WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has been part of several Royal Rumble matches during his illustrious career. With Royal Rumble 2022 approaching soon, he recently spoke about the legacy of the match in WWE history. Michaels was on this week’s episode of WWE’s The Bump. He spoke with WWE correspondents Kayla Braxton, Matt Camp, and Ryan Pappolla about how Royal Rumble played a huge role in his career and what the event means for superstars on the road to WrestleMania.
Shawn Michaels: I didn’t know the event would be such a landmark
Kayla pointed out that Shawn was on every Royal Rumble card from 1989 to 1998. The WWE legend went on to recall how it was similar to a Battle Royal when it first started. He mentioned that during his early years in WWE, he didn’t think the Rumble would transform into such a huge event:
“Gosh, the first time you hear about it’s like you said, it’s a Battle Royale essentially. I had no idea that it would become as everybody knows now. Rumble comes in and has so many implications towards WrestleMania. That’s where you start thinking about it. So, no, I gotta be honest, I didn’t know the event would be such a landmark it’s now, this unbelievable concept.”
The Heartbreak Kid also noted how the Rumble marks the starting point of the road to WrestleMania, and stars start thinking about their place on the Mania card:
“I feel like once the Rumble comes, that’s when everybody gets excited. And the Road to WrestleMania is right around the corner. And as I say, I don’t know that does justice to just how big that event has become,” Michaels added.
Royal Rumble 2022 is set to take place on Saturday, January 29 at The Dome at America’s Center in St.Louis Missouri.
