50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble
1. Domes Have Changed The Rumble's Atmosphere
Running the Alamodome in 1997 was a outlier for the then-WWF. Even WrestleMania hadn't returned to domes/stadiums during the same period. In fact, 'Mania 13 took place in front of approx 18,000 at the Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena) in Illinois. That's why the Royal Rumble stood out, and it's still impressive they managed to pull 60,000+ considering general business.
The Rumble wouldn't reach dome/stadium status regularly until 2019 in Chase Field. An enforced ThunderDome style in 2021 aside, the show has become exclusively attached to larger scale buildings. The same goes for 'Mania and SummerSlam. WWE has treated the first tentpole PLE of the year like an even bigger deal, but there's something else binging each one in succession makes clear.
Some of the tight-knit atmosphere has been lost in these open-air venues. A few folks internally might not want to admit that, but it has. Pops go up and out of the place rather than directly towards the ring, and that comes across on television. Domes and stadiums don't suck by any means, but there's a lost magic to the older arena-based Rumbles that just doesn't exist nowadays.
WWE likely don't care about that, and would rightly point towards soaring gate receipts and the grand-scale on camera. Those are valid points, but only a few of the latter day Rumbles have that close connection between audience and action like the older ones seem to. Drew McIntyre's 2020 win would be a good example of a modern day winner.
The constant noise of arena Rumbles was something special in its own unique way.
What else have you learned revisiting some old WWE Royal Rumbles? For more wrestling, check out 10 Wrestlers Who Became Everything They HATED and 10 WWE Title Moments You DEFINITELY Can’t Remember!