5 WWE Superstars who shouldn’t have won the Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble 2025 will air live this Saturday night in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event is one of the company’s biggest shows of the year and will have major implications for WrestleMania 41.

The winners of Royal Rumble matches will earn a title shot at The Show of Shows in Las Vegas later this year. A bunch of major names are set to compete this year, and the excitement surrounding the event is off the charts. However, that has not always been the case, and there have been some disappointing Rumble winners in the past.

Listed below are five stars who should have never won the Royal Rumble match.

#5. WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura should not have won the Royal Rumble in 2018

Shinsuke Nakamura won the 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble match and went on to battle AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. Many fans considered this a dream bout but it did not live up to the hype. Styles won the match to retain the title, and Nakamura turned heel by hitting The Phenomenal One with a low blow following the battle.

The King of Strong Style would have been a great choice to win the match if the company had bigger plans for him. However, he fell out of the main event scene shortly after the contest, and his rivalry with Styles was a letdown for many wrestling fans.

#4. Batista was put in an impossible situation at Royal Rumble 2014

Batista returned to the company in 2014 but did not go as planned. The Animal won the Men’s Royal Rumble match and was booed out of the building following the bout. The fans were not upset with the veteran, but they were upset about the match booking.

Daniel Bryan was wildly popular at the time, so the company decided not to feature him in the Men’s Royal Rumble match. Rey Mysterio was also loudly booed as the 30th entrant because fans were expecting to see Bryan.

The company eventually had to correct their mistake and had Daniel Bryan earn his way into the WWE WrestleMania XXX main event by defeating Triple H in the opening match of the show. Bryan went on to capture the title by overcoming Batista and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match.

#3. Vince McMahon shouldn’t have won the Royal Rumble in 1999

Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin had one of the most iconic rivalries in the history of the professional wrestling business. Their hatred for each other reached a new level at WWE Royal Rumble 1999.

Mr. McMahon competed in the match and emerged victorious, thanks to help from The Rock. Eventually, Austin got his revenge and replaced McMahon in the bout at WrestleMania to battle The People’s Champion.

McMahon entered the match at #2 but spent most of his time on the commentary table. It was not an entertaining bout, and not too many fans believed Vince McMahon would be headlining WrestleMania following his victory.

#2. Brock Lesnar didn’t need to win in 2022

Brock Lesnar won the Men’s Royal Rumble match in 2022 and went on to challenge Roman Reigns in a Winner Takes All bout for both the WWE and Universal Championships at WrestleMania 38. Reigns emerged victorious to unify both world titles to close the show.

The Beast Incarnate is a legendary performer, but his win in 2022 felt unnecessary. Many fans were not invested in seeing another bout between Reigns and Lesnar, and the company could have given the victory to a younger talent.

#1. Randy Orton shouldn’t have won in 2017

Randy Orton emerged victorious in the Men’s Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career in 2017. The Viper went on to win the WWE Championship against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33.

Orton’s victory felt uninspired as fans had already seen it before. The Legend Killer didn’t even get to the main event of WWE WrestleMania 33 following the victory, as the show was headlined by Roman Reigns versus The Undertaker.