Update on NXT's lack of involvement at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble - Reports
For the first time in several years, the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble event did not feature any NXT Superstars in the men's and women's Rumble.
According to Fightful Select, NXT talent who competed in dark matches on SmackDown the night before the Rumble was not brought to St. Louis for the Premium Live Event.
Io Shirai, Dakota Kai, Tommaso Ciampa and Roderick Strong were the ones who had competed in dark matches on SmackDown. The report also stated that some NXT talent were informed three weeks before the Royal Rumble that they wouldn't be used at the event. WWE didn't want to use NXT 2.0 talent and no reason was provided.
Multiple NXT superstars have competed in the men's, and women's Rumble matches over the years. While none of them has won the bout, they still got to showcase their potential in a major show in front of thousands of people in the arena.
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Many WWE talent was frustrated with the constant changes at the Royal Rumble
Vince McMahon is notorious for constantly changing things at the last minute. Plans for the Men's Rumble match were reportedly changed 20 times. One source told Fightful that it was the most frustrating and stressful experience of their WWE careers.
Things were changing right up to the moment superstars would go through the curtain to enter the match. The report also mentions that Vince McMahon changed the men's Rumble match order. There were a few times when some talent didn't know who they were eliminating.
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PWInsider reported that morale after the show was very low. The men's bout was won by The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar. 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey returned to WWE for the first time in nearly three years and last eliminated Charlotte to win the Women's Rumble match.