WWE Backstage Morale DESTROYED By Royal Rumble 2022?

A deflating night for WWE fans and wrestlers alike, with one Royal Rumble "changed 20 times"...

Ronda Rousey Rhea Ripley WWE Royal Rumble 2022
WWE.com

WWE's locker room morale was "very down" after Saturday's Royal Rumble 2022 event, reports PWInsider's Mike Johnson.

This is compared to other recent WWE supercards. People within the promotion were particularly frustrated by the number of changes the event was subjected to in the week leading up to it, which has been cited as one of the reasons behind the two Rumble matches' lack of quality.

Per one of Johnson's sources, the men's Rumble was changed around "20 times), as things like eliminations, entry order, specific in-ring interactions, and more were altered. Things were similar in the women's match as well.

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This led to a difficult and confusing day for the people involved. The event's moving parts kept shifting, with everything filtering down from Vince McMahon, who was very hands-on with "every aspect of the PPV."

One anonymous WWE talent made the following comment on the experience:-

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"We were all in a whirlwind. Just as you had your role and spots down, everything started over and over and now most of us were back to square one. It changed again and again and again. It wasn't an easy night even before we hit the ring."

Royal Rumble 2022 was met with a broadly negative critical response on Saturday, owing to its perceived predictability and disappointing Rumble bouts compared to recent years, amongst other things.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.