WWE Royal Rumble: Ranking Every Winner After Lynch, Rollins Wins

Credit: WWE.com

10. Rey Mysterio

Under better circumstances, Rey Mysterio should rank higher. Looking at the facts, Mysterio: 1). entered the Royal Rumble from the Number 2 position; 2). eliminated six mean, including Randy Orton and Triple H; 3). won the match after lasting 1:02:14, still the longest time spent in a regular 30-man Royal Rumble Match; and 4). went on to defeat Kurt angle and Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22, becoming the smallest man to ever hold such an honor.

So what’s the issue? To put it simply, WWE wasn’t pushing Rey Mysterio. Rather, they were using him to sell Eddie Guerrero merchandise following the latter’s sudden death in November. As cynical as that sounds, what other explanation could there be for the proliferation of EG armbands? For a feud with Randy Orton revolving around whether Guerrero was in Heaven or Hell? For having Mark Henry say for heat that, “[I]f Eddie were alive, [he]’d spit on him…” The whole thing was absolutely tasteless.

Rey’s booking was also not particularly strong, as he constantly lost non-title matches. He did win when it most mattered, however, defending the Championship against the likes of Kurt Angle, JBL, and Sabu. The reign would be ended in July by King Booker, and Rey would return to the upper midcard, feuding mostly with Chavo Guerrero.

Despite the horrendous booking, there is no doubt that Rey’s performance and accomplishments in winning the Royal Rumble Match and his WrestleMania match elevate him to one of the event’s best and most memorable winners.