No. 1 entries in the men's Royal Rumble from 2002-2011: Where are they now?

Shawn Michaels: Royal Rumble 1995 and 2003

At the time of the 2003 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels was barely six months into his legendary career resurgence following a four-year hiatus. A Royal Rumble expert by that point, Michaels had previously won in 1995 and 1996. His victory in 1995 made him the first man to win a Rumble from the #1 spot and his 1996 win made him only the second multi-time Royal Rumble winner in history.

Wanting to prove that he was still at the top of his game, Michaels chose to enter the 2003 Rumble in the #1 spot to replicate his legendary feat from 1995. Unfortunately, a sneak attack by Chris Jericho caused him to be eliminated in a mere two and a half minutes.

The Heartbreak Kid enjoyed a decorated career until his retirement in 2010. Aside from one match in 2018, Michaels has been active behind the scenes in WWE. As a coach, Michaels has been helping train the next generation of WWE Superstars. In recent months, he has also been filling in for his longtime friend Triple H, who has been recuperating following heart surgery.

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Chris Benoit: Royal Rumble 2004

Like Shawn Michaels before him, Chris Benoit became the second man to win a Royal Rumble from #1. Lasting a grueling hour and scoring six eliminations, Benoit's win was a masterclass in endurance, technique and psychology. A performance that should be talked about to this day has been understandably swept under the rug.

On the 25th of June 2007, the bodies of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel were found at their home. It became clear upon further investigation that Benoit had murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. As a result of this, WWE has distanced themselves from Benoit and have erased close to all mention of his name on their website and TV programs.

Benoit's numerous accomplishments, including his incredible Royal Rumble victory, are not mentioned, leaving him virtually unknown to a newer generation of fans. While it is unfortunate that the work of such an accomplished wrestler has been forced to disappear into history, it is also understandable to no longer glorify him in light of his brutal actions.