17. Yokozuna 1993
WrestleMania title shot: Defeated Bret Hart at WrestleMania IX; Immediately lost title to Hulk Hogan Without a doubt, this has to be the worst Rumble winner who actually won the title at Mania. Yoko eliminated seven wrestlers en route to winning the first Rumble match that carried a WrestleMania title shot. He then went on to beat Bret Hart in the Mania main event. That alone warrants a high placement on the list. Then it all went to hell. Hulk Hogan came out to help his friend Hart, who had been blinded by salt. Mr. Fuji challenged Hogan to a title match right then and there. An errant throw of salt and an atomic leg drop later, the Hulkster was leaving WrestleMania with the world title. Yokozunas reign lasted all of about three minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14-ylUhmh80 Yoko would eventually get his title back and send Hogan packing out of WWF, but that ridiculous ending severely tarnished his standing as a Rumble winner.
Scott Carlson
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Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fortunately became a fan in time for WrestleMania III and came back as a fan after a long high school hiatus before WM XIV. Monday nights in the Carlson household are reserved for viewing Raw -- for better or worse.
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