WWE kicks off its road to WrestleMania with Royal Rumble from Saudi Arabia on January 31st.The Rumble acts as the annual reset – the clock starts again; the WrestleMania sign is hoisted for pointing aplenty and fans convince themselves that anything can happen once the countdown hits zero.WWEWWE presents a first ever Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia later this month[/caption]This year, that reset is arriving with a long-haul flight attached. Royal Rumble 2026 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the latest major show in a deal that continues to reshape the company’s calendar.For all intents and purposes, the Rumble is the starting gun for WWE’s biggest season, which makes it a particularly good time to remember that some Rumbles are remembered more fondly than others.One Royal Rumble WWE fans can’t stomachSome are woven into wrestling folklore, some quietly fade into the background and, every now and again, one is universally panned.Worse than that, perhaps, is Royal Rumble 2022 – an event that has become generally regarded by fans as the low point of event’s history.Across over 8,000 fan ratings, the picture is clear.While 2001 stands aloft as the top-rated Rumble on Cagematch thanks to its epic men’s Rumble, WWE title bout and Intercontinental championship ladder match, 2022 is, by contrast, in the bin.It’s a reaction that’s only hardened over time, the event panned and routinely described by fans as the worst Royal Rumble event WWE has ever produced, earning it 2.7/10 – 2001 bagging a near-impeccable 9/10.That reaction is not born out of one bad moment or a single unpopular decision. If anything, the frustration is sharpened by the fact the show did not begin in chaos.The opening match between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins is widely viewed by fans as the standout of the night, praised for its intensity, storytelling and sense of purpose.But as the card wore on, the mood in St Louis – and apparently at home – shifted. For an event that has sold itself for decades on chaos, surprise and possibility, many fans felt the night drained those elements awayTriple H and Kurt Angle collided in a Rumble classic in 2001WWELesnar’s shock entry into the Rumble match after already losing a singles match failed to hit the markWWEOne viewer summed up the experience bluntly, writing that it was a “waste of four hours” – frustration that sharpened around the Royal Rumble matches themselves.Traditionally, they are the safety net. Even on uneven cards, the Rumble matches are meant to carry the night, generating fresh stories and new obsessions for WrestleMania season.In 2022, fans felt the opposite happened. The men’s Royal Rumble became the focal point of the backlash, not because of who was involved, but because of how the night was structured around them.Brock Lesnar had already been in a WWE Championship match earlier in the show, losing the gold before entering the Rumble itself and going on to win it.Brock Lesnar’s big Rumble moment flopsIt was another attempt to sell Lesnar’s omnipotent dominance, of course, but in its execution, fans felt it defeated the entire purpose of the match.One reaction captured that mood starkly, saying: “This is the kinda show that legitimately kills any interest in WWE for me… this piece of trash PPV almost makes me wanna stop watching altogether.”Ronda Rousey made a WWE return at the 2022 Rumble and went on to win the women’s matchWWERousey and Lesnar triumphed but the Rumble of 2022 fell flat overallWWEA banger between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins is arguably all that saved a poor showWWEAnother went further, adding that it “almost made me stop watching altogether,” while one more said: “How do you mess up the Royal Rumble? It’s an event that’s sold itself for 30 years.”The women’s Royal Rumble did little to shift that feeling.Ronda Rousey’s victory on her return was viewed by many fans as part of a wider pattern on the night, where established stars were prioritised over surprise or momentum, reinforcing the sense that predictability had replaced possibility on a show that thrives on the unexpected.Fans still talk about 1994 as the night Owen Hart turned on Bret Hart. Stone Cold Steve Austin’s three Royal Rumble wins remain the benchmark example of repetition not resulting in fan frustration.The Rumble enjoys a rich history beyond the matches that given the event its name – Royal Rumble 2000 is still cited for Mick Foley and Triple H tearing into each other in a Street Fight that stands the test of time.More than 25 years after that classic in Madison Square Garden, WWE is preparing the 2026 instalment with eyes already stretching down the road to WrestleMania.They’d clearly be doomed to repeat the style of the Rumble four years ago, and shocks and surprises will be the order of the day if the latest in a stellar series of shows is to avoid taking up an unwanted spot in Royal Rumble history.