– Cody Rhodes merchandise has been a hot seller in San Antonio this week, according to Fightful Select. Cody’s items have been selling “like crazy” so far, according to reports. The Royal Rumble Superstore opened at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Parking Lot C of The Alamodome. It was open from 10am-9pm on Friday, will run from 9am-11pm today, and then from 9am-2pm on Sunday.
– There has been no confirmation that WWE Hall of Famers The Rock and Steve Austin will appear at tonight’s Royal Rumble. It’s no secret that WWE wants Austin to work during the WrestleMania 39 Season, and it’s been reported that he never returned the company’s call when they pitched the match against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns earlier this month. The Rock is expected to appear tonight, according to sources, but this has not been confirmed.
– Mountain Dew Pitch is a major sponsor of the Royal Rumble, including tonight’s post-show press conference with WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H and the inaugural Pitch Black Match between LA Knight and Bray Wyatt. WWE has held rundowns or test runs of the match in recent weeks, and word is that the match includes a lot of neon elements as well as altered lighting. Friday night’s SmackDown featured both Knight and Wyatt talking about how the arena will be dark. Uncle Howdy also made an appearance on SmackDown, and it appears that he will be appearing at The Rumble, as his outfits were set to be backstage tonight, and Bo Dallas is in town.
– There are a number of stars in town who are not currently advertised for the Royal Rumble matches. Many were brought in to do media or Peacock/WWE Network filming, as well as to appear at WWE Community events. Big E, Alpha Academy, Titus O’Neil, The Street Profits, Mia Yim, and Damian Priest are among the talent who will or have already arrived in town. WWE also sent several NIL athletes to media and WWE Community events. Tommy Dreamer was in town, but he was on assignment for Busted Open Radio. Doudrop has also arrived in town. PWMania.com previously reported how she revealed on Thursday that she was suffering from heart problems, which is why she was recently out of commission. She told Fightful that she began training for her return to the ring about a month ago.
– For what it’s worth, WWE has Bloodline leis on hand for tonight’s Rumble.
– In terms of filming for Peacock/WWE Network and Digital projects, WWE does this during big weekends like WrestleMania or The Rumble. According to reports, WWE did not bring in nearly as many Legends for media or filming this year as they did in 2022.
– As of Friday night, Shotzi was scheduled to compete in the Women’s Royal Rumble. Dana Brooke has hinted at her participation in the Women’s Royal Rumble, but she has yet to be officially announced as of this writing. Brooke has participated in every Women’s Rumble thus far.
– As of a few weeks ago, WWE reportedly turned down a few names who contacted them after being used in recent Women’s Rumble matches. According to some, the company is focusing more on active talent this year. Having said that, there was a request for “unconventional surprises.”
– You can read another spoiler post about WWE NXT Superstars being used tonight, as well as information about WWE Hall of Famers possibly returning tonight, by clicking here. The updated Rumble card and live coverage reminder for tonight can be found by clicking here.
