{"id":107470,"date":"2022-01-28T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=107470"},"modified":"2022-01-02T17:11:20","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T22:11:20","slug":"the-undertaker-2007-royal-rumble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/01\/28\/the-undertaker-2007-royal-rumble\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Years Later: The Undertaker Wins the 2007 Royal Rumble"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It should go without saying that <strong>The Undertaker<\/strong> is among the most enduring characters in professional wrestling. The way he evolved is unmatched and his in-ring credentials speak for themselves. From world title victories to a <strong><em>WrestleMania<\/em><\/strong> winning streak that is unlikely to be matched \u2013 at least in this lifetime \u2013 it&#8217;s difficult to dispute his success. However, up until January 2007, one particular accomplishment eluded him. Fifteen years ago today, on January 28, The Undertaker emerged victorious in the <strong><em>2007 Royal Rumble<\/em><\/strong>. Before we get into the match itself, a brief history lesson is in order.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Undertaker Wins the 2007 Royal Rumble<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Leading Toward the Royal Rumble Match<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Heading into 2007, The Undertaker was an elder statesman of sorts in <strong>World Wrestling Entertainment<\/strong>. By this point, he won 4 world titles in the company. He was also an accomplished tag team competitor, winning 7 tag team titles alongside such names as <strong>\u201cStone Cold\u201d Steve Austin<\/strong> and brother <strong>Kane<\/strong>. Additionally, consider the aforementioned <em>WrestleMania<\/em> streak, which began in 1991. One could argue that if he retired at that point in history, he would have left <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/04\/06\/undertaker-five-decades-of-the-deadman-part-5\/\" target=\"_self\">an incredibly respectable career<\/a> behind. However, in his early 40s, \u201cThe Deadman\u201d wasn&#8217;t quite done yet.<\/p>\n<p>The Undertaker found himself reunited with Kane, reforming <strong>The Brothers of Destruction<\/strong>. In terms of feuds, The Undertaker was especially focused on <em>Mr. Kennedy<\/em> at this point, as the brash Green Bay native interfered with \u201cThe Deadman&#8217;s\u201d attempts to seize world title gold. Despite these setbacks, The Undertaker wasn&#8217;t out of the proverbial running. Enter the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> pay-per-view later that January. The winner of the namesake match would go on to face one of the 3 world champions at the time \u2013 ECW World Champion <strong>Bobby Lashley<\/strong>, WWE Champion <strong>John Cena<\/strong>, or World Heavyweight Champion <strong>Batista<\/strong> \u2013 at <strong><em>WrestleMania 32<\/em><\/strong> the following April.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Undertaker wins the 2007 Royal Rumble Match\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1lvtvgGWIco?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Deadman Enters the Fray<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On January 28, 2007, live from the AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, Texas, the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> event took place. Three of the preliminary matches featured the aforementioned world champions. Bobby Lashley retained the ECW World Championship against <strong>Test<\/strong>, Batista defeated Mr. Kennedy to hold onto the World Heavyweight Championship, and WWE Champion John Cena overcame <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/10\/19\/umaga-horror-in-pro-wrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><strong>Umaga<\/strong><\/a> in what many consider one of the most memorable Last Man Standing bouts in wrestling history. However, all eyes were on one contest in particular: the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> Match. Who would go on to challenge for world championship gold at <em>WrestleMania<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the <em>2007 Royal Rumble<\/em> Match, many notable moments took place. Case and point, <strong>The Great Khali<\/strong> eliminated a total of 7 competitors despite only being in said match for under 4 minutes. Meanwhile, <strong>Edge<\/strong> went the distance at a little over 44 minutes, racking up 6 eliminations. <strong>Viscera<\/strong>, one of <em><strong>Raw&#8217;s<\/strong><\/em> resident powerhouses, was eliminated by no fewer than 8 individuals. This was a competitive match, to say the least, though The Undertaker was absent for much of it. As the match approached its thirtieth, and final, competitor, the lights in the venue went out and the familiar toll was heard.<\/p>\n<p>The Undertaker entered the <em>2007 Royal Rumble<\/em> at #30 and he wasted no time in establishing his authority in the match. He immediately set his sights on The Great Khali, who had been dominant in the Rumble up until then. Following fisticuffs, \u201cThe Deadman\u201d knocked \u201cThe Punjabi Nightmare\u201d out of the ring. Later on, The Undertaker sent <strong>MVP<\/strong> out of the match as well. Meanwhile, <strong>Shawn Michaels<\/strong>, who entered the match at #23, went on to successfully eliminate Edge and <strong>Randy Orton<\/strong>. From there, only \u201cThe Phenom\u201d and \u201cThe Heartbreak Kid\u201d remained; who would be the final man standing?<\/p>\n<p>The final standoff between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, in the eyes of many fans and critics, was where the <em>2007 Royal Rumble<\/em> Match truly shined. This encounter lasted roughly 10 minutes, which was rare given how this match instilled urgency in its competitors to eliminate each other as quickly as possible. The two veterans traded chokeslams and Sweet Chin Music superkicks, struggling to throw one another over the top rope. Suffice to say, winning the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> was paramount for both men.<\/p>\n<p>This encounter reached its conclusion as Michaels stalked a weakened Undertaker, preparing yet another Sweet Chin Music. As <strong>JBL<\/strong> mentioned on commentary, Michaels used this move on <strong>Diesel<\/strong> to win the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> in 1996. However, it wasn&#8217;t meant to be in 2007, as The Undertaker ducked and proceeded to dump Michaels over the top rope. \u201cThe Phenom\u201d stood tall, not only winning the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> but becoming the first man in history to do so from the #30 spot. The Undertaker had been with WWE for well over 16 years by this point, so this accolade was a long time coming. The wrestling world didn&#8217;t have to wait long to learn The Undertaker&#8217;s <em>WrestleMania<\/em> plans, either.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"VWqcuUDoS2BMZv7Tnca4Vw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/833852454\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'VWqcuUDoS2BMZv7Tnca4Vw',sig:'p5Fsi0jr_o7FIxFrGbmsFWWhinN9TOP10NWjU_OLBiw=',w:'594px',h:'375px',items:'833852454',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Road to WrestleMania 23<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Undertaker, as that year&#8217;s <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> winner, could choose to face one of the company&#8217;s world champions at <em>WrestleMania 23<\/em>. On the February 5, 2007 edition of <em>Raw<\/em>, The Undertaker officially challenged World Heavyweight Champion Batista. Though Batista was fearless in accepting the challenge, he didn&#8217;t expect \u201cThe Deadman\u201d to drop him with a chokeslam on that night. In short order, the <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> winner made a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Before <em>WrestleMania<\/em>, however, Batista and The Undertaker had to become unwilling allies heading into <strong><em>No Way Out<\/em><\/strong> later that month. In that show&#8217;s main event, <em>WrestleMania<\/em> opponents would team up as Batista and The Undertaker faced WWE Champion John Cena and his own <em>WrestleMania<\/em> rival, Shawn Michaels. Both teams seemed to work well, at least up until the end. As The Undertaker readied to execute a Tombstone Piledriver on Cena, Batista turned on \u201cThe Phenom,\u201d planting him with a Spinebuster as revenge for the aforementioned <em>Raw<\/em> encounter. As \u201cThe Animal\u201d walked away, abandoning his partner, Cena hit the FU on The Undertaker and picked up the victory for Michaels and himself.<\/p>\n<p>The feud between Batista and The Undertaker intensified, culminating in their World Heavyweight Championship match at <em>WrestleMania 23<\/em>. Between the world title in question and \u201cThe Deadman&#8217;s\u201d <em>WrestleMania<\/em> streak \u2013 he was 14-0 up to this point \u2013 the stakes couldn&#8217;t have been higher. This encounter went over 15 minutes, bringing the most out of both competitors on the biggest stage of the year. Everything from The Undertaker&#8217;s awe-inspiring over-the-top-rope plancha to Batista&#8217;s powerslam through the announce desk showed just how much a victory here meant. Ultimately, however, The Undertaker countered Batista&#8217;s Tombstone Piledriver attempt, executing one of his own for the pinfall victory. Now 15-0, The Undertaker stood tall as the World Heavyweight Champion.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/QdCvkpv.jpg\" alt=\"The Undertaker World Heavyweight Champion\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Undertaker Wins the 2007 Royal Rumble \u2013 In Closing<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Without question, The Undertaker winning the <em>2007 Royal Rumble<\/em> was a major accomplishment, as was his World Heavyweight Championship victory at <em>WrestleMania 23<\/em>. However, this particular reign only lasted 37 days, ending on the May 8, 2007 edition of <strong><em>SmackDown<\/em><\/strong>. Following an assault from <strong>Mark Henry<\/strong>, leaving The Undertaker prone, Edge cashed in his <strong><em>Money in the Bank<\/em><\/strong> opportunity for the second time in his career. \u201cThe Rated R Superstar\u201d executed a pair of Spears on The Undertaker, capturing the World Heavyweight Championship. In real life, The Undertaker stepped away to recover from a torn biceps injury, returning at <strong><em>Unforgiven<\/em><\/strong> the following September.<\/p>\n<p>The Undertaker&#8217;s career is nothing short of storied and his <em>Royal Rumble<\/em> victory is further proof of this. The fact that he won it during the tail-end of his full-time wrestling career mattered little, as it marked a major accomplishment that would have made his list of accolades feel emptier without. In other words, \u201cThe Phenom\u201d didn&#8217;t necessarily need this victory to be a historic figure in wrestling. Nonetheless, it made his legacy feel that much more complete.<\/p>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peacock<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It should go without saying that The Undertaker is among the most enduring characters in professional wrestling. The way he evolved is unmatched and his in-ring credentials speak for themselves. From world title victories to a WrestleMania winning streak that is unlikely to be matched \u2013 at least in this lifetime \u2013 it&#8217;s difficult to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3354,"featured_media":107471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[397,297],"class_list":["post-107470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-royal-rumble","tag-the-undertaker"],"modified_by":"Robbie Sutter","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3354"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}