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The Royal Rumble is a night with heightened expectations from fans and Superstars in WWE, with the winner getting a golden ticket to the main event of WrestleMania. With fans always debating about who will win and who will make a surprise return, it's easy to overlook how this is a true ensemble performance that includes something generations of fans are always enjoying -- comedy.
The Royal Rumble may have an annual wave of anxiety but why not throw in a few brief lite-hearted deviations in the 30-person match to blow off some steam and bring you down from the slamming drama? When the bell rings and the big winner is announced who points at the WrestleMania sign, we still leave the night scrolling through social media, seeing who made their mark in the match without actually winning it. You can win the masses over with an out-of-the-blue return, a backstabbing betrayal, but the smart money to make an impression in this circumstance might be to go for the joke.
This list features WWE Hall of Famers, stinky socks, people forgetting what match they are in, some unforgettable dialogue, two reptiles, and a very not-so-romantic exchange. You also might raise some eyebrows like The Rock at some unexpected and underrated moments from Royal Rumble that get pulled from the back of your mind.
If you think there is a fumble in Royal Rumble history that we omitted, hit us up on social media with your picks.
Here are the funniest moments from WWE Royal Rumble.
#10 Jerry Lawler meets Damien (WWE Royal Rumble 1996)
Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts introduced a slithering scare with a huge boa constrictor to the 1996 edition of Royal Rumble. Roberts threw the large reptile out of a bag, and everyone bolted under the bottom rope, but an unknowing snake-of-a-person, Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler had no idea with his back turned to the madness. Roberts quickly got the snake on top of the villainous King who hysterically rolled on the canvas as the boa rived on top of him.
Though Roberts' second tenure in WWE had more lasting memories including his 'King of the Ring' final with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, this proved that in the twilight of his in-ring career, he was able to play a refreshing role that put smiles on people's faces. This was certainly the least scary use of Roberts' snakes which he had previously used to ruin Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth's wedding.
As for Lawler, it is certainly funnier than The King yelling about “Puppies!” in reference to the ‘divas’ of the Attitude Era while he was on commentary or when he had to kiss Bret Hart's feet.
#9 Beth Phoenix eliminates The Great Khali in unconventional fashion (WWE Royal Rumble 2010)
Beth Phoenix made a rare cameo as a female superstar in the 2010 Royal Rumble which was years before she would take part in the first Women's Royal Rumble. She marched to the ring with finesse even with The Great Khali still in the match. The Glamazon at the time was wrecking the women's division, but how was she going hold her own against the 347lb tower of humanity that is Khali?
The Punjabi Playboy did not want to get violent so he swooped up the future WWE Hall of Famer off her feet and placed her on the ring apron. While pointing for Phoenix to eliminate herself, Phoenix pulled in the much-taller Khali for a kiss that allowed her to get him out of the ring. It was a genuinely shocking moment that showed some eliminations can be sealed with a very awkward kiss.
Imagine being backstage during the production meetings where this scene was pitched and planned, it would be very interesting to be a fly on a wall during that discussion.
#8 Mick Foley and Santino Marella's "sock off" (WWE Royal Rumble 2012)
In the 2012 Royal Rumble, in front of a jam-packed St. Louis crowd, Mick Foley made his last wrestling performance for WWE when he entered the Rumble with his stinky stayed-in-the-sweatpants-too-long friend. Mr. Socko had an old west hand puppet showdown with Santino Marella’s Cobra. Yes, it was ridiculous, and though there were some who were critical of it at the time, it has held up over the years, especially when you hear the crowd's reaction.
This writer was fortunate enough to witness this live in-person at the Scottrade Center, a venue that never saw a fight like this one during one of their NHL games with the St. Louis Blues. It got a hard belly-laugh from everyone in the 200 section seat that I was in.
Though Royal Rumble 2012 did not end up being the in-ring send-off that Foley deserved, it showed his ability to still create a special moment for a current-day star and pass on the 'rub' for the new generation. Foley sacrificed so much of his body with brutal life-changing violence in his career, so it's also a relief to a degree to see his humorous side here over his hardcore instincts.
#7 Santino Marella creates an unwanted record (WWE Royal Rumble 2009)
It’s hard to settle one specific single blink-and-you-will-miss-it elimination in Royal Rumble history. You could pick Edge shrugging off the WCW parody character Gillberg over the rope in 1999. That same year saw Mr. McMahon and the Stooges playing up a lot of tomfooleries to keep 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin out of contention.
What about in Rumble 2013 when The Godfather walked down to the ring with several ladies in a gaudy fur coat dressed for the part of pro wrestling pimp, only to dropkicked out of the match in seconds?
They have all been a part of the pageantry of the January classic but not much of the combat. One particular wrestler who became synonymous with shenanigans in the ring or backstage secured a lightning-fast elimination in the Royal Rumble.
With a fresh unibrow, Santino Marella telegraphed, holding the record for the shortest time in the Rumble for weeks, but when it happened, it made for quite the moment in 2009.
Could you even begin to take in the process of training hard, traveling hundreds of miles, getting your gear all set, and get your adrenaline pumping only be in a match for barely a second?
#6 Drew Carey enters the Rumble (WWE Royal Rumble 2001)
Comedian Drew Carey made a cameo in the 2001 Royal Rumble to promote a comedy pay-per-view of his own, but with the motivation from WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, the comedy superstar tried being a wrestling star for the night.
Wearing a sweatsuit, the future 'Price Is Right' host slapped high fives on his way to the ring at the Royal Rumble and was in a lucky position to eliminate the Hardy Boys off the top rope. Unfortunately for Carey, he was soon struck with shaking fear at the sight of the furious Kane. Their brief interaction is one of the single best celebrity-driven scenes in WWE history. Whether or not it's worthy of the Hall of Fame is another discussion to have.
Celebrities getting in the WWE Hall of Fame is always a sore spot for wrestling purists who feel these non-wrestlers have no place in the ranks of the wrestling greats. In 2011, Drew Carey was the celeb honoree, but fans that year did not care what he did to get there as he was heavily booed during the ceremony.
#5 R-Truth forgets the match stipulation (WWE Royal Rumble 2016)
Whether getting the usually cold-blooded Brock Lesnar to laugh during a promo in the build-up to Royal Rumble 2020 or becoming the entire reason that there is a WWE 24/7 Championship on weekly TV, R-Truth knows how to pop the bubble and make you grin in the process.
R-Truth did that in 2016 when he entered the Royal Rumble and pulled out a ladder, thinking it a Money in the Bank ladder match here. The man pulled out a ladder, set it up in the middle of the ring, and left everyone in the ring baffled. You know several Superstars were sitting there thinking, "Is he serious?"
For younger fans or those who strictly know him for his WWE tenure, R-Truth is a former NWA World Champion who has in the past show a meaner streak. Yet he evolved from that with a countless amount of wacky cartoonish memories with fewer bumps on his body in the process.
#4 Team Hell No eliminate each other (WWE Royal Rumble 2013)
Daniel Bryan rose to the main event scene in 2014, with the Royal Rumble that year playing a very important part in his eventual title win at WrestleMania. However, too many fans forget how his pairing with Kane was in years prior as the odd couple tag team, Team Hell No. The team got show-stealing reactions in 2013, with fans demanding they "HUG IT OUT" in arenas from coast-to-coast, but that did not stop the two Superstars from simply despising each other with a loud passion. They held WWE Tag Team Championships for 245 days that year, with each claiming that they were the sole holder of the titles.
How would this unease play into the 'Every man for himself' environment of the Royal Rumble? Despite the ever-present discontent as a team, the magic winds of WrestleMania season brought them back together.
The constant tension between the two reluctant partners made for physical buffoonery in the 2013 Royal Rumble when Kane, already eliminated, caught the smaller Bryan, who laced himself around the Big Red Machine's body. Bryan and Kane yelled at each other while in a close embrace that was purposefully awkward.
#3 Kofi Kingston saves himself from being eliminated yet again, thanks to an assist from JBL (WWE Royal Rumble 2013)
Kofi Kingston finding a crafty way to avoid being eliminated from the Royal Rumble despite removed from the official space of competition in the ring has become somewhat of a tradition. It is something many wrestling fans have expected from the former WWE Champion since he debuted in the company in 2007.
Though Kofi has become known for his annual over-the-top daring escapes as an exhibition of his agility and athleticism, they have always had this street-smart nature to them that adds levity to the 30-man brawl.
Whether he had one on foot the floor but another on a plate of pancakes or his breathtaking leap from the guardrail outside the ring to the apron, Kingston has made his mark in the Royal Rumble despite never winning the match. So what is the funniest moment he's given the WWE Universe?
The New Day Superstar hopped in on JBL's chair from the ringside table to the apron, avoiding the dreaded ‘two feet on the floor’ was a big highlight of the 2013 Royal Rumble. It was another example of Kingston fighting with a big sincere smile the whole time.
#2 The infamous Titus O'Neil slip (WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2018)
To the more critical side of wrestling fandom, the 'Greatest Royal Rumble' which took place in the spring season of 2018, is not considered a legit Rumble in line with the annual January tradition. Despite which side you take on this debate, you need to take a trip down memory lane. Emphasis on the word 'trip' there.
No matter what you think of the match which had impactful performances from a returning Daniel Bryan and a mega-strong Braun Strowman at the Greatest Royal Rumble, the lasting memory was this unintentional spill from Titus O'Neil.
Maybe the former WWE Tag Team Champion was hustling too fast to the ring, but he slipped so hard during his entrance that he flew underneath the ring. The banana peel fall had the commentary team on the broadcast cracking up.
Fellow Superstars Robert Roode and Big E jokingly spoke about the stumble of the Rumble as if it was one of the greatest things that has ever happened in the ring. It was even in the ring, it was outside the ring and under the ring. Poor Titus, when he gets inducted in the Hall of Fame, they are going to play this clip from the Greatest Royal Rumble.
#1 Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan steals the show from the announcers' desk (WWE Royal Rumble 1992)
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan put the 'entertainment' in 'sports entertainment' and he did just that at the 1992 Royal Rumble. His constant jabbing with broadcast partner Gorilla Monsoon on WWE TV and his countless managerial roles at ringside showed that he was one of the funniest personalities to ever perform in the genre. He transcended wrestling with his
Heenan is one of the most sharped tongued voices in all of wrestling history. His comedic presence on classic WWE broadcasts are timeless and his ability to be a proverbial weasel and biased “broadcast journalist” earned him a place in wrestling fan’s heart forever. Put this into perspective, the night he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, he stole the show.
So why is he on the #1 spot on the funniest moments in Royal Rumble history?
At the ‘92 Royal Rumble, Heenan dropped hilarious line after line on commentary in his unfiltered backing of ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, who would eventually win the match for the WWE Championship. If you were one of the 17,000 who packed the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York, you were lucky to see a marvelous match featuring numerous legends, but if you were watching at home, you got to hear a legend-making performance from Heenan on his headset at Royal Rumble 1992.
It is the top commentary performance in all of wrestling history, and if you try to tell this writer otherwise, expect to hear “Would you just stop!?".
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