Who Were the Runners Up in the 1997-2007 Royal Rumble Matches?
The early years of the Royal Rumble event were a great success. The added stipulation in 1993, that the match winner would headline Wrestlemania opposite the WWE Champion, made the event that much more anticipated.
As the Royal Rumble gimmick neared the new millennium, it's importance grew. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were proof that a 'Rumble win could give a superstar the keys to the kingdom of the WWE main event.
Both men had won 'Rumbles and gone on to claim WWE gold at that year's respective Wrestlemania event.
Over the course of the next decade, the winners of the Royal Rumble were all but guaranteed to go on to win the big one, just a couple of months later.
So, coveted were spots in the Royal Rumble, that qualification became a necessity in the mid-2000s, with a large roster vying to earn a spot in the match wherein big prizes awaited the winner.
Between 1997 and 2007, seven of the 'Rumble winners would go on to become WWE or World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania.
The 'Rumble match had grown in importance and was now a major platform for an up and coming superstar to become a bonafide headline mega draw. By winning the 'Rumble, they would earn a first class ticket to the top of the business.
However, the margins between success and failure are small and for the great success experienced by most 'Rumble winners, disappointment and a return to the drawing board were experienced by those wrestlers who missed out on victory and were runners-up in the annual spectacular.
In this the second of three articles (you can read my first here), SK revisits 11 more Royal Rumble matches and looks at the runners-up and what became of their careers after they missed out on victory.
#1 Royal Rumble Runner Ups 1997-99
1997 - Bret Hart
The original booking called for Bret Hart to win the 1997 Royal Rumble to set up a Wrestlemania re-match between him and Shawn Michaels from the previous year's Wrestlemania wherein Michaels had defeated Hart to win his first WWE Championship.
Michaels was expected to return the favour at Wrestlemania 13.
However, after WWE writer Vince Russo correctly predicted that Hart would win the match on the pay per view pre-show, WWE bookers felt compelled to change the finish.
Therefore, Stone Cold, who was feuding with Hart at the time was chosen as the new winner and he last eliminated Hart to win (however, unbeknownst to officials, Hart had actually earlier ejected Stone Cold).
Michaels vacated the title the next month, and Hart would in fact win the WWE Championship in the next pay per view instead.
1998 - The Rock
The Rock entered the 1998 Royal Rumble as the Intercontinental Champion and would spend the majority of the year, improving as an all round act, before he finally became WWE Champion at Survivor Series later that year.
However, in January, he was not close to being a contender. In fact, the entire 'Rumble was built around Stone Cold and he was the only possible winner. The red hot Stone Cold beat The Rock to win and went on to become WWE Champion at Wrestlemania XIV.
Rock would defend the Intercontinental Title on that show. A 'Rumble win would have been interesting in 1998, but would never have happened.
1999 - Stone Cold
Well, the favourite to win the 1999 Royal Rumble was Stone Cold and rightfully so. Much like 1998, there were no credible alternatives to win the match.
However, unlike 1998, Stone Cold did not win. His boss did.
Vince McMahon entered the bout as the number two entrant to Stone Cold's number one to exploit the stunningly successful Austin/McMahon rivalry.
As it turned out, Stone Cold's career trajectory was not halted by the loss. He was gifted the title shot back when McMahon relinquished it, by WWE Commissioner, Shawn Michaels and defended that opportunity against McMahon at the following pay per view, St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Stone Cold would beat The Rock to win his third title at Wrestlemania XV.