Hey, Belly Up fans! Your girl, Kat AKA @TXSportsQueen, is back to continue this Royal Rumble journey of some of the event’s best moments! So, why wait? The Queen’s Take presents “OMG” Royal Rumble Moments II – What a Finish!
You know the saying – “It’s not how you start… It’s how you finish!” The Royal Rumble match has given us some incredible finishes over the years! Whether it’s ending the match with a classic showdown or finishing the match from an early entry, these moments proved to be the embodiment of the phrase, “What a finish!”
The Beginning of the End!
The 2007 Royal Rumble turned out to be one for the record books. It marked the first time that ECW superstars entered the Rumble with an opportunity for the ECW Championship at Wrestlemania on the line. As always, WWE’s elite participated in the annual event. The match came down to Shawn Michaels, who entered at number 23, and The Undertaker, who entered at number 30. These two went back and forth with amazing offense. One close elimination after another. In the end, Taker eliminated HBK and became the first superstar to win the Rumble from the 30th spot.
Nobody knew at that time, but this showdown would not be the last time that they faced off. Michaels and Taker started off the 2008 Rumble together. Then, they went on to face each other at WrestleMania 25 and 26, with the latter turning out to be Michael’s Retirement match. I guess you never know what the Rumble can lead to!
Hanging on to Win!
The entry number that superstars always looked to avoid in the Rumble is number 1. Shawn Michaels pulled the unfortunate spot for the 1995 Royal Rumble Match, which he started with The British Bulldog. The two tore through the other 28 participants to be the last two remaining. After they went back and forth, Bulldog believed that he eliminated Michaels. As he stood on the turnbuckles celebrating, HBK came from behind and knocked him out of the ring. The famous clip from this match showed that only one of Michaels’ feet hit the ground and was never eliminated. Michael became the first superstar to win the Rumble from the number 1 spot!
For Eddie!
Rey Mysterio went into the 2006 Royal Rumble with a heavy heart! Just two months prior, he lost his best friend and former tag team partner Eddie Guerrero. Rey vowed to win the Royal Rumble Match as a tribute to Eddie. Little did he know, his road to fulfilling that vow would not be that easy.
When superstars pulled their numbers, Mysterio got the second worst starting spot for the match – Number 2! He came out to the arena in style to start the match with Triple H. Mysterio drove out in a classic low rider (a la Eddie) with Eddie’s tribute shirt on! Throughout the match, he was the ultimate underdog who stayed alive! The last two remaining were Mysterio and Randy Orton. Just when Orton thought he had the match won and looked to eliminate Rey, Mysterio pulled a fast one and eliminated Orton instead. Rey Mysterio set the record (at that time) for the longest appearance in a Royal Rumble at 62 minutes and 12 seconds. He kept his word and won the match for Eddie!
That’s all for this installment of The Queen’s Take: “OMG” Royal Rumble Moments II – What a Finish! Keep an eye out for the final part of this journey!
Until next time, Belly Up fans!
Your queen has spoken!
