50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble
21. 2005’s Botch Almost Seemed Planned
The main takeaway from 2005's Rumble was the bizarre sight of Vince McMahon camped out on the ring canvas after ripping both quads to shreds. Without that muscle-tearing incident, it'd be believable to imagine that a botched finish between John Cena and Batista was actually part of the plan all along on WWE's format sheets. It was hardly out of the question that they'd hit the repeat button on Bret and Lex in 1994.
Hmm, two top stars fighting to become the best but tumbling out of the ring at exactly the same time? Stop us if you've heard this one before. It happened in '94, and was teased again in 2000 (although The Rock came out of that scenario as the clear winner) to great effect. Had McMahon not literally wrecked his own legs when banging knees against the ring apron, then who knows how WWE would've played this on TV afterwards?
Vince, from the mat, instructed refs to restart the match and Batista won as planned. It still seems plausible when re-watching that WWE wanted Cena and Dave to go head over heels out of the ring at the same moment. They didn't, but the accidental fall was so convincing. That won't change no matter how many times you watch it back.
Also, don't miss how terrified the referees, Cena and Batista look when they catch Vince's angry face looking up at them. Everyone surely thought they were in for fines and quite the talking to afterwards, but McMahon had to go to hospital instead.