#8 Mick Foley

I like to think that at one point a least, Mick Foley was in the right place at the right time for a Royal Rumble win, but it just didn't happen. And that would be in 1997.
I think it is safe to say that we all love the 1997 Royal Rumble winner Stone Cold Steve Austin.
What was Sabu really like? More info HERE.
But, his Rumble win here was a total waste, as he didn't even go onto main event WrestleMania, so the spot should have been given to someone else, and looking over the entire roster at the time, I think no one deserved it more than Mick Foley.
Mankind was one of the best wrestlers in WWE in 1996, and his hard work and great matches should have elevated him to the WWE Championship scene full time.
Especially when the eventual plan was for The Undertaker to headline and win the Championship, and what better way to get there than a Royal Rumble victory.
The feud between The Undertaker and Mankind was great and they could have taken it to the next level at WrestleMania 13 in the main event, for the WWE Championship.