The right balance for known RR entries v surprise RR entries

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Every year we go through this routine of "Why do they announce so many entrants for the Rumble matches, don't they know that we like surprises?", and it's like... This is only a recent thing where it's been an issue. I remember years as late as the mid 2000s where nearly the entire field would be announced and you might get one or two surprise entrants. Hell, they did announce the entire field until well into the 1990s. Now it feels like the demand is for more than that, almost well into double figures. Some even want the entire 30 to be surprise entrants, as though they wouldn't be the first in line to mock WWE for expecting people to pop for Dolph Ziggler or Natalya as a surprise entrant.

So what say you? What is the right balance for you?

[repomark]

No more than two or three surprises - anything more is diminishing returns. You aren’t going to have a huge comeback/debut every year - but getting the balance of actual threats to win surprises, nostalgia surprises and flat out comedy/celebrity surprises is important.

Royal Rumble 2001 is a good example of getting the balance right - Honky Tonk Man for nostalgia/comedy; Big Show for genuine threat to win/huge return; Haku as unexpected steal from WCW. Drew Carey was also only announced earlier that day so kind of counts in a way as the celebrity surprise.

[Fake Jesus]

The rumble should barely be announced at all. Mostly active wrestlers, obviously, but there's nothing to actually be gained from "Drew McIntyre WILL BE in the Royal Rumble" - it shouldn't be a 'surprise', it should just be ambiguous... there's really no upside to having three entrants left and maniacs on here and reddit doing the calculations that "Yeah, 28, 29, and 30 are gonna be Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins, and then a zany mystery man".  An over-reliance on surprises is an indication of a weak roster, though - it's a tradition, so it'll keep happening - but if you put the AEW roster in a rumble they wouldn't need any surprises at all. Obviously AEW can't book a rumble like WWE (Producers lack the skillset) but when you're watching a rumble you should be thinking: Man, I want Austin to come out now, I want Eddie Kingston to come out now, not "Man I hope I don't have to watch too much of recent NXT callups Von Wagoner and Humphrey Bluetooth before FUNNY ITALIAN SNAKE MAN cameos!!!". Y'know? And I think WWE lost themselves in the latter sometime in the past decade.

[This Player Hating Mothman]

I think most should be known or at least reasonably guessable--we don't need Dolph with a mic in hand promising he's in the rumble, but like we know he's in the rumble. But there's absolutely benefit in announcing people ahead of time, especially when you use those announcements and expectations to begin setting up stories both to tell in the rumble and to build off of for the months to come, since the Rumble remains a great way to get two people to collide and set up a Mania feud. But you can't really set up a story for the Rumble if you keep everyone a mystery. "Drew will be in the Royal Rumble" absolutely brings a gain if you have Drew go into the ring with a mic, sell the PPV, say he'll win and get back on track, give him a motivation, and then tell a story with him. The Rumble best operates as a match with several defined, distinct stories coming in to it, feuds coming out of it, and some filler guys to take up space/add variety/do spots or bring a lighthearted moment.

Agreed that three actual surprise people should be the limit. The vast majority of participants should be active, signed wrestlers logically booked into the match whether they're former world champions active on the show or some Main Event jobber weirdos, and spread out a couple nostalgia pops or a dramatic injury comeback or a big signing. If you look at the 2016 Rumble, AJ coming in at number three was a big deal and it was made a bigger deal by not really having any other major surprises until Triple H came out at thirty, and that was the finish of the match so it got to be more important for a reason. But until then? They let the fact AJ Styles was here breathe and made him look like a big deal.

[jivesoulbrah]

In 2002 they announced the surprises ahead of time which was really stupid. Imagine after Rikishi entering at #1 you see “Shattered Dream Productions” without having a clue it was possible. That pop would’ve been much more massive.

[Deleted]

I wish they announced none.

Obviously it's okay for someone like Styles to say he's gonna win it.

But I hate when like... 25 people are confirmed.

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2022 10:41:47 GMT -5 jivesoulbrah said:

In 2002 they announced the surprises ahead of time which was really stupid. Imagine after Rikishi entering at #1 you see “Shattered Dream Productions” without having a clue it was possible. That pop would’ve been much more massive.

Mr. Perfect got a great pop but you're right. Everyone knew it was coming and it ruined it.

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

I'd actually be interested in how it'd go if they just one year didn't announce any participants and were just like "what's going to happen?"

I also forget if they've ever done something like this, but it'd be kind of fun if one year they did a tournament throughout the month of January to determine the #30 spot. Would help things feel like they had a little more direction heading into the Rumble.

[msc]

I'm of the view they should announce everyone who will be involved and is active on the main roster.

Not NXT names. Not surprises. Not returns from injury. Keep them all quiet.

But if it's JTG, Tyler Reks, Hunico, Enzo Amore, Titus O'Neil, Karl Anderson to name but a few unannounced Rumble names from the past, then maybe just announce them ahead of schedule.

I don't see why they'd announce surprises ahead of time. Lita and Mickie James for example this year, or Mr Perfect in 2002. Made no sense to me.

A weird middle ground was 2003, when none of my group realised "Undertaker returns at the Royal Rumble" adverts meant "Undertaker returns IN the Royal Rumble" even though looking back it was obvious!

[msc]

Although this reminds me of when Dolph Ziggler returned from injury in the 2014 Royal Rumble, and would have got a huge pop because this was when he was legit the 2nd or 3rd most popular guy on the roster behind Bryan and Punk, only... Hacksaw Jim Duggan on the panel before went "Hey, Dolph Ziggler's backstage, he's my pick to win the Rumble!" Good job, Duggan!