10 WWE Royal Rumble Eliminations More Significant Than You First Thought
4. Daniel Bryan (2015)
One of the most genuinely shocking eliminations in Royal Rumble history, especially due to how early into the match it occured, the elimination of Daniel Bryan by Bray Wyatt in 2015 is often cited as a reason that this is one of the worst Rumbles ever.
If Bryan's WrestleMania 30 triumph was a sign that WWE cared about what their fans thought, his 2015 Royal Rumble elimination burned that sign to the ground. Despite the ludicrous decision, however, it's difficult not to step back and admire WWE for just how little they gave a sh*t. Specifically about ever making this version of Bryan champion again.
He'd spend the next few months in the midcard while Reigns skyrocketed to the top, and it's hard to debate that this elimination was prophetic of Reign's rise - the most natural babyface of the modern era being pushed to the side for possible the most forced face in WWE history.