Here's a random nugget. Do you all remember that there was a Royal Rumble match in 2004 on Smackdown to determine the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship?

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I was just thinking about that because there were some Royal Rumble questions in the Thinking Differently thread.

Owen Hart also won a dark Royal Rumble in Madison Square Garden and The Undertaker's first Rumble win occurred in Tokyo.

Wicked!

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated drops another of his jaw-drawing bombshells


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Confirmed with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a>: Saudi Arabia's Greatest Royal Rumble match will have a Royal Rumble format with separate entrances, as opposed to a battle royal with all competitors starting in the ring.</p>&mdash; Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinBarrasso/status/985942981529210880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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LOL

If Barrasso is reporting it you can assume it's wrong.

Sounds like Rusev vs Taker is back on

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After much thought, I have notified <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WWE</a> officials that I have changed my mind. <a href="https://twitter.com/RusevBUL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RusevBUL</a> will celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RusevDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RusevDay</a> by burying The Undertaker in the sands of Saudi Arabi and will win the Casket Match at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEGRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEGRR</a> ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RusevCrush?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RusevCrush</a> ! Have a Happy Rusev Day !</p>&mdash; CJ (Lana) Perry (@LanaWWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/LanaWWE/status/986004685139140611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I sense a couple (no pun intended) future endeavors soon :(

the most over hyped match in a long time, wonder if heyman is running rusev

What the fuck is going on? I heard that it is a storyline, but to what end?

I mean, yay, but WWE have mishandled this in the most hilarious way. What in the hell is happening? Did the Saudi dude that is bankrolling this complain that they were not observing Rusev Day?

I wonder if this is his actual fair well? The only other thing I can think of is that Jericho suffered some sort of minor injury that is going to keep him from working the match Taker wants or whatever.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The leaked stage design which was believed to be of WrestleMania, is now confirmed as the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreatestRoyalRumble?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreatestRoyalRumble</a> stage! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRR</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZXMwFNJv3v">pic.twitter.com/ZXMwFNJv3v</a></p>&mdash; wwe stage creator (@stagecreatorwwe) <a href="https://twitter.com/stagecreatorwwe/status/986358557741170688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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just googled it, u might be 'onto something' @ CoolKing

The latest poster for the event includes Rey Mysterio, Mark Henry, and The Great Khali

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhyx8r-HHFk/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GP T6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAA AElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; ██████████relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhyx8r-HHFk/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Construction of the #greatestroyalrumble stage continues ➡️Swipe ➡️Credits to @abdulrahman_arshad #wwe #nxt #wweraw #smackdownlive</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stageswwe/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> StagesWWE</a> (@stageswwe) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-04-20T13:10:44+00:00">Apr 20, 2018 at 6:10am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

So where's all the bitches that were crying about a battle royal being named after Moolah?

My guess is stocking up on Kleenex to beat off to this show.

According to the WWE Network, this is going to be a 6 hour show.

1 hour for the pre-show starting at 11AM EST and then 5 hours for the main card starting at 12PM EST.

Was wondering how long the show was gonna have to be to fit in a 50-Man Rumble plus all those other matches.

I'm guessing a match or 2 will be on the pre-show?

The 10,000 single male tickets sold out in an hour and they're only allowed to be in the nosebleed seats. The rest of the 45,000 or so tickets are earmarked for families with women only so they can show how far they've come with women's rights, allowing them to watch wrestling!!

... Even though they can't perform.

lol

Really looking forward to this show. The women not on the card is a big plus but this card is stacked and should be fun.

https://i.imgur.com/XYMZFkc.jpg

Man, this is a huge PR stunt.

It's been an obvious PR stunt from the minute it was announced tbh

You guys say that likes it's a bad thing.

Totally, but buying space in the WSJ to advertise wrasslin' sure is odd

Bingo. And they've tried with R-Truth.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ia_300x450.jpg

How so? This is 2018, not 2008, and the women's division has come a hell of a long way since. Their matches are no longer just 3-4 minute piss breaks.

A big problem with the women's matches is the idea of repetition. They want to push them the same as the men, so they often have the exact same stories or gimmicks. At WrestleMania, the story behind AJ/Nakamura and Charlotte/Asuka was basically the same. Even the outcomes were similar besides the heel turn. They do Money in the Bank when there is another Money in the Bank on the show, a Royal Rumble when there is a Royal Rumble already on the show, and Hell in a Cell when there is already Hell in a Cell on the show. They are not being booked as separate or dynamic personalities, but rather shadows to the men who are often more experienced and polished in the ring.

Every show usually features at least one women's match, and often many more. And because everyone wrestles largely the same, it gets exhausting. It's kind of refreshing to see a card that doesn't put them in for the sake of it and as a crutch. It will help the women get more over too.

AJ Styles vs Nakamura with some actual meat to it for one. There is a 50 man Royal Rumble which should be filled with surprises. The IC ladder match should be good. The Expedition of Gold continues. I wasn't against Mahal's push, just thought it was poorly executed and Jeff is on of my favorites. The rest of the card isn't bad either. That's why I'm looking forward to the show.

I'll admit women's wrestling has got alot better but not as a whole. There are few women on the roster that could not be a "piss break" match and the length has nothing to do with it. Charlotte, Asuka and Banks are the only three that really stick out in the ring. Alexa, Bayley, Naomi, and Carmella are all your typical Divas from years past with more air time. Which is also another problem as they've done too much too fast with this Women's Revolution. What match would you put on the card for women if it was possible? A match involving Rousey is the only one that makes sense and might be too early to do anything like that anyway.

Personally, I find it refreshing when a women's match comes on. Like a "pick me up" during a long show.

They apparently did a really good job at WrestleMania. I dunno, I just wish they'd build up better stories for some of the girls and sprinkle them in where they are refreshing. Either that or give them their own show that is booked by someone not Vince McMahon.

Based on a recent interview Triple H had involving this event and the lack of women wrestlers, he pretty much implied WWE doesn't give a shit that their women wrestlers are not allowed to compete but want the PR goldmine of claiming they were the big reason why Saudi Arabia opened up more to women rights in the future.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8319446.html

Paul Heyman won't be at the show due to "unspecified reasons".

Now, I have no idea what those unspecified reasons are...but I'd guess Goldberg, Barry Horowitz, and Scotty Goldman won't be on the show either.

Ding ding ding, you are correct sir.

Although Noam Dar and Drew Gulak are two of the Chosen.

That interview seemed pretty legit. You can't go into a country that doesn't give women all the rights they do with men and be like "fuck you we're putting women on the show." What they can do is suggest they allow women to come to the show with the thought that maybe a few years down the line they might be able to integrate some women onto the show. Not sure why this is so hard to understand.