Royal Rumble Going from 30 to 40 Wrestlers

[closet_fan]

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/article/exclusive-breaking-news-royal-rumble-changing-121235

The January classic that kicks off the road to WrestleMania is about to change! The famous match of 30 guys getting into the ring fighting for a main event spot is changing.

Rumor has it, that the Royal Rumble battle royal match will feature 40 superstars. You heard it here first!

This doesn't change the pool of who is going to win! You still remain with the same handful of guys who are likely choices to be in the main event of WrestleMania.

I don't think I mind it. It will give the actual RR more time to play out and give a lot more younger guys a chance to prove themselves against some of the veterans.

They had a 40-man battle royal in the WWF back in the early 80s, so it isn't like it's anything new.

 

[Attitude]

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/article/exclusive-breaking-news-royal-rumble-changing-121235

I just found this on the main site at Wrestlezone.com. The Royal Rumble is upgrading from a 30 Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal to a 40 Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal. Although it's just rumour I'm excited about this news. Couldn't be more excited about this. As the article says or mentions this means more characters getting face time and the possibility of expanding storylines and fueds.

Another reason I'm excited about this is the chance that more guys are going to return at the rumble. Alot of people are expecting Triple H to return at the rumble. But there a handful of guys who are on the shelf that I would personally want to see return at the rumble ex. Skip Sheffeild, Christian, and the Undertaker.

And I'm being hopeful here but maybe guys like Booker T and Goldberg return at the Rumble. Booker T that last I heard from Wrestlezone was on good terms with WWE and at one was in negotiations with them. Goldberg also mentioned wanting to have one more match. So maybe return at the Rumble to build up a decent storyline with someone.

What do you guys think?

What possible surprises do you see happening?

Edit:Note:By the way you guys should check out another thread started by me in the Music Section. It's titled Favorite Genre Other Than.....?. Anyway. Sorry I had to self promote my thread.

 

[D-Man]

For me, any way to make the event longer is fine by me. I believe it is the most exciting and exhilarating event of the year, bar none. By adding 10 additional wrestlers, that leaves room for a longer match, more records to be broken, and more participants which normally leads to more feuds and more different surprises that can be thrown in along the way.

I guess the PPV is only going to consist of two world title matches and the Rumble event from now on. Fine by me... anything additional is just filler for the main Rumble match, anyway.

 

[Serious Jones]

I have no problem with it. This means more people coming out that you immediately know won't win, the Yoshi Tatsus, Primos, and Zack Ryders, but there's nothing wrong with that. There'll certainly be more surprises, whether it be legends, the debuting Awesome Kong, or something else not foreseen. But what I'm seeing here is a golden opportunity for a face to pull a major upset.

While it's still an impressive feat to do, we've seen superstars come in at #1 and outlast 29 other superstars to win. No one has outlasted 39 other superstars. What better way to win the crowd over at the beginning of the Road to Wrestlemania by "doing the impossible?"

Although, now that I think about it, this could just be a way for WWE to involve its biggest angle, Nexus, in a larger capacity. We could certainly see some Nexus dissension, or even the two groups colliding. This could be nothing more than WWE trying to squeeze in the members of Nexus while still giving a little over 30 guys a shot.

I'd love to see a face overcome more superstars than ever before. It'd be a great way to get an upcoming face over. And it could happen. But given how big a storyline Nexus is, and how pervasive it has become throughout the whole company, it's most likely a way to include Nexus in the Rumble.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Doesn't bother me. As D-Man said, the Rumble match itself is and always has been the draw of this event and adding more guys into the mix will just make it longer.

It also opens up the possibility of having more surprise entrants show up, if that's something that the WWE has in mind to do this year. There's usually been at least 1 for the past several years.

It's also possible that the World title matches will be the only real 1 on 1 matches on the show, though I guess it's also possible that some wrestlers will pull double duty.

 

[The Brain]

My first instinct is to not like this but that's just because I'm not a fan of change at first. I'm sure I'll warm up to the idea. My biggest concern is shortening the time between entires. If they're going to do that to accommodate ten more guys I would hate the idea. Remember 1995? That moved way too fast. If they keep the intervals at the usual time the change can be ok. If they screw with the time this could be very bad.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

I love the idea. But it brings up one question...

Is 40 guys going to be too crowded?

30 guys looks like its packed enough and hard enough to move around. Add 10 more and it REALLY will looked cramped. I know not all 40 guys will be in the ring at once...but usually there is a spot where the ring is filled with bodies. Id love for the Rumble to be longer...but watch for guys to get thrown out quick so as to eliminate much of the bodies.

I just hope they dont throw a legend or two in there like in previous years. I agree with Jack Hammer as it brings about a way to bring more surprise entrants. I just hope some of the younger guys on the roster have a chance to shine that usually dont.

 

[The Bearded One]

I think this could potentially be a great idea, but only if executed properly, of course. Adding the 10 extra wrestlers brings excitement because there are more possible winners. But the only drawback, as some have already stated, is that the ring could get too crowded. This has been a problem with the 30 man Rumble from time to time, so who knows how bad it can possibly be for a 40 man Rumble. If they pace the eliminations good and can avoid overcrowding, then adding the 10 extra wrestlers will be great.

 

[MizfitPeep]

I like this. I like this a lot. I love the Royal Rumble match & making it longer & including more superstars is a great idea. I'm not too woorried about it getting overly crowded. There's always going to be a few wrestlers who arrive & immediately get thrown out. It's not like every wrestler is going to go the distance & last a long time. I was kind of wondering how they were going to do the Rumble this year, with so many new Superstars. Also, WWEUniverse just tweeted that each man will still come in at 2 minute intervals. So if that's to be believed, that's good news.

 

[The Brain]

The more I think about this the more I don't like it. 30 guys every two minutes (approx.) equals about a one hour match; a little more given the action after the last guy comes in. I think that is long enough. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. The Royal Rumble has lasted 22 years without ever getting stale. I've never heard anyone complain about the rumble. Think about that for a second. This is the IWC and we're talking about something that's lasted over 20 years without complaint. That's unheard of. Why mess with a winning formula? To make room for Primo and JTG? They should stick with 30.

 

[Dzone]

I guess it ruins the tradition but I suppose that tradition was when there were less people on the roster, now 40 seems absolutely find by me, if taking the larger roster into account--> adds the chance for more surprises or HOF entrants =].

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The 10 extra are likely to be the NXT rookies and a couple of other FCW guys rather than anything else... I expect to see the former Consequences Creed, maybe Percy Watson, Darren Young, Mason Ryan and maybe Richie Steamboat and their ilk rather than the Primo's... It'll make the early-mid part more of an extended tryout for some wrestlers I guess.

 

[The People's Peep]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm not saying I dont like it. There are good things that will come with this. First and foremost, this means that more people will have the opportunity to be a part of this very significant spectacle. Also, it means that the match will probably be longer which is always a good thing considering it very rarely disappoints. But there are some problems that could occur if it isnt handled correctly.

First off, we dont want too many people in the ring at once. With more people, there is the potential to have too many people in the ring and the match could get confusing. Also, the Royal Rumble is one of the most prestigious traditions the company has. Do you really want to change it?

I think right now I'm leaning towards liking it. If its going to showcase more people and as long as it keeps the event fun, go ahead I guess.

 

[MargeraRVD316]

I heard about this over twitter. I was talking with a friend of mine on Black Berry Messenger, and my phone went off and WWE Sent me a mobile notice that the rumble had been changed. That moment was a moment of AWE for me. I can't wait to see how this plays out. And i think maybe 5% of the reason why they might be doing this is because this is to get more face time and more rivalries working out. Remember Kurt Angle vs. HBK at Mania? That fued started because of the royal rumble. They may be doing this to get a ton of fueds for Mania, because quite honestly they are very low on options. This leads me to believe that maybe quite possibly we are going to see something huge take place. They did it for a reason, so on January 30, we will see what it was. Maybe they have a plan to get more rivalries, maybe it's to get younger guys on the card, maybe it's for Nexus. Nobody really knows. All i know is this decreases the chances of a lower number winning. I'll be looking for a higher number like 13 or so to win this thing.

 

[nbrew2119]

I like this...to a point

I really hope they go back to 2 minutes in between people entering. With each Heavyweight title match getting about 20 mins a piece, that still leaves over 2 hrs for the rest of the show.

Another thing they need to do, is have some people last a long time, something they didnt do last year. I dont think anyone even lasted 20 minutes last year, usually they have someone lasting at or near an hour. I also agree with a few people coming back, that have been out with injuries(HHH, Skip Sheffield, Khali, even though he wasnt hurt, Evan Bourne).

I guess overall, I like the idea, but, I would go back to 2 minutes in between entrants(since they will have the time left to do it), and have a couple people last a long time, it just felt rushed last year

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm guessing the intervals will have to be 1:30 which I like better then 2 minutes but 40 superstars just seems like too much. I only count 43 healthy, male wrestlers on the roster right now and at least 4 of those are eliminated due to world title matches. Obviously there will be some surprise entrants but this basically means that every jobber on the roster will be involved. I'm just not overly excited to see guys like Primo, Curt Hawkins, and Tyler Reks in the Rumble. Especially because you know they have zero chance of winning. It just seems like a lot of filler for really no reason. 30 was a perfect number to me.

 

[Arkham Noir]

After intially reading the article, I didn't mind the idea, but The Brain brought up some very good points. While some may complain about the outcome of the match or the fact that guys return and win the rumble, the actual formula itself has never been a problem. Always well paced and never felt too long. The extra ten guys will add, at the very least, another fifteen minutes and that is just until all the participants are in the match.

The other thing is that there are already guys in the rumble that nobody really wants to see there, so who exactly are they planning on adding on top of that? 30 allowed for the big names and the mid carders to mainly rule the rumble with the odd jobber to round out the number. Not sure crowding the ring with more guys is a good idea.

I'm hoping that this is meant to be a test run to see how the concept will work. There is a greater potential for more feuds spawning, but there is also the risk of those same feuds being lost in the shuffle of so much going on. It could turn out well, but we'll have to wait and see.

Who knows, maybe they just want Kane to beat his old elimination record.

 

[Hitman-HBK United Inc.]

I really don't like how Labar compared this to WCW's World War 3, which was a complete mess, and an excuse for Brad Armstrong & Chris Adams to get a PPV payday, which I'm sure wasn't much. I also mention this because, even in WCW's best days, World War 3 never did overly well in the PPV buys department, traditionally it was always quite low.

60 guys...3 rings...1 winner! Should've been...60 guys....30 you'd only see on Nitro as designated Goldberg victim No.-- And 6 guys who have a chance of winning....

You could never keep up with what was going on until the end of the match. Now I'll wait and see how the complete format will play out until the Rumble, but if it's every 1-MINUTE, like '95, I can tell you right now, I'm going to hate it. That Rumble's only saving grace was Shawn's phenomenal performance.

Changing the Rumble may not be the best idea though, I mean with WWE PPV's drawing record lows, the Rumble is one of the VERY few that has stayed consistent and generally ends up being succesful every year.

I also have to add...I'd love this Rumble to feature Tony Skee-a-vone, on commentary....picture it....."MY GOD, IT'S DARREN YOUNG!!!"

 

[S.J. Maximus]

I don't know why everyone loves this so much. The Royal Rumble is just about an hour every year, why would we want it to be longer? I'm not saying an hour is too long, but how is making the Rumble longer an improvement rather than a setback? Just like Justin LaBar's article states, the addition of 10 guys doesn't change the list of popular winners or even potential final-four members.

So basically the match isn't going to change its just going to be 20 minutes longer. Sounds stupid to me. "If it ain't broke, please (with a cherry on top) DON'T FIX IT."

 

[Hitman-HBK United Inc.]

I would love to hear Tony Skee-a-vone commentating this....picture it...."MY GOD, IT'S DARREN YOUNG!!!"

 

[ccotreau1]

I like this idea, for 2 reasons, first it allows guys that aren't doing much right now due to lack of ideas to be in the rumble, even tho these guys won't have a chance, but instead of releasing them, give them some tv time. And secondly, it allows for some new feuds to start, hopefully with these unused guys.

 

[fenfool]

Yeah, I don't think adding 10 participants means 10 more people have a chance of winning, it just means they are giving cannon fodder to those few that have a shot. Make someone like Zack Ryder or Chavo Guerrero win, and then we'll talk. But if all this is to have HHH enter at #40 and win, it really doesn't add anything, except 20 minutes, to the match. We'll see, though. Maybe they change the entrance delay to 1 minute instead of 2, or add something else to the mix (whoever gets the most eliminations gets an IC title shot, or something...just thinking aloud).

Anyway, I will, like everyone else, wait and see how it goes!

 

[vampirek]

Well it think with the two Nexuses, Cena you have 9 of the original 30 already. For that reason I see this as a good idea, it also allows room for the ones you don't expect to turn up (RVD a couple years ago for example).... and yes chances are it means Lawler getting involved.

On the other hand, it could be seen as lazy booking more time given to the Rumble the less has to be done to the undercard meaning you can forget about any build up of the midcard titles and tag titles. Or if they are to keep it down to about its normal time it becomes too fast and looks a mess like it did in 95.

 

[Daniel]

I'm well up for this. There are so many positives and not many negatives.

More entrants should mean a longer match. This is always going to be a positive. The Royal Rumble match is one of the highlights of the wrestling year. Therefore, making it longer is good. There we go. That was simple. If the intervals are spaced closer together, then we have a problem. It could mean a similar length match, a more clustered match or eliminations happening so frequently that they lose any significance.

I don't think that we will see any FCW guys in the Rumble. FCW is never mentioned in WWE, casual fans will have no idea who Consquence Creed is. Nor should NXT Rookies be in. In kayfabe, they are competing for a contract and everything that entails (including being on PPV). What a 40-man Rumble will do, however, is give a chance to those on the outskirts of the main roster, The Primos, the Barretas, etc. Even if it's in a huge match with 39 other guys, it's still valuable PPV time for Superstars who are deserving of it. Pop in a few returning guys and some surprises (Sgt. Slaughter still wrestles, right?) and you've got a stellar line-up for a 40-man Rumble.

 

[moneymaker90]

I don't think this is a good idea from any point. I seriously doubt that the match time will be extended so the result will be much more guys staying much less time in the match. I don't believe that a guy that only shows himself on Superstars or FCW guys will benefit of 1 minute of getting his ass kicked by someone. The current format is good and has worked very well over the years. The WCW one wasn't really good because of this. Way too many people and lots of confusion which resulted in a low appeal. The Rumble match is perfect the way it is: please don't mess with it.