2. Triple H – 2009
Triple H had a tall order to win the 2009 Royal Rumble match as Randy Orton had his Legacy stablemates Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. by his side. The Game eliminated Rhodes and DiBiase, but he was unable to eliminate his former Evolution stablemate. The Viper punched his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania for the first time in his career. However, there was a twist on the Road to WrestleMania 25 as the Cerebral Assassin recaptured the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out 2009.
Orton and Triple H’s feud was one of the biggest in 2009. The Viper and Triple H collided over the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 25. They had a tall order to top Undertaker and Shawn Michaels’ instant classic. However, the crowd was uninterested in Triple H and Orton’s WWE Championship match. However, for the second consecutive year, the Royal Rumble match winner failed to win their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. The Game was victorious, showcasing that 2009 was better to be the Rumble runner-up than winning the Rumble.
