Most shocking eliminations in Royal Rumble history
With the Royal Rumble taking place Sunday, theScore is celebrating the official start of the Road to WrestleMania throughout the week with in-depth coverage. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest eliminations in the history of the 30-man, over-the-top-rope battle royal.
Shawn Michaels eliminates British Bulldog, 1995
"The Heartbreak Kid" and Davey Boy Smith went the distance as the respective No. 1 and 2 entrants at the USF Sun Dome 22 years ago, each surviving nearly 39 minutes in the squared circle before a controversial ending that left everyone in attendance dumbfounded.
For a superstar to be eliminated, both of their feet must touch the floor after being thrown over the top rope. The Bulldog fulfilled the second part of that formula by sending Michaels flying with a clothesline, although, unbeknownst to him, only one of HBK's feet made contact with the ground.
Celebrating his victory as if it had been signed, sealed, and delivered, the Bulldog was sent tumbling down to the canvas by an emerging Michaels, who used the ropes to pull himself back in the ring before knocking Bulldog over the turnbuckle with a double axe handle to his lower back.
Lex Luger and Bret "The Hitman" Hart eliminate each other, 1994
Rules and wrasslin' logic went out the window when "The Excellence of Execution" and Lex Luger found themselves in a precarious position to end the 1994 Rumble that's only been seen on one other occasion.
Both competitors were eliminated at the exact same time after Hart annulled a body slam attempt from Luger, causing nearby officials to panic over what the best course of action should be. There was no instant replay at their disposal, outside of the angles fans at home were shown that conveniently blocked out Hart and Luger's feet.
A ruling by former company president Jack Tunney awarded the victory to both men, instead of logically restarting the bout to crown a true winner. As a result, Hart and Luger each got matches with then-WWF Champion Yokozuna at WrestleMania X in Madison Square Garden.
Beth Phoenix eliminates The Great Khali, 2010
Wrestling giants are consistently huge (both literally and figuratively) threats to win any battle royal, with all 7-foot-1 and 350 pounds of India's Great Khali perhaps the most imposing threat of them all in 2010.
For the just the second time in Rumble history, a female competitor entered the fray in the form of "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix, who used her cunning wit and womanly charm to drag the "Punjabi Playboy" out all by herself. As Khali delicately placed her on the apron in a gentlemanly fashion, Phoenix pulled the behemoth in and planted and Khali-sized wet kiss on him.
"Never trust a woman," color commentator Matt Striker proclaimed. Well, in this case, that statement certainly rang true.
Mr. McMahon eliminates "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, 1999
WWF Royal Rumble 1999 (Part 4) by NotoriousPimpin
The classic Austin-McMahon rivalry defined the infamous Attitude Era back in the late nineties, with "Stone Cold" serving as the defiant renegade loudmouth who personified what it meant to be anti-establishment.
The 1999 Rumble was built around their interaction as the first two entrants, with everything else paling in comparison to the two larger-than-life personalities squaring off. Austin and McMahon did their best HBK-Bulldog impression by outlasting 28 other superstars, aided by them taking their battle away from the ring for a period of time.
The Rock made his presence felt near the very end, distracting his hated rival long enough for McMahon to eliminate his oblivious beer-loving adversary for the win. Being in cahoots with the corporate WWF Champion, McMahon renounced his title opportunity the following night on Raw.
Maven eliminates The Undertaker, 2002
You can't discuss jaw-dropping Rumble eliminations without first bringing up Maven, the co-winner of the inaugural "Tough Enough" reality competition who unofficially signed his death certificate with his elimination of the Deadman.
Having just done away with both Hardy brothers after the extreme tag team reemerged to exact their revenge, Undertaker stood proud and tall talking down to his fallen prey. Maven, at that point, had become an afterthought, and acting as an ultimate opportunist, pounced on the unsuspecting Undertaker by delivering a picture-perfect dropkick to his back.
The former middle school teacher lived to regret his decision, with the "American Badass" dishing out his own unique brand of justice on Maven in a brutal and sadistic manner.