10 Times WWE Hit Themselves Where It Hurts
7. Screwing Up Two Consecutive Royal Rumbles And Enraging Fans
The Royal Rumble is the first step on the 'Road to Wrestlemania', where title shots are granted to the Rumble winners.
In 2014, saying Daniel Bryan was hot is a drastic understatement. He was the underdog, constantly getting screwed by the Authority, and had grown his fan base organically to the point where entire arenas were chanting 'Yes!' when he appeared. The desire for him to enter the Rumble in 2014 was palpable, as fans were tired of the Triple H show.
When #30 hit with no Bryan, the arena erupted in fury. The victory went to a returning Batista, who absolutely no one cared about watching fight Randy Orton.
Eventually, Bryan was worked into a triple threat match and won the title at 'Mania 30 to send the world home happy.
In 2015, Bryan was in the match as a favourite, with many wanting to see him repeat his 'Mania main event. Instead, he was eliminated quickly, as were many other fan faves, leaving Roman Reigns as the winner to a chorus of boos. Even the Rock's endorsement didn't help.
It was another instance of Reigns was being forced on fans and they expressed that loudly. Want proof? Listen to that crowd...