On the latest episode of the “Nitty Gritty Dirt Show” on RussosBrand.com, host Billi Bhatti and former WWE writer Vince Russo, discussed how Vince McMahon and WWE changed the winners of last year’s Royal Rumble match at the midnight hour, and how Drew McIntyre wasn’t informed that he would win until the last minute. Wrestling-Edge transcribed Bhatti’s comments below. Paul Heyman just hinted at a Royal Rumble Surprise Return
Bhatti: Last year they knew they always wanted Shayna [Baszler] and Becky [Lynch]. Then, an hour and a half before the show, they changed the winner of the Royal Rumble of Charlotte [Flair] and then had Charlotte challenge Rhea Ripley because a lot of the internet were predicting that Shayna Baszler was going to win. So they changed it, even though it made perfect sense for Shayna to win and Shayna needed that win because she needed that push coming over from NXT.
Bhatti continued:
Bhatti: The same thing happened with Drew [McIntyre]. Drew wasn’t winning the Royal Rumble until Sunday but not as late as when Charlotte was winning it because Shayna Baszler was still winning it. Drew was winning the Royal Rumble as of Sunday morning but not as of the Saturday or Friday when I spoke to him because last year Austin [Bhatti’s son]’s birthday was on Sunday, so it probably would have been on a Saturday last year.
I remember Drew calling Drew calling [my son] Austin for his birthday like he does every year because he’s a good guy and me speaking to him afterwards and Drew telling me that he was not winning it. So yeah, these things will change up until the last second. CM Punk Shares Surprising Royal Rumble Photo
