10 Most Shocking Eliminations In Royal Rumble History
The Royal Rumble has long been an event in WWE's annual calendar with a unique lasting appeal. An appeal that can be largely attributed to the sheer surprise factor of the titular match and one that continues to cross generations of fans.
When commentators say "Anything can happen in the Royal Rumble", there are some moments that exemplify that adage more than others, especially when someone's ejection from the match is cause for gasps and confusion for one reason or another. There are some eliminations in the Royal Rumble that stand out more than others, so let's take a look at 10 of the most shocking eliminations in the history of the match.
10 Mark Henry (1999)
One of two eliminations on this list featuring female competitors, this first being Mark Henry's elimination by Chyna in 1999. Chyna's inclusion in the annual match is surprising enough considering WWE's noted unease with portraying intergender wrestling. It was also a natural extension of her inclusion in such scenarios during the height of the Attitude Era. Consistently portrayed as a strong and capable woman, Henry's elimination by her is shocking in the context of WWE. The company has only allowed a select few women to be seen as having power over men. The other shock is that Chyna could physically lift the mountainous Henry over the top rope.
9 Sheamus (2018)
Heath Slater is one of WWE's consummate losers, and in this Rumble match, he ended up being the punching bag for several wrestlers much to the enjoyment of the fans. However, when veteran Sheamus tried to take his liberties with Slater, Heath surprised him with a snap elimination after 2 seconds.
Sheamus' aghast expression and the explosive pop of the audience is the perfect punch line on the joke initially at Slater's expense. This is one of the most unpredictable ejections in Rumble history and on Sheamus' birthday of all days!
8 Roman Reigns (2016)
The 2016 Royal Rumble is one of the only years that the WWE Championship was put up for grabs in the match itself, rather than simply a title shot at Wrestlemania going to the winner. Despite champion Roman Reigns beginning the match at #1, the possibility of him retaining his title was still a very solid bet given his win percentage and over-powered status within the company at the time. It came as no small surprise when, after a prolonged mid-match absence, Reigns was ejected from the match by Triple H, leaving the company COO in the final two with Dean Ambrose, leading to an equally shocking 9th WWE Title reign for Hunter.
7 Kurt Angle (2005)
In any given Rumble match, assumptions are typically made about those who will be out quickly, and those who will last longer. In a time when he was perhaps at the height of his powers in WWE, Kurt Angle easily fit into the latter category. This made his elimination after 37 seconds by a superkick from Shawn Michaels all the more surprising. This led to a prolonged beatdown from Angle onto Michaels, further setting up a Wrestlemania program between the two. For someone who would not be out of place in the final four in any given year, Angle's swift ejection definitely turned heads.
6 Brock Lesnar (2017)
A fairly safe bet in modern wrestling is that Brock Lesnar will win any given match he is placed into/ The Royal Rumble in 2017 had the distinct possibility of being no different. However, the addition of Goldberg to the match would lead to Lesnar's elimination from it, which continued the surprise story of Goldberg returning to a top-of-the-card position after a prolonged absence from wrestling.
This was another set-up to a Wrestlemania confrontation between the two, but it was still quite a refreshing and, yes, shocking sight to see Lesnar countered at seemingly every turn by a man considered inactive for over a decade.
5 Santino Marella (2009)
This particular elimination is not necessarily surprising for who is being eliminated, but simply for its unmatched speed. In one swift motion, Santino runs to the ring and is instantly eliminated in one literal second by Kane. WWE has always tried to make history in as many ways as possible for the Royal Rumble, and it is truly impressive how Santino managed to oust himself quickly enough to gain the dubious distinction of "fastest elimination in Rumble history". Don't blink for this one, it remains one of the more impressive (and shocking) Rumble eliminations, and it must be seen to be believed.
4 Daniel Bryan (2015)
The elimination was so unbelievable, it ruined the rest of the match. Daniel Bryan seemed like the natural pick for this particular Rumble, given both his popularity and the fact that fans believed he would eventually make his way back to the top of the card as the challenger to then-champion Brock Lesnar. When Bryan suffered an ignominious elimination in the middle of the match, fans began to detect a shift away from the focus on Bryan and were not happy about it, booing ferociously and coloring the rest of the match with their disdain.
This is a true example of fans hijacking a match to voice their displeasure, but it would not result in a further focus on Bryan as a main-eventer at the time. This despite the palpable shock and upset at his removal.
3 Great Khali (2010)
The second-ever female to enter the Royal Rumble pulled off an unbelievable elimination. The inclusion of Beth Phoenix in 2010 was absolutely unexpected and a clear nod to fellow strongwoman Chyna's Rumble appearance, but perhaps more surprising was Beth using Great Khali's soft spot for women to tip him over the top rope and claim him as her only elimination. WWE's relaxation of its fairly strict adherence from intergender wrestling was shocking for the time and still is today. That Beth got to eject a giant from the match was a very unexpected development in an era of WWE where the unexpected was practically commonplace.
2 Stone Cold Steve Austin (1999)
Anything can happen in the Royal Rumble? Alright, let's test that. The 1999 edition saw a great deal of chicanery and ballyhoo around the inclusion of Austin, as owner Vince McMahon had a bounty out for any wrestler who could eliminate Stone Cold from the match. After a long absence from the match, Austin would return in the late game only to be eliminated by McMahon himself, in a classic Attitude Era swerve. The sight of McMahon with his hand raised, victorious over not only his mortal enemy Austin but also the winner of the previous two Rumble matches, is still unbelievable some twenty years later for its sheer audacity.
1 The Undertaker (2002)
Perhaps the universal example of "shocking eliminations" for those who remember it. Undertaker, one of WWE's living legends, suffered one of the most humiliating eliminations in Royal Rumble history after being dropkicked out of the ring by Tough Enough rookie Maven in 2002. Undertaker's face is unforgettable, a mix of disbelief and confusion, and the reaction for the young kid eliminating the seemingly untouchable veteran is loud and spirited by the energized crowd. Sure, he may have taken an unholy beating because of it, but Maven's shock elimination of Undertaker stands in Rumble memory as one of the greatest.
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