Like Brock Lesnar, it takes something special to get me out of the house. So when WWE and Fandango announced a partnership last summer to bring WWE’s premium live events to select movie theaters, I hesitated.
Oh, the temptation was real. As someone who believes there’s no such thing as a TV that’s too big, this was a chance to watch wrestling on the biggest screen possible. Not to mention the sound would likely be next level.
But leave the house? Where I’d otherwise be on the couch next to my wife?
That was a tough sell.
Then a funny thing happened.
While putting together my Royal Rumble preview articles, I stumbled on a deal: Fandango FanClub members got two free tickets to the Rumble just for signing up. The cost? $9.99 — a bargain compared to ESPN’s $29.99 asking price.
Faster than a Speed match, I signed up and told my wife we were going to the Royal Rumble. Once I assured her we weren’t flying to Riyadh, we were ready to have a good time.
So what was it like watching the Royal Rumble on the big screen?
Well, let me tell you something, brother.
A “Regal” Rumble
As we saw, fans arrived at Regal Cinemas in El Cajon, Calif., as they would for a live wrestling event. Most wore T-shirts of their favorite wrestlers. One person proudly arrived with their replica title over their shoulder, while another fan enjoyed his nachos while wearing an El Grande Americano mask.
Roughly a third of the theater was filled — well over 100 people — and the crowd was lively. Chants broke out throughout the night, but one united us all.
When the Royal Rumble went live, the sound was noticeably low. After a few minutes, we collectively chanted, “Turn it up!” Staff eventually adjusted the volume, but the change was barely noticeable.
For my wife and me, this was the most disappointing part of our outing. I’d been looking forward to the audio punch — especially for Gunther’s match with AJ Styles. I wanted “The Ring General’s” chops to pierce my soul. One in particular drew a huge reaction, but I couldn’t help imagining how much more impactful it would’ve been at proper movie-theater volume.
Later, when Roman Reigns entered the men’s Royal Rumble, fans stood and raised their fingers to the sky. The excitement was there, but the muted audio dulled the moment, turning the OTC’s entrance theme into light background music as if studying for an exam.
Visually, though, the experience was a home run. The 40-plus-foot-wide screen was the proper stage for WWE’s larger-than-life characters. Maybe because of that size, a few fans loudly noticed that one of Lash Legend’s eyelashes had come off during the women’s Royal Rumble, promptly dubbing her “Lashless Legend.”
For the most part, everyone was courteous. Sure, there was chatter, but nothing distracting. When favorites like Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky appeared, however, the theater erupted. When Oba Femi made his entrance, one fan in the front row stood up and mimicked his strut to the ring.
Whether fans were happy, mad, or heartbroken — as most were after Styles lost — being able to react freely made the experience feel like we were at the Rumble. As others celebrated Reigns’ victory, my wife and I didn’t feel out of place as we leapt from our seats and hugged each other, ecstatic for our Tribal Chief.
It was that inviting.
Final Bell
For the cost of tickets and concessions, the experience was worth every penny. My only real complaint was the low volume. Otherwise, it struck a happy medium between being in the arena and watching at home. The breaks between matches also gave fans time to hit the restroom or concession stand — something many took advantage of after the women’s Royal Rumble.
Most of all, sharing the night with other fans made it a communal event. Before and after the show, we struck up conversations with people who were just as excited — if not more so — leaving as they were arriving.
Had we stayed home, we might have gotten distracted by our phones or multitasked through slower moments. Instead, we were locked in from start to finish, entertained by snarky one-liners from nearby fans and kids losing their minds for Cody Rhodes or Bronson Reed’s Tsunami.
Those are experiences that can only be felt among a live crowd — moments that would have passed us by at home. They’re the reason we’ll be back in a theater to catch the next WWE PLE.
