10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1995 Facts

2. Michaels (Slightly) Defied McMahon's Orders On The Finish

As far as Royal Rumble finishes go, it was one of the most clever: The British Bulldog would send Michaels tumbling over ropes, then turn around thinking he's won while his music played. As he stood on the middle rope in a victory pose, Michaels would smash him in the back and knock him over, since (unbeknownst to Bulldog) only one of HBK's feet actually touched the floor.

When discussing the finish, McMahon wasn't sure if Michaels could pull off such a delicate spot while keeping one foot off the ground. Between exhaustion and the chance that Smith might knock Michaels over too aggressively, McMahon wanted Michaels to get back to safe ground as quickly as possible, to not milk it.

But hey, it's Shawn Michaels, and he's the consummate pro. Michaels hung from the ropes, dramatically milking it and milking it for as long as he could before getting back to the apron. As Michaels noted, "I hung a little longer than maybe Vince would have liked."