Admittedly, this should probably be higher. With the WWF title on the line, Ric Flair entered at No. 3, overcame a stacked field, and captured his first WWF Championship. Afterward, he cut one of the most iconic promos in wrestling history.
WWE probably couldn't get away with something like this today. But back in 1997, the referees' call on the field stood. Steve Austin was eliminated by Bret Hart, but the refs didn't see it. That allowed Austin to slide back in the ring and continue on as if nothing happened. He went on to win the match and his rise to megastar status was fully under way.
Well. That's one way to give a young guy a push. Maven was young, green, and only there because he won Tough Enough. For him to eliminate a true legend like the Undertaker was shocking to say the least.
While certainly not an impactful moment in terms of history, Kofi Kingston doing a handstand after seemingly being eliminated by The Miz remains one of the more impressive athletic feats in the Royal Rumble.
For the longest time, Rey Mysterio couldn't shed his cruiserweight label. In 2006, WWE finally trusted him to ascend to the main event scene. Mysterio entered No. 1 and won the whole thing.
Considered a tag team wrestler, this was Shawn Michaels' true breakthrough moment, when he really became the main event star he would go on to be.
It's hard to believe this wasn't scripted, but how could you? The fact that John Cena and Batista accidentally eliminated each other, but also hit the ground at the exact same time by pure accident is something we will never see again. The aftermath with Vince McMahon charging to the ring and tearing both his quads only adds to the aura of this moment.
The heart and the face of TNA basically since its inception, it was unclear how A.J. Styles would be received in WWE. The fans knew exactly who he was, making his debut one of the greatest of all time.
An October pec tear was supposed to sideline John Cena for at least six months. The man returned after just three and no one saw it coming. When Cena's music hit, it drew one of the loudest reactions of all time.
The look on Edge's face says it all. As much as the fans could not believe he was back, neither could he. A truly surreal moment that seems impossible to top.
