10 Most Disappointing Surprises In WWE Royal Rumble History
1. Rey Mysterio At Number 30 (2014)
The 2014 Royal Rumble failed for a number of reasons. Not only was it blatantly obvious that the recently returned Batista was going to win from the moment his name was announced, but it provided one of the most disappointing moments of Daniel Bryan’s storied career.
The Yes! Movement was at the height of its power, and fans were pining for Bryan’s ascent to top dog status. He had already wrestled Bray Wyatt on the undercard, and while it was never explicitly stated that DB would be part of the Rumble match, it seemed a dead cert. He lost to Bray, but it was fine: WWE were surely going to make things right by having the fan favourite storm the Rumble with a good showing, right?
Wrong.
29 entrants emerged without Bryan making an appearance, and the crowd were getting impatient. The building filled with tension as the clock counted down for number 30, and the “YES!” chants were absolutely deafening. Bryan’s arrival seemed inevitable, but it was Rey Mysterio who appeared as the buzzer sounded.
Rey was always a popular babyface, but the fans reacted with hatred and bile. Jeers poured down from the building’s every corner, and Batista eventually picked-up the victory much to everyone’s disdain. The fans rejected his win outright, with Bryan’s omission as the tipping point.
WWE righted this wrong by having Bryan become WWE Champion at WrestleMania anyway, but in a bubble, this remains the most disappointing surprise in WWE history.