10 Best WWE Royal Rumble Performers (Who Never Won The Rumble)
6. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan shouldn’t be on this list. 2014 was the year of Bryan, and he had a great showing in the Rumble - in the opening match, against Bray Wyatt. That was a barn burner, but when Bryan failed to appear in the titular match, the Philly crowd reacted badly to say the least, booing Rey Mysterio of all people when he entered at #30.
In 2011, he kicked off the Rumble against CM Punk, an IWC dream that didn’t disappoint. Both put on a great show that can stand alongside pretty much any Royal Rumble starters. His greatest Rumble claim to fame was at the misnamed “Greatest” Royal Rumble in 2018, where Bryan broke the record for longest time spent in a single match at a lung busting 1:16.
2015’s disastrous main event flopped in no small part due to WWE’s mishandling of Daniel Bryan - the crowd really turned nasty when he was dumped after 10 minutes - and his legacy in the event is as much down to what he hasn’t done as what he has, but until he wins the event - and he could yet do it this year - he’ll cast a shadow over this PPV.