10 Most Shocking Royal Rumble Eliminations in WWE History (Ranked)

One of the marquee occasions on the WWE calendar is of course just around the corner. This comes in the form of the 2025 Royal Rumble, set to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 1st. The event will see some of the standout talents in all of wrestling battle it out for a place on the grandest stage of them all, at WrestleMania 41. For some, though, surprise will await in the Rumble. And not of the positive variety. Every year, at least one superstar is sent packing from the 30-man event in shock fashion. From The Undertaker to Triple H, none, down through the years, have been immune from such an outcome. In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the most shocking eliminations in the storied history of the Royal Rumble.

10

Nia Jax

We kickstart our list of the most shocking eliminations in Royal Rumble history with one of the more recent entries. This came in the form of Nia Jax being sent packing from the 30-man event back in 2019. Whilst Jax’s presence in the match marked a surprise in and of itself, it was the utterly ruthless manner in which she was eliminated which has lived long in the memory of WWE fans. Looking utterly unstoppable against some of the finest superstars the men’s division has to offer, ‘The Irresistible Force’ was first rocked by a Superkick on the part of Dolph Ziggler. A 619 followed courtesy of Rey Mysterio before Randy Orton set Chase Field alight in landing a picture-perfect RKO. Jax still managed to briefly hold on after being sent over the top rope, only for Mysterio to land another sliding kick, leaving the now-40-year-old humbled ringside.

9

Brock Lesnar

Another of the more recent entries on our list, Brock Lesnar’s exit from the 2020 Royal Rumble came as a shocking one for a whole host of reasons. Not least the fact that, before his elimination, ‘The Beast’ had been busy sending every one of his first 12 opponents flying over the top rope. So dominant did Lesnar look that unease spread amongst the WWE Universe that he had been pencilled in for a historic no.1 entry triumph at the event. That was until Drew McIntyre entered the fray… After the usually squeaky clean Ricochet hit Brock with a low blow from behind, ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ took full advantage, ousting Lesnar with a Claymore Kick to raucous celebrations in the crowd.

8

Triple H

Next up comes one of two entries in our top 10 featuring two-time Royal Rumble winner, Shawn Michaels. And, on both occasions, it was ‘HBK’ who was responsible for the shocking nature of the elimination. During the 2010 edition of the event, Michaels looked as though he was set to be tossed out by John Cena, only for long-time friend Triple H to intervene, saving ‘The Heartbreak Kid’. In the ultimate showcase of ‘every man for himself’, however, Michaels, not for the first time, responded by turning his back on Triple H, connecting with a trademark Superkick for one of the most memorable eliminations in Rumble history.

7

Brie Bella

Fresh off one betrayal comes another, on this occasion between two sisters. The sole entry on our list to have played out during the Women’s Royal Rumble match, the Bella twins appeared to be in complete control of the situation back in 2018. Joining Asuka as one of the final three in the maiden Women’s Rumble, the plan was clear – eliminate ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ before duking it out for a place in the history books. Unfortunately for Brie, however, Nikki Bella had other ideas. With her sister on the outside of the ropes following an elimination attempt on the part of Asuka, Nikki swivelled to direct a fatal blow to Brie, leaving all watching on in utter shock. A turn which, in the end, proved largely pointless, as Asuka marched on to the title of first-ever Women’s Rumble winner.

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6

Hulk Hogan

The oldest entry on our list comes from the 1992 edition of the Royal Rumble and saw one of the greatest to ever do it – Hulk Hogan – left red-faced. Hogan, for his part, was considered by many to be the outright favourite to make it yet another Rumble triumph in ’92, fresh off proving himself something of a specialist in the match by way of back-to-back victories the two years prior. With only ‘The Hulkster’, Ric Flair and Sid Justice remaining, it therefore looked a near certainty that the latter would be sent packing, to leave a star-studded face-off for victory. The late Sid Justice, however, had other ideas. As Hogan beat down a grounded Flair, he was grabbed from behind, before being unceremoniously tossed over the top rope to a massive pop on the part of the New York crowd.

5

The British Bulldog

The 2nd superstar on our list to have fallen victim to the craftiness of Shawn Michaels, The British Bulldog looked for all intents and purposes as though he had triumphed in the 1995 Royal Rumble. After Michaels and Davey Boy Smith battled their way from 1st and 2nd entrants all the way to the final two, the latter tossed ‘HBK’ over the top rope, before wheeling away in celebration. Just when it appeared as though the Bulldog was on his way to WrestleMania, however, Michaels reappeared in the ring, to send his opponent crashing to the ground ringside. Replays showcased the fact that only one of Michaels’ feet had touched the floor on the far side, in a Rumble finish for the ages.

4

Bret Hart

One of the more controversial endings in Royal Rumble history came in the 1997 edition of the event. This came after some quick thinking on the part of Stone Cold Steve Austin saw Bret Hart robbed of a deserved win. With what felt like the whole of the wrestling universe firmly behind him, Austin appeared to have seen his hopes of a Rumble victory in his home state of Texas dashed after being launched over the top rope and out by Bret Hart. The problem for the latter, though, was that none of the referees involved actually saw ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ eliminated. Austin, in turn, simply slipped back into the ring, before ousting Hart, setting up a tense showdown between the pair at WrestleMania.

3

Stone Cold Steve Austin

From a Royal Rumble finish in which Stone Cold Steve Austin was the recipient of some good luck, to another in which he suffered quite the opposite. With victories in each of the previous two 30-man showcases under his belt, Austin looked like a shoo-in to make it a three-peat, upon being left with only Vince McMahon to best in the final two in 1999. After The Rock emerged to wreak havoc, however, McMahon took his chance, sending Stone Cold packing in a shock twist. To this day, McMahon’s name continues to look like a typo on the storied list of all-time Royal Rumble winners…

2

John Cena and Batista

Taking the runners-up spot in our piece is the infamous ‘double elimination’ from the 2005 Royal Rumble. One of the most famous sequences in WWE history, this one had it all – a botched finish, a never-before-seen match restart, and then-chairman Vince McMahon tearing both his quads in a furious rage. After John Cena and Batista emerged as the final two contenders in the Rumble 20 years ago, a disastrous attempt at a Batista Bomb Spot culminated in both flying over the top rope to connect with the ground outside at the same time. The match officials then took turns lifting the hand of each contestant, before Vince McMahon ordered a restart between the pair. From here, Batista had the last laugh, but the damage had been done, in a match finish which those behind the scenes in the WWE were keen to see the back of.

1

The Undertaker

And then there was one… Our pick for the most shocking elimination in Royal Rumble history comes from 2002 when The Undertaker was ousted from the 30-man event by *checks notes* Maven. To this day, the image of ‘Taker’s face, etched with utter disbelief whilst standing ringside, remains an iconic one. To the point that, when long-time WWE fans hear the name Maven, his actions during the ’02 Rumble are the first that spring to mind. After ‘The American Badass’ sent Jeff Hardy flying under the bottom rope ruthlessly, he was caught by surprise with a dropkick on the part of former ‘Tough Enough’ winner Maven. The Undertaker sold perfectly, flipping out of the ring before returning to lay a beatdown on his underdog foe. But unfortunately for ‘Taker, his exit had been set in stone, as one of the most memorable ever at the Rumble.

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