WWE Royal Rumble: Santino Marella and five hilarious Royal Rumble eliminations

The Warlord (1989)

When looking back through the history of humiliating Royal Rumble eliminations, there is only one place to start. In 1989, the first Pay-Per-View Rumble match took place – in Houston no less, the very same city hosting this year’s event. The Rumble match itself boasted several mean, tough figures, and there were very few both meaner and tougher than The Warlord.

The Warlord was part of The Powers of Pain, a formidable tag team that were engaged in a feud with WWE Hall of Fame tag team Demolition, over the defection of former Demolition manager Mr. Fuji to the Powers of Pain at Survivor Series 1988. This made him a mighty, imposing figure as he marched down to the ring for the 1989 Royal Rumble match as the 21st entrant.

This was to be the most memorable match in Warlord’s WWE career, and a defining moment for the pay-per-view. Reaching the ring, he pulled himself up on to the apron, before turning outwards to face the crowd. A snarling glare upon his face, he rose his arms proudly into the air, declaring his entrance into the match.

Six-foot-five and over 300 pounds of raw power, his arrival late in the match made him a force to be reckoned with, and an undoubted threat to the many tired, wavering bodies in the ring who had been in there for far longer. And so, he stepped between the ropes, and into the ring.

Only to be clotheslined back over said ropes by Hulk Hogan, eliminating him after just two seconds in the match.

At least this made Warlord a key figure of Royal Rumble, and wider WWE history. That is, until 2009 – but we will come to that a little later…