Of all the matches you'd expect to end in a draw, The Royal Rumble seems like it would naturally be on the exemption list. How do you end this type of contest, where a competitor is eliminated by getting chucked over the top rope, in a damn tie?
Well, the answer to that should be pretty clear to anyone who remembers the 2005 debacle with John Cena and Batista, when both men hit the floor at the same time and caused some very real confusion from the refs and brought about the very real fury of Vince McMahon. But unlike that unscripted mess, the Lex Luger-Bret Hart Royal Rumble co-win was actually planned that way.
It was a great way to build up a feud between the two superstars, who were both fighting it out for the spot of "top guy" as Hulk Hogan's recent departure had cleared the way for some new blood to make an impact in the main event scene. The crowd was obviously baffled by the finish, even after president Jack Tunney came out to explain the result. Suffice it to say, they haven't scripted a Rumble draw ever since (which is why Vince was so pissed in 2005).
That match was still a tremendous launching point for several of the New Generation superstars, particularly Diesel, who received a tremendous reaction from the crowd, even though he was a heel at the time. Sadly, it will always be remembered more for its unusual finish than for the quality work of the participants.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 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 35 years.
As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 70,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast.
He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.
