5 WWE Royal Rumble runner-ups who still headlined WrestleMania

#4 Triple H - 2009

Randy Orton was the winner of the 2009 edition of the Royal Rumble. With help from Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes, Orton eliminated Triple H to win it all. The Game, who eliminated Orton's cohorts, was distracted enough to let Orton throw him over the top rope.

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At the No Way Out PPV, Triple H won the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match by last pinning The Undertaker to win the WWE Championship. The rivalry took a turn for the worse as WrestleMania approached, courtesy Orton's issues with mental health that led to him having violent outbursts. Orton and The Legacy targeted the entire McMahon family as WrestleMania loomed closer, which ultimately resulted in Triple H invading Orton's home and attacking him. At WrestleMania 25, the duo faced each other in the main event of the night. The odds were heavily stacked against The Game, and a DQ or Countout would have ended the match in Orton's favor, with the WWE title being awarded to The Viper. Triple H still managed to come out victorious and retained his WWE title.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Pratyay Ghosh