5 Best matches ever at the Royal Rumble (other than the Royal Rumble match)
On Sunday, January 29th 2017, the WWE presents its annual Royal Rumble event. The event will see competitors hit each other with some of the most incredible moves on this first major event of 2017.
Throughout the Royal Rumble's history, there have been memorable moments that have stood out.
Whether it was the shocking return of John Cena at the 2008 event, or the shocking return of Triple H in 2015, who ended up capturing the WWE World Heavyweight championship, the event has turned a lot of heads.
The general focus of the event is the 30-man Rumble where the winner normally gets to face the champion of their choice at Wrestlemania. At this point, who will win this year's event is really anyone's guess.
What isn't often talked about, however, are the singles, tag team or triple threat matches that have taken place on the pay per view as well.
While the Rumble match gets all the headlines, that doesn't mean that it's the best match of the night. But with so many elements in the main event, something which occurred earlier can be missed by fans.
What exactly are the five best non-Rumble matches at the Royal Rumble? Which ones stood out? Here are our choices for the five best matches in the Royal Rumble's history.
#5 2000 – Triple H vs. Cactus Jack
The attitude era may have seen the birth of Mankind, but it could be said that Cactus Jack defined this era before the era was ever a thought! As Cactus Jack, Mick Foley feuded with Triple H time and time again.
It was their feud that turned Triple H from a main event superstar to a must see star in the company. Their match at the 2000 Royal Rumble was for the WWE Heavyweight championship, and was fitting for the Cactus Jack character, as it was a street fight.
Also read: 5 Integral numbers that define The WWE Royal Rumble Match
The contest was so brutal that if seen today it would have to be shown in black in white for the PG audience, given the amount of blood that was shed by the competitors.
There were countless chair shots by both men, a pedigree onto a spilled sack of thousands of thumbtacks, and the infamous table piledriver. As is often said, the match was a hellacious affair!
It can never be duplicated, and we can be grateful for the time spent to assemble this match into something that was an incredible sight to see. All that was missing was a flaming table, but it's possible that it was a consideration.