WWE has officially announced that the 2021 Royal Rumble will take place on January 31st.
The announcement came during WWE TLC where Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks and Drew McIntyre all retained their championships.
There has been weeks of speculation about the Rumble, with WWE pushing for a decision over whether fans will be allowed to attend the show in person. It has been reported that the company have set a deadline of January 7th for a decision to be made. Meanwhile WWE received a boost only last week, when it was confirmed that arenas near WWE’s new home at Tropicana Field will be allowed to host fans when the new NBA season commences this month.
Since the Royal Rumble’s inception in 1988 from the mind of WWE hall of famer Pat Patterson it has become one of the highlights of the wrestling calendar. From Rey Mysterio’s emotional victory from number 2 in 2006, to Edge’s surprise return in the 2020, WWE have proven that anything can happen in the Rumble.
The 2020 edition, (The last big 4 pay-per-view event to take place in front of a live crowd) saw Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair win their respective matches. McIntyre then went on to vanquish Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemaina 36 capturing the WWE Championship, while Flair challenged Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship and was also victorious.
Anticipation has been steadily rising for the 2021 event with Rhea Ripley installed as an early favourite to win the Women’s Rumble match. Things are much more open on the men’s side, with Superstar’s such as Big E, Edge, Brock Lesnar and Kevin Owens all mentioned as potential victors.
The 2021 Royal Rumble will air live on the WWE Network.