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In the lead up to this year's Royal Rumble, we'll be counting down the 20 greatest moments in the history of WWE's most famous match. This list was determined by a panel that included Geno Mrosko, Bill Hanstock and me. We tried to keep it diverse, with a mix of comedy, emotion, story, and wrestling.
On occasion, where history linked multiple events or a story continued beyond one Rumble match, we cheated a little.
Up next is one of those times.
Rumble, young ladies, rumble
Before #GiveDivasAChance, the so-called Divas' Revolution, or #WomensWrestling (heck, back when "#" still meant "number sign"), Chyna was breaking barriers in the then-WWF. As if being D-Generation X's enforcer weren't enough, she got over on Vince McMahon to win the DX vs Corporation mini-Rumble to determine who would enter the 1999 battle royal for the coveted #30 spot.
She only lasted half a minute, but she did manage to eliminate Mark Henry before Stone Cold Steve Austin clotheslined her over the top rope. History had been made.
Chyna would return to the Rumble in 2000 after a very eventful year which saw her entered into the King of the Ring tournament (back when that still meant something), become #1 contender to the WWF championship (an honor she would lose to Mankind before getting her title shot) and defeating Jeff Jarrett to become the Intercontinental titleholder. Pulling double duty at the pay-per-view (PPV), she lost a share of the IC strap to Chris Jericho in a triple threat match, and then got a measure of revenge by dumping him from the Rumble following another thirty second stint in the ring.
It would be nearly a decade before another women was given an opportunity in the over-the-top rope elimination battle royal. Beth Phoenix had been Women's champion and worked a storyline with IC king Santino Marella where he was intimidated by her, but she didn't compete with men in the same way Chyna had.
The Glamazon's Rumble entrance was a little more of a surprise because of that fact. She lasted longer in 2010 than Chyna had in her two outings combined, but her only elimination came from tricking Great Khali with a kiss.
Phoenix got a little offense in against the Straight-Edged Superstar, but that was negated somewhat by Matt Striker screaming "never trust a woman" from commentary. Punk sent Beth over the top after about a minute and thirty seconds.
Just two years later, a third woman would get a shot. Kharma (better known in TNA and the indies as Awesome/Amazing Kong) had a weird run with WWE, and the 2012 Royal Rumble was her only official match of the two years she spent under contract.
A big debut push was put on hold in the Spring of 2011 when she announced she was pregnant. In January of the following year she popped the crowd as entrant #21. Though she only lasted about a minute herself, she played a role in two eliminations - tossing Hunico and scaring Michael Cole into a position where the already eliminated Booker T and Jerry Lawler could pull him off the apron - and nailed Dolph Ziggler with a devastating Implant Buster before Vickie Guerrero popped up to distract her and allow the Show-Off to put her out of the match.
None of the women had a noticeable effect on the final results of the match, but each was definitely a moment that fans were talking about after the show.
Who will be the next female Rumbler? What will her story be?
That's one of the many reasons why we watch.