10 Royal Rumble Moments WWE Wants You To Forget
8. Chris Benoit's Big Win (2004)
Just shy of a decade later, it was Chris Benoit who had his hand-raised after outlasting 29 other competitors in the annual spectacular.
Putting things into perspective, Benoit lasted a colossal one hour in the 2004 Rumble, over 20 minutes longer than Michaels had in '95. Thus, the Canadian's Rumble win felt a bit more weighty, something also owed to Benoit's amazing tenacity. People really wanted to see him succeed, as he was quite obviously one of the hardest-working pro wrestlers on the planet.
So, why would WWE want people to forget about this one? Unless you've been living under a rock, Benoit's name is a dirty one in the company nowadays. The true details behind his passing in 2007 may never be known, and it's understandable why the McMahon family would rather just move on.
That's a shame, because the 2004 Royal Rumble is one of the better-booked matches in the event's lineage to date. Putting personal tragedy aside, Benoit's performance was flawless from a pure wrestling standpoint.