Hey there, Belly Up fans! It’s your girl, Kat AKA @TXSportsQueen! The start of a new year in the WWE means one thing – ROYAL RUMBLE TIME! I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to look back at some of the best Royal Rumble moments in history. Like I’ve said before, moments to me are about groundbreaking, history-making, sending chills up and down your spine events! I quickly realized that listing the best can’t be done in just one article! So, The Queen’s Take is leading you on a Royal Rumble journey! Let’s kick it off with The QT – “OMG” Royal Rumble Moments (Part 1).
SURPRISE PARTY!!
The list of the Royal Rumble participants quickly fills up in the days and weeks leading up to the event. However, during the match itself, the WWE loves to throw curveballs with surprise entries! Any WWE fan can say that one of the biggest surprises came from the return of a superstar you usually can’t see!
Now You Can See Him
In October of 2007, WWE Champion John Cena tore his pectoral muscle during a match with Mr. Kennedy. News broke that the injury required immediate surgery with estimated rehab time well into 2008. Now that he was stripped of his WWE title and sidelined, Cena’s chances to compete at the next WrestleMania started to vanish.
Fast forward to Madison Square Garden on January 27, 2008!
The historic area hosted the 2008 Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. The WWE Universe eagerly anticipated the arrival of the 30th entry in the Royal Rumble match. Once the final countdown concluded, a familiar piece of music played that stopped the remaining Royal Rumble participants in their tracks! The roof exploded off of Madison Square Garden because John Cena entered the Royal Rumble! Although nobody expected him back for the match, he took full advantage of his opportunity! Cena immediately eliminated three superstars and won the match by eliminating Triple H. John Cena’s return in 2008 Royal Rumble remains one of the biggest shockers in the event’s history!
How do you trump a surprise Rumble return? How about with a surprise Rumble debut?
A Phenomenal Intro
After he left NJPW in early 2016, A.J. Styles became the hottest free agent in sports entertainment. Rumors circled around the industry that he signed with the WWE but nothing was confirmed.
All questions were answered on January 24, 2016, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Roman Reigns just eliminated Rusev from the Royal Rumble match and waited for his next opponent. As the countdown for the third entrant concluded, the rumors became confirmed when A.J. Styles entered the Royal Rumble! The crowd exploded with excitement to see the ‘The Phenomenal One’ in the WWE! What a way to introduce yourself to the WWE Universe? Although he did not win the match, A.J. Styles’ debut can only be described the same as his career and accomplishments – Phenomenal!
That’s all for this installment of The QT – “OMG” Royal Rumble Moments (Part 1).
Until next time, Belly Up fans!
Your queen has spoken!
