From the WWE Rumor Mill: Possible reason why there was a sumo wrestler in the Greatest Royal Rumble

What's the story?

On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE included a sumo wrestler, Hiroki Sumi, in the Greatest Royal Rumble because the Saudi Prince requested to have the late Yokozuna on the show.

In case you didn't know...

Yokozuna was one of WWE's biggest heels in the early '90s and was a top star when the company started securing a number of international television deals around the world. This means that professional wrestling fans outside North America feel nostalgic about characters such as Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

Unfortunately, the scion of the Anoai clan passed away on October 23, 2000, due to pulmonary oedema. He was only 34 years of age.

The heart of the matter

According to Dave Meltzer, the Saudi prince requested for a number of key wrestlers to appear on the show, including The Undertaker, The Ultimate Warrior and Yokozuna. He also reportedly asked to have Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim Ross on commentary.

However, WWE opted to have its usual commentary team because of the nature of the event.

What's next?

WWE's next pay-per-view, Backlash, will take place at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey, on May 06, 2018.

Author's take

Given that they reportedly paid WWE a lot of money to host the Greatest Royal Rumble, it came as no surprise that the Saudi dignitaries had a list of demands for Vince McMahon. Unfortunately, the Greatest Royal Rumble turned out to be mediocre and wasn't much more than a glorified house show.

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