The WWE Royal Rumble concept is simple. 30 men and women enter their respective matches, and 29 of them are eliminated. Over the years, we’ve seen some creative and fun eliminations. Snitsky’s elimination of Paul London in the 2005 Royal Rumble usually comes to mind. Some also point toward Kane eliminating Sabu by chokeslamming him over the top rope and onto a table.
For this article, I wanted to highlight some eliminations that looked awesome but don’t get talked about enough. Hopefully, the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble gives us some eliminations to add to this list.
1990 Royal Rumble: Ultimate Warrior eliminates Rick Martel
I was four years old when this event took place in 1990. My two favorite wrestlers, at the time, were Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. You can imagine the pretzel my brain was in when these two squared off AGAINST each other. I think this is the first time I experienced trauma in my life and I don’t know if I ever recovered.
Also, at that age, we loved the babyfaces and hated the heels. Rick “The Model” Martel was a heel. I cannot begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed watching Martel as I’ve gotten older. That guy could WORK and was a PERFECT heel. I’m not a big proponent of putting wrestlers in the Hall of Fame because it lost its allure years ago. BUT, Martel should have his spot very soon. He deserves the recognition.
As far as this elimination, I still to this day don’t think I’ve seen someone SAIL over the top rope like he did. How in the HELL did he not break his neck or separate his shoulder on this elimination!?!? I’ve watched it over and over and over and still cannot figure out how he went over so violently and yet so gracefully. Like I said, the dude could work.
Also, shoutout to a 25-year-old Shawn Michaels getting dumped out of the Rumble so quickly by Warrior.
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1993 Royal Rumble: Yokozuna eliminates Owen Hart
A brutal-looking landing for Owen Hart. I’m shocked that he didn’t blow out his knee from this landing, as it’s clear he didn’t intend to land that way. It wasn’t meant to look violent but this elimination always stuck with me.
Yokozuna would go on to win this Royal Rumble in one of the oddest ways possible. After nailing his patented elbow drops from the top rope, Macho Man went for a pinfall attempt. Yokozuna would then “kick out” by pushing Macho Man off him and sending him over the top rope. This finish is still discussed to this day and many theories have been floated on Reddit about it.
2002: Kane eliminates The Big Show
Kane should have won a Royal Rumble. He was the MVP of numerous Royal Rumbles and holds the record for most all-time eliminations with 46. That record should stand for a long time, as the closest active wrestling is Braun Strowman with 34. I don’t know if you’ve seen Strowman lately but he’s looking like he’s entering his jobber era. He’s not going to catch Kane.
I love this elimination because it showcases how ridiculously strong Kane was in his prime. Around this time, Big Show was hovering around 400 pounds and Kane, on his own, lifted him over the top rope. Kane was a monster, even five years after his debut here. A rare feat for big men in professional wrestling.
It’s amazing to think that about a year and a half later, Kane would take off his mask to “freshen up” the character.
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1998: Owen Hart eliminates Jeff Jarrett
We were embarking on the best period of wrestling at this time and we didn’t even know it.
This Royal Rumble is fresh off the 1997 Survivor Series, which was, of course, the Montreal Screwjob. With so much controversy surrounding the event, Hart was still under contract but wanted out. It took a few weeks but Hart was able to negotiate with Vince McMahon and a new deal was struck. As you can tell, the crowd is clearly behind Hart, who without The Hart Foundation, was being portrayed as babyface.
Earlier in this match, Hart was coming out to enter the Rumble but was attacked from behind by Jeff Jarrett. During this time, Jarrett was “invading” the WWF by representing NWA. Jarrett, as the NWA North American Heavyweight Champion, was getting huge heat from the crowd.
Hart was unable to enter the Rumble match after being attacked and never made it to the ring. Shortly after, Jarrett came out again, this time at his assigned number. Hart would enter the match and go on the attack on Jarrett. I LOVE the way Jarrett goes flying over the top, coupled with a huge pop from the crowd. You have to realize, these are essentially two mid-card guys garnering THAT type of reaction.
This event would begin what many consider one of the greatest years in WWE history.
That’s our list! Enjoy the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble!
