100 Greatest WWE Royal Rumble Moments Ever

16. A Perfect Return (2002)

WWE Royal Rumble 2002 Mr. Perfect
WWE

Few could have predicted the final four of the 2002 Royal Rumble would be Triple H, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and… Mr. Perfect?

To the delight of many fans, that’s exactly what we got, with Curt Hennig making his return to WWE as a surprise entrant at the #25 spot. That iconic Mr. Perfect music hit, and out he walked in the famed blue singlet, throwing his towel behind his back (and catching it, of course), and chewing gum.

Perfect would immediately take it to Trips and Austin, eventually eliminating Stone Cold (with some help from Angle) and making it to the final three. Getting to see Mr. Perfect mix it up with Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, and a very different Triple H to their previous encounters - plus Rob Van Dam, Kane, Big Show, and Booker T - was just such a kick for fans of the veteran. That’s without even mentioning seeing the Perfect-Plex and a slew of Hennig’s greatest hits back on display in a WWF ring for the first time in over five years.

Sadly, Mr. Perfect’s full-time return to the company would come to an abrupt end just four months later after the infamous Plane Ride from Hell, but at least fans were left with that Royal Rumble memory.

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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 and Presenter, 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 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 and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.