10 Biggest Missed Opportunities In WWE Royal Rumble History
4. The Upset Of The Century (2011)
If there ever was a time to pull a shocking swerve...
Going into the Royal Rumble 2011, all of the biggest stars on the roster (Cena, Edge, Orton, 'Taker, Triple H, Rey Mysterio) had already won one. None really needed a second, so you can't fault WWE for taking the chance to try and create a new main-eventer. Yet, retrospectively, what a weak winner Del Rio turned out to be. The win did not transform him into the big-time player they had hoped for, and a subsequent four (!) world titles made no difference either.
How about on that night, instead of trying to create a star, they created one of those famed "moments"? Imagine if the first 40 men Rumble, the biggest in history up until that point, was won by Santino Marella. The aftermath is a trifle: throw Del Rio back into the mix, have both guys face Edge in a Triple Threat at 'Mania - if anything it would've added some spice to a forgettable rivalry.
Just think about the moment. It would've been one of the greatest feel-good spots in WWE history, one of those highlights that gets featured on every Royal Rumble promo, whose video reaches tens of millions of views on YouTube and which every fan is happy to revisit once in a while.