My Favorite Royal Rumble Moment

(Credit: WWE Network/Royal Rumble 2002)

Ric Flair's championship triumph in 1992, Shawn Michaels' marathon in 1995, Triple H's return in 2002 and John Cena's MSG shocker in 2008. These are just a few of the most memorable and, perhaps, beloved moments in Royal Rumble history.

Mine, however, may stray a bit towards the unconventional side...


Every gimmick in the history of wrestling and sports entertainment absolutely pale in comparison to The Undertaker's "Deadman." The look, the music, the entrance, the overall vibe--just untouchable. But if you can make the stylings of Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock come across as even somewhat cool, you're one hell of a performer.

Liked by some, tolerated by others and condemned by the rest, The Undertaker's "American  badass" character was quite the deviation from his more popular role of the walking dead. Nonetheless, whether you want to admit it or not, he certainly made it work. Since the badass was essentially Mark Calaway turned up to 100, the gimmick was beyond credible and always an intriguing watch.

And one of Taker's finest moments in this persona, which happens to be my personal favorite in the entire history of the Royal Rumble, came 14 years ago at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This, folks, is when The Undertaker met up the illustrious, the great, the legendary...Maven. 

After fighting off and eliminating both Matt and Jeff Hardy, Taker set his sights on the incoming entrant. That entrant--yes, Tough Enough Season 1 winner Maven Huffman. A nervous and green Maven made his way down the aisle for what would assuredly be a brief and disappointing showing in his first Rumble. But that wasn't exactly the case.

While Taker was distracted by the (twice eliminated) Hardy Boyz outside the ring, Maven set up for the dropkick heard 'round the world.

(Credit: WWE Network/Royal Rumble 2002)

The shock in The Undertaker's face summed it all up. 

Taker, the big dog of the company and an icon of the industry, was eliminated by a rookie whose Titantron video contained only training clips from the MTV reality show. The Atlanta crowd erupted, Maven went berserk and the wrestling world stood in awe of what the WWE had just pulled off. What a moment. 

Unfortunately for Maven, he would subsequently receive a shellacking of a lifetime at the hands of a vengeful and vindictive Undertaker. This ensuing beatdown would include one of the most vicious chair shots you'll ever see...

(Credit: WWE Network/Royal Rumble 2002)

...and a delightful post-thrashing snack.

(Credit: WWE Network/Royal Rumble 2002)

The entire package--the underdog story, the surprise factor, the emotion and the follow-up ass whooping--was simply pure brilliance. But what really makes this moment my personal Royal Rumble favorite is The Undertaker's unbelievable devotion to the company.

Wrestling is, and always has been, a business of paying dues. If you want to get to the pinnacle and gain the respect of your peers while doing so, you must put in the work. That means spending years performing for nickels in high school gymnasiums, hotel ballrooms and rundown bingo halls. 

Tough Enough, which was introduced in 2002, presented WWE hopefuls with a ticket straight to the big show--a 'Get out of jail free' card, if you will. When Maven won the contest, he basically sneaked in through the backdoor. That likely didn't sit too well with much of the locker room at the time. 

However this idea was ultimately presented to The Undertaker, he accepted it. He accepted that his 18-year career, his industry-wide reverence and his multiple title reigns would, on that night, be bested by a reality show winner who was a mere three months into the job. He did it for the good of the show, a potentially unforgettable moment and the hopes of building a new star.

There are countless stories of Mark Calaway's professionalism. This, just like the rest, should definitely go down as yet another selfless and admirable gesture from a true company man.