This year’s WWE Royal Rumble event drew a lot of criticism, as many fans were down on the show. Apparently, these feelings were shared by some within the company.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, “a number” of WWE sources were frustrated by repeated changes to the Rumble matches in the week leading up to the show. These sources linked the questionable quality of the battle royals to the frequent changes. In a previous report, Johnson wrote that the Men’s Royal Rumble match was changed “20 times” ahead of the event; these alterations affected spots, eliminations, entrances, and interactions between talent. Johnson also noted that this dynamic was present in the Women’s Rumble. The aforementioned frustration reportedly stemmed from the abundance of moving parts, which made the preparation process for the matches more difficult.
Generally speaking, Johnson reported that backstage morale was “very down” after the show, compared to recent WWE events. He cited one source who stated, “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.”
For a full review of WWE Royal Rumble, please check out our post-show podcast about the show.
RELATED: Report: Details About Ronda Rousey’s WWE Return, WrestleMania Plans
