10 Best WWE Royal Rumble Eliminations Ever

1. Shawn Michaels (2010)

WWE Royal Rumble 2005 Paul London Gene Snitsky
WWE Network

Like the rest of his incredible performance in the 2010 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels' elimination was rooted in sheer desperation and panic.

'HBK' had to win the match. Obsessed with facing then-World Champion The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 having come painstakingly close to ending his undefeated streak a year earlier, Michaels entered an edgy and dynamic display in attempt to be only the second man to three-peat in the 30-man war.

Immaculately told by one of the greatest to ever grace the canvas, Shawn's story saw him frantically fight through the competition - even including the elimination of best mate Triple H with a shock superkick in a callback to how he dumped Diesel in 1996.

Losing his grip (as had been the entire theme of his gradual mental breakdown), the realism exhibited as he clawed in vain to hang on following an intentionally clumsy attack by Batista was some of the most beautiful hopelessness ever seen in professional wrestling.

Watch Next


Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett