When thinking about the best Royal Rumble matches of all time, we have to realize that it is almost impossible to make a list that everyone agrees on. Here is my shot at it, listing some of my personal favorites. Make sure to let us know after reading how you rank them in the comment section below! Starting at number 6.
Best Royal Rumble Matches Of All Time
6) 2002 Royal Rumble
— Winner: Triple H
The 2002 Royal Rumble deserves some love. Even though many fans expected Triple H to win, it still made for a great event.
The roster was pretty stacked considering WWE had bought WCW several months prior and integrated some of their stars to the roster. Tons of big names were in the match, including The Undertaker, The Hardy Boyz, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, DDP, Kane, Booker T and many more. It also featured some great returns, including Goldust and Mr. Perfect.
The match featured one of my favorite moments in Royal Rumble history. Tough Enough winner Maven entered the match, where he was forced to face off against the Undertaker. With the help of a distraction from the Hardy Boyz, Maven was able to eliminate the Undertaker. The Deadman proceeded to beat the living hell out of Maven but it was an awesome moment.
Triple H would go on to win the match after last-eliminating Kurt Angle. It was a great victory for Triple H, who went on to defeat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWF Championship at Wrestlemania 18.
Overall I thought the match was very enjoyable and it grabs the number 6 spot on my list.
5) 2008 Royal Rumble
— Winner: John Cena
The 2008 Royal Rumble match has to be included on this list, strictly because of the ending. John Cena returned and shocked the wrestling world.
Cena had torn his pectoral muscle 4 months earlier. He underwent surgery and was expected to be out for 7 months to a year. He returned in 4 months in the number 30 spot, shocking the WWE Universe. There weren’t any whispers of him returning and it was a genuinely shocking moment. The crowd completely lost their minds and it had the Madison Square Garden fans in awe.
Cena went on to win the match by last-eliminating Triple H (who everyone had penciled in to win before the match).
The match also featured some other great moments. Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker were the first two entrants in the match. They battled it out for over 30 minutes before they were both eliminated. There was also a pretty great moment between Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
The match will be remembered for the return of Cena as one of the biggest surprises in WWE history.
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