5 top Royal Rumble matches of all time
The Royal Rumble is one of the most innovative concepts the wrestling industry has ever seen. Putting 30 superstars in the ring and having them fight to be the last person standing is a test of endurance and a marked way to determine the best on the day. It is thus not a surprise that it is a match that fans always tune in to watch every year.
The 2023 edition of the show will air from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on January 28.
If you live in India, you can watch WWE Royal Rumble 2023 LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 1 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), and Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels on 29th January 2023 from 6:30 am (IST).
Over the years, we have seen some truly spectacular Rumble matches. However, as is the case with everything, some stand out more than others. On that note, we look at five of the best Royal Rumble matches in WWE history.
#5. On our list of the top Royal Rumble matches of all time: The 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match
The 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match was an important one for WWE. The company needed to present a top star to challenge Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania 35. Enter Becky Lynch, who harnessed her red-hot momentum for many months to go on and win the contest.
Lynch entering a match she wasn't even in, and winning wasn't the only highlight. We saw Liv Morgan get eliminated in seconds, multiple NXT women make surprise entries, Natalya put in an Iron Woman shift, and even Hornswoggle make an appearance. Lana was injured before the match, allowing The Man to swoop in and take her spot.
The final two were Big Time Becks and Charlotte Flair. After a short and intense battle, Flair went for a big boot but missed and went over the top rope. She hung on for dear life but was left open to a huge clothesline that caused her elimination.
Lynch's win felt poetic for the year she had, and credit must go to WWE for backing her when it mattered.
#4. The 2007 Men's Royal Rumble match
The 2007 Royal Rumble match was one that was gripping from start to finish. From a fantastic choice for a winner to multiple giants dominating the contest, it had everything you could ask for.
From Viscera requiring nine men to throw him out to The Great Khali tossing out seven superstars immediately after entering, and from Rated-RKO's reunion to Shawn Michaels' resourcefulness, everyone was on the edge of their seats throughout.
The final four were Orton, Edge, Michaels, and The Undertaker, who entered at number 30.
The Viper and the Ultimate Opportunist attacked 'Taker but fell victim to HBK. He and The Deadman then had a great tussle that saw plenty of big moves exchanged. In the end, it was the latter who emerged victorious.
#3. The 2005 Rumble match
The 2005 Royal Rumble match is a historical contest for multiple reasons, not least of which is the iconic finish it has to its name. John Cena and Batista eliminating each other and landing on the floor at the exact same time is an all-time classic moment, but talking about it in isolation would be doing a disservice to the rest of the match.
We saw Muhammad Hassan do enough to force his colleagues to ally against him, Kurt Angle dominate the competition from the #20 spot, and Shawn Michaels eliminate Angle and then get tossed by the Olympian himself.
After the Cena-Batista situation, an irate Vince McMahon made his way to the ring to solve the problem and infamously ended up tearing both his quads.
McMahon ordered WWE officials to restart the match with only the final two superstars. The Animal ended up taking the win, capping off one of the greatest and most eventful Royal Rumble matches in history.
#2. The 2020 Men's Rumble match
COVID-19 may have crippled the WWE product in 2020, but we got the 2020 Royal Rumble match before the pandemic hit. It remains one of the best editions of the contest we have ever seen, with barely any fault to nitpick.
The match got off to a hot start, with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar entering at number one and eliminating a record 13 superstars. He was dumped out of the ring by Drew McIntyre and Ricochet, setting the stage for an epic second and third act.
Edge returned after eleven long years away to one of the most thunderous pops of all time. He wasted little time showing the world that he hadn't missed a step. Seth Rollins entered at number 30 and had a throwdown with multiple babyface superstars alongside his faction.
His actions backfired when everyone attacked him and caused his elimination.
Randy Orton reunited with Edge but found himself dumped out by the latter. The Rated-R Superstar locked horns with Roman Reigns before ultimately falling to him. The final sequence saw Reigns and McIntyre trade haymakers before the Big Dog was eliminated courtesy of a huge Claymore, giving the epic match a worthy conclusion.
#1. The 2018 Men's Rumble bout
This Royal Rumble match is about as close to booking perfection as it gets. The winner was perfect, the final six was peak star power, the side stories were amazing, and the surprise entrants were memorable. Indeed, in our opinion, this is the best Rumble match to have graced the WWE product.
Take your pick from John Cena getting attacked by everyone as soon as he enters, Rey Mysterio's shocking return, Finn Balor's stellar Iron Man performance, and Shinsuke Nakamura winning the whole thing. The final six and final four faceoffs were both spectacular and played well to the crowd.
The ending saw Nakamura and Roman Reigns fight for the right to go to WrestleMania. The two came close to winning on multiple occasions, but in the end, it was The Artist who ended up taking the victory. A true booking masterclass all around and one we hope the 2023 matches emulate.
Who do you think will win the Royal Rumble matches this year? Let us know in the comments section below.