2005
| Date | January 30, 2005 |
|---|---|
| Longest time in the match | Chris Benoit (47:26) |
| Shortest time in the match | Scotty 2 Hotty (0:00 – never made it to the ring) |
| Most eliminations | Batista (6) |
| Winner | Batista |
Those who have never seen the 2005 Royal Rumble Match might think it was an absolute mess. After all, the botched ending and Vince McMahon tearing both his quads are all people talk about from that night. However, this was actually a really good Royal Rumble.
Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, the two men who’d walked out of WrestleMania 20 as world champions, started the Rumble and destroyed poor Daniel Puder alongside fellow veteran, Hardcore Holly. Established names like Edge, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, and Chris Jericho joined the party moments later, as well as entertaining mid-carders such as The Hurricane and Shelton Benjamin.
Muhammad Hassan getting eliminated by everyone was a cool moment, as was Paul London’s insane elimination at the hands of Gene Snitsky. Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle started their feud here, and then it all came down to Batista and John Cena – two of WWE’s fastest-rising stars. Looking back, this was actually an amazing Royal Rumble.
