10 Worst WWE Royal Rumble Winners Ever

9. Triple H (2016)

Vince McMahon worst
WWE

To his very marginal credit, Triple H came out at #30, using his onscreen power to enter the match from the most advantageous position. 

Heel Triple H winning the Rumble could have been worse; really, it’s a shock that the man who scored a visual pin over CM Punk at Night of Champions 2011 didn’t come out earlier and deliberately miss the point. 

This rendered the length of the match rather pointless - that was Triple H, for you - and was very much what the heat-obsessed WWE were fond of at that time. 

Triple H’s win was boring - it was Triple H, in 2016 - and made zero sense from a character and storytelling perspective: what problem could even a fictionalised version of WWE’s power structure possibly have with, of all wrestlers, Roman Reigns?  

He was their guy! He wasn’t Daniel Bryan! 

The arrogance behind the decision was infuriating, too - the idea that a smug Triple H volunteered to work the main event of WrestleMania because he was the one who could “make” Roman. 

He did not make Roman. He made him look like a geek, if that counts. 

Roman continued to not be over as a babyface and fans had to endure another Triple H dud at ‘Mania for nothing. 

Great.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!