100 Greatest WWE Royal Rumble Moments Ever

54. Vader’s Post-Elimination Meltdown (1996)

WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Edge
WWE.com

Vince McMahon rushed new monster Vader into action at the 1996 Royal Rumble. The intimidating ex-WCW incomer was actually nursing an injury and wasn't able to show his best, but the boss decreed that he enter the Rumble anyway and get tossed out by eventual winner (and babyface opponent) Shawn Michaels.

It's what happened next that earns Vader a spot.

The furious beast re-entered the ring and wrecked shop. He even threw HBK out of the ring, but the announcers made sure to note that the rules had changed and anyone already eliminated couldn't affect the match like they could in the past. So, Shawn was still in, but Vader left an impression on everyone during one of the WWF's biggest pay-per-views.

His run-in with on-screen President Gorilla Monsoon would crop up again to explain Vader taking some time off. He attacked the beloved authority figure and earned himself a kayfabe suspension. Unfortunately, once he got through the bad-tempered match vs. Michaels at SummerSlam, it'd be all downhill for Vader in the federation.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.