Behind-the-scenes notes continue to surface following WWE Royal Rumble: Riyadh, with travel logistics, production quirks, and future storyline directions all coming into focus.
The first group of WWE talents and staffers are scheduled to depart Riyadh and return to Philadelphia later this afternoon as the company transitions back to its regular weekly schedule.
As for AJ Styles, there is currently no confirmation on whether he will appear on Monday’s episode of Raw following his in-ring retirement after losing to Gunther at the Royal Rumble. If WWE opts to formally celebrate Styles’ legendary career on television, the upcoming Raw in Atlanta is viewed internally as a fitting venue for that moment.
Several performances from the weekend drew particularly strong internal praise. Those within the company were said to be raving about Sol Ruca and Oba Femi, with Je’Von Evans also receiving high marks. There was a strong feeling backstage that Saturday night represented a genuine turning point in establishing new names as future cornerstones.
Regarding fan reactions to the arena’s appearance on the broadcast, WWE sources indicated the venue was fuller than it may have appeared on television. The LED lighting setup used in the seating areas reportedly created the illusion of empty sections when viewed on-screen, despite approximately 25,000 tickets being distributed for the event. One person familiar with the situation noted that the production element didn’t translate well to broadcast and is unlikely to be repeated for future Saudi Arabia shows.
There was also a minor production hiccup during the Men’s Royal Rumble match. After entrant #30 made his way to the ring, the live in-venue graphics briefly updated to show a nonexistent #31. The issue was attributed to an automated graphics program rather than any last-minute creative change.
Finally, Finn Bálor addressed his Royal Rumble absence on social media, airing grievances over being excluded from the match by WWE official Adam Pearce. That interaction is expected to carry over into ongoing storyline development.
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(H/T: PWInsider Elite)
