The first major WWE event of the year is coming to the WWE Network and PPV on Sunday, January 26. The Royal Rumble will be held at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, and the events will begin at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show starting two hours prior. It's going to be a jam-packed evening, with two Royal Rumble matches happening at the show.
To be eliminated from the annual WWE Royal Rumble, a wrestler must meet the following conditions: he must exit the ring over the top rope, and have both feet touch the outside floor. The wrestler must then leave ringside immediately.
But where most wrestlers see an entrenched rule to obey, other wrestlers see a loophole to exploit; it's a classic example of "letter of the law" vs. "spirit of the law." Does hopping around the ring on one foot, for example, save one from elimination? These sorts of creative strategies have led to some of the Rumble's funniest, most memorable moments. And in many cases, the wrestlers must engage in heroic athleticism to make them possible.
Here 10 creative ways that WWE wrestlers have stayed in the Royal Rumble. If you liked this gallery, check out our predictions for this year's Royal Rumble, and every confirmed entrant for the men's and women's Rumble. The latest WWE PPV is set to air live on Sunday, January 27, 2019. And check in with us on Sunday; we'll be watching and reviewing the PPV live.
Rey Mysterio (2009)
We're starting out with something basic, but well-executed. During the 2009 Rumble, Rey Mysterio was knocked over the top rope to the outside, but he managed to place his feet on The Miz and John Morrison's backs. He then hopped from one to the other like a frog on lily pads, and re-entered the ring. Not bad, but the Rumble strategies would go way off the rails over the next decade.
Kofi Kingston (2015)
Here is the first of four entries about Kofi Kingston, who has been performing miracle saves since 2012 as a sort of annual tradition. In 2015, The Rosebuds, Adam Rose's entourage, caught Kofi midair. They then celebrated with Kofi, and let him crowd surf over their heads before tossing him back in the in ring to finish what he started.
Naomi (2018)
In the first women's Royal Rumble , Naomi was slammed and stranded on the announcer's table outside the ring by Nia Jax. What followed was both awkward and funny. Naomi asked to borrow a wheeled office chair, planted her feet on its cushion, and then walked herself to the ring on palms of her hands. Will she follow this up with another creative loophole at the 2019 Rumble? Hopefully.
Kofi Kingston (2014)
This is impressive stuff. Kofi Kingston takes a running leap off the side barrier--the one that borders the entrance ramp--and manages to land on the outside ring apron. Once again, crisis is averted. Imagine if he had missed. Kofi would be on a whole different type of Rumble-centric list.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Always remember that if you don't have the sure-footedness to exploit loopholes in the Rumble stipulations, you can always just cheat, straight up. That's what "Stone Cold" Steve Austin did in 1997. Austin was eliminated, but none of the referees noticed that he was. And so, he snuck back in when the officials weren't looking, and went on to win the entire thing. In a way, Austin's gamble required its own sort of creativity; no one had ever been so blatant or shameless to break the rules to this degree. And it would be near impossible to pull off today; there's a horde of referees skulking by ringside, making sure that everything is on the up and up.
Jerry "The King" Lawler (1996)
In 1995, Jerry Lawler was no beloved elder statesman of the wrestling business; he was a cowardly, sharp-tongued heel, with that rare ability to anger people upon opening his mouth. And in 1995, Lawler first left the ring between the middle ropes and decided to hide beneath it. He couldn't be eliminated if his opponents could find him, right? Fortunately, eventual winner Shawn Michaels figured out what was happening, exited through the middle ropes, pulled Lawler out from under the ring by his ankles, and then tossed the king back in the ring. Nice try, Jerry.
Mick Foley (1998)
Can a wrestler enter the Rumble multiple times as different characters? Apparently, the answer is yes! Mick Foley tested this theory out in 1998, when he entered as all three of his recurring gimmicks. First, he was Cactus Jack. Then, he was Mankind. And lastly, he was Dude Love. WWE has some degree of consistency on this point; in their statistics, they don't include Dr. Isaac Yankem's eliminations as Kane's. Could this be an exploitable loophole, that Kane can use to finally win the Rumble? Probably not. But one can dream.
Kofi Kingston (2013)
This is probably the funniest entry on this, even if it's not the most athletically impressive. But it sure is innovative. Kofi gets stranded on the announcer's table; in all honesty, he's fit enough to make the jump, but instead, he borrows an office chair from the commentators, and jumps up and down on it, pogo stick style, to get back to ringside. The laugh that comes up from the crowd is massive.
John Morrison (2011)
This is just impressive athleticism. John Morrison falls off the ring apron and latches onto the outside ring barrier, Spider-Man style, to save himself from elimination. He then climbs on top of the barrier, and makes a flying leap to the steel steps. Unfortunately, that was Morrison's last Rumble with the WWE. And the Rumble theatrics became Kofi's domain instead.
Kofi Kingston (2012)
One of the simplest saves is also one of the best ones. Miz tries to eliminate Kofi from the Rumble by pushing his feet off the apron. But instead of flipping over, Kofi finds his center of balance and performs a handstand. He then "walks" himself over to the ring steps to safety. It's one thing to fool around in rehearsals and training with a spot like this one. But to pull it off on live television, in front of a massive arena, is something else entirely. Bravo, Kofi Kingston. We can't wait to see what you come up with this year.
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