10 Times WWE Completely Wasted The Royal Rumble
6. Yokozuna Wins in 1993
Yokozuna's victory at the 1993 Royal Rumble was a significant moment; it sent a heel to the Show of Shows, where the member of the AnoaŹ»i family won his first WWE Championship. His dominant performance in the Rumble match showcased his power and set the stage for a major showdown with Bret "Hitman" Hart.
At WrestleMania, Yokozuna defeated Hart to capture the WWE strap; so far, so good...
You know the story but you're going to have to read it again. Almost immediately after his victory, Hulk Hogan came to the ring, and in an impromptu match, defeated Yokozuna to win the title.
Yokozuna's hard-fought win and the build-up to his championship moment were quickly overshadowed by Hogan's triumph. The entire story was pointless; the Royal Rumble match was pointless because somebody could just turn up and have a match on a whim.
The decision to have Hogan win the title right after Yokozuna's victory felt like a missed opportunity to establish a new dominant champion. Yokozuna's momentum was abruptly halted, and the focus shifted back to Hogan, who was already an established star.