Why Drew Carey's Cameo At The 2001 WWE Royal Rumble Was Perfect
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The Royal Rumble match in 2001 was a highly entertaining one for fans of the time watching the product or the newer viewers viewing it for the first time. Steve Austin and Kane are often the names most discussed when breaking down that year's Rumble. However, a rare instance of a celebrity joining the match added to the overall entertainment value.
Drew Carey made his way into the match and took part in a backstage segment that saw him fitting in well. WWE never did much work with Carey beyond this, but his performance was strong enough for WWE to induct him into the celebrity wing of their Hall of Fame. The 2001 Rumble, and Carey’s involvement in it, deserves a deeper glance to figure out what made it so perfect.
Drew Carey Worked With WWE As A Way To Promote His Own Show
Many things were different in the year 2001 when it came to television. The PPV business was huge, but only certain brands were strong enough to benefit from it. Wrestling was king and WWE was the top dog, drawing hundreds of thousands of buy rates every month. Various comedians tried to sell stand up specials or their own themed shows on PPV, and that inspired Drew Carey to work with WWE.
RELATED: 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About The 2001 Royal Rumble
Carey put together his own Improv All-Stars PPV and wanted to appear on a WWE PPV to help promote it. Vince McMahon was always willing to do business with celebrities, and this was when Carey was a popular comic and had multiple television shows. The first backstage segment on theRoyal RumblePPV for Carey even referenced him being there to sell his show.
Vince talked Drew into entering the Rumble match after getting a little annoyed by him. The logic of Carey being in the ring to create headlines convinced him to join the match and attempt to compete against the WWE talents. A few other backstage segments saw Carey prepping for the match while having awkward interactions with wrestlers.
Drew Carey Was The Funniest Royal Rumble Entrant
WWE perfectly booked the Drew Carey appearance in the 2001 Royal Rumble match. Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy were the only wrestlers in the ring battling it out when Carey made his entrance into the match. The Hardy Boyz were still on the same page and had yet to feud, but the “every man for himself” logic was utilized here.
Carey was able to smile and play to the crowd in comical fashion while Jeff and Matt eliminated each other during a top rope battle. The humor of Drew not having to do anything to stand tall in the ring saw him going overboard with the celebrating. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were doing some of their best work commentating to add to the moment.
However, things escalated for Carey when the next entrant was Kane leaving Drew all alone with the big red monster. Kane’s slow entrance saved Carey since only a few seconds were left before the next competitor came out once he was in the ring. Raven was next and attacked Kane to unintentionally save Drew from disaster. Carey eliminated himself out of fear to get away from Kane in the perfect culmination for the appearance.
RELATED: 5 Reasons Why The 1992 Royal Rumble Is The Best One (& 5 Why It's 2001)
WWE Perfectly Booked Drew Carey's Time In The Royal Rumble
WWE rarely uses celebrities in the Royal Rumble match as much as WrestleManiaor other events. WrestleManiais when most casual fans or new viewers watch, so the famous names are a big boost. The Rumble match is often something that the diehard fans care most about to make a celebrity have a harder task. It also is inherently more difficult to slot a celebrity into a match or story with 29 other wrestlers compared to a traditional tag or singles match.
Drew Carey was perfectly booked to have a short time in the match with memorable moments. Kane and Carey’s stare down was tremendous since Kane was the most terrifying character in WWE at the time. The awareness of Carey added to his appearance from the hilarious backstage segment with Vince to his theatrics in the ring.
WWE lucked out by booking a celebrity that perfectly reacted to moments like the Hardy Boyz eliminating each other to give him an empty to ring, along with being petrified of Kane. Carey doing such a great job in his Rumble appearance convinced WWE to induct him into the Hall of Fame. Even though many fans are against celebrities in the Hall of Fame, Drew deserves his credit for an all-time entertaining celeb moment in the Rumble.
