Most and Least Predictable Rumble Winners

[MMK]

MOST PREDICTABLE: Triple H 2002 and Stone Cold 1998.

HHH's return was hyped all January leading up to the Rumble complete with a video featuring his grueling recovery process after surgery accompanied by melodramatic U2 music. How much more obvious could they have made it? As for Austin, he was the ONLY main event singles star in the entire 1998 Rumble. Go back and look at the participants. It was nothing but stable members from different factions like Los Boricuas, D.O.A, N.O.D, etc, etc, along with Mick Foley entering and reentering 3 times.

MOST UNPREDICTABLE: Duggan in 88 and Studd in 89

Every Royal Rumble from 1992 on featured some sort of title or title match being awarded to the winner, so you can automatically narrow it down to the 5 or so main eventers that are involved. It wasn't like that in 88-91. Without that stipulation (which i think is a bad idea), midcard guys had a chance. Duggan and Studd are proof of that.

 

[byrnside]

So I'm a little late to this thread considering the Royal Rumble was last week, but seeing as the Rumble has long been my favorite gimmick match, I'm going to go ahead and offer my opinion anyway.

I have to say the most obvious choice for unexpected victory was HBK back in '95. Now I don't think a wrestling fan, young or old, has missed this story since it happened. But just in case, HBK was the first guy in and the last guy standing after a controversial ending where the British Bulldog clotheslines HBK over the top rope, he held on, and only one foot hit the floor. This was the beginning of HBK's push into main event status, and at 9 years old, I never saw him beating out the Bulldog.

Close runner-ups for most unpredictable winner would have to be Vince McMahon's win in '99, Austin winning in '97, or Flair winning in '92.

As for most predictable, I'll have to go with The Rock winning in 2000. The Rock was already in the throws of his legendary status. I think it's safe to say there wasn't a whole lot of star power going into 2000's match nor many other possible 'Mania outcomes. The only thing that was surprising to me was the way that he won, where he was thrown over the top by the Big Show, but he actually held on and dragged the Big Show to the floor.

 

[legendkiller1979]

Maybe it's not the absolute most predictable rumble match ever, but I want to talk about the 1995 rumble. if you go back and look at the participant in that rumble match, Shawn Michaels is the only one that could have won. First of all, he was feuding with the WWF champion Diesel at the time. And second, there was NOBODY else in that match that could have possilby headlines wrestlemania. It was a nice swerve having him go in first. And the finish was great too. However there's no way the British Bulldog was going to main event mania. It was the worst group ever to compete in a rumble match. There were 29 mid carders and Shawn Michaels.

 

[ashe draven]

ill throw out the vince win immediately. cuz that made me throw up in my mouth. predicable wise ill go w/ hhh 2002. all the buildup and vingettes. everyone knew hed win the RR and go on to squash jericho at WM. unpredictable gets a tie from me. though a number of rumbles have a good 5 wrestlers that u think "could"" win. my tie goes to the SURPRISE cena win cuz NO ONE had him coming back so soon. and the 92 win of flair. coming in at 3 no less. the world title rumble was anyones guess. him lasting that long...and out lasting hogan, was a shocker to me.

 

[god-soldier]

I here everyone arguement but I am surprised Brain picked the 2006 rumble because I feel that's one of the most predictable Rumbles. The most predictable Rumble to me was 95 and 96 if you didn't think HBK was not gonna win who else would in 95 no one had beef with Diesel but him and who else in the Rumble was gonna win Undertaker wasn't in the Rumble neither was Bret Hart and after winning last year Lex Luger who else was gonna win??? In 96 HBK gets injured its a big push for clearance from the doctor to compete. We all had hopes Vader would win to debut but the WWE wasn't that smart to allow that no one else was winning Diesel wasn't gonna fight Bret Hart again and if Undertaker would have won the belt then maybe Diesel or Vader would of won but everyone else in Rumble match wasn't gonna get picked. These 2 Rumbles were no brainers
The most unpredictable Rumble for me was 93 not a single person thought Yokozuna was gonna win and I mean nobody I honestly thought Mr.Perfect was gonna win but when he was eliminated I went with Undertaker and when he got eliminated the only other person I saw winning was Macho Man and even till the end I still thought he was gonna win Yokozuna wasn't consideration at all. Hogan wasn't gonna comeback and win Flair might have won it again but Bret beat him for the belt so he couldn't win Warrior had just got fired again so who else could win this Rumble I believe that this one was so unpredictable because everyone's favorite its were gone or already eliminated this Rumble without a doubt the most unpredictable

 

[LeeUHF]

UNPREDICTABLE-

When Flair won it. He was in the last 3 with Hogan and Sid Vicious. I really expected Sid to win it especially when Hogan was ejected which was a shocker, Whe flair won I thought fuck me he's not your usual big man whats going on?

I suppose this year with Del Rio was kind of unpredictable where as you thought surely they wont keep it been the big guys you thought they would and also as he is so new. He is a top top heal though, I really thought Punk was gonna win tbh or Cena. as It was obvious he would end up with Miz at mania.

Oh yeah Mcmahon winning too lol

PREDICTABLE- Cena Return/ Triple H Return/ Austin 1998 when he was massive