10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2014 Facts
6. JBL And El Torito Replaced Two Other Wrestlers
Even the "gag entrants" in the Rumble match couldn't deodorize the rotten scent left by the booking ambitions. Alexander Rusev was the token NXT shoehorn, while Kevin Nash's brief appearance would end up being rather forgettable, especially in the show's immediate aftermath.
Two other surprises were El Torito and JBL, the latter of which actually elicited a nuclear pop from the Pittsburgh crowd. Neither man, however, lasted two minutes in the fray, and in fact JBL was dumped as he was handing his suit jacket away.
According to PWInsider, their spots were meant for Bad News Barrett and Xavier Woods. Woods was originally an announced participant, but was quietly pulled from the match (a fact he acknowledged the following night when he subtly accused JBL of stealing his number).