10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Aug 5)
1. Vince McMahon Initially Laughed At The Royal Rumble Concept
In September, WWE will publish 'Accepted: How The First Gay Superstar Changed WWE'. The book will act as an autobiography for Pat Patterson, someone who has been one of Vince McMahon's most trusted associates for decades. This week, WWE's official website posted a short excerpt from the read, lifting the lid on Patterson's creation of the infamous Royal Rumble.
Back in 1987, Patterson approached McMahon with the idea, but the boss instantly shot it down. Laughing in his employee's face, Vince didn't believe fans had the attention span to tune into just the one match for a whole hour.
It was only when Dick Ebersol, who worked with the then-WWF as part of the Saturday Night's Main Event specials, said he thought it had merit that McMahon started to change his tune. Of course, the 30-man match has gone on to become a true staple of WWF/WWE programming, and one of the most-anticipated events of the entire year.
McMahon didn't see things that way at first, he thought the Rumble was just a glorified Battle Royal that would prove a hard sell.
What other wrestling facts did you learn this week? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!