I was there. On the floor of Tropicana Field, I panned around to see my surroundings. More than 48,000 people were packed into the stadium for the annual WWE Royal Rumble event. WWE is a major global organization that has been around for decades and the Rumble is its second-biggest premium event of the year (second only to WrestleMania). At the end of the evening, the raucous crowd was informed that the attendance number was more than 48,000, a record for Tropicana Field. For most in attendance, this was simply an intermission between the high-octane performances of the superstars on the match card. For me, this was a victory lap for St. Pete.

Even before fans were let inside the stadium for the event the excitement was palpable across the EDGE District. Ferg’s was packed (you’d have thought the Bucs were the ones vying for a spot in the Super Bowl). Thousands were strolling 1st Avenue South and Central Ave killing time before the huge wrestling event kicked off. I spent the better part of 20 minutes navigating the anaconda-like lines around the Trop just trying to figure out where I was supposed to stand. Props to the stadium staff for directing traffic at the gates.

Fans travel from across the country to St. Pete for the Royal Rumble

The father and son in front of me in line had flown from Indiana. In front of them, a group of 6 had driven down together from Philadelphia (the same city where WrestleMania 40 will take place). An elderly couple from Canada, a man from Dallas dressed like the Macho Man Randy Savage (neon orange cowboy hat included), and more fans from across the state of Florida were more than ready to rumble. An alleged semi-pro poker player from Louisana was standing behind me outside gate 6 and his stories about tournaments across the country was like my own little podcast while I waited to go through security.

Inside, fans sang along to Cult of Personality as CM Punk made his official televised return to WWE. They popped when the surefire megastar Jade Cargill made her debut with the company. A fan in front of me with a giant WWE replica belt slung across his shoulders got emotional as Cody Rhodes (son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes) made the too-sweet symbol with his hands and pointed toward the WrestleMania sign as pyrotechnics sounded off from the roof to close out the night.

Hundreds of kids and adults were decked out in Tampa Bay 3:16 shirts, a piece of local merch I’m hugely regretting not acquiring that night.

A record-breaking attendance number inside Tropicana Field

Tropicana was of course a part-time home of WWE during the pandemic lockdowns. They branded Tropicana as the Thunderdome, and they held live showings and tapings inside the stadium for months before moving over to the Yuengling Center in Tampa. During that period, a Royal Rumble with no audience was held inside the stadium.

Soon, Tropicana will play host to Cirque du Soleil. The event titled BAZZAR will be in St. Pete from February 22 – March 24.

What to read next:

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• The Innovation Ecosystem Map of St. Pete
• Do it: Annual St. Pete Seafood & Music Festival
• Webb’s City Cellar a James Beard Semifinalist