Guest Entrants in the Royal Rumble
February 7, 2012
By Nigel Doughty
So, the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble has come and gone, and once again we had legends and non wrestlers participate. This year saw the entire announce team as well as Mick Foley, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Ricardo be part of the rumble match, but should WWE stop this from happening?
Every year WWE contact former wrestlers and legends to ask them to participate in the Rumble match, but there really is no need. WWE has plenty of stars on the roster to be able to fill the Rumble spots. Wouldn’t it be better to give them the opportunity to get some tv time?
Look at the likes of Curt Hawkins, Johnny Curtis and Mason Ryan – they could have all benefited from some exposure on tv, but these spots were taken up by non wrestlers.
On the flip side, even if these guys got into the Rumble, it is not exactly the best place to show case talents. There is too much going on in the Rumble match, and unless they are going to do something spectacular, they really won’t stand out.
Also, the fans seem to appreciate seeing legends one more time. Everyone knows that they are not going to win the match, but its nice to see them back in action, if only for a few minutes, and it allows fans to pay tribute to the stars.
It also allows the WWE to see if it is worthwhile bringing them in again. Look at Booker T last year. Initially, he was only supposed to be part of the Rumble, then move onto commentary, but WWE recognised that he still had the ability to carry a decent match, so they put him in a feud with Cody Rhodes – which only served to boost Cody’s push.
Although it could be argued that giving spots in the Rumble to former wrestlers takes the spot away from someone who just needs the exposure, it is part of the Royal Rumble and something many fans look forward to. Nostalgia is a powerful tool.