20 Awesome WWE Royal Rumble Moments

Bret Hart fans would strenuously disagree with this moment making the list, but it so perfectly summed up “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s rattlesnake persona and his DTA (Don’t Trust Anyone) mantra that it deserves placement. The end result also would set in motion event that led to one of the most iconic matches in WWF history.

Austin was on his way to becoming the biggest star in the industry when he entered the Rumble at #5 and lasted all the way to the end, tossing 10 wrestlers en route to winning. But his victory was not without controversy. Bret Hart eliminated Austin toward the end, but the referees didn’t see him getting tossed, so he re-entered the ring and eliminated Undertaker, Vader and Hart to “win” the Rumble.

The postscript to this match is that Austin never got his one-on-one title shot. The final four (sans Fake Diesel) met for the title a month later, then Austin and Hart met in their classic submission match at WrestleMania XIII.