2008 – John Cena Returns
Going into the 2008 Royal Rumble, we all knew that John Cena was injured. For me, I assumed Triple H would be the one victorious leading to a one on one match against Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 24 but to everyone’s surprise, Cena returned, last eliminating Triple H thus making him the second man in history to win from the number 30 spot.
2007 – Shawn Michaels Vs. Undertaker
I wrote about this moment for a piece about my Favourite Rumble Match. This was essentially a predecessor to their magnificent bout two years later at Wrestlemania 25. Drama between the two longest serving members of roster is always great but this put the Royal Rumble match on the map once again.
2005 – Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit Start The Rumble
Both men entered 2004 at different points. Guerrero was feuding with nephew Chavo and Benoit had just moved over to Raw, on a mission for the World Heavyweight Championship. Both men won their respective brand’s World Championships and gave the fans a memorable, yet now overshadowed, end to Wrestlemania XX. As a fan of both and bearing witness to their careers running parallel (occasionally colliding), it was great to see both of them start the Rumble match, utilising the few moments they had to remind everyone just how good they are.
2011 – 40 Man Rumble
The concept of a 40 man Royal Rumble is extremely simple, it does not alter the concept or the format of the Royal Rumble match but does add an additional element that made for deep roster showcase with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Booker T and Diesel made their surprise returns/entrances, The New Nexus and The Corre collided while lesser showcased stars such as Tyson Kidd (at the time), Yoshi Tatsu and Chris Masters were all given time (some brief) in the match. I would not at all be surprised if Roman Reigns went 1 to 30 in this years Rumble only for the McMahons to announce another ten competitors, especially considering the rumours of AJ Styles and NXT stars popping up.
2010 – Edge Returns
Edge tore his Achilles in mid 2009 thus ending the partnership between he and Chris Jericho. Edge’s return at the 2010 Royal Rumble went unannounced and all the better for it. I went into this match thinking Shawn Michaels would win as he was hell bent on facing Undertaker again at Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble being the only option for HBK to go on and face the then World Heavyweight Champion. Edge’s inclusion was different from other Rumble surprises for one reason only – We thought he actually had a chance of winning. And he did.
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