10 WWE Royal Rumble Entrants You Totally Forgot 

5. Michael Cole (2012)

El Torito Royal Rumble
WWE.com

In addition to Ricardo Rodriguez, the 2012 Royal Rumble featured a number of "joke" participants that had no realistic shot at winning.

While some generated positive fan reactions, if for nothing other than the element of surprise, the list of off-the-wall Royal Rumble entrants in 2012 included Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Booker T, and of course, Michael Cole.

Cole had made his singles, in-ring debut the prior year at WrestleMania XXVII when he took on Jerry "The King" Lawler in a match that lasted an inexplicable 13 minutes. Cole was announced the winner when the anonymous RAW General Manager reversed special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin's decision. Despite being a black eye on WrestleMania XXVII, WWE decided to throw Cole back into the ring for the next year's Royal Rumble.

Cole entered at number 20 and, in less than 2 minutes, was eliminated by fellow surprise participants, Jerry Lawler, Booker T, and Kharma.

While Michael Cole would play a vital role as the lead commentator for the next several years' worth of Royal Rumble events, he has not yet again participated in the yearly battle royal since his embarrassing showing in 2012.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.