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“I should start selling [myself like that] to people who haven't checked out [World Wrestling Entertainment] yet,� McIntyre said with a laugh during a recent call with the Post-Dispatch. “Check it out and see what happens next.�

St. Louis fans will get that chance in person when WWE hosts its 35th annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view Jan. 29 at the Dome at America’s Center. As the Post-Dispatch reported last month, the Royal Rumble is one WWE’s biggest events of the year and will draw some 40,000-plus pro wrestling fans from across the country to St. Louis.

The event is a fan favorite for its headliner, the Royal Rumble, two 30-men and 30-women matches wherein wrestlers enter the ring every two minutes. The two winners receive a championship match opportunity at WrestleMania, hosted in Dallas in April 2022.Ìý

And fans aren’t the only ones who love the Rumble — WWE Superstars like McIntyre rank it among their favorites, too.

“As a kid, the Royal Rumble was my favorite to watch every year because it’s so exciting,� McIntyre said. “Now we've got the male rumble and the female rumble, so you get double the excitement. And that 10-second countdown, the anticipation every two minutes of, 'Who's coming next? Who's it going to be?' Sometimes you get surprises, and it's a nonstop thrill ride.�

The Rumble has played a significant role in McIntyre’s career. He won the men’s-division match in January 2020 after eliminating WWE powerhouses Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, as well as WWE legend Edge. Recalling that night, McIntyre describes it as his “A Star Is Born� moment.

It was a second act of sorts for McIntyre, who was released from WWE in 2014 and fought his way back, including stints in independent promotions, before returning in 2017. So when McIntyre was given the chance to secure a spot at WrestleMania at the 2020 Rumble, it was all the sweeter for the 36-year-old wrestler.Ìý 

“If you remember that scene in ‘A Star Is Born,’ [Lady Gaga] had this moment at the side of the stage, thinking, ‘That's my song. It's now or never. Am I going to do this?’ That's how I felt backstage as I was waiting for the music to hit. I was like, ‘This is the moment.’ Boom, the music hit, and I marched into the ring with all the intensity I've ever had in my entire life, ready to beat up Brock.�

The moment would prove bittersweet, though. Months later, when McIntyre got his WrestleMania Championship match against Lesnar, he won not to a roaring crowd, but to an empty room due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Three hundred days I was champion, collectively, and I don't understand what it's like because there was nobody there when I became champion,� McIntyre said. “I'm very proud of everything that I did during those times; we needed somebody to step up and be the leader. I'm very proud it was me, but I'm still chasing that moment.�

Of St. Louis, McIntyre said: “It’s a huge wrestling market historically. You can tell when somebody is a casual fan, or they really know what they're talking about, and St. Louis is one of those places in my head where the fans have such passion and knowledge. And that's why I'm so happy they're getting this event, because it's for the real wrestling fans. They really do deserve the Royal Rumble match.�

As for his signature sword, McIntyre said St. Louis fans can expect Angela to make an appearance at the Dome in January, as well.

“Oh yeah, the sword is going to be there,� he said with a laugh. “I’ve joked about this a couple of times: It went through TSA the first time, and they said the usual, ‘Do you have a laptop or an iPad?’ And I was like, ‘No, but I have this bloody great sword.’ And they were like, ‘Oh, we can't let that in.’ So now the sword flies private; it's waited on hand and foot.�

Tickets for the Royal Rumble are now on sale at . The Rumble can be purchased as a pay-per-view or streamed live at 8 p.m. Jan. 29 on .Ìý