10 Things That Are No Longer Special About WWE Royal Rumble
7. Quick Eliminations
Every year, WWE calls out the Royal Rumble matches' workhorses. Winning might be the ultimate goal, but it has become something of an accolade to be the competitor who spent the most time in the 30-man brawl.
On the flip side, WWE also has an affliction for creating a new Quickest Elimination record. Countless wrestlers, such as Jerry Lawler, have played the part of the fool. A few chuckles came from the schtick during its heyday. Sometime after Santino Marella was knocked out of the ring in 1.5 seconds, though, it became part of the company’s mission statement to see how swiftly a performer could be tossed over the top rope.
Less humorous today, the eliminations come off as filler, leaving many fans to wonder why WWE bothers. Furthermore, the company has managed to put enough pressure on some stars to score the speediest loss that botches have ensued, as seen when Titus O’Neil couldn’t quite flip himself over the ropes in 2015. Why can't there be years when everyone is prepared for battle?
It’s fine if WWE wants to continue tossing in a few quick eliminations into the Rumble, but at the very least, the commentators can stop fixating on them. At least then, viewers at home would be spared some undue frustration. How many wrestlers can enter and exit the ring within two seconds, anyhow? Any faster, and stars will have to start being eliminated before the Rumble even occurs. (When will then be now? Soon.)