10 Things WWE Regrets About The Royal Rumble
8. Sheer Desperation
The 1997 Royal Rumble reeked of desperation.
Optimistically promoted in the San Antonio Alamodome, Vince McMahon, as he was wont to do, overestimated the appeal of Shawn Michaels' white meat babyface character, even among his hometown fans, leading to embarrassing ticket sales consistent with the WWF's limited appeal at the tail end of the New Generation Era.
Desperately giving away thousands of tickets via Taco Bell coupons - all to convince a wider American public that the WWF was as big as you remembered it - Vince McMahon also partnered with Mexican lucha promotion AAA to persuade the local Hispanic population to fill seats, resulting in a relationship that was far more hassle than it was worth.
Owner Antonio Peña mis-sold his product to Vince; the exciting WCW stars promised to creative figure and intermediary Jake Roberts were signed to invalid contracts, and thus, the likes of Rey Misterio, Jr. did not appear. Instead, more aged and unspectacular talents littered the event, with Mil Máscaras the most infamous. He eliminated himself, mirroring AAA's nonexistent contribution to getting the WWF over. McMahon severed an arrangement struck with an inroad to Mexico City in mind shortly thereafter.
The '97 Rumble was an arduous grift that initially left management delighted by the attendance - but really, it failed in its remit to change the perception of the WWF from small fry to big time.