Why Indianapolis is teaming up with WWE at the perfect time
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The best thing about Indianapolis securing the Royal Rumble in 2025 is that the city didn't land the massive event a few years ago.
Why it matters: Renewed interest in the WWE has pushed ticket sales for Saturday night's show in Lucas Oil Stadium to an estimated 65,000.
- That's the biggest Royal Rumble crowd of all time, and the first time WWE has drawn more than 60,000 fans to the event since 1997.
What they're saying: Indianapolis resident and lifelong wrestling fan Jacob Polk thinks today's WWE is even hotter than it was during the beloved "Attitude Era" from 1997-2002 when wrestlers like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Undertaker and The Rock were household names.
- "Between what Triple H is doing leading WWE and what Shawn Michaels is doing with NXT, it feels like they are really listening. And the roster is crazy right now," he said. "They're fully tapped in and they feel like they're having as much fun putting on the show as we are watching it."
Between the lines: WWE reached a low in December 2018 when widespread dissatisfaction led to controversial chairman Vince McMahon standing in the ring flanked by his immediate family on an episode of Monday Night Raw, promising to deliver better programming.
- All Elite Wrestling, a well-funded promotion launched at the start of 2019 by independent and international stars like Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, added to the pressure on WWE.
State of play: A significant WWE leadership shift began in 2022 when McMahon, the subject of courtroom scandals since the WWF's Golden Era, was named as the central figure in a sexual trafficking investigation.
- McMahon "retired" and his on-screen role was minimized, but he continued to work behind the scenes to facilitate the company's merger with UFC to create the Ari Emmanuel-led TKO Group Holdings.
- McMahon was formally ousted from the company in January 2024 after a former WWE employee filed a sexual assault lawsuit against him, and his real-life son-in-law Paul "Triple H" Levesque — a key star of WWE's Attitude Era — became the corporate face of the company.
- Fans welcomed that shift with their first taste of Triple H's WWE via the acclaimed "Bloodline" storyline headlined by Roman Reigns, Reigns' real life megastar cousin Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Rhodes.
Yes, but: Even during those difficult years, the WWE was still a powerhouse brand pulling in around 45,000 for each Rumble held from 2019-2024.
- In 2021, no fans were in attendance due to the pandemic.
What we're watching: If the WWE can maintain its momentum by the time WrestleMania comes to town.
- Officials from Indiana Sports Corp. told Axios last week that a timeframe for Lucas Oil hosting "The Showcase of the Immortals" still hasn't been solidified, but wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer says we could be waiting until at least 2030 for Mania.