12. Rey Mysterio 2006
WrestleMania title shot: Lost title shot to Randy Orton at No Way Out; Added to title match and defeated Orton and Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XXII For Rey Mysterio, his run in early 2006 is a career milestone. Drawing #2 in the Rumble, Rey went the distance, lasting 62 minutes and setting a longevity record for the Rumble. He eliminated six wrestlers (the most of any superstar), tossing Rob Van Dam, Triple H and Randy Orton. He would go on to win his first world title at WrestleMania XXII, capping an improbable run for the littlest big man in WWE. http://youtu.be/P4DY8XNZu1M?t=22s If Mysterio had gone on to WrestleMania XXII and the match unfolded the same, this would be a top 10 entry. But Rey was goaded into putting his title shot on the line by Orton, who snatched it away at No Way Out. He then had to be added to the Mania match artificially and won in a contest that went less than 10 minutes. It was just a deflating ride post-Rumble for Mysterio.
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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