"I wish we'd go back to that" - Kevin Owens on what he would change about the Royal Rumble
Kevin Owens may not have had a truly defining Royal Rumble moment, but he has always remained a fan of the match. He recently opened up on what he would personally do to make the Royal Rumble Match more exciting.
Fightful spoke with a bunch of wrestlers, writers, and producers over the past few years on their memories of the Royal Rumble and what goes into the making of it. These conversations were all compiled into one lengthy feature. Kevin Owens was a part of this, speaking to Fightful about his thoughts on the Royal Rumble.
While the formula of 30 Superstars entering the match at regular intervals is flawless, WWE sometimes likes to shake things up and add something extra to the Royal Rumble. KO said that the one change he would make to the Rumble is for it to feature ten extra Superstars.
"They had done the 40-man Rumble one year, which I really liked. I wish we'd go back to that. The more people involved, the better. The longer it is, the better. If I were to pick any changes to make, I would add more people," said Owens.
The 40-man Royal Rumble Match happened in 2011
The 40-man Royal Rumble Match took place a decade ago, in 2011. It lasted 69 minutes and while it was an exciting idea, WWE's roster did not necessarily have the depth to feature a star-studded 40-man field at the time. The match did have its moments, though.
CM Punk was the iron man of the Royal Rumble, dominating the entire first half of it along with The New Nexus. Meanwhile, Booker T and Diesel made surprise returns to WWE during the match. In the end, Alberto Del Rio stood tall and won the largest Royal Rumble in history at the time.
WWE trumped that feat by booking a 50-man Royal Rumble Match to headline their first Saudi Arabia pay-per-view, Greatest Royal Rumble. While that may have been a little too much, a 40-man Rumble with the right story could work in today's day and age. WWE has a huge roster, incredibly stacked with talent.
So maybe, just maybe, Kevin Owens' Royal Rumble wish may come true.
Kevin Owens at WWE Royal Rumble 2021
KO may not be a part of the 2021 Royal Rumble Match, as he is set to challenge Roman Reigns in a Last Man Standing Match for the Universal Championship. That being said, Kevin Owens will likely hope to win a future Royal Rumble Match. Possibly, one with 40 Superstars involved.