Why WWE Is Getting The Royal Rumble Wrong

Jeff Jarrett Elias
WWE.com

Elias and Jeff Jarrett drawing numbers one and two on Sunday was another, very on-the-nose coincidence. Amusing, yes, but detrimental to the tone—a tone this contrivance set. Suspension of disbelief nowadays is as impossible as Kofi Kingston’s escapology bit—another trope, incidentally, that feels tired all these years later. This spot is no longer exclusive to Kofi; both Naomi and Kacy Catanzaro pulled off similar feats. Kofi’s in contrast no longer felt special. It was just something that had to be done for reasons.

The checklist of tropes now runs longer than Chris Jericho's list of holds, and if working at WhatCulture has taught your writer anything, it's that omitting something from a list is an incredibly efficient means of being called a "c*nt". WWE cannot possibly please everybody with what has become of the Royal Rumble—the purpose behind which is, was, to maximise the collective interest of the biggest match on the calendar.

This might read as joyless and pedantic and contrary to what the Royal Rumble match “is about”—fun!—but consider also what the match is actually about. It is an epic battle held to determine which man or woman is to challenge for the biggest prize in the industry on its most important night. This isn’t the New Japan Rambo, or the Gimmick Battle Royal.

Maybe it shouldn’t be a party.

CONT'D...(2 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!