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When WWE fans talk about the biggest prizes in all of sports entertainment, winning the Royal Rumble almost always makes the cut. The Royal Rumble match is one of the biggest WWE attractions of the year and is dubbed by many as the most exciting 60 minutes of the year when it comes to WWE TV.
Winning the Royal Rumble match guarantees a WrestleMania main event spot for the Superstar, in a World title match. Over the past three decades or so, several new names have won the Royal Rumble match and went on to become some of the biggest Superstars in WWE history. A Royal Rumble winner instantly becomes WWE's top name for the next several weeks, until the big night where they challenge for the top title belt in a stadium filled with tens of thousands of screaming fans.
Brock Lesnar, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Batista, and Rey Mysterio are just a few of several big names who have won the match. It goes without saying that a Royal Rumble spot is worth a lot. That's why it doesn't surprise fans when a Superstar goes too far in his/her pursuit to bag a spot in the match. In this list, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who stole or took away Royal Rumble spots from other wrestlers.
#5 Mick Foley steals Test's Royal Rumble spot
Mick Foley's sole aim in early 2004 was to hurt Randy Orton, who had embarrassed him on more than one occasion. Foley couldn't be found anywhere at the Royal Rumble 2004 pay-per-view leading to Jim Ross admitting that he is a coward. When Test was about to enter the Royal Rumble match, the camera panned to backstage, where Test was laid out. Stone Cold Steve Austin was seen speaking to the guy who put Test down, and it turned out to be Mick Foley.
Mick Foley brawled with Randy Orton in the Royal Rumble match
Foley came out at No. 21, and the fans erupted in unison. Foley entered the ring and began brawling with Randy Orton. He went on to eliminate Orton and got himself eliminated in the process. It was clear as day that Foley wasn't out there to win the big one, but to simply give it to Orton. The duo was featured in a three-on-two Handicap match at WrestleMania 20, which ended with Orton hitting an RKO on Foley to pick up the win for Evolution.
#4 Erick Rowan steals Curtis Axel's Royal Rumble spot
The Royal Rumble 2015 match was one of the most hated ones out of the bunch, as the ending saw Roman Reigns winning it all by eliminating Kane, Big Show, and Rusev. During the early moments of the Royal Rumble match, Curtis Axel was supposed to enter at No. 6. He did come out and made his way to the ring, but was attacked by Wyatt Family member Erick Rowan, who went on to take the victim's place.
The 2015 Royal Rumble match was surely one of the most controversial ones
The spot was turned into a gimmick by Curtis Axel, who began reminding fans repeatedly about how he was still in the Royal Rumble match. As for Rowan, he came in and didn't even last a minute in the match. Rowan was eliminated by Bray Wyatt, and this was it for him. The entire spot didn't do anything of note for both Rowan and Curtis Axel, which was just one of several issues that the 2015 Royal Rumble match was marred with.
#3 Eddie Guerrero steals Ric Flair's Royal Rumble spot
A short while before the 2005 Royal Rumble match kicked off, Eddie Guerrero and Ric Flair picked their entry numbers around the same time, under the supervision of RAW and SmackDown GMs Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long. Eddie Guerrero found out that he had picked No. 1, while Ric Flair got No. 30. Guerrero gave Flair a hug and swapped the numbers sneakily. Flair quickly realized that he had been duped by Guerrero, and began throwing a tantrum.
Eddie Guerrero eventually entered in at No. 1 during the Royal Rumble match
Soon after, Eddie Guerrero and Ric Flair's numbers were swapped back, which led to Guerrero entering the Royal Rumble match at the No. 1 spot. Guerrero lasted almost 30 minutes in the Royal Rumble and eliminated the likes of The Hurricane, Hardcore Holly, and Booker T. He was eventually eliminated by Edge. As for Flair, he came in at No. 30 and ended up eliminating Jonathan Coachman and Chris Benoit. Flair was later eliminated by Edge, with Batista winning the Royal Rumble in the end. Batista would go on to turn on Flair and Triple H on the road to WrestleMania 21 and win the World title in the main event of the show.
#2 Kurt Angle steals Nunzio's Royal Rumble spot
Here's another robbery from the 2005 Royal Rumble. Kurt Angle had lost the WWE title Triple Threat match earlier in the night, which also involved JBL and Big Show. He was desperate to win the big one and decided to take matters into his own hands. Angle saw Nunzio bouncing the entrance ball in a hallway, and caught hold of the same. Angle dared Nunzio to take it back from him, and the latter decided against it.
Angle didn't last long in the Royal Rumble match
Angle entered the Royal Rumble match and began destroying everyone in his path. In a surprising turn of events, Shawn Michaels eliminated him from the match, with Angle lasting for 37 seconds. Angle was enraged beyond belief and brutally attacked Michaels over the next few minutes. This led to one of the best rivalries of that era, with the first match taking place at WrestleMania 21. Angle and Michaels had a classic showdown at 'Mania, with the Olympic gold medalist winning the match by making Michaels submit at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
#1 Nia Jax steals R-Truth's Royal Rumble spot
At the 2019 Royal Rumble, Nia Jax was determined to win the women's version of the free-for-all, and go on to headline WrestleMania 35. Becky Lynch squashed those plans by eliminating her from the match and went on to win it in the end. Jax wasn't one to give up so easily though and decided to do the unthinkable. She attacked R-Truth while he was on his way to the ring as the No. 30 entrant in the men's Royal Rumble match.
Nia Jax appeared in two Royal Rumble match in 2019
Thus, Nia Jax made history by entering both Royal Rumble matches at the pay-per-view. She quickly eliminated Mustafa Ali but was then attacked by Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton. A devastating RKO from Orton to Nia Jax garnered a big reaction from the crowd, with Mysterio eventually eliminating Jax from the match. Nia Jax was one of the most hated Superstars in WWE at that point, and fans hadn't forgiven her for accidentally punching Becky Lynch during the Survivor Series 2018 buildup. Her attack on Truth and the events that followed made for some intriguing TV, and led to speculation that WWE was bringing back intergender wrestling.
