7 AEW stars who almost won the WWE Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the WWE calendar. The surprise returns, unpredictability, and multiple wrestlers in the ring at the same time are reasons why the match stipulation continues to be a success.
This weekend's premium live event will be the 35th edition of the January spectacular. It marks the beginning of the road to WrestleMania as the winners of the Royal Rumble matches will get the opportunity to fight for a World Championship at the grandest stage of sports entertainment.
A number of AEW stars participated in the WWE Royal Rumble match back when they were with Vince McMahon's company. Unfortunately, none of them were able to win it. However, there are some who came pretty close.
In this article, we look at seven current AEW stars who missed out on winning the Rumble match by a whisker.
#7. AEW veteran Billy Gunn was in the final four of the 2001 Royal Rumble
@IamRyanBrolly Billy Gunn
One half of the New Age Outlaws, Gunn became relevant when he joined DX. Stayed in the mid-card after DX and nearly won a Royal Rumble in the early 2000s. Ruined by the godawful Billy and Chuck storyline. https://t.co/KZutjVInE7
Billy Gunn is a veteran at this point in his career, helping his sons Austin and Colton Gunn with their tag team in Tony Khan's promotion. But back in the Attitude Era, he was one of the most popular superstars as part of DX.
He was at the Rumble in 1999 and 2000, making a brief but powerful impact, but his best performance was arguably in 2001. Well-regarded as one of the greatest Rumble matches of all time, he made it to the final four. The match was, of course, won by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.
While Gunn has never fully reached the potential that his talents deserve, his name will always be synonymous with the best time in the pro wrestling business.
#6. AEW star Christian Cage returned to the 2021 Royal Rumble
CHRISTIAAAAAAAAN! #WWEBackstage’s own @Christian4Peeps has returned at the #RoyalRumble!
(via @WWE) https://t.co/DTJCM6Zg57
Christian surprised the world by returning to WWE at the 2021 Royal Rumble event after seven years away due to career-threatening injuries. Coming in at entrant number 24, Captain Charisma lasted 18 minutes in the match, making it to the final five.
Captain Charisma reunited with his former partner Edge at the Men's Royal Rumble match and they shared an emotional moment inside the ring. On an episode of WWE's The Bump shortly after his surprise appearance, Christian said:
"That moment where we kinda' locked eyes. That smile. This was all spur of the moment stuff. It was like, I think I had dropped Daniel Bryan and I turned around and I saw him getting up and he had this look of joy on his face. In a weird way, this meant more to him than it did to me. It meant just as much to him, if not more."
While it would have been apropos for the two former tag partners to face off at a WrestleMania main event, Christian decided that his talents were better suited to All Elite Wrestling and he has been with Tony Khan's company ever since.