10 Biggest Missed Opportunities In WWE Royal Rumble History
7. Brock Lesnar Pulls A Maven? (2003)
What makes this finale frustrating is that unlike in other instances (see the previous two entries), WWE got the last two contestants absolutely right. The only thing needed was to let them go at it for 3-4 minutes, hit a couple finishers and at least try to have a memorable ending sequence.
It should go without saying, but you don't have your Next Big Thing, the youngest WWE champion of all time, the badass that defeated 'Taker in a Hell In A Cell match, the babyface that was cheated out of the WWE Championship after his manager betrayed him, win his first Rumble by sneaking up on the runner-up like some frail, chickened out heel.
Supposedly, this was done to protect 'Taker, under WWE's weird notion of what constitutes protection. Say, in which scenario does The Undertaker appear as more of a threat, and better of a wrestler? The one in which he throws a chair at an already eliminated Batista, keeps staring at him for no reason, shows complete lack of ring awareness and suffers the silliest of eliminations? Or the one in which he exchanges blow for blow with Lesnar in a hard-fought battle, gets thrown out of the ring fair and square, and exits the stage with aplomb?