WWE: Road to WrestleMania kicked off the right way at Royal Rumble
If you’re a wrestling fan, it’s the best time of year — the road to WrestleMania. The journey effectively begins at and during the Royal Rumble, and WWE did a good job of kicking off the journey in 2021.
One could say that things went a bit predictable during the first pay-per-view of the year. Predictable isn’t always a bad thing though and is certainly better than a swerve just for the sake of a swerve.
We’re talking to you, Vince Russo.
In all seriousness though, I know I was excited for the road to WrestleMania following the event. The word on the street is even the wrestlers were upbeat backstage.
Source said the vibe last night was the most upbeat locker room he’s seen in a long while. This time of year usually does that, but, also went on to say that the “Road to WrestleMania” has real meaning this year, serving as a small light at the end of a dark tunnel.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) February 1, 2021
This is great news. If the talent is excited, odds are it translates into the ring and into the storylines.
As we all know, 2020 was a year unlike any other in the sport. As the Covid-19 pandemic spread in the early spring, questions began to arise if WrestleMania 36 would even take place. The biggest PPV of the year was eventually held at the WWE Performance Center, however, fans were not allowed to attend.
Fans make wrestling so much more fun to watch as we quickly learned. Without fans, there are no cheers, no boos, no pops, and far less energy. The wrestlers themselves have a hard time judging their performances with next to nothing to gauge from.
Fans will be making their return soon!
It was announced that WrestleMania 37 would be moving to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida by WWE late last month. Raymond James Stadium was the original site of WrestleMania 36 prior to the event being forced to the Performance Center.
Via WWE and the New York Post:
"“Florida is excited to welcome back WrestleMania to Tampa in April at Raymond James Stadium,” Florida governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “Florida has continued to work with professional sports and entertainment to safely operate while generating revenue and protecting jobs. WrestleMania will bring tens of millions of dollars to the Tampa area, and we look forward to hosting more sporting and entertainment events in Florida this year.”"
Attendance for the event is rumored to be capped at 25 percent, which is roughly 16,000 people at RJS.
It’s definitely a win though for WWE, the Tampa area, and the WWE Universe.
The biggest concern is obviously fans returning in the safest manner possible, and that social distancing guidelines are followed and enforced. Fans being at the event is a huge step in the right direction if everyone involved can do so!