For WWE fans, there are really only four pay-per-views that matter. There’s WrestleMania (of course), SummerSlam, Money in the Bank, and, perhaps the most entertaining of the bunch, the Royal Rumble. Where else can you see basically the entire WWE roster throwing down in a 20-by-20-foot ring?
Next year, the only place to see it will be in Philadelphia, the city which WWE officials named during Tuesday night’s taping of “Smackdown” as the official host of the Royal Rumble on Jan. 25, Wrestling reports. The event usually features 30 wrestlers. Tickets for the event, which will take place at the Wells Fargo Center, go on sale Friday.
But more exciting than the location, was WWE’s confirmation that the pay-per-view’s main event will feature 40 wrestlers opposed to 30. The last time the main event featured 40 people was in 2011. Surely, this will allow up-and-comers such as NXT stars Adrian Neville (who main roster superstarKofi Kingston dubbed “could be the best of all time”), Sami Zayn; Tyler Breeze, Kalisto, and Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension to outshine much of the main roster talent.
Or…
Or the WWE can mess it up and use the extra slots to slap in one-time returners. Let’s not forget the mess that was the Royal Rumble main event in 2012 when eight of the 30 slots allotted were taken up by questionable guest stars, including Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Booker T, Ricardo Rodriguez, Kharma, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Road Dogg and, worst of all, Michael Cole. Seriously, if Adam Rose’s “Rose Buds” make up more than one of those spots, that’s cause for revolt.
That said, with just about four months to go until the event, the WWE has a lot of time to decide how it wants to play out the 40-man format. Here’s to hoping the company makes the right decisions.
40 Man Battle Royal Announced For Royal Rumble
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