Ranking every WWE Royal Rumble match in history
By Luke Norris
7. Royal Rumble 2008 – John Cena
Speaking of a hot Madison Square Garden crowd, New York City was on fire for the 2008 Royal Rumble, which became the host to one of the most shocking returns in WWE history.
You know you’re in for a good night when The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, who put on a brilliant show as the final two men in the ring the previous year, kick off a Royal Rumble match and NYC got quite a treat in the winter of 2008, even if Hornswoggle has still never been technically eliminated from the match. I really don’t want to go into a whole big thing on that so I’m just going to get it out of the way. He was in the match, helped eliminate The Miz, hid under the ring and when he was about to get smashed by Mark Henry and Big Daddy V, Finlay hit the ring before he was supposed to and got himself disqualified. Hornswoggle took off with him and they just said he was out of the match. I’m calling for Hornswoggle vs. Curtis Axel at some point, everyone.
But outside of that nonsense, this really was a fantastic Royal Rumble match and the two surprise entrants in the middle of the match made for one hell of a nostalgic moment. The crowd roared when Jimmy Snuka entered the match at number 18 but when number 19 turned out to be his longtime rival, Roddy Piper, I thought the roof was going to come off of MSG. The whole thing was about three minutes long but it was worth it. Great moment there.
Mick Foley was the third surprise entrant and it was nice to see him mix it up again with Triple H for a little bit, even though The Game would be the one to toss him out. And I’m sure being in the Rumble at The Garden was a very special thing for Mick. But things are always a little more special in that place, aren’t they?
When things got down to it, it really looked as if Triple H was in the driver’s seat to take his second Royal Rumble coming in at number 29. But John Cena shocked the world by returning from a pectoral injury way earlier than expected and walked out with the title shot. It’s hard to pull of a surprise like that in the internet age but this one was done to perfection.