The Top 20 Matches of John Cena (Full Results)

# Kurt Angle defeated John Cena (18:25)

* Angle forced Cena to submit to the Ankle Lock.

The main event was the Royal Rumble match. The first two superstars who began the match were Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, where they remained in the match for a little over 30 minutes in the match. The ninth entrant, Hornswoggle was the smallest wrestler to ever compete in the rumble match, and eliminate another superstar. He remained hidden under the ring throughout the match. He would however assist in eliminating The Miz, as he did this, Mark Henry and Big Daddy V officially entered Hornswoggle in the ring. As they prepared to throw him over the top rope, Finlay illegally entered the match, as he was not due to enter the match yet, and hit Henry and Big Daddy V with a shillelagh, he then left alongside Hornswoggle and it was later announced that Finlaly was disqualified for using the shillelagh, and Hornswoggle was eliminated (leaving the match with Finlay). WWE considered this as a disqualification for Finlay. The twenty sixth entry, Chavo Guerrero, was the first world champion wrestler to compete in the Royal Rumble match since 1990, when Hulk Hogan won the match. Triple H, the twenty ninth entrant, dominated as he entered the match, eliminating Big Daddy V, Batista, Mick Foley, and Kane. This was Kane's tenth consecutive rumble match appearance as Kane, which is a record. The turn of the Royal Rumble match came when John Cena, who was originally scheduled to be sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle until later in the year, entered the match as the thirtieth entrant making his "triumphant return". He set a record for the shortest time that the eventual winner spent in the rumble match. He spent 8:28 in the ring, passing Brock Lesnar's record of 8:59. He ended up squaring off with Triple H, as the final two men left in the match. Triple H would attempt to pedigree Cena, but Cena would counter it into a FU that saw him throw Triple H over the top rope, thus winning the Royal Rumble match and a World Championship match at WrestleMania XXIV.