10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2009 Facts
5. Rob Van Dam Was Brought In On Short Notice
The loudest reaction in the Rumble may very well have belonged to "Mr. Monday Night" Rob Van Dam. The native son of Battle Creek, MI (about two hours west of the Rumble's location of Detroit) entered at number 25 and did some Van Dam-like things for about 14 minutes before Chris Jericho threw him to the floor. It was Van Dam's first appearance in a WWE ring since June 2007.
According to The Wrestling Observer, Van Dam wasn't even contacted about taking part until two days before the pay-per-view. The Observer also noted that Van Dam looked a bit heavier than usual, but added that he would've had no reason to be in more lithe "ring shape", especially with 48 hours to prepare for a match.