Steve Austin thinks Goldberg and The Undertaker add more than nostalgia to the Royal Rumble.
This year's installment of the Rumble is arguably the most unpredictable in recent memory. The field includes Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Braun Strowman and The Undertaker along with 26 more wrestlers. The intertwining feuds and the two separate world titles have contributed to the lack of a clear winner. Jim Ross has spoken on his inability to pin down a scenario.In an edition of Fightful's Wrestling Podcast, Sean Ross Sapp spoke about the endless possibilities for this year's Wrestlemania season.
Austin recently spoke with TVInsider about the unpredictability of this year's Royal Rumble match and his excitement for it., saying the following:
“It will be interesting to see what they do with Goldberg and Brock [Lesnar]. You are expecting they are meeting at WrestleMania for another match, but they do have to do epically well in this because of the physicality of both guys. They just brought Undertaker back. He has to be a force in there. Braun Strowman is a physical guy in there. He has to be strong and eliminate a decent amount of guys, but is he ready for a main event slot at WrestleMania? I don’t know. There are so many things to consider when I look at this; I’m not even going to try and book it. I’m just looking forward to watching it."
The Undertaker, Goldberg, and Lesnar all work a part-time schedule with WWE, but Austin thinks they provide a pivotal element for the Rumble match:
"They are relying on the established stars to help out with their experience. I think it’s more than nostalgia. There are these guys who have been there, done it over and over. People still want to see them, but the fact they are this veteran presence and super well-known. Most of that roster is not over to the degree a lot of the current guys are. So blend them in there and let those young guys get the rub, do well, because they are the future. The nostalgic guys bring that older and hardcore fanbase because most of those guys were from the ‘Attitude Era.’ They are drawing any way they can to sell tickets and put asses in those seats."
Austin also discussed his relationship with The Undertaker and changing his style to incorporate more comedy later in his career. The rest of the interview is available at TVInsider.com.
The 2017 Royal Rumble is Sunday night and will be held in San Antonio, Texas. Fightful will be providing live coverage of the pay-per-view.
