Royal Rumble 2004
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{{Template:Infobox Wrestling event |name=Royal Rumble 2004 |image=Royal_Rumble_2004.jpg |promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment |date=January 25, 2004 |venue=Wachovia Center |city=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |attendance= |buyrate= |lastevent=Armageddon 2003 |nextevent=No Way Out 2004 }}
The 2004 Royal Rumble, held on January 25, 2004, was the seventeenth edition of the annual World Wrestling Entertainment Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. It was a joint production of both the RAW and SmackDown! brands. The event emanated from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme tune for the event was "Nothing Left To Lose" by Puddle of Mudd
Results
Non-Title Sunday Night HEAT Match: Victoria (w/Stevie Richards) vs. WWE Women's Champion Molly Holly
Victoria defeated Molly Holly by pinfall after a Widow's Peak.
Tables Match for the World Tag-Team Championship: Ric Flair and Batista (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)
Flair and Batista retained their titles with the help of Jonathan Coachman who distracted the Dudleyz enough for D-Von to be spinebustered through a table by Batista. (5:29)
- Josh Matthews interviews John Cena who makes a rap about winning the Royal Rumble but is interupted by Rob Van Dam.
For the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Jamie Noble (w/Nidia)
Mysterio retained his title when the blind Nidia accidently tripped Noble while he was going for the ropes. Mysterio hit his Droppin' The Dime legdrop for the win. (3:06)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero (w/Chavo Guerrero, Sr.)
Eddie won the match by pinfall after a Frog Splash. After the match, Eddie assaulted both Chavo and his father Chavo Sr. (8:02)
- Josh Matthews interviews Chris Benoit about his chances of winning the Royal Rumble with the number one entry slot but is interupted by Evolution. Ric Flair declares Randy Orton the winner of the match and tells Benoit that he always comes up short from winning "the big one".
For the WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Hardcore Holly
Lesnar defeated Holly by pinfall after an F-5. Lesnar retained the WWE Championship. (6:22)
Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Triple H retained the title after a double count-out.
Royal Rumble qualification matches
- Chris Benoit defeated Nunzio, Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli in a Royal Rumble simulation on SmackDown!
- Tajiri defeated Billy Kidman on SmackDown!
- Bradshaw defeated Akio and Sakoda in a triple threat match on SmackDown!
- Matt Morgan defeated Orlando Jordan on Velocity
- Rikishi defeated Scotty 2 Hotty on SmackDown!
- A-Train defeated Shannon Moore on Velocity
- The World's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) defeated the Basham Brothers (Doug and Danny Basham) on SmackDown!
- Rico defeated Tommy Dreamer on Sunday Night HEAT
- Nunzio defeated Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli in a Triple Threat match on SmackDown! (In the storyline, all three were supposed to be in the Rumble until they failed to beat Chris Benoit, thus Paul Heyman would only allow one of them to enter)
Trivia
- Chris Benoit became the second person to win the Royal Rumble with the #1 draw. The first was Shawn Michaels in 1995.
- Benoit also broke Bob Backlund's previous record from 1993 of the longest person to last in the Rumble.
- The Royal Rumble match featured no superstar who won the Royal Rumble match in previous years.
- The 2004 event was the last of four consecutive Royal Rumble events where the Dudley Boyz (as the challengers too) would fight in a match for the World Tag-Team Championship.
- Throughout the night, a front row seat was reserved for Mick Foley after Stone Cold Steve Austin invited him to confront Randy Orton. Foley never took the seat but was found later when he entered the Royal Rumble.
- The following episode of SmackDown! featured a 15-man Royal Rumble match that consisted of all of the SmackDown! competitors from the first match (with the exception of Chris Benoit who switched to the RAW brand prior to this episode and Matt Morgan who was injured, the two were replaced by Eddie Guerrero and Hardcore Holly). Eddie Guerrero won the match by finally eliminating Kurt Angle and won a shot at the WWE Championship at No Way Out 2004 against Brock Lesnar. Guerrero's win, however, is not counted as an official Royal Rumble win. This was the second time in history that two Royal Rumble matches were held in one year (the first being the "Corporate Royal Rumble" in 1999 in addition to the annual Royal Rumble of that year).
- This was Rob Van Dam's Second year to be entrance number 29. The first in the Royal Rumble Match 2002.