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2. 2014 Royal Rumble (Batista)
The 2014 Royal Rumble is one of the more controversial Rumbles in recent memory. It has a lot to do with what happened but also what had not happened. The term takeover is referenced these days towards the NXT brand but is significant with this event. The WWE Universe took over the show and let their voices be heard.
It was a huge story after the event. This was something the WWE did not want as we were heading towards the 30th anniversary of Wrestlemania.
Let us start with the fact this was the last we ever saw of CM Punk in WWE. He entered the Rumble at number 1, lasting over 49 minutes. Towards the end of the match, he was eliminated by Kane, who was previously eliminated himself.
He was brought over the top rope and choke slammed through a table, unknowingly ending his WWE career. The next day CM Punk had left never to be seen in wrestling again.
Before the Rumble match itself, during the WWE title match, the fans were restless during the high profile match. Two of WWE's top stars, Randy Orton and John Cena were colliding in another chapter of their storied rivalry. While the match itself was dull, the Pittsburgh crowd filled the arena with "this is awful" chants, words you never heard with these two.
While they both have heard boos over their careers, we have never heard the fans chant at them with such disdain. It did not help their case that the finish came with the Wyatt family coming to the ring, allowing Orton to nail an RKO for the win.
The Rumble match itself was an even bigger disaster. Fans chanted Daniel Bryan's name throughout the entire match. When the countdown clock hit zero, they were anticipating he would be the next entrant. Twenty men were originally announced so they kept hoping he might be one of the surprise entrants.
When it got down to number 30, Rey Mysterio, a huge fan favorite, made his way to the ring to a roar of boos. The arena was in an uproar and when Mysterio was eliminated, he received a thunderous ovation as if he won the World Title in the main event of Wrestlemania.
The winner of the match was not well received either. Entering at number 28 and making his return to PPV in almost 4 years was Batista. While you would think a superstar of this magnitude coming back would be loved by fans, it produced the opposite reaction.
It was leaked earlier that he was returning and it was already planted in fans heads he came back to win the Rumble, which in retrospect is exactly what happened.
The final moments of the Rumble were between Batista and Roman Reigns. Reigns had just eliminated his record-setting 12th man and was looking to punch his ticket to Wrestlemania. Fans were all behind Roman, who was a heel, and when Batista clotheslined him over the top rope, the fans showered him with boos.
Batista was supposed to be the big fan favorite returning to earn his opportunity to Wrestlemania but the fans were not having it. They made sure their displeasure was heard.
You would think WWE would not want to repeat this massive blunder. Well.....
The arena was largely filled with silence and boos as Batista stood in the ring to celebrate his win. These are signs that one does not anticipate during the climax of one of WWE's most important pay-per-views. But, the booking had been done and it was not a very satisfatory one.
