St. Petersburg, FL – At the conclusion of the Royal Rumble on Saturday night, several WWE Superstars took turns looking and shrugging at the Wrestlemania 40 sign.
The acts of indifference punctuated an event seen by many as a disappointing build to the biggest wrestling event of the year. An event hit with miscues, botches, lackluster returns, missing legends, and a second-year-in-a-row win by Cody Rhodes left many fans feeling down about Wrestlemania 40’s potential. The disappointment in the results was also felt by the WWE roster who chose to skip the iconic “point at the Wrestlemania sign” for something more accurate.
Kofi Kingston, famous for his legendary elimination saves over the years, was unceremoniously dumped out of the ring. The former WWE Champion stood on the top rope, sighed, and slightly raised his shoulders.
The returning Andrade was next. After a few years in AEW, his surprise appearance in the Rumble garnered cheers. Unfortunately, his elimination was met with a resounding thud, just like his body hitting the floor. Andrade gestured towards the sign sadly before heading to the back looking for someone to punch.
He was followed by Asuka, her clown-like face paint betraying her blasé feelings. Pouting, the Empress of Tomorrow stared at the Wrestlemania 40 sign, lifted her hands in a “what are you gonna do?” motion, then motioned to her partner Kairi Sane still hanging onto the ring apron.
CM Punk, who came back to WWE after 10 years, stood on the top rope for well over an hour before finally mustering enough strength to move his shoulders.
While many are hopeful for the next few weeks to build up the Wreslemania 40 main events, there are still several wrestlers waiting for their chance to also shrug at the sign.