Ever wondered what would have happened if the Royal Rumble was booked differently? Well our writers have had a try at Rebooking the Royal Rumble. Join us all this week as we pick a different Royal Rumble each day and try and work out what would have happened if things had taken a different direction.
These days it seems like every wrestling fan is a frustrated booker. We all think we can do better than the people in charge; sometimes we might even be right. For a little bit of fun, we here at The Wrestling Mania have put our booking caps on and “re-booked” some Rumble results. I’ve tried to keep within parameters of what COULD have happened, rather than any flights of fancy, and present a credible alternative universe. That said, there is a little bit of creative licence used where required. Just because I’ve re-booked a result, it doesn’t necessarily mean I disagree with the original outcome. It’s just fascinating to look back and think “what if…”.
1999 – The Rock Wins
Okay, I know what you’re thinking, the Rock can’t win and plus he wrestled in a grueling I quit match at this event. Well, bare with me and I’ll explain just how we get the Rock winning.
The Rock takes on Mankind and wins in the same manner. Nothing changes there. We get to the Royal Rumble all goes as happened, Vince McMahon and Austin are the first two entrants. They carry on with their shenanigans as before, Austin still appears to be out of the Rumble after being attacked. He reappears as the Big Boss Man comes out as number twenty two, again as really happened.
Now it starts to change, Austin makes quick work of eliminating superstars almost as they come out, but never being alone to go and attack McMahon who is still around the ringside area. Now, the number 30 entrant on the actual event was Chyna, we’re going to need that place, but, we don’t want to deprive her of being the first woman in the Royal Rumble, even in this fantasy world.
Therefore Chyna comes out at number 28, Austin stands back watching her try and eliminate Owen Hart and walks over to casually eliminate both as number 29 hits. McMahon realizing how close to facing Austin he is, starts to get closer to the ring. Austin clotheslines D’Lo Brown (No. 29) over the top rope as soon as he gets in. McMahon charges the Rattlesnake.
Austin side steps and throws Vince over the top rope. The crowd erupts, Michael Cole states Austin has won, Lawler argues there’s one more entrant, Austin thinks he has won and calls for a beer, the timekeeper is visibly shouting one more entrant just as the clock starts ticking. Stone Cold gets into his stance waiting for the next entrant… five, four, three, two, one…
“Do you smell what the Rock is cooking?” Austin’s body language changes as he stares down the aisle looking completely surprised. On commentary Michael Cole is remarking, “What the…?!? He can’t enter the Royal Rumble the Rock’s the WWF Champion.” To which the King replies, “The Rock’s the corporate champion, The Rock can enter anything he want to. Besides it’s not like it’s a rule, it’s just no-one has ever been clever enough to think of doing it before.”
As the Rock steps up onto the apron, McMahon attacks the Rattlesnake from behind sending him into the Rock’s arms for a Rock Bottom, Austin counters and pushes Rock into McMahon, Rock falls to the floor and McMahon flails on the ropes, for the second time Austin eliminates McMahon just to get him out of the way. As he turns around the Rock is up and clotheslines Austin over the top rope to win the Royal Rumble.
From there, we get to Wrestlemania XV in pretty much the same way, but, rather than Vince McMahon announcing he vacates his right to fight the Rock, the Rock states since he can’t wrestle himself at Wrestlemania instead he will take the slot of the main event to entertain all of his fans with his own talk show, where he will be both the host and the guest.
Enter Shawn Michaels, the commissioner, throw in a few allegations of the numbers being rigged for the Rock to draw number thirty as there was no way he could have competed if he came in sooner, the fact there must be a WWF Championship match at Wrestlemania and we’re back to reality and Stone Cold faces Vince McMahon at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and The Rock finishes his feud with Mankind.
You may think that is better than the original or you preferred the original even though it is only really tweaked slightly. I personally liked the original 1999 Rumble, but I think this would have been an even more exciting way to do it, with the false finish, the WWF Champion entering, and then the Rock forever being able to claim he was the only WWF Champion to ever win the Royal Rumble with a title shot at Wrestlemania on the line. Just a different way to get to the same destination.
– By Jimmy Wheeler | @MadDepth
Join us again on Thursday as we continue to rebook the Royal Rumble. Share above and Comment below!