The 2011 Royal Rumble was touted as the biggest ever, with 40 Superstars battling for the right to headline WrestleMania. It was only logical that competitors would come out of the woodwork for the chance to shine in the spotlight one last time. Just minutes after fellow former WWE and WCW heavyweight champion Booker T received a thunderous ovation from the fans inside the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, the revving of an engine hit the PA system and the fans rose to their feet. After rising to notoriety in the 1994 edition of the Rumble match, Diesel stepped through the curtain and prepared for battle. Once inside the ring, he mixed it up with younger stars such as Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler, and successful veterans the likes of Rey Mysterio, but it was the surging Wade Barrett that ended Big Daddy Cool's night, much to the dismay of the audience. Kevin Nash, during an episode of WWE's Classics on Demand program "Legends of Wrestling," noted how amazing the feeling was to know fans still recognized him and respected him enough to give him the type of response he received. So successful was the return that Nash became mixed up in the Summer of Punk angle later that year, engaging CM Punk and Triple H in promos in the summer, fall and winter of 2011.
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.
