5 Royal Rumble eliminations that were not supposed to happen

The annual Royal Rumble premium live event is right around the corner and the circumstances surrounding the main event match means that once again there is a lot of scope for botches.

The Royal Rumble match sees a number of superstars in the ring at the same time. The fact that one slip or one false move can result in elimination has seen several stars accidentally taken out of the match in the past.

The following article looks at just five eliminations in the history of the long-standing match that were not supposed to happen the way that they did. You can also check out the video here:

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#5. Bayley's elimination in the 2021 Royal Rumble match was a botch

Bayley and Bianca Belair were in the middle of a feud on SmackDown when the two women entered the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble match. The company was looking to make a big deal out of the issues between the two women, but Bayley was quickly eliminated from the match by The EST of WWE.

The former Women's Champion's elimination happened so quickly that the production crew actually missed her exit and the commentary team were then forced to rely on the replay.

According to a report by PWInsider, Bayley's elimination from the match came too soon and the company had plans for her to be part of the match for a little longer. Her feud with Bianca Belair was set to be a noteworthy part of the match, and Bayley should have remained in the match until Mickie James made her entrance at number 19.

Bayley started off the match and lasted 29 minutes before she was eliminated by Bianca Belair.

Ahead of The Royal Rumble match, the feud between Bayley and Belair was highlighted but The EST was the one who came out on top and later went on to main event WrestleMania.

Meanwhile, Bayley wasn't even a part of the WrestleMania card and was instead added to a forgettable segment that included new WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins.

#4. Stone Cold Steve Austin was accidentally eliminated in the 1996 Royal Rumble

Stone Cold Steve Austin has a fantastic record when it comes to Royal Rumble matches. The former three-time winner made his debut at the event in 1996, but the lasting impression wasn't what he would have hoped for.

The plan was for Austin to remain in the match until the final four, but mid-way through he realized that the ropes were really slippery and was unable to hold on.

Fatu clotheslined Austin and he was supposed to hold on but he was unable to grip the ropes. This was something that he later blamed on the fact that many of the men in the match were covered in baby oil.

Austin was supposed to eliminate Shawn Michaels before he was taken out of The Rumble, which meant that he was forced to try to get The Heartbreak Kid's attention to let him know that he needed to ensure there was another plan in place.

Luckily for Austin, his achievements at The Royal Rumble in the years that have followed have meant that many fans have forgotten this botch from his early career.

#3. Alex Riley slips out of the ring at the 2011 Royal Rumble match

Alex Riley was destined for great things in WWE, but sadly his 2011 Royal Rumble elimination has become one of the most memorable moments of his career.

Riley was in the corner with John Cena and Kofi Kingston when the two men were able to get him over the top rope, but Riley then dropped to the apron and was unable to grab the bottom rope.

Rather than hang on, Riley fell to the floor and was eliminated from the match because he had gone over the top rope. Both Cena and Kingston were in disbelief as they were aware that Riley wasn't supposed to be eliminated. The commentary team failed to pick up on the fact that he was out of the match until much later.

Referees then made their way over to Cena in the corner as the original plan was for Riley to eliminate Cena. The former World Champion had to come up with a contingency plan since Riley was taken out of the match.

#2. Edge Is forced to eliminate AJ Styles in the 2020 Royal Rumble

Edge returned to WWE at the 2020 Royal Rumble, where he made quite the statement after almost a decade on the sidelines.

One of the stars who stood in Edge's way was former WWE Champion AJ Styles, who received an incredible spear. The landing from the move injured Styles' shoulder and it was made clear that The Phenomenal One was in a considerable amount of pain.

It's unclear what the plan was for Styles or who was supposed to eliminate him from the match, but The Rated-R Superstar stepped in to ensure that he was protected.

Styles later noted on his Mixer channel that Edge wasn't to blame for the botch.

"Just so everything is clear: Edge did nothing, absolutely 100% nothing wrong,'' said AJ Styles. ''His move, his spear, everything was perfect the way he did it. If there is any blame put on anybody about what I'm dealing with my shoulder, it's me. 100% me.”

Styles suffered a separated shoulder which kept him out of the ring for a few weeks following the show.

#1. Batista is accidentally eliminated in the 2005 Royal Rumble match

One of the best-known Royal Rumble botches of all time was interestingly between two of the company's biggest stars.

The conclusion of the 2005 Royal Rumble match has become the stuff of legend after Batista was unable to hold on to the top rope and avoid elimination whilst being held by John Cena.

Cena and Batista famously eliminated each other in the climax of the match, which led to the referees claiming that both men were the winner since their feet had hit the ground at the same time.

After 1994, when Lex Luger and Bret Hart were named co-winners, it was decided that there should only be one winner of the annual match and Vince McMahon then marched to the ring to restart the match.

McMahon blew both of his quads on the way to the ring and was then forced to sit on the canvas and shout at Cena and Batista for ruining the finish of the match.

The match was then restarted as soon as McMahon was removed with Batista ultimately announced as the winner and given the chance to head to WrestleMania.