10 Times WWE Royal Rumble Opened The Forbidden Door
2. Mil Máscaras, Pierroth, Cibernético, Latin Lover (1997)
The 1997 WWE Royal Rumble was a study in contrasts for a company in a state of flux.
The location itself was part of the paradox - the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas drew 60,000+ to the show during a downtime, though so much of the building was papered even with hometown hero Shawn Michaels winning the WWE Championship in the main event.
Beyond 'HBK', the company were relying on a working relationship with AAA to spice up the undercard and Royal Rumble itself and results were...mixed.
Canek, Héctor Garza and Perro Aguayo defeating Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal and Jerry Estrada in a botchy and boring six-man tag cursed the working relationship before the Rumble bell rang. When it did, Triple A regulars Pierroth, Cibernético and Latin Lover drew neither boos nor cheers and simply went in there to eventually be thrown back.
Mil Máscaras was a different prospect entirely, but unfortunately he knew that himself. The lucha icon earned a warm reception from the crowd thanks to a legacy as one of the greatest in the genre's history, but simply refused to be eliminated by any of the WWE wrestlers he deemed beneath him. To this end, the hero was booked like a pillock, hurling himself from the top rope to the floor as the announcers questioned if he'd bothered to learn the rules.