Royal Rumble 2013: Alberto Del Rio and Big Show Wrestle in Great Opening Match

Despite being overshadowed by a star-studded card that featured WWE veteran The Rock against 400-plus day WWE champion CM Punk as part of the Royal Rumble main event, Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) and Big Show managed to warm up the Phoenix crowd at the US Airways Center with a great opening match. 

The match—which under stipulations had been set as a last-man-standing match—provided a great catalyst toward creating one of the best non-WrestleMania WWE pay-per-views in recent history. 

Filled with twists and turns, Del Rio's match against the Big Show boasted many elements that allowed the match to be near perfect. 

Though the match had been hurt by a poor buildup, both competitors managed to grab the attention of those who tuned in to the WWE's latest PPV event. 

The match's last-man-standing stipulation lent itself to a great brawl in and around the US Airways Center—at one point, the World Heavyweight champion, Del Rio, and the Big Show wrestled on light displays located near the entrance ramp. 

The best part of the match was the match's ending, which saw Del Rio's personal ring announcer tie down the 400-pound Big Show with a roll of duct tape against the ring's ropes—effectively preventing the World's Largest Athlete from standing up and allowing Del Rio to win the match after a 10-second countdown. 

Ricardo Rodriguez's ruse was in many ways reminiscent of the tactics of Mexican WWE Superstar Eddie Guerrero. 

Now that Del Rio is on the cusp of his face turn, will the WWE Universe continue to see more Guerrero-esque antics? 

Will we again see a man lie, cheat and steal his way into the hearts of pro-wrestling fans? 

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