The WWE is taking the Royal Rumble pay-per-view to Texas and as you know, everything is bigger in Texas. To be exact, they’re heading to the Alamodome, a 65,000 capacity venue but it’s unknown to everyone else what it’s likely to be when the WWE fits their staging and everything else. 

It shouldn’t lose too much in terms of seating so it should still be around the 60,000 mark for the event. The Rumble is a huge deal for fans but they’ve never done anything this large for the annual event. 

That means the WWE is going to have to sell tickets to ensure that they make as much money possible. That usually means that they are looking to bring in big names and have huge surprises and that means older stars.

Now with the Texas link, it’s easy to pick out a few names that would definitely bump up the ticket sales and pay-per-view buys but are they feasible? Perhaps not.

Stone Cold Steve Austin has been named once again but it’s unlikely he’d ever return to the ring. Now, for a five-minute spell in the Rumble where he hits a few stunners and then gets eliminated it could be possible but it remains to be seen.

Who else could be involved?

Another huge star that the WWE could call upon from Texas is The Undertaker. It’s been a while since the Demon of Death Valley has been seen by the WWE Universe and he could probably go for a few minutes in the Rumble. Plus, is there a bigger way to make a name for yourself than going toe to toe with the Phenom and eliminating him from the match? 

However, according to some reports, 'Taker let it be known to the people in charge that WrestleMania 32 was his last match and it’s quite possible he won’t be used again. 

Shawn Michaels is also another name that has been mentioned quite a bit. The Heartbreak Kid is reportedly in shape to get back in the ring but he, like Austin, is quite retired from in-ring action but he could easily be used in some capacity at the show. 

Michaels captured the WWE Championship from Psycho Sid at the 1997 Royal Rumble event which was also held in the Alamodome. 

Finally, The Rock. The Rock may have some scheduling conflicts with his movie and television career at that time of year but he’s another name the WWE can call upon.

The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble. Photo: WWE.com 

Does the WWE need to use these names?

It’s not WrestleMania and asking the WWE fans to fill around 60,000 seats for the Royal Rumble would be a difficult task without big names. The intrigue of how the brand split will affect the Rumble match and the championship shot at WrestleMania will mean a few fans will go, but it’s not a huge draw.

To have a few big names involved, especially those who have already been rumoured to take part, would definitely sell a number of tickets and get the WWE close to a sellout event. 

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About the author
Connor Bennett
Everton editor for VAVEL UK - contributing since 2015. Premier League accredited journalist. Journalism graduate from Liverpool. Writing about Football, eSports and the NFL. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ConnorBennett14