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The Royal Rumble pay-pay-view is one of the WWE’s biggest alongside SummerSlam and WrestleMania, and there have been some incredible events over the years.
Updated January 19, 2023 by Mark Sammut: 2023’s Royal Rumble is right around the corner, and the show is surrounded by both hype and trepidation due to WWE’s current behind-the-scenes situation. Still, the PPV has the potential to be one of the best; if nothing else, it should be an improvement over its immediate predecessor. In anticipation of the upcoming show, a few more of the best Royal Rumble PPVs have been highlighted.
10 Royal Rumble 2002
A predictable finish can hurt a Royal Rumble match, but sometimes there is simply only one correct winner. After suffering a serious injury that left him out of action for roughly nine months, Triple H made his in-ring comeback at 2002’s Royal Rumble PPV, and the crowd popped big for the wrestler.
The Royal Rumble is primarily remembered for this moment, which is unfair since it is generally a great match. Steve Austin gave a performance that compares favorably to any of his three wins, Mr. Perfect made a surprise return and looked sharp in the ring, and Maven eliminated The Undertaker, a decision that had no consequences.
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Otherwise, this PPV is largely forgettable, although there are no bad matches either. The only other bout that is really worth seeking out is Chris Jericho versus The Rock for the Undisputed WWF Championship, which is the best match of Y2J’s disappointing title run.
9 Royal Rumble 2019
The 2019 Royal Rumble PPV is difficult to rank since most of the matches are good but fall short of greatness. The only exception is the main show’s opener, Asuka versus Becky Lynch, which is probably still the pair’s best encounter, Later in the night, Sasha Banks and Ronda Rousey came close to matching the opening bout, crafting a match that is still among the latter’s strongest in WWE. While Daniel Bryan against AJ Styles is technically immaculate but heatless due to its placement on the card, Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor’s WWE Universal Championship match is short but sweet.
Neither of the Royal Rumbles are amazing, but they are both above average. The women’s match is primarily remembered for Lynch’s unexpected appearance, a decision that gave fans exactly what they wanted at the time. Seth Rollins’ Rumble win was also the right call.
8 Royal Rumble 2020
Prior to 2022’s awful Royal Rumble PPV, WWE was on a winning streak, particularly when it comes to the Men’s Rumble matches. Frankly, 2020 deserves to be mentioned among the best WWE Royal Rumbles for its main event alone.
Despite being WWE Champion at the time, Brock Lesnar not only took part in the Royal Rumble but also opened it; consequently, the contest’s first half consists of new entrants coming to the ring, facing off against The Beast, and being promptly eliminated. On paper, this sounds repetitive, but WWE paced this section beautifully by incorporating wrestlers like Keith Lee, Rey Mysterio, and Shelton Benjamin. Once Drew McIntyre joins the match and eliminates Lesnar to a massive ovation, the Royal Rumble enters its second phase. A few minutes later, McIntyre’s pop is surpassed by the returning Edge, who had retired roughly a decade earlier.
Although overshadowed by the main event, the rest of the 2020 Royal Rumble is pretty good. Charlotte Flair’s Women’s Rumble win is a fun watch, while Becky Lynch and Asuka’s title match is unsurprisingly good. The Fiend and Daniel Bryan also have a memorable Strap match.
7 Royal Rumble 2005
2005’s Royal Rumble PPV makes this list despite having one of the most infamous mistakes in not just Royal Rumble history but in WWE history, period. John Cena and Batista were the last men standing and, in what appeared to be an incredible moment of timing, both men simultaneously fell out of the ring with their feet hitting the floor at the exact same time.
However, it turned out that Batista wasn’t supposed to fall out of the ring and the pair falling in sync was just a bizarre coincidence. Believe it or not, the worst was yet to come, as Vince McMahon charged down to the ring to improvise a finish but miraculously managed to tear both of his quads, forcing him to have to sit on the ground while barking orders like a child throwing a tantrum. The match was restarted, and Batista finally got his win.
Although the botch is what most people remember, the Royal Rumble match was excellent overall, as were the show’s two title matches and Edge’s singles win over Shawn Michaels.
6 Royal Rumble 2018
The 2018 Royal Rumble will forever be an important one, as it was the first to feature a women’s Royal Rumble. 30-women competed in the main event for the chance to compete for either Alexa Bliss’ Raw Women’s Championship or Charlotte Flair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. The match surpassed even the highest of expectations, and many fans were happy to see Asuka win. The match was topped off by a debut appearance from Ronda Rousey, who would go on to compete at that year’s WrestleMania.
Elsewhere on the show, Shinsuke Nakamura won the men’s Royal Rumble, and Brock Lesnar beat Braun Strowman and Kane in a Triple Threat match that went viral when Brock Lesnar intentionally threw a real punch at Strowman.
5 Royal Rumble 2008
2008’s Royal Rumble is best remembered for John Cena’s shock return, as he somehow managed to recover from a torn pectoral muscle injury in just three months. Cena had spent much of 2007 getting booed by WWE crowds, though Madison Square Garden erupted when his music played and he entered as the 30th competitor.
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Elsewhere on the show, Randy Orton beat Jeff Hardy in a WWE Championship match, and Edge retained his World Heavyweight Championship against Rey Mysterio.
4 Royal Rumble 2007
The year before Cena made his shock return to win the 2008 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker and Shawn Michales had a memorable one-on-one contest as the last two competitors of 2007’s Royal Rumble match. The incredible fight had fans begging for a WrestleMania match between the veteran pair, a contest that would indeed happen at WrestleMania 25 and is today considered by many to be the best match in WrestleMania history.
Prior to the Royal Rumble match, Batista defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Mr. Kennedy, while the WWE Championship was on the line in a Last Man Standing match between Cena and Umaga.
3 Royal Rumble 1992
Unlike the vast majority of Royal Rumble matches, where the prize is a title match at WrestleMania, the 1992 show saw the men competing for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship. The match is considered by some to be the best Royal Rumble match in history, thanks in no small part to Ric Flair, who would go on to win the match after entering third.
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The PPV also featured a Tag Team Championship match between The Natural Disasters and The Legion of Doom, as well as an Intercontinental Championship match between Roddy Piper and The Mountie.
2 Royal Rumble 2000
Unlike most of the PPVs on this list, where the Royal Rumble match was the highlight, Royal Rumble 2000 is best remembered for the show-stealing match between Triple H and Cactus Jack. The pair contested in a bloody Street Fight for the WWE Championship that cemented Triple H as a top star. The show also featured the debut of Tazz, who defeated Kurt Angle to a huge pop from his home crowd, and an excellent tables match between The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz.
Unfortunately, the Royal Rumble match itself is what prevents the show from reaching the top spot. The match wasn’t bad, though it failed to live up to the rest of the card and consequently felt like a deflating end to the show.
1 Royal Rumble 2001
WWE seemingly didn’t feel the pressure of having to top the previous year’s Royal Rumble, as the very next year, the company put on an even better show. The night’s Royal Rumble showcased the company’s incredible roster at the time, with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane, The Rock, The Undertaker, and Jeff Hardy all competing to be the last man standing. Stone Cold would emerge as the winner, making him the first person to win three Royal Rumbles - a feat that still hasn’t been matched.
Elsewhere on the show, Kurt Angle beat Triple H for the WWF Championship, and Chris Jericho won the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match against Chris Benoit.
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