'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Royal Rumble kicks off WWE's road to Wrestlemania every year, and while the winner gets a shot at the title at Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble also presents a chance for otherwise unknown wrestlers to produce a spectacular moment in time.
According to multiple reports, the Royal Rumble is booked with wrestlers being told their entrance number and when they will be eliminated, and who the two eliminations before them are supposed to be. This means that generally what goes on in the ring outside of the eliminations can be quiet chaotic. Certain spots appear to be planned, like John Morrison's parkour skills to avoid elimination or Kofi Kingston's annual attempt to avoid getting eliminated one way or another.
The Royal Rumble generally presents some of the best moments in history, even outside of the eliminations, such as the first time Goldberg and the Undertaker shared a ring, or Mick Foley wrestling in the Rumble 3 times in different gimmicks.
Even the drawn Royal Rumbles of 1994, with Bret Hart and Lex Luger, and the technically drawn Royal Rumble between John Cena and Batista in 2005, were great WWE moments in time, especially with the even more memorable and unfortunate incident with Vince McMahon tearing both quads on his way to the ring.
The Royal Rumble also saw memorable returns and debuts, from Diesel in the 2011 Rumble, or John Cena's miraculous recovery to come out at the number 30 in the 2008 Royal Rumble. It seems that even if the match itself is bad, the Royal Rumble still manages to produce memorable moments for fans to reminisce about after it's over.
You can see the other entries in this series below:
Part 1 is here
Part 2 is here
Part 3 is here
Part 4 is here
Part 5 is here
Part 6 is here
# 5 Andrade 'Cien' Almas (2018) - Eliminated 18th - 1 Elimination
In the 2018 Royal Rumble, the number 7 entrant was the NXT Champion Andrade 'Cien' Almas. Having just come off a great title defense at Takeover: Philadelphia the day before against Johnny Gargano, Almas, still selling his injuries from his previous battle, managed to last just under half an hour which stands as the longest in the Royal Rumble for an NXT talent.
For any fans watching the Royal Rumble that were unaware of NXT's existence or if they were not watching the show, this would have been their first exposure to the talented champion. Almas also managed to eliminate Kofi Kingston in his impressive display.
While Almas' main roster run has divided opinion, anyone watching the 2018 Royal Rumble would have spotted his talent and potential from a mile away. Almas will undoubtedly be in the 2019 Royal Rumble with another chance to impress the WWE Universe.
# 4 John Morrison (2011) - Eliminated 10th - 0 Eliminations
It is commonplace at the Royal Rumble for wrestlers to seemingly cling on to very little and to scrap with the last of their energy in order to remain in the Royal Rumble. In 2011, John Morrison took those survivalist instincts a step further.
Despite almost falling off the ring when he entered the Royal Rumble, Morrison was thrown over the top rope by Ted DiBiase but managed to knock the former Legacy member away from him. Morrison was then knocked by William Regal, but cleared the floor and clung on to the barricade on the other side.
After straddling the barricade, Morrison managed to leap back from the barricade to the steel steps at ringside and climbed back into the ring, allowing him to continue competing in the match as neither of his feet hit the floor.
Morrison managed to climb back in the ring and continue, however, he was later eliminated by 4 members of the New Nexus.
# 3 Braun Strowman (2017) - Eliminated 9th - 7 Eliminations
Braun Strowman's cameo at the 2017 Royal Rumble was a brief glimpse into what his future held at the WWE. Coming in at the 7th entry, Strowman made light work of Mojo Rawley, Big Cass, Kalisto, Mark Henry, Big Show, James Ellsworth, and Tye Dillinger before he was taken out by Baron Corbin. In what was only his second Royal Rumble is his short WWE career to date, Strowman had nearly eliminated a third of the participants of that year's Rumble by himself.
Considering that in his first Royal Rumble appearance, Strowman was responsible for eliminating 5 Superstars, including Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Sami Zayn, and Brock Lesnar.
Over 2 Royal Rumbles, Strowman has eliminated 15 competitors, and that does not take into account Strowman's performance at the Greatest Royal Rumble where he entered at number 41 and eliminated 13 Superstars on his way to victory.
This year's Royal Rumble can count themselves fortunate that Strowman is unlikely to appear in the Royal Rumble as he is booked to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal title.
# 2 Edge (2005) - Eliminated 28th - 5 Eliminations
In the 2005 Royal Rumble, Edge had entered the Royal Rumble in the 7th entry lasting to the final 3 before being eliminated by both John Cena and Batista. On his way to the final three, Edge eliminated Muhammad Hassan, Shelton Benjamin, Eddie Guerrero, Ric Flair, and Rey Mysterio.
Edge would clock in a Royal Rumble time of 40 minutes and 19 seconds before his elimination. Edge's performance was more impressive due to the fact that earlier in the event he faced Shawn Michaels in singles competition and defeated the Heartbreak Kid. The match came after Shawn Michaels had cost Edge his shot at the World Heavyweight Title in the Elimination Chamber at New Years Revolution.
At the end of the event, Edge had just competed in just under an hour of wrestling throughout the event. The 2005 Royal Rumble was Edge's best performance until he won the 2010 Royal Rumble.
# 1 Triple H (2009) - Eliminated 29th - 6 Eliminations
When Triple H emerged for the 2009 Royal Rumble, one entry before eventual winner Randy Orton, there was no way of telling just how far he would make it. Triple H battled strongly throughout the Royal Rumble, eliminating 6 competitors including Vladamir Kozlov, The Miz, John Morrison, The Brian Kendrick, and Randy Orton's legacy compatriots Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.
Given that the final four was Triple H going against the three members of the Legacy stable, his odds were not good. However, after successfully eliminating both Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Triple H's chances of pulling off a massive Royal Rumble upset were on the cards.
It wasn't to be, as Randy Orton successfully eliminated Triple H to win the Royal Rumble.
Triple H would then defeat Edge and four other competitors in the Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship at No Way Out and went on to be Randy Orton's opponent at Wrestlemania.
