Background
Seven professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card, which were planned with predetermined outcomes by WWE's script writers. The buildup to these matches and scenarios that took place before, during and after the event were also planned by WWE's script writers. The event featured wrestlers and other talent from WWE's Raw brand, a storyline expansion in which WWE assigned its employees. Wrestlers portrayed either a villain or fan favorite gimmick, an on-screen character, for the entertainment of the audience.
The main rivalry heading into New Year's Revolution was between John Cena and Umaga over the WWE Championship. The rivalry all began on the November 6 episode of Raw, one of WWE's main television programs, when Cena interfered in Umaga's match while accepting a challenge to a match by Kevin Federline. One week later, Jonathan Coachman, an on-screen authority figure of Raw, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, announced that a match between Cena and Umaga would take place, which ended in a no-contest due to interference. Three weeks later on the November 27 edition of Raw, Umaga (through Armando Alejandro Estrada) issued a challenge to Cena for the WWE Championship, which Cena accepted. The following week, Cena was assaulted by Umaga after his match, and both were confronted by security. Afterwards, neither of them could touch each other outside of a match until New Year's Revolution. On the December 18 edition of Raw, Cena, along with D-Generation X, (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) faced off against Umaga and Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton). The match ended in a no-contest after Cena and Umaga started brawling to the backstage area. Two weeks later on the January 1 edition of Raw, Cena faced off against Federline in a No Disqualification match, a match where there is no rules and the only way to win is by pinfall or submission. During the match, Umaga came to the ring and hit Cena with the WWE championship belt, which allowed Federline to pin Cena for the win. This led to a 4-on-1 handicap match later that night between Johnny Nitro, Johnathan Coachman, Umaga, and Estrada and Cena, where Cena attacked Umaga with a folding chair, causing the disqualification.
Another rivalry leading up to the event was between Johnny Nitro and Jeff Hardy. In September 2006, Hardy challenged Nitro numerous times for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but failed to win it due to repeated interference by Melina (Melina Perez) (Nitro's then-girlfriend). Hardy finally defeated Nitro to win the title on the October 2 edition of Raw. On the November 6 edition of Raw, Eric Bischoff, the Raw authority figure for the night, scheduled a match between Hardy and Nitro for the title. In the match, Melina interfered and caused Nitro to get disqualified. Due to WWE rules, a title can only change hands via pinfall or submission, as a result, Hardy retained his title. Bischoff then scheduled a No Disqualification match, which Nitro won after interference from Melina. The following week, Hardy and Nitro were scheduled in a Ladder match, a match where the contestant that climbs a ladder and retrieves an item (usually a title belt) hung above the ring is the winner. Hardy won the match and the title. On the November 27 episode of Raw, Nitro and his former tag team partner Joey Mercury, as MNM, accepted The Hardys open challenge for WWE's December pay-per-view, December to Dismember, which the Hardys came out victorious. The Hardys won the match. At Armageddon another one of WWE's December pay-per-views, MNM and The Hardys competed in a Four team Ladder match also involving Dave Taylor and William Regal and WWE Tag Team Champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick. London and Kendrick won the match and retained their titles. During the match, Mercury legitimately broke his nose when he was struck in the face with a ladder, when Jeff jumped off the top rope. On the December 18 edition of Raw, Nitro challenged Hardy to a Steel Cage match, a match fought within a cage formed by placing four sheets of mesh metal around, in, or against the edges of the wrestling ring, for the Intercontinental Championship, which Hardy accepted. The match then was scheduled for New Year's Revolution.
The rivalry between Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) and D-Generation X (DX; Triple H and Shawn Michaels) began on the October 9 edition of Raw. Edge and Orton both had problems with DX in the past and formed an alliance against them, and challenged DX to a match at Cyber Sunday, WWE's only pay-per-view where people can go online and votes for different aspects of a match. Rated-RKO defeated DX, after Eric Bischoff, the referee of the match, let Orton use a folding chair, which led Rated-RKO to victory. For consecutive weeks, Triple H and Orton competed in singles matches. On the December 11 edition of Raw, Flair assisted DX in an ambush by Rated-RKO and Kenny, and Coachman came out to announce a Six-man tag team match, where DX and Flair again emerged victorious. DX would challenge Rated-RKO for the World Tag Team Championships at New Year's Revolution.
The feud between Ric Flair and Kenny Dykstra (originally just Kenny) stemmed from Flair's feud with the Spirit Squad, which Dykstra was a part of. On the October 23 edition of Raw, Dykstra was angered by his teammates' recent losing streak against Flair, and he proved himself by defeating Flair that night in a singles match. Two weeks after defeating the Spirit Squad for the World Tag Team Championship, Flair and Roddy Piper lost their title to Rated-RKO. The legitimate reason behind their title loss was that Piper was diagnosed with cancer and had to immediately leave the show. Flair, however, continued to feud with the Spirit Squad, defeating them all at Survivor Series with his team of WWE legends. On the November 27 edition of Raw, Flair teamed up with DX to take on the Spirit Squad in a 3-on-5 handicap match. Flair and DX won, and DX packed them all in a crate (excluding Dykstra) and kayfabe sent them to Ohio Valley Wrestling. It was announced that Flair would face Dykstra at New Year's Revolution.
Read more about this topic: New Year's Revolution (2007)
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