8 WWE Royal Rumble Winners Who Put Their Title Shot On The Line

8. Shawn Michaels (1996)

Oddly enough, Shawn Micheals may go down as not only one of the greatest but also one of the strangest Royal Rumble competitors in WWE history. After winning the 1995 Rumble match from the No. 1 seed in impressive fashion, he earned himself a shot at the WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 11 against former friend Diesel, only to come up short. The following year, The Heartbreak Kid was once again successful in emerging victorious in the Rumble, punching his ticket to the main event of 'Mania for the second straight year. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Michaels following his big Rumble win; his WrestleMania title shot was put into question as the road to The Show of Shows progressed. Two years removed from his unforgettable feud with his brother, Owen Hart was out for revenge and looked to face him in a rematch from WrestleMania 10 for the WWF title, and unfortunately, the sole obstacle standing in his way was Michaels. At February's In Your House pay-per-view, the two met in a match where the winner would go on to face The Hitman for the gold at WrestleMania 12, a contest won by Michaels after a hard-fought battle. Had Owen walked out of In Your House with his arm raised in victory, who knows how WrestleMania 12 could have gone off the air.