10 WWE Royal Rumble Eliminations More Significant Than You First Thought

Professional Wrestling in the 1980s was simple. Flashy superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior were the faces of the company, with their chiseled bodies and natural charisma skyrocketing them to the top. Of course, they needed heels to defeat, and slimy, crafty wrestlers like Ric Flair and Jake Roberts served as the perfect foil to them. For years, heels and faces had defined roles... until a certain Steve Austin made his debut.

While Austin had already kicked off his rise after winning the previous year's King Of The Ring, it could be argued that his character wasn't entirely defined until this match. Entering at the #5 position, Austin eliminated eight people before being eliminated by Bret Hart. However, in the chaos that was Terry Funk and Mankind's brawl, none of the officials noticed the Texas Rattlesnake being eliminated, so he just jumped back in.

Hart would eventually eliminate the other remaining wrestlers, but was eliminated by Austin when celebrating what he thought was a Royal Rumble victory - Austin had won the match, not Hart.

The elimination defined the 'Stone Cold' character, and gave birth to a character unfamiliar to the WWE - the 'cool' heel. Austin's popularity as a 'bad guy' laid the groundwork for hundreds of men after him, and it can't be overstated just how important this match was to that.