10 Biggest Shocks Of WWE Royal Rumble 2018

[Fair warning: this article is absolutely loaded with spoilers. If you haven't yet watched the Royal Rumble (or NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia), be aware that results and surprises are mentioned extensively here.]

Okay, so. Has everybody caught their breath yet?

I think the vast majority of us would agree that the 2018 Royal Rumble was an excellent WWE pay per view - but the most characteristic aspect of the night maybe wasn't its quality, but rather its eventfulness. Lots of

stuff

happened - crowd-popping stuff - from shock returns to stunning match results. Even the order of the card caused a lot of debate and excitement online.

In stark contrast to the 2017 event, this one put the focus back where it should be - on the Rumble matches themselves. Randy Orton's victory last year was certainly a surprise, but it didn't capture the headlines in the way a Royal Rumble victory should. The biggest news was actually the Match of the Year contender between AJ Styles and John Cena, but the PPV's signature stipulation seemed to take a backseat.

This year's show reminded us how the Royal Rumble should be - a seismic event that revs everybody up for the road to WrestleMania. It was also a fantastic pay per view in its own right, and one which deserves to be looked back upon fondly.

Enough preamble. Let's dive into the incidents that made this PPV such an unforgettable one, from the good to the bad, to the downright shocking. Here are the 10 most surprising moments of the 2018 Royal Rumble.

10. The Women's Rumble Closes The Show

During the event, news broke on social media that the women's Royal Rumble would be closing the show. This had been theorised by many leading up to the PPV - but a lot of us were still caught off guard by the decision.

In hindsight, maybe it shouldn't have been that much of a shock - especially since Charlotte and Sasha Banks main-evented a main roster pay per view at Hell in a Cell 2016.

Still, it was tremendously exciting to see the women's Rumble not only treated with the same importance as the men's, but also handed the main event spot. Ultimately, it proved to be a win-win situation for WWE, as both Rumble matches were easily good enough to close the show.

9. Ronda Rousey Appears! (But Not In The Rumble Match)

I think most of us were convinced that Ronda Rousey would be showing up at the Royal Rumble - but perhaps not quite how she ultimately appeared.

The former UFC trailblazer didn't actually appear in the women's Rumble match itself, but rather waited until Asuka made history. This was a very wise decision, as we'd all fretted for weeks about Ronda taking the shine from WWE's current roster. Instead, by holding Rousey back until later, we've got a lot more intrigue heading into 'Mania season - and also the satisfaction of seeing a (very good) pro wrestler win the inaugural women's Rumble.

I've decided not to include Asuka's victory as one of the shocks of the night, as she was considered one of the frontrunners - although I didn't really feel confident in her winning until Trish Stratus came out at no. 30!

8. Nakamura Outlasts Reigns And Cena!

Alright, so maybe Nakamura winning the Royal Rumble wasn't the biggest shock in the world. I think most people had predicted either Shinsuke, Reigns, or Cena. However, the 

manner 

in which he won was a rollercoaster of tension and suspense - capping one of the most thrilling Rumbles in years (and possibly one of the best ever).

It's no secret that Nakamura's time on the main roster hasn't been quite as spellbinding as we'd have liked, reaching a nadir when he lost to Jinder Mahal in very straightforward fashion.

However, tonight could well be the beginning of a huge turning point. Not only did Shinsuke star in one of the best Rumble finishes ever (featuring an incredible final four of Nakamura, Cena, Reigns, and Balor), but he also knocked off WWE's two golden boys in the process.

Not only that, but he also challenged AJ Styles - hopefully giving us the WrestleMania match we've wanted since that staredown at Money in the Bank.

7. NXT Entrants Make An Impression

I'm a big fan of the NXT Champions entering Rumble matches. Andrade Almas and Ember Moon both got excellent reactions here, as did fellow surprise NXT entrants Adam Cole (baybay!) and Kairi Sane.

A special mention must be given to Almas for essentially competing in two Match of the Year candidates in consecutive nights. His TakeOver: Philadelphia match with Johnny Gargano is being touted as possibly the best NXT match of all time, and this Rumble felt excellent on every level - even if Andrade himself didn't play a role in the latter stages.

Ember Moon also had a great cameo, renewing her rivalry with Asuka and hitting a fantastic one-armed version of her finisher - all while selling the arm from her TakeOver defence against Shayna Baszler.

6. Sasha Eliminates Bayley

Sasha Banks was the ironwoman of the main event, and did so while appropriately clad in Wonder Woman-themed attire. However, her performance wasn't the most heroic in terms of babyface morals.

Despite holding on for much of the match without resorting to trickery, Banks turned to the dark side and eliminated best friend Bayley. It'll be very interesting to see how this plays out (hopefully a WrestleMania revamp of their NXT feud) - but it was also incredibly refreshing to see Sasha heeling it up again. She seems far more natural that way.

We should also probably talk about Roman Reigns eliminating Seth Rollins - although that one wasn't 

too 

much of a surprise, because WWE aren't even pretending to portray Roman as a Cena-esque good guy anymore. Probably for the best.

5. Rey Mysterio! (And The Hurricane)

I think the biggest surprise entrant in either Royal Rumble was Rey Mysterio, who was given a wonderful reception as he entered at no. 27. It certainly exorcised some demons for Rey fans, who would have hated seeing him booed at the 2014 Rumble, where he 

dared 

to enter at no. 30 and not be Daniel Bryan.

Mysterio actually played a key role here, making up part of the final six - which saw a past vs. present showdown between Cena, Orton, Rey, Nakamura, Reigns, and Balor.

Another big surprise was The Hurricane, although sadly he didn't last nearly as long. He managed to strike his signature pose a number of times though, which was quite nice.

While we're on the topic of surprise entrances, it was interesting to see Pete Dunne 

not 

entered in the Rumble. It was perhaps the sole weak point of an otherwise fantastically-booked match.

4. Trish! Lita! Molly Holly! 

The women's Rumble was always going to rely more heavily on surprise entrances, given the thinner nature of WWE's female roster - and it's fair to say that they were a decidedly mixed bag. Torrie Wilson and Kelly Kelly got nice nostalgia pops, but are hardly frontrunners in terms of the in-ring women's revolution.

Vickie Guerrero also didn't do too much in the ring, but that was never the point. She made the biggest impression as a heat magnet on SmackDown, and she did the same here - so fair play to her!

In terms of awesome surprises, though, the big names were out in force. Lita and Trish proved that charisma doesn't fade, while Beth Phoenix and Michelle McCool played key roles too. Molly Holly garnered perhaps the biggest surprise pop, and was rightly recognised as a crucial, underrated figure in the history of women's wrestling.

3. Naomi Goes All Kofi Kingston

From the moment Kofi Kingston entered the men's Rumble, we were all mainly waiting to see how he'd escape elimination. Although this year's feat wasn't the most athletically impressive, it was still an entertaining one, as Woods and Big E caught one of his feet and steadied it on a plate of pancakes - before vaulting him clean over the top rope and back into the ring.

However, while some sort of Kofi trickery may have been predictable, I'm not sure many of us counted on seeing it occur in the women's match! Naomi played the Kingston role to a tee, tiptoeing along the crowd barrier before crawling back to the ring with the help of Maria Menounos' ringside chair.

2. Gable And Jordan Lose Easily

Although hardly one of the key takeaways of the show, I still feel as though the result of the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match was a shocking one. The Usos won, which probably wasn't too surprising - but to do so with two straight falls (in a two-out-of-three falls bout!) seemed harsh on Gable and Benjamin.

I'm not against a 2-0 result in such matches on principle. I think it adds a degree of realism, especially as we're conditioned to expect either team to split the first two falls - but this probably wasn't the right place for it to happen.

Still, it was the better of the two tag matches on the main card - as the Raw competitors suffered from having to follow the excellent men's Royal Rumble.

1. The Quality Of The Show

Cena vs. Styles aside, the 2017 Royal Rumble wasn't the hardest show to follow - but I'm not sure many of us expected this year's instalment to be 

that 

good.

The men's Royal Rumble was, for me, not only Match of the Night - but maybe even a potential Match of the Year contender. That may be slightly over the top, and a result of my excitement in the immediate aftermath of the show, but it was certainly an excellent addition to Rumble history

The women's Rumble, although not quite as slick, was certainly a great bout as well - and a worthy inaugural edition. A strong case can be made to suggest that both winners were the right choices, and should set up some intriguing WrestleMania feuds.

Ultimately, despite TakeOver: Philadelphia blowing everybody away in terms of match quality, the Rumble didn't allow itself to be overshadowed - instead capping off a weekend WWE can be immensely proud of.

10. Kevin Greene & Steve McMichael Vs. Arn Anderson & Ric Flair - The Great American Bash 1996

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Sometimes wrestling just needs to be 'fun'.

Especially when celebrities are involved in matches, because you know you're not going to get some Dean Malenko technical classic or anything.

Fun is exactly what Ric Flair and Arn Anderson's 1996 Great American Bash tag match with NFL players Kevin Green and Steve 'Mongo' McMichael was.

They kept things simple, with the football lads concentrating on nailing their cues and getting over via sheer force of personality. The Nature Boy and The Enforcer, for their part, did everything they could to make their opponents look like stars, bumping all over the place and guiding them through it as it progressed.

There was plenty of 'gaga' too, with Mongo's co-commentator Bobby Heenan running around, Randy Savage stationed at ringside to play cheerleader and a crafty finish that saw McMichael turn on his mate and join up with Flair and Anderson in the Horsemen.

Amazingly good considering the experience level of the babyface team, this was long but never really dragged and stands as one of the better examples of athletes from another sport trying their hand at pro wrestling.

9. Shaquille O'Neal & Jade Cargill Vs. Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet - AEW Dynamite (3.3.2021)

AEW

It always helps when the celebrity involved has a genuine affection and respect for the business.

Shaq certainly falls into that category, as his pro-wrestling fandom is well-known. He's been affiliated with WWE for years and it looked like there would eventually be a colossal showdown between him and Big Show at some point, something they had teased several times in the past.

It wasn't to be, and the NBA legend's first proper bout went down on the March 3, 2021 episode of AEW Dynamite.

Shaq teamed with newcomer Jade Cargill to take on Cody and Red Velvet in an inter-gender tag match to kick off the episode.

All eyes were on the seven-footer as he squared off with the American Nightmare, hitting him with some big moves, including a massive powerbomb that featured a nice tribute to the late Brodie Lee.

The highlight of the bout, however, was Shaq unexpectedly taking a big bump backwards off the ring apron through two tables at ringside after being taken out by a charging Cody.

It was more than anyone expected him to do and truly demonstrated his passion for the business, as well as the reverence with which he treated his opportunity to have a match.

8. D’Angelo Williams & Moose Vs. Eli Drake & Chris Adonis – Impact Wrestling Slammiversay XV

Impact Wrestling

TNA/Impact Wrestling are no strangers to using celebrities in a bid to garner a bit of mainstream attention, in their very early days calling upon country music stars and NASCAR drivers to generate buzz in the southern markets.

Come 2017, they had stepped their game up a little bit and were courting highly-touted NFL players.

Undeterred by a very negative experience with the troublesome Adam 'Pacman' Jones, the company booked the not long retired running back DeAngelo Williams for a tag match at their Big Slammiversay pay-per-view.

Williams teamed with another former football player, Moose, to take on Eli Drake and Chris Adonis (formerly Masters) in a doubles bout that featured one of the best first-time wrestling performances ever.

Of particular note was DeAngelo's ultra-smooth hot tag that tore the house down, as the longtime fan looked like a total pro out there hitting moves with a fluency and accuracy that belied his three days of training.

Yes, that's three days of training.

He nailed some great looking strikes, a version of the Codebreaker, a Samoan drop and a standing moonsault in quick succession, which had fans and critics raving.

Yes, he overshot the finishing frog splash through a table (and nearly broke his neck in the process), but chalk that up to a mixture of inexperience, adrenaline, athleticism and exuberance.

It certainly didn't take away from what had been a fine showing in what is, to date, Williams' first and last pro wrestling match.

7. Stephen Amell & Neville Vs. Bad News Barrett & Stardust - SummerSlam 2015

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Arrow star Stephen Amell is quite clearly a fan of the business, having had matches in WWE, Ring of Honor and at the All In pay-per-view. He is also now currently in production on wrestling drama TV series Heels, where he plays one of the lead characters.

Once again, Amell's genuine enthusiasm and passion shone through in his first match, which took place at SummerSlam 2015 and came about thanks to his relationship with Cody Rhodes, who at that time was portraying the hapless Stardust.

Amell teamed with Neville to take on Stardust and Bad News Barrett in a fine midcard outing that got three deserving performers onto the card and made great use of the celebrity element.

The things he did best were selling, as he was isolated for the bulk of the contest, before hitting a few select moves and finishing off his night with a big dive from the top rope to the outside.

Neville got the pin following a Red Arrow, so the emphasis was on him at the end, but Amell gave a good account of himself and was said to have impressed many backstage with his performance and conduct.

His first singles match, in 2018 against the ever-dependable Christopher Daniels, was also pretty damn decent and further demonstrated his aptitude for the grap game.

6. Lawrence Taylor Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - WrestleMania 11

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As a WrestleMania main event, Lawrence Taylor versus Bam Bam Bigelow doesn't really cut the mustard (especially not to a fan born in the UK who had no clue who 'LT' was).

But as a first match for a celebrity in a high-pressure situation, it absolutely does the job.

For WrestleMania 11, WWE were going all out with the celebrities in order to generate more interest in their flagging product, drafting in the likes of Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy for added sizzle, while booking the controversial 'LT' in the headliner.

The angle leading into the show was decent and the match laid out thoroughly ahead of time, with agent and layout specialist Pat Patterson on hand as special referee as an insurance policy in case the gridiron great got lost or the match otherwise fell apart.

Thankfully, it didn't, and Taylor hit all of his cues as the Beast from the East controlled the pace and walked him through it.

LT was blown up something fierce come the end and probably couldn't have gone another twenty seconds, but he got to the finish line and didn't embarrass himself or WWE en route to victory with a second-rope forearm smash.

5. Dennis Rodman & Hulk Hogan Vs. Lex Luger & The Giant - WCW Bash At The Beach 1997

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Erratic, unpredictable and certainly not cheap, WCW's decision to feature NBA standout Dennis Rodman was a risky one that could have blown up in their faces at any moment.

The Flamboyant 'Rodzilla' was affiliated with the New World Order and worked a handful of matches for Eric Bischoff's promotion, including a tag match with rival from the courts Karl Malone and a singles meeting with Randy Savage in Sturgis.

Perhaps his best outing was his first, teaming with Hulk Hogan to take on Lex Luger and The Giant in the main event of the 1997 Bash at the Beach.

Rodman had charisma and was an athlete with a controversial public image that guaranteed he'd receive strong reactions, which he got by performing simple moves like an arm drag and a leap frog.

It wasn't a tremendous match or particularly worthy as a pay-per-view main event, but the Chicago Bull was the star and didn't look out of place in the environment. His presence also added much heat and, though Hogan did the job, they got their steam back after the fact and when the show went off the air the image of them too-sweeting with Randy Savage was the one viewers were left with.

It was a hell of a spectacle and, hey, Dennis didn't even fall asleep on the ring apron or anything!

4. Bad Bunny & Damien Priest Vs. The Miz & John Morrison - WrestleMania 37 (Night One)

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Well, this was a pleasant surprise, wans't it?

Global hip-hop sensation Bad Bunny and WWE took advantage of the pandemic to work together and get him a match at WrestleMania while his tour was postponed.

He initially caught the attention of the wider WWE Universe with his music video for the song Booker T, named after and featuring the Hall of Famer.

From there, he began an association with Damien Priest and feuded with Miz and Morrison leading to the Granddaddy of Them All.

It's noted that Bunny is a lifelong fan of wrestling and it showed, because he took to the task at hand and gave it absolutely everything in his big moment. His selling was on point when taking a beating, his crowd interaction work was great and it's not everyday a guest from another industry hits a Canadian Destroyer on the floor.

This was a home-run all over, because Miz, Morrison and Priest got the rub from working with the mainstream megastar, while Bad Bunny himself got to realise a dream and impressed fans, critics and wrestlers alike.

I think most would welcome his return.

3. Floyd Mayweather Vs. Big Show - WrestleMania XXIV

WWE.com

When WWE originally booked Floyd Mayweather versus a returning Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV and kicked off the feud with a powerful angle at the prior month's No Way Out, they envisioned a classic David versus Goliath tale, with the diminutive boxer playing the underdog hero.

But 'Money' Mayweather is a natural heel and, soon enough, the script was flipped and the undefeated sensation became the bad guy.

Which greatly improved the eventual match, which was one of the main events of a stacked 'Mania card and generated significant interest in the sports media world.

The World's Largest Athlete dominated their No Disqualification clash, throwing Mayweather around at will before disposing of his pesky entourage. In the end, the numbers game was too much and all the distractions allowed Floyd to crack Show with a chair, before knocking him out cold with a loaded right hand.

This did its job and then some. Mayweather played his part perfectly and was game for taking bumps, Big Show wasn't harmed in the loss and the freakshow nature of the exhibition surely put more eyeballs on the WWE product.

2. Mr. T & Hulk Hogan Vs. Paul Orndorff & Roddy Piper - WrestleMania

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The first WrestleMania was, obviously, a monumental event for WWE and, in some ways, key to their long-term survival.

Vince McMahon rolled the dice with the show in his attempt to penetrate the mainstream with his brand of sports entertainment.

With a casual audience in mind as much as established wrestling fans themselves, the emphasis was certainly on the 'entertainment' aspect and the event was full of special celebrity guests.

Chief among them was Mr. T, then at the height of his fame on the back of the A-Team and his memorable turn in Rocky III.

The pittier of fools was aligned with golden goose Hulk Hogan, helping the Hulkster battle mortal enemy 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, with Cowboy Bob Orton and Jimmy Snuka situated at ringside.

The main event of the inaugural WrestleMania, this was basic but had so much heat and worked exactly as it should have done. Muhammad Ali was stationed at ringside as the outside referee, while trusty Pat Patterson was inside to make sure everything went as it should.

He may have also been in there to make sure things didn't escalate between Mr. T and Piper, who genuinely didn't like each other.

T didn't do much, but he didn't have to, sticking to slams, clotheslines, hip tosses, an airplane spin and some mat wrestling. Come to think of it, that pretty much describes the offense of about half the WWE stars from the time, so it's really no wonder that Clubber Lang fit in so seamlessly.

The babyfaces prevailed, the ringside photographers got their snaps and everyone went home happy.

Well, everyone except Mr. T. I'm not sure he's ever been happy (unless he's with his momma).

1. Pat McAfee Vs. Adam Cole - NXT TakeOver XXX

WWE.com

WWE recently confirmed that Pat McAfee will be a full-time colour commentator on SmackDown.

I hope that signals an eventual return to the ring for the former pro football punter, because he was one of the great surprises of 2020, having not one but two memorable matches.

The War Game scrap from December was a better overall match but, as far as McAfee's individual effort is concerned, his debut against Adam Cole at August's TakeOver XXX turned the most heads.

Another lifelong fan of the business, Pat had clearly been training, knew what to do and took the task seriously.

He also got to show off his athleticism with a big dive to the outside, as well as a spot where he backflipped off the top rope, landed on his feet and then ran back up the turnbuckles to hit Cole with a superplex.

It wasn't just the moves, though, because Pat also sold and worked the camera like a pro. He was no doubt helped by his accomplished dance partner, but McAfee showed enough to suggest there could be many more matches in his future, if he wishes to do them.