10 Most Ambitious WWE Shows Ever
9. "Greatest Royal Rumble"
You know what they say: bigger is better.
That's definitely true in WWE's case, as they've recently announced that in April, they will be hosting a 50-man (!) Royal Rumble match at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This event will kick off a 10-year partnership between WWE and the Saudi General Sports Authority, with the intent of making the Middle Eastern kingdom a central hub as part of WWE's global expansion. Saudi Arabia is working right now to diversify its economy and make itself more culturally open, and are paying WWE a hefty sum to bring their brand of entertainment to the forefront of the nation.
Obviously, the surface-level ambition is clear with such a large Rumble mach which could ostensibly feature anyone from Chris Jericho to The Undertaker. However, with this 10 year partnership, it's clear this show is only the beginning. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote that there are plans of opening a second performance center in Saudi Arabia to cultivate and train talent from the Middle East and India (another region they're high on).
We'll find out more about the Greatest Royal Rumble in the coming weeks, but even now, it's clear WWE have big ideas for their global expansion - and risky ones, given the dubious source of the funding.