change their over the top rope structure, it is that match’s identity, but Aztec Warfare had more freedom without that over the top rule, and it showed.

The Edge: Aztec Warfare (3-1)

Crowd Response

This is a big one and an important one. The Royal Rumble is a crowd favourite and has been since it started in 1988. However in recent years fans have begun voicing their displeasure with the match. The 2012 edition of the match, in which Sheamus won, was deemed by many to be a “Jobber Rumble” and last year caused a tremendous uproar among fans simply for not including Daniel Bryan in the match. Clearly the only thing worse would be to include him, and have him get eliminated early on. When #CancelWWENetwork begins trending after the show, clearly the fans are not happy.

Aztec Warfare had a very hot crowd despite being in the Temple, a much smaller venue. One could argue that with Lucha Underground being taped, crowd noise could be amped up for when the show airs, but between the countless “This is awesome” chants and the reactions by the fans to the action both in and outside the ring, the choice for better crowd response is obvious.

The Edge: Aztec Warfare (4-1)

Overall Impact

The impact with the Royal Rumble was standard, a push for a young wrestler into the main event of WrestleMania, however it wasn’t the star that the fans wanted and one could argue that that’s the bigger impact here. Should the WWE cave in yet again and allow Daniel Bryan into the main event? Personally, I hope not. I like Bryan, but I also have no major issue with Reigns winning. Many people don’t like his promos but what is written for him is as much to blame as his delivery, if not more. Going forward, if the fans can get over not getting their way, WWE will have a fresh face in the main event scene which is always a good thing as it means more competition at the top and less Orton vs Cena matches. Nothing against the two of them, but it’s a ‘been there, done that’ situation ten times over.

Lucha Underground was going to make a huge impact with Aztec Warfare no matter what the outcome as they were crowning their first ever Lucha Underground Champion. Moving forward it gives the entire roster something to strive for, and puts a significant bullseye on the champion’s back. It changes the landscape of Lucha Underground, and with such a new company, with as diverse a roster as they have, it feels like anyone could become the Lucha Underground Champion.

The Edge: Aztec Warfare (5-1)

 

The Royal Rumble has often given fans great matches and great memories, but 2015 just wasn’t a great year. The event as a whole was mediocre and the Rumble match itself was plagued with bad booking decisions. Aztec Warfare wasn’t a perfect match, but it was very good and proof that such a large match can still be booked properly.

Despite being a lifelong WWE fan, I am actually glad that this turned out in Lucha Underground’s favour. Not only because I am a big fan of Lucha Underground, but because it is always a good thing to have variety. Admittedly, even with this stumbling block, WWE is still way ahead of the likes of Ring of Honor, TNA, and far ahead of the fledgling Lucha Underground, but if the Monday Night War showed us anything, it is that competition breeds a better product.

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