10 Biggest Missed Opportunities In WWE Royal Rumble History
5. A Jeff Hardy Triumph (2009)
Circa 2008-2009, Jeff Hardy was one of if not the most popular pro-wrestler on the planet. If, like this writer, you were in Year 6 at the time, you probably remember kids imitating his entrance dance all over the schoolyard.
More seriously, how lacklustre was it to have Jeff "realize the dream of a lifetime" at a B-level show like Armageddon? And how disappointing to have him drop the title one month later, ultimately ending on the mid-card at WrestleMania XXV?
Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Batista, Rey Mysterio: a popular babyface winning the Rumble and going on to lay hold of their first world title at WrestleMania was done many times before because it works, because it's what fans want to see. This is a formula that was certainly befitting of someone like Jeff Hardy.
Granted, this win would imply quite a lot of alternative booking, and re-arranging both world title storylines on the Road To WrestleMania XXV. One thing is sure: at said show, fans who had just witnessed a battle for the ages in The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels did not really care for Triple H's triumph in the main event. They may have cared for Jeff Hardy's.