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The Royal Rumble is known for its surprising moments and superstar returns. From Shawn Michaels entering at #1 and winning in 1995 to Drew McIntyre claymoring Brock Lesnar out of the ring in 2020, the Rumble is responsible for some of the best moments in WWE history. Now that the 2022 edition is around the corner, let's look at the biggest Rumble moments of the past 15 years.
This list mainly highlights some of the great Rumble returns but also features an incredible moment that has earned its place in Rumble history.
5. Titus O’Neil Slip (The Greatest Royal Rumble, 2018)
WWE’s deal with Saudi Arabia has given us incredible wrestling moments. However, few of these compare to what happened in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium when WWE came to Riyadh in 2018.
The Greatest Royal Rumble was held on April 27, 2018, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was given this name as the match card included a 50-man Rumble match, the largest (or greatest) participant count to date.
Titus O’Neil, who entered the match as the 39th participant, became the stuff of wrestling legend as this happened:
From the commentary team of Corey Graves, Michael Cole, and Byron Saxton to the backstage production crew, Vince McMahon himself burst into laughter. This moment was replayed countless times for fans to rewatch and laugh at. McMahon shook O’Neil’s hand and gave him a pat on the back for the hilarious moment.
Titus’ slip also spawned several memes and reactions on social media. It became one of the most memorable Rumble moments in recent history.
4. Rey Mysterio Return (Royal Rumble 2018)
Before The Greatest Royal Rumble match took place, the January edition of the Rumble match happened in the Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia.
The match was highly anticipated as it featured superstars such as John Cena, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and Seth Rollins. The surprise entrants in the match were incredible as The Hurricane made his first WWE appearance since 2009 as he entered at #21. NXT’s Adam Cole also entered at #23.
However, the biggest surprise was Rey Mysterio, who entered at #27. Mysterio hadn’t been on WWE TV since WrestleMania 30.
Rey returned and looked better than ever, even though he was 43 at the time. The crowd went wild as Rey’s return was genuinely unexpected, and it produced one of the all-time greatest Rumble moments.
3. John Cena Return (Royal Rumble 2008)
On October 1, 2007, John Cena faced Mr. Kennedy, who challenged him to a match on that night’s RAW. It was a tight contest between the two until Cena attempted a hip-toss on Kennedy that completely tore his pectoral muscle. Cena managed to finish the match and even endured a scheduled RKO onto the announce table during an attack by Randy Orton.
WWE.com revealed that Cena would undergo treatment on his torn pectoral, which kept him out of action for six to twelve months. This meant Cena was sure to miss the Rumble and WrestleMania that year and as a result, Big Match John had to relinquish his WWE Championship.
But, in typical Superman fashion, Cena returned at the 2008 Royal Rumble at #30, four months after his injury, to the dismay of Triple H, who he eliminated to win the Rumble match.
Cena’s 2008 return is something forever etched in Royal Rumble history as the crowd’s genuine surprise incited an electric reaction at Madison Square Garden.
2. AJ Styles debut (Royal Rumble 2016)
Not many can say they debuted at the Royal Rumble.
On January 4, 2016, AJ Styles ended his contract with then-employer NJPW. Rumors started flooding that Styles would be signing with WWE. While many may have refuted such claims, stating that a wrestler of Styles’ caliber would not fit in WWE, he shocked the world by debuting at the 2016 Rumble as the #3 entrant. Dubbed "the hottest free agent in professional wrestling" at the time, fans couldn't contain their excitement as Styles appeared at a WWE event.
AJ Styles and WWE proved to be a great mix. AJ is currently a Grand Slam Champion, winning the WWE Championship twice, as well as being a three-time United States Champion and a former Intercontinental Champion. He also won the tag-team championship with Omos in 2020.
1. Edge Return (Royal Rumble 2020)
Professional wrestling has its fair share of incredible comeback stories. Few of these can match the story of Edge’s return to the ring after a nine-year absence. Edge, who was forced to retire in 2011 due to neck injuries, surprised fans by returning at the 2020 Rumble after some speculation. Edge’s return was not just a one-time event as Edge has been wrestling frequently and has given the WWE Universe some incredible matches since his return.
As always, give your thoughts on this list in the comments section below. Were you a fan when all these moments happened? What was your reaction and which of these moments was your favorite?
A WWE Hall of Famer called out AEW fans HERE
