10 Times WWE Completely Wasted The Royal Rumble
When fans grumble as wrestlers tumble during the Rumble, you know WWE has got it very wrong.
Wrestling fans start the new year by counting the days until the Royal Rumble match.
With twice as much Rumble as there was a decade ago, seeing which man and woman are heading to WrestleMania is one of the most exciting moments on the grappling calendar. Even fair-weather fans come out of hiding to see 58 people thrown out of the ring once a year.
You can't deny the feeling of seeing Cody Rhodes go back-to-back in the Rumble, then finally dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania last year.
But, that doesn't mean WWE always gets it right. With over 30 years of history behind it, the Royal Rumble pay-per-view has plenty of ups, with just as many downs. The worst downs are when WWE completely wastes the match.
Everybody wants to see the hero rise and win the WWE Championship at 'Mania, but sometimes the Rumble winner hasn't even challenged for the belt at the Grandaddy of Them All. Other times they've lost in surreal matches after a lame story that's made fans put their heads in their hands and wonder exactly why they're still up at 3:00am watching the show with a takeaway and stockpile of energy drinks. That's the UK experience anyway...
These wastes made a mockery of the whole match, whether it's the Rumble itself - or what came next...
10. Edge Wins For The Second Time
Edge winning the Royal Rumble in 2021 was a moment that sparked mixed reactions.
While it was undeniably heart-warming to see the Rated-R Superstar make a comeback after a decade-long hiatus, it also raised some questions about WWE's direction. Edge is a Hall of Famer with a storied career, and his victory felt like a nod to the past rather than a step towards the future.
WWE had a wealth of young, talented wrestlers who were eager for their moment in the spotlight. By choosing Edge, the company missed an opportunity to elevate a new star and build fresh storylines. The decision to have Edge win seemed to rely heavily on nostalgia, which, while powerful, overshadowed plenty of other wrestlers who would've enjoyed the rub of a win a lot more.
Plus, the storyline that followed Edge's win didn't bring the excitement. The veteran defies the odds narrative is a familiar one, and in this case, it didn't add much new to the mix. Did anybody think he was beating Roman Reigns?