8 Booking Steps For The Undertaker's WWE Return

3. Chaos At The Royal Rumble

Undertaker Royal Rumble 2002 Elimination Shock
WWE Network

AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose wrestle a tough, gruelling match for the WWE World Championship, and Ambrose comes out on top. Putting Styles away with Dirty Deeds, Ambrose regains the title he lost at Backlash, and AJ is disconsolate.

Afterwards, John Cena cuts a traditional pre-Rumble promo, and states that it’s a “shame” he won’t get to face Styles for the belt should he win the Rumble itself. John enters the match in the late 20s, and hits the ring like a house of fire. Baron Corbin, Big E, and a couple of other expendable midcarders fall by his hand, and Cena dominates.

It doesn’t last, however. The deposed AJ Styles crashes the party after the 29th entrant arrives, and starts taking-out his frustrations on Cena, who has downed everyone else in the ring. He dumps Cena with a Styles Clash, but just as he does so, the countdown hits one.

The gong hits.

San Antonio goes nuts.

Taker is the Rumble’s 30th entrant, and AJ is about to get his comeuppance. Taker scoops AJ up and plants him with a Tombstone Piledriver after the necessary theatrics. The Rumble is in the palm of his hands, but as he boots Styles out of the ring, The Undertaker gets more than he’s bargained for.

An opportunistic Cena scurries up behind The Deadman, bundling him over the top rope, and eliminating him from the match. Taker’s furious, but there’s little he can do. John’s eliminated by a Raw superstar (who wins the match) in the fallout, and as the Rumble goes off the air, Cena and The Undertaker brawl to the back.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.