50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble
20. Triple H Played His 2006 Role Expertly
2006's Rumble took place a few months after Eddie Guerrero's untimely death the previous November. Everyone in the wrestling world was still reeling, and some of Eddie's best friends in the biz took every chance they could to honour their fallen brother. Thus, the story heading into the Rumble was that Rey Mysterio hoped to pull out an emotional (and unlikely) win as tribute to Guerrero.
WWE knew fans wanted this badly, so they decided to toy with everyone and throw a Triple H-sized spanner in the works. Or, at least, that was the looming threat to Rey's wishes. Trips is no stranger to a creative shake-up now he's in charge of company affairs, so it was fascinating to recall him entering as #1 before Mysterio came out as #2. That pair went the distance right to the end, and...
...well everyone thought they were about to have their hearts broken by 'The Game'.
There were real fears that Hunter would stomp all over Rey's tribute to Eddie and get pushed ahead of him. WWE's writers knew exactly what they were up to there, and it's a gripping experience keeping tabs on ringsiders chewing fingernails once they realised that Triple H and Mysterio were the only ones left in the match. What a tremendous way to close one of the most emotional Rumbles of all time.
Rey-Rey's 'little engine that could' display charmed everyone. Add in the Guerrero tears and you had a recipe for sensational marriage between kayfabe and reality. WWE didn't miss a beat in January '06, and they knew Trips was going on to work with John Cena come 'Mania anyway. Everyone wins!