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The 2021 edition of the WWE Royal Rumble is just around the corner, and we must say the excitement for the annual event is through the roof. While there will be no live crowds this year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the WWE Superstars will be gunning to put on a great showing, nonetheless.
WWE Superstars like Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and more have been announced for the Men's Royal Rumble match, while Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and more are confirmed for the Women's version. Until now, WWE has managed to keep the unpredictability factor alive, with not many able to guess the clear-cut favorites heading into the bout.
Over the years, the Royal Rumble match has seen countless WWE Superstars putting up memorable performances that have stayed with the fans. While some of these Superstars took this momentum forward into WrestleMania season, others seemingly found themselves floundering with nothing of note to do.
Here we will take a look at five such WWE Superstars who lost all their momentum after having noteworthy performances in the Royal Rumble match. Do share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
#5 Braun Strowman (WWE Royal Rumble 2019)
Braun Strowman entered the Royal Rumble 2019 match at number 27 and lasted for over 14 minutes while accumulating six eliminations. He was the runner-up in the bout, which was eventually won by Seth Rollins. After such an impressive showing, many expected the Monster among Men to get a marquee match at WrestleMania 35.
As it turned out, he began a feud with Saturday Night Live writer-performer Colin Jost. On a show that featured eleven matches on the main card, Strowman found himself relegated to the pre-show Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. While there's nothing negative about this type of bout, as it has proven to a stepping stone for modern Superstars like Cesaro and Baron Corbin, a star of Strowman's level should have seen a better match.
Though he ended up winning the match, after last eliminating Colin Jost, his performance in the Royal Rumble match should have resulted in a better place on the card. He would have a much better showing in the following years' WrestleMania, where he defeated Goldberg to win the WWE Universal Championship.
#4 Chris Jericho (WWE Royal Rumble 2013)
Chris Jericho's triumphant return at Royal Rumble 2013 is still etched in fans' minds. Returning after a five-month hiatus he had taken to fulfill his music commitments, Jericho entered the Royal Rumble match at number 2. His surprise return shocked the fans and he received a huge pop.
Y2J would go on to last for 47 minutes in the match. Though he could accumulate only two eliminations, he had several memorable interactions with other stars in the bout.
He was eventually eliminated by the number 1 entrant in the match, Dolph Ziggler. After such an impressive outing, fans expected the former five-time WWE Champion to be a featured attraction at WrestleMania 29. While Jericho did get a singles bout on the PPV, it was against Fandango, who at that time clearly wasn't at Chris Jericho's level.
Losing to the current NXT star in a mere 9-minute match, Jericho found himself losing virtually all the momentum he had built with his return in the Royal Rumble match. A few years down the line, the current AEW star revealed he wanted to face Ryback at the PPV, but agreed to the match with Fandango on the insistence of The Undertaker.
#3 Rikishi (WWE Royal Rumble 2000)
Retired WWE Superstar Rikishi had a great showing at Royal Rumble 2000. The former Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion was a fan-favorite during his heyday and competed in as many as 10 Royal Rumble matches. However, the one Rumble match that stands out in his career is the 2000 edition, where he eliminated seven participants. Though he came into the ring all-dancing and in a jovial mood, he surprised the fans with his dominant performance.
Entering at number 5, Rikishi lasted for 16 minutes in the match before finally being eliminated by a bunch of superstars collectively. His booking in the bout raised expectations regarding his chances of being featured in a big clash at WrestleMania 16. This was the prime opportunity for WWE to capitalize on Rikishi's popularity and give him the biggest night of his career.
However, things didn't pan out as expected, and Rikishi instead wrestled a forgettable four-minute tag match in which he paired up with Kane to take on Road Dogg and X-Pac in a winning cause.
#2 Sasha Banks (WWE Royal Rumble 2018)
The first-ever Women's Royal Rumble match was special for more than one reason. The biggest of those was the chance to see women of the past tangle with current Superstars. Sasha Banks proved to be the star of the night, with her fantastic iron-woman performance, as she lasted for over 54-minutes in the bout.
Entering at number 1, Banks accumulated three eliminations, one of which was her friend-turned-rival Bayley, and another being the 6-time women's champion, Trish Stratus. Her interactions with the latter were especially electric and raised her chances of a possible clash between the two sometime down the line.
However, post-Royal Rumble, Banks seemingly lost all her momentum and was lost in the shuffle, along with Bayley. The current SmackDown Women's Champion found herself competing in a pre-show battle royal at WrestleMania 34 that was won by Naomi.
Though The Boss continues to be a central figure of WWE programming, her track record at WrestleMania is somewhat forgettable, as she has never won at the biggest stage of all, and hasn't wrestled a singles match either.
#1 Kane (WWE Royal Rumble 2001)
Arguably the most dominant performance in Royal Rumble history, Kane's terrifying run at the 2001 edition of the PPV has stayed with fans. Entering at number 6, The Big Red Machine went on a rampage as he accumulated a jaw-dropping eleven eliminations, a record at that time. His run of terror was ended by Stone Cold Steve Austin, who eliminated Kane after 53 minutes, to record the 3rd Royal Rumble win of his career.
Though Stone Cold was heading to the main event of WrestleMania 17 to take on The Rock, Kane had all the momentum on his side to have a prominent place on the card. As it turned out, the former two-time WWE Champion instead wrestled a triple threat match for the Hardcore title against Raven and Big Show.
Though he won that match, it left a lot to be desired as WWE should have given him more to do, considering his performance in the Rumble match. However, Kane still holds the record of having the most number of collective eliminations in Royal Rumble history with a staggering 44 eliminations to his credit.
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