The Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s most exciting and unpredictable events, but over the years, it has also been plagued with controversies, including but not limited to questionable eliminations, botched finishes, and booking decisions that left fans outraged. Here’s a look at some of the biggest Royal Rumble controversies and what really happened behind the scenes.
For the first and only time in history, two wrestlers—Lex Luger and Bret Hart—were declared co-winners of the Royal Rumble. Both men went over the top rope and hit the floor at the same time, leading to confusion about who had actually won. WWE (then WWF) wanted to push both Luger and Hart as top stars heading into WrestleMania X, so the decision to have a tie was planned. However, the audience’s overwhelming support for Bret Hart led to him getting the title shot, while Luger’s push ended.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was eliminated by Bret Hart, but the referees didn’t see it. Austin slid back into the ring and eliminated Hart, winning the match. This was a scripted decision to fuel the legendary Austin vs. Hart feud. It led to their iconic submission match at WrestleMania 13, where Austin bled profusely and became a fan favorite despite losing, simply because of his dedication.
Vince McMahon entered the match as a competitor, spent most of the match outside the ring, and ultimately eliminated Stone Cold Steve Austin to win. Fans were furious, as Austin was the clear favorite. The plan was to build Austin vs. McMahon for WrestleMania XV. However, many felt it hurt the credibility of the match by allowing a non-wrestler to win. It spiralled into a big controversy which ultimately backfired from the original plan.
John Cena and Batista both tumbled over the ropes at the same time, unintentionally recreating the 1994 Rumble finish. The referees were confused, and chaos broke out. But, this was not planned. Vince McMahon stormed down to the ring, visibly furious, and attempted to restart the match—but tore both of his quads while entering the ring. This was one of the most shocking eliminations in the Royal Rumble to date. Batista ultimately won after the match was restarted.
Fans were expecting Daniel Bryan to enter the match, but he never appeared. Instead, Batista won, and the crowd booed him mercilessly. WWE originally planned for Batista to main-event WrestleMania 30, but the backlash forced them to insert Daniel Bryan into the title picture. Bryan went on to win the championship in one of the most iconic WrestleMania moments ever, proving that WWE was also at the mercy of the audience.
Fans were still upset from the previous year and wanted Daniel Bryan to win. However, Bryan was eliminated early, and Roman Reigns was booked to win instead. Even with The Rock raising his hand in victory, the crowd booed uncontrollably. WWE miscalculated fans’ loyalty to Bryan and their rejection of Reigns being pushed as the new face of the company. This moment was a turning point in how WWE booked Reigns for years.
Asuka won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, but instead of celebrating her victory, WWE had Ronda Rousey’s debut immediately after—stealing all the attention. WWE wanted Rousey to be the focus heading into WrestleMania 34, but this took away Asuka’s big moment, making her win feel secondary. It was met with a lot of backlash from fans over social media,
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The Royal Rumble is always unpredictable, but sometimes controversy takes center stage. Whether through botched finishes, unpopular winners, or shocking moments, these instances have shaped WWE history. This year’s Royal Rumble has more in store for fans, and it will be interesting to see how things turn out.
