10 Most Unique Tactics Ever Used In A Royal Rumble

5. The Royal Rumble Goes Hardcore

Chainsaw Charlie, Cactus Jack
WWE.com

The Royal Rumble is a match that is already wild, crazy and unpredictable. Throwing in a steel chair, a trashcan lid and a Singapore cane only adds to the madness. Yet that is exactly what happened in 1998 as Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie introduced the world of hardcore wrestling to the 30-man spectacular.

They battered and brutalized each other, despite their status as top contenders to the tag titles, proving that the Royal Rumble truly was every man for himself. Three years later, the hardcore division within WWE was on full display as Raven, Steve Blackman, Al Snow, Perry Saturn and Grandmaster Sexay pummeled each other, not to mention the Big Red Monster Kane, with weapons in hopes of cashing in their ticket to the WWE title match at WrestleMania X-Seven.

The idea of introducing the hardcore element to the Royal Rumble in 2001 backfired, though. After all, not only did those previously mentioned Superstars have to deal with the each other, they also armed the unstoppable Kane with additional weapons with which to punish them. It was a flawed concept and led to Raven, Blackman, Snow, Saturn and Sexay's eliminations fairly early in the contest.

Contributor
Contributor

Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.