10 Things WWE Need To Bring Back
7. The 40 Man Royal Rumble
In 2011, WWE made a change to their iconic Royal Rumble match by adding an additional ten entrants thus making it the biggest in WWE history. The Royal Rumble XL concept has not been revisited since then and many now see it as an experimental failure.
The Royal Rumble is a fan favourite but 9 times out of 10 there are only around 4 superstars in the match who fans buy as genuine contenders. In 2011 this was only strengthened by the fact that the final two competitors were eventual winner Alberto Del Rio and Santino Marella.
A lot has changed in a short amount of time in WWE and the idea of a 40-man Royal Rumble may not be as ludicrous as it once was. With two brands pushing their own stars towards championships and storylines, WWE have the opportunity to build cross-promotional matches for WrestleMania and give fans glimpses at promising NXT rookies. The Rumble match has always been just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. In a regular 30-man Rumble you might have 10-15 quick or inevitable eliminations, a debut or two, and a handful of crowd popping returns. This is all well and good but it leaves very little room for those genuine superstars to build stories in the match.
A 40-man Rumble doesn’t have to be an every year event - perhaps save it for five year anniversaries - but the opportunity to exploit a rabid travelling fan base and showcase surprises from NXT means that every now and then, a superstar should have to defeat 39 men on his way to WrestleMania.