Wrestling fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to massive one-off events to savor. For many, though, the Royal Rumble is the highlight of the annual wrestling calendar and always brings chaotic, must-see action with it. This is mainly down to the large field of 30 wrestlers who compete in it, and the fast-paced Battle Royale format.
Many fans also like to make watching the Royal Rumble even more exciting by placing a bet on the outcome. When the wrestler you have backed is left with just one other person to beat, it gets very dramatic! A good tip if you like to do this is finding top sportsbook bonus offers to grab before betting. If you live in New Jersey, for example, top New Jersey sports betting bonuses are a great way to access things like risk-free bets to make wagering on this event less risky.
One thing to factor into any wager is the sometimes unpredictable nature of Royal Rumbles. This can be seen in the number of upsets over the years. But which have been most shocking?
Hulk Hogan not winning in 1989
During the early years of wrestling's Golden Age in the late 1980s and 1990s, Hulk Hogan was undoubtedly the biggest star around. This saw pretty much everyone expect the Hulkster to triumph at that year's Royal Rumble – but it was not to be! As the official Royal Rumble stats show, it was actually Big John Studd who won.
Although he started well, Hogan was actually the 21st fighter to be eliminated. This came at the hands of the Big Boss Man and Akeem – collectively known as the Twin Towers. Although the storyline made sense, it was a real shock for fans tuning into the event on PPV.
Luger vs Hart in 1994 – a close call
The two big names in 1994's event were Lex Luger and Bret Hart. Although Hart was a fan favorite, Luger was an impressive athlete and both had an equal chance of winning.
Both men made it into the last four and soon saw off Shawn Michaels and The Headshrinkers' Fatu. As you would expect, they then turned on each other and eventually both ended up over the top rope and onto the arena floor! In a moment fans will never forget, they were both ruled to be co-winners in an upset that no one had seen coming.
2002 sees Maven spring a shock
In the list of Royal Rumble upsets, 2002's edition ranks highly. This one involves wrestling royalty The Undertaker and a then-unknown rookie called Maven.
The Undertaker came into 2002's Royal Rumble as the eighth fighter and started taking charge of proceedings. Soon though, Matt and Jeff Hardy (along with Lita) arrived on the scene and attacked him. Although he eliminated the two Hardy brothers, they returned to take revenge on The Undertaker afterwards. This distraction allowed rookie Maven to put a dropkick on him from behind and secure a shock elimination.
John Cena returns in 2008
A torn pectoral ruled John Cena out of 2007's Royal Rumble and was expected to keep him out for a long time. 2008, though, saw the Royal Rumble come to Madison Square Garden, where an upset in terms of who would compete and win occurred.
With fit and in-form competitors such as Triple H and The Game all present, everyone thought that one of these stars would triumph. All seemed to be going to plan until the very last fighter entered the ring. As the buzzer sounded, no one could believe it was John Cena – and that he had made an unbelievable comeback from injury. His eventual elimination of Tripe H to take the win only made this upset more shocking.
Chris Jericho surprise in 2013
In 2013's Royal Rumble, Dolph Ziggler looked to be the man to beat and the likely winner. As a result, Ziggler came in to start off the action at number one – but he was joined by an unexpected guest. In a real upset, Chris Jericho also made a comeback to start the match off with Ziggler.
This was so eye-catching because it was only five months before that Jericho had left wrestling due to a defeat by Ziggler in a “loser leaves WWE” bout. Although Ziggler eventually eliminated him, Jericho lasted for more than 45 minutes and put in an appearance that not many fans could have predicted.
Royal Rumble is a top-class event in WWE
There is no doubt that the Royal Rumble is an event that all wrestling fans love for its fast-paced action. It is also well-loved for the upsets it can deliver. As the above shows, there have been plenty of these throughout the years!
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