The Royal Rumble has been WWE’s one of a kind trademark event. The excitement that this particular pay-per-view carries with it is unparalleled in the WWE setup. Of course, we still call Wrestlemania the big daddy of them all, but it is the Rumble that will always get fans more excited.
With 30 Superstars getting an opportunity to gun for the greatest Championship in WWE history, the Rumble does indeed promise some unexpected twists and angles to WWE’s existing storylines.
Plus, the Rumble match, which is the highlight of the pay per view, features an over the top rope elimination setup to discard your opponents from the competition. With a Championship opportunity at stake, the Rumble is as big as it gets for any WWE Superstar.
Today, we bring you a special edition of WWE for dummies to help you understand how the Royal Rumble event works, with some basic rules to help you decode this one of a kind match up.
#1 30 superstars enter the Royal Rumble
The general number of participants that the WWE allows in the Royal Rumble is 30. Even though they have increased this number in the recent past, the number for 2017 is 30 entrants only.
Each entrant comes to the ring based on the number allocated and must be the last main standing, which is the basic objective of the rumble.
This is one of WWE’s most gruelling matches because you have opponents approaching you continuously in a gauntlet setup and there is absolutely no time to take a breather. Each Superstar has to outdo 29 other compatriots to come out on top.
#2 Allocation of slots
This is perhaps the most important aspect of the Royal Rumble and it has also decided the outcome of the event in many cases. When there are thirty Superstars featuring in the match, it will be chaos to have them all in the ring at the same time.
So, the WWE allocates them slots ranging from 1 – 30 and each Superstar will enter the Rumble with a 90-second interval between his predecessor and his successor.
Various match-ups leading up to the Rumble are organised on RAW and Smackdown with prime slots (ranging from 25 and upwards) up for grabs. There are also matches that grant the loser the number 1 slot, as well, to begin proceedings.
In the past, however, methods like spinning the roulette, picking up slot numbers or randomly allocating them to Superstars have all been in use. The number 1 position is the worst place to start your Rumble journey and number 30 is the most convenient. However, if we go by statistics, both spots have produced same number of rumble winners.
#3 Over the top rope elimination only
If you have watched at least one WWE show, you will be equipped with the basic knowledge that a pinfall or a submission is often the way to legally win a match. The Rumble, however, is different.
Here, one needs to eliminate his opposition by tossing him over the top rope of the ring only. Add to that, both of the Superstar’s feet must touch the ground for him to be eliminated from the competition.
If the Superstar is eliminated, he cannot get back into the match setup and there are plenty of referees on either side of the ring to ensure this.
#4 The winner gets a title shot
The primary reason Superstars go through this gruelling setup is because of what is on offer, a WWE universal title/ WWE World Heavyweight Championship title opportunity. To make the offer more mouth watering, one gets a title shot at Wrestlemania in what could well be the main event as well.
So, instead of going through the chain of hierarchy in your weekly shows and defeating Superstar after Superstar to land a title shot, the Rumble offers you a one-way ticket to go straight at it.
Irrespective of your status in the WWE, all Superstars are equal before the eyes of the Rumble and hence it is an ideal opportunity even for a Cruiserweight or a mid carder to go grab the limelight at Wrestlemania.
#5 Surprise returns
All the previously discussed points give you a brief idea about the Rumble match and why it is an exciting affair. But, the icing on the cake is indeed the surprise entrants the Rumble match has up its sleeve.
Celebrities, former WWE Superstars and legends of the business are always some of the anticipated surprise entrants to grace the Royal Rumble. They bring with them an aura of nostalgia and shock that will surely send the WWE universe into a frenzy.
DDP, Kevin Nash, Drew Carrey, AJ Styles, The Godfather, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and RVD are just some from the elite list that makes it worth the while for the WWE universe. So, this year’s Rumble will once again have lots at stake for both fans and Superstars alike and it is certainly going to be an exciting affair.
Do not forget to tune into the Royal Rumble match on the 29th of January as it sets the WWE on its way to Wrestlemania 33.
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