5 WWE Superstars who stole Royal Rumble spots
When WWE fans talk about the biggest prizes in all of sports entertainment, winning the Royal Rumble almost always makes the cut. The Royal Rumble match is one of the biggest WWE attractions of the year and is dubbed by many as the most exciting 60 minutes of the year when it comes to WWE TV.
Winning the Royal Rumble match guarantees a WrestleMania main event spot for the Superstar, in a World title match. Over the past three decades or so, several new names have won the Royal Rumble match and went on to become some of the biggest Superstars in WWE history. A Royal Rumble winner instantly becomes WWE's top name for the next several weeks, until the big night where they challenge for the top title belt in a stadium filled with tens of thousands of screaming fans.
Brock Lesnar, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Batista, and Rey Mysterio are just a few of several big names who have won the match. It goes without saying that a Royal Rumble spot is worth a lot. That's why it doesn't surprise fans when a Superstar goes too far in his/her pursuit to bag a spot in the match. In this list, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who stole or took away Royal Rumble spots from other wrestlers.
#5 Mick Foley steals Test's Royal Rumble spot
Mick Foley's sole aim in early 2004 was to hurt Randy Orton, who had embarrassed him on more than one occasion. Foley couldn't be found anywhere at the Royal Rumble 2004 pay-per-view leading to Jim Ross admitting that he is a coward. When Test was about to enter the Royal Rumble match, the camera panned to backstage, where Test was laid out. Stone Cold Steve Austin was seen speaking to the guy who put Test down, and it turned out to be Mick Foley.
Mick Foley brawled with Randy Orton in the Royal Rumble match
Foley came out at No. 21, and the fans erupted in unison. Foley entered the ring and began brawling with Randy Orton. He went on to eliminate Orton and got himself eliminated in the process. It was clear as day that Foley wasn't out there to win the big one, but to simply give it to Orton. The duo was featured in a three-on-two Handicap match at WrestleMania 20, which ended with Orton hitting an RKO on Foley to pick up the win for Evolution.