WWE Royal Rumble 2018: 5 Worst Booking Decisions in PPV's History

The Royal Rumble, by its very premise, is an accident waiting to happen. There is no way to orchestrate an hour-long match with 30 participants and expect that everything will sail smoothly. The WWE superstars must remember who they're supposed to eliminate and how. They must remember who's going to eliminate them and how. And they must be ready to change those plans, abruptly, should someone else botch their spot.

Accidents happen. But the Royal Rumble incidents on this list are no accidents. These were deliberate, scripted decisions that were ill-advised in hindsight. And in some ways, that makes them worse than the botches. Given the time to brainstorm, the WWE Creative team couldn't think of something better than this?

Here are the five worst booking decisions in WWE Royal Rumble history.

Once in a Lifetime...Again (2013)

WrestleMania XXVIII was built on the premise of a dream match—John Cena vs. The Rock, Attitude vs. Ruthless Aggression. WWE built this match for an entire year in advance and billed it as "Once in a Lifetime."

Unfortunately, the company threw the entire premise in the garbage the following year, when it booked a Cena vs. Rock rematch at WrestleMania 29. And to get to this point, WWE scripted the Royal Rumble (2013) with the subtlety of an anvil. Not only did Cena inexplicably win the battle royal, but Rock pinned CM Punk the same night to become WWE champion, ending a notable 434-day reign. WWE fans could hear the plot machinery clanking and groaning every step of the way.

Punk never got the main event 'Mania spot he always craved. And Cena and The Rock fought a listless match several months later, and it wasn't nearly as good as their first confrontation.

Rey Mysterio Enters at No. 30 (2014)

Credit: WWE.com

Daniel Bryan was the biggest Cinderella story of 2013. So it was reasonable to expect that he enter the 2014 Royal Rumble, if not win it outright.

But as the night wore on and more wrestlers not named Daniel Bryan entered the ring, the fans started getting restless. Surely, he would be the 30th entrant and WWE was holding the fans in suspense.

Nope. The buzzer sounded, and Rey Mysterio came running to the ring.

Not booking Bryan to fight was a terrible decision. But WWE compounded the problem by sending poor Mysterio out there to soak up the disappointment. Despite being a pure babyface, Mysterio was loudly booed. If WWE was committed to a Bryan-less Rumble, the No. 30 spot should have at least been a top heel. That way, someone could benefit from the heat.

The Commentary Team Gets in on the Action (2012)

Every Rumble has its comedic moments; it's important to break up the dramatic spots with a little levity. But the 2012 Royal Rumble had a joke that just didn't work.

All three announcers who were calling the Rumble became surprise entrants. Jerry Lawler entered at No. 12, Booker T entered at No. 17 and Michael Cole entered at No. 20. Collectively, they lasted a little under seven minutes.

The oft-stated criticism is that these spots could have been occupied by more deserving Superstars. Lawler? Good for a cameo, admittedly. Booker as well. But Cole? There was no one who needed to see him, especially after his overlong "match" against Lawler at the prior year's WrestleMania.

Daniel Bryan Gets Taken Out Early (2015)

Credit: WWE.com

In 2014, WWE made a horrible miscalculation when it excluded Daniel Bryan from the Royal Rumble. So in 2015, it seemed the company had gotten the hint. Daniel Bryan entered the match at No. 10, and all was right in the world.

That is, until 10 minutes later, when Bray Wyatt bumped him off the apron. It wasn't so much that Bryan was eliminated. It was more so how he was eliminated, in a cheap, fluky manner that dismissed his importance and ability.

The fans booed even louder than they did in 2014. And they also booed eventual winner Roman Reigns, who's still suffering from the backlash to this day.

The Macho Man Leaps out of the Ring (1993)

Yokozuna absolutely deserved to win the 1993 Royal Rumble. But the way he won it was an illogical mess.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage, after dropping his signature elbow on Yokozuna, decided to cover him for a pin. It made no sense; this was a battle royal, where the only way to beat one's opponent was to throw him over the top rope.

Yokozuna kicked out, even though technically, he didn't have to; there was no referee even to count. And get this: He "kicked out" so hard that Savage went flying over the top rope, making Yokozuna the winner. Watch the clip, and Savage clearly jumped over the ropes in a vain attempt to save the spot.

WWE buries most of its embarrassments in the archives. But for whatever reason, this particular one is proudly posted on WWE's YouTube site.