10 Most Shocking Royal Rumble Eliminations Of All Time

2. Shawn Michaels eliminates The British Bulldog – 1995

To be eliminated from the Royal Rumble, you must be thrown over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor.

Shawn Michaels pushed these rules to the limit during his 1995 Royal Rumble performance. As the final two competitors remaining in the match, HBK and The British Bulldog battled for the WrestleMania XI title shot.

After throwing Michaels around the ring, The British Bulldog clotheslined HBK over the top rope. Thinking he had won, the English-born competitor scaled the turnbuckles to celebrate.

Little did Bulldog know that only one of Michaels’ feet had touched the floor. As he hung to the top rope for dear life, the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ pulled himself back onto the canvas before pushing the ‘British Bulldog’ out of the ring.

As the #1 entrant, Michaels had gone the distance, an unthinkable feat at the time. On this night, one foot was the difference between being eliminated, or going to WrestleMania.

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1. Maven eliminates The Undertaker – 2002

A WWE Tough Enough winner and former Hardcore Champion, Maven had a pretty eventful career in WWE. That being said, he will always be remembered for eliminating The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble match.

When Maven’s music hit on January 20, 2002, the underdog only had only been wrestling for a few months. He fearlessly ran into battle against the ‘Deadman’, who as of this match, had been “digging holes and taking souls” for well over a decade.

Maven was promptly knocked down before Undertaker returned his attention to Jeff Hardy. As ‘Taker waved goodbye to the eliminated Hardy, Maven dropkicked the Undertaker over the top rope, shocking the world.

The ‘Deadman’ was a sore loser, returning to the ring to brutalise the competitor who had caught him off guard. Although Maven’s time in the 2002 Rumble was short-lived, history will always show that Maven bested The Undertaker in his debut year.

What are your favourite Royal Rumble eliminations? Let us know in the comments on Twitter or Facebook.

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• Sasha Banks
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