WWE Royal Rumble 2025: Indy gets ready to rumble
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Indy could host the biggest WWE Royal Rumble of all time. Photo: Alex Bierens De Haan/Getty Images
Indianapolis and the WWE have all the makings of an unstoppable tag team.
Why it matters: WWE Royal Rumble, the second-largest WWE production of the year behind WrestleMania, is the first phase of a multiyear partnership poised to pump thousands of fans and millions of dollars into Indianapolis next weekend.
Driving the news: WWE Royal Rumble Local Organizing Committee officials said they plan to roll out the red carpet next week for the global entertainment brand.
- Expect a citywide transformation similar to what we saw for Taylor Swift and the NBA All-Star Weekend, including multiple art installations and downtown streets being renamed to celebrate different WWE stars.
By the numbers: This year could go down as one of the biggest Rumbles of all time, with the potential to surpass the biggest Rumble crowd in history when over 60,000 people traveled to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, to witness the 1997 event, headlined by a world title match between Shawn Michaels and the late Sycho Sid.
- Officials expect a crowd of 65,000 to fill Lucas Oil, with 50% to 70% of attendees coming from outside the Indianapolis market.
- Nearly 50,000 people attended last year's Royal Rumble in Tampa Bay.
Plus: Friday Night Smackdown will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse the night before Royal Rumble, giving over 10,000 fans the chance to see what storylines will take center stage when the Rumble begins.
Follow the money: In terms of overall economic impact, Celeste Ballou, senior vice president of marketing at Indiana Sports Corp., said Indianapolis-specific figures are not yet available, but other cities have seen an impact of "around $40 million and upwards from there."
- The WWE and Indy partnership, which will also bring WrestleMania and SummerSlam to town in the future, has a total projected economic impact of $350 million.
Yes, but: We still don't know when those other events are coming, but we do know when they're not.
- The WWE has announced that SummerSlam 2025 and 2026 will take place in New Jersey and Minneapolis, respectively.
- WrestleMania will be in Las Vegas this year. Plans beyond that are pending.
Zoom in: Here are some of the ways that the WWE will make its presence felt in Indianapolis next week.
- An artist collaboration called "Here Comes the PAINt" will involve local creators making wrestle-inspired pieces.
- A program called "Marquee Matchup" will give residents the opportunity to earn rewards by supporting downtown businesses.
- WWE Night at Gainbridge is scheduled for Wednesday when the Pacers play the Detroit Pistons and fans will receive a bobblehead of Tyrese Haliburton wearing his own WWE merchandise.
- Sun King Brewery and World Famous Hot Boy have collaborated to create Spandex Super Slam, an English ale inspired by chicken and waffles.
- WWE-themed street signs and street pole banners will be installed.
- The dinosaurs outside the Children's Museum will wear WWE title belts.
- A tailgate party hosted by Chreece at The Hangar on Saturday will feature rap battles.
If you go: The WWE Royal Rumble starts at 5:30pm on Feb. 1. Tickets start at $170.
- WWE Smackdown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse starts at 7:30pm Jan. 31. Tickets start at $39.
The bottom line: Expect a lot of new WWE fans to emerge in Indianapolis once the Royal Rumble wraps.
Go deeper: Netflix strikes $5 billion livestreaming deal with WWE