100 Greatest WWE Royal Rumble Moments Ever

17. The Heartbreak Kid Has a Breakdown (2010)

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In 2010, Shawn Michaels was a desperate, desperate man.

Having failed to end The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania 25, the Showstopper wanted one more crack at the Deadman at ‘Mania XXVI. Unfortunately for Michaels, it was a one-and-done opportunity in the eyes of ‘Taker, who bluntly refused the offer of a WrestleMania rematch.

Given how The Undertaker was the World Heavyweight Champion by the time of the 2010 Royal Rumble, the Heartbreak Kid saw this as an opportunity to win the Rumble and challenge the Phenom at WrestleMania XXVI. This was all or nothing for Shawn; his last chance to get that rematch and prove he could beat The Undertaker at the Showcase of the Immortals.

It was all going so well for Michaels, entering at #18, making it to the final four, and scoring six eliminations, including his D-Generation cohort Triple H in a move that showed just how serious HBK was. Sadly for Shawn, Batista would bring his WrestleMania dream to a crashing halt on Big Dave’s way to a final three alongside John Cena and eventual winner Edge.

Making the Shawn Michaels elimination all the more memorable was just how desperately Michaels sold the moment as his fingers desperately clawed at the ring ropes as he fell to the outside. Added to that, Shawn then lost his sh*t, attacked a couple of referees, and screamed his way to the back.

As for that Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels WrestleMania XXVI match, Michaels would screw ‘Taker out of the World Heavyweight Title at that year’s Elimination Chamber - helping long-time rival Chris Jericho in the process, no less - and put his own career on the line in order to convince the Deadman for that ‘Mania rematch.

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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.