The first WWE PPV of 2021 is one of the best annual events of the year. It’s almost time for the Royal Rumble, where we’ll see two bouts featuring 30 superstars all trying to throw each other over the top rope. There will for sure be a few surprises, but it’s definitely going to be a different atmosphere as there’s still a global pandemic and there won’t be an audience in attendance.
This year’s Royal Rumble is taking place on Sunday, January 31 in the Thunderdome–which still exists at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. If you want to watch the event yourself, you won’t be able to go to Tropicana Field, but you can watch it on your TV.
How to watch:
The best way to check out this year’s Royal Rumble is by watching it on the WWE Network. The streaming service costs $10 a month and will allow you to watch the Rumble live. Aside from live events, the WWE Network has huge catalog of episodes of Raw, Smackdown, NXT, WCW Nitro, and even original series.
If you’re planning on watching this year’s Royal Rumble, you may want to familiarize yourself with when the show will air. Check out the start times for various time zones around the globe below.
Start time:
- 4 PM PT
- 6 PM CT
- 7 PM ET
- 12 AM GMT (February 1)
- 11 AM AEDT (February 1)
Keep in mind that there is usually a preshow for the event, and with larger PPVs like the Royal Rumble, WWE’s Kickoff begins two hours before the main card, so adjust accordingly.
It’s still a bit early for all the matches to come together for the card. As of this writing, there are only four confirmed bouts for this year’s Royal Rumble. Usually, most WWE PPVs have over 10 matches, but considering how long the two battle royals are, this year’s Royal Rumble should have between 8-10 matches, many of which will be for various WWE championships.
Match card:
- Men’s Royal Rumble
- Women’s Royal Rumble
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens (Last Man Standing match for the Universal Championship)
- Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Goldberg (WWE Championship)
The most talked-about match thus far is McIntyre vs. Goldberg for various reasons. First, McIntyre tested positive for COVID recently, and while his 14-day quarantine is up before the Rumble, it’s unknown how he is doing–and symptoms for the virus change day to day for many people. Secondly, Goldberg hasn’t been seen in WWE in quite some time, and many fans are not excited about a part-time wrestler showing up out of the blue and getting to challenge for the title.
All of these matches will be on the main card for the event. There should be two matches on the Kickoff Show, but those will most likely be announced a couple days prior or the day of the event. Keep checking back for updates to the card.
Per usual, GameSpot’s Wrestle Buddies, Mat Elfring and Chris E. Hayner, will be doing live coverage of the Royal Rumble and a review of the show on the evening of January 31, so make sure to come back to GameSpot to check out the results. Then, after the show, stay tuned for a special episode of the Wrestle Buddies podcast, where Mat and Chris will break down the Royal Rumble and what they thought of it.
