The 28-year history of the Royal Rumble match is rife with the greatest Superstars to ever lace a pair of boots. Hulk Hogan, The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Triple H and John Cena have all cashed their tickets to WrestleMania via wins in the 30-man bout. Two-time Hall of Fame inductee, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, captured his first WWE Championship in the match while Roman Reigns has the opportunity on January 24 to leave Orlando with his title intact. As legendary as some of those competitors are, the Rumble match has also featured its fair share of duds, wrestlers who are either footnotes in history or were eliminated in rapid fashion, their legacies forever tainted by seconds-long stints in the most beloved gimmick match in WWE. For every Kurt Angle or Brock Lesnar, there is a Squat Team member or Saba Simba. With The Undertaker's epic defeat of Shawn Michaels to win the 2007 Rumble match comes the curious inclusion of an over-the-hill Carlos Colon in 1993. Or Doug Gilbert in 1996. Or Dick Murdoch in '95. And what about 2012, when the roster was so incredibly depleted that the commentary team entered the Rumble? As great an institution as the Rumble has become, it has housed its fair share of curiosities and oddballs. In preparation for the 2016 incarnation of the match, which is sure to feature at least one head-scratcher, relive these 15 worst Royal Rumblers ever.
15. Owen Hart
It is not often that the great Owen Hart finds himself on a list devoted to the worst of anything, especially given his immense talents between the ropes. But when it comes to Royal Rumble matches, one cannot ignore how overwhelming his performances in those bouts actually were. In 1994, Hart entered the match just minutes after betraying his brother Bret, kicking his leg out from underneath his...leg. Or something like that. Rather than allowing the gravity of his actions to really sink in with the audience, he was booked for the match. Did he go on a run that firmly established him as the lead villain he would later become? Nope. Instead, he lasted just over four minutes before casually being tossed out of the ring like a piece of garbage by Diesel, joining legendary figures the likes of Bart Gunn and Virgil. One year later, what should have been another opportunity to make a first impression in the Rumble ended in disaster. After interfering in the WWE Championship match between his brother Bret and the aforementioned Diesel, Owens fell prey to an attack at the hands of the Hitman before he even entered the ring. Three seconds later, he was eliminated from the match by his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith, leaving him with two Rumble appearances totaling less-than five minutes combined. He would appear in future matches but what should have been the two most important, at his height as a main event heel, were immense disappointments that land the all-time great on this list.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
