10 Dumbest Royal Rumble Participants In WWE History

1. Kane

Kane Royal Rumble 2001
WWE.com

Kane might hold the all-time Royal Rumble elimination record with 44 in total, but he hasn’t been able to win a single Rumble despite competing in the match on a record 19 occasions. As we’re about to find-out, there are plenty of reasons for this damning statistic.

The Big Red Machine hit the 1999 Rumble like a hurricane, and eliminated Road Dogg, Kurrgan, Goldust, and The Godfather seconds after entering. Kane cleared the ring, but his follow-up was disastrous: a gang of goons hit the ring to wrap Kane in a straightjacket, but while Kane was able to take two of them out, he climbed over the top rope and eliminated himself to chase the others out of the building.

The madness continued in 2000, when Kane made a terrible decision in trying to bodyslam the Big Show. He pulled it off, but the exertion stumbled Kane towards the ropes, and allowed the tiny X-Pac to throw him out.

In 2009, Kane and The Undertaker teamed-up to double-Chokeslam Ted DiBiase inside the ring, when they had the perfect opportunity to throw him out. He prevented RVD and Finlay from eliminating Mike Knox later on, and in 2010, Kane save Triple H from elimination at Legacy’s hands not once, but twice.

2013 saw Kane pull his brother’s party trick by spending too much time gawking at The Great Khali after eliminating him, gifting Daniel Bryan a sneaky elimination. In 2015, Kane and Big Show distracted each other with a double throat-grab that allowed Roman Reigns to throw them both out, and this year, when R-Truth hit the ring and scaled a ladder, Kane yanked him down instead of James Ellsworth-ing him out of the ring.

It’s like Kane’s brain just turns to mush on Rumble night. Sure, he produced one of the event’s all-time great performances back in 2001, but his Rumble lowlights greatly outweigh the highlights. Kane is a serial failure in these contests, and it’s nobody’s fault but his own.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.