WWE Royal Rumble 2012: 5 Most Shocking Winners in Royal Rumble History

Photo: wrestlingforum.com

With the WWE Royal Rumble just days away, wrestling fans are impatiently waiting to see which WWE superstars will participate in the 30-Man over-the-top Battle Royale.

In the 24-year history of the Royal Rumble, there have been some odds on favourites to win the Rumble match, and there have been some winners that have shocked the wrestling world by overcoming the odds put in front of them.

Here are the five most shocking winners in Royal Rumble History, from No. 5 to No. 1.

5.) Shawn Michaels (1995)

The “Heartbreak Kid” was a rising star in the WWE, and his meteoric climb to the top was nothing short of spectacular.

He entered the 1995 Royal Rumble as the number one entry, and had to go through 29 WWE superstars to be declared the winner. But Michaels overcame the odds to win the Royal Rumble in true form.  

In fact, he became the first WWE superstar in history to be the number one entry and win the Royal Rumble match. Shawn Michaels had indeed earned his nickname, “The Showstopper.”

4.) Ric Flair (1992)

The “Nature Boy” came to the WWE with one goal on his mind: To become the next WWE Champion.

His wish was fulfilled at the 1992 Royal Rumble, when the WWE Championship was declared vacant and was up for grabs in the Rumble match.

Flair was the number three entry and endured a full 60 minutes, last eliminating Sid Justice to become the new WWE Champion. Wrestling fans were truly in awe and gave praise to “The Dirtiest Player in the Game”, Ric Flair.

3.) Alberto Del Rio (2011)

Many wrestling fans had mixed feelings when it came to the “Mexican Aristocrat” Alberto Del Rio, and did not even give it a second thought that Del Rio might be the winner of the Royal Rumble.

Del Rio had only been in the WWE for a few months prior to the Rumble match, and was not the odds-on-favourite to win.

Del Rio was the 38th entry in the Rumble match, and he used that to his advantage to win the 2011 Royal Rumble. Del Rio was one step closer in his destiny of becoming a world champion.

2.) Rey Mysterio (2006)

Rey Mysterio is one of the most accomplished WWE Superstars of all time, and one of the greatest cruiser-weights in pro wrestling history.

Those accolades were overshadowed at the 2006 Royal Rumble, when Mysterio had to compete against 29 WWE superstars in the Rumble match.

In addition to being the smallest superstar to compete in the Rumble, he picked the number two entry, so the deck was stacked double against him. But Mysterio lasted over an hour, and his heart and determination helped him win the 2006 Royal Rumble, proving that a person's physical size cannot weaken a person's will to succeed.

And now, the No. 1 most shocking winner in Royal Rumble history...

1.) Vince McMahon (1999)

Vince McMahon as “Mr. McMahon” is known for being a ruthless, ego-maniacal tyrant that in the blink of an eye, can end a WWE Superstar's career. In the boardroom, he is king of the mountain.

In the 1999 Royal Rumble, McMahon added another job to his extensive resume: professional wrestler. He entered the Rumble match to try and de-rail “Stone Cold” Steve Austin's plans to once again headline WrestleMania, and compete for the WWE Championship.

Austin and McMahon picked the number one and two entries respectively, and with sheer luck on his side, McMahon endured close to 60 minutes to win the 1999 Royal Rumble.  In last eliminating his arch-nemesis Steve Austin, Vince McMahon proved to Austin that he indeed had “no chance in hell” of winning the Royal Rumble.