Since its inception in 1988, the Royal Rumble has consistently remained one of the most memorable pay-per-views in WWE history with countless historic moments over the years.
The WWE has been reaping the benefits from the Royal Rumble for years. The pay-per-view and Royal Rumble match itself has remained one of the most exciting and unpredictable nights year in and year out.
As the start of the road to WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble helps kick start the most important buildup every year in the WWE. But just which moments have shined above the rest at the Royal Rumble? Here’s the top 15 greatest moments in Royal Rumble pay-per-view history.
15. All Three Faces of Foley Enter The Royal Rumble Match: January 18, 1998
Not many people would have thought Mick Foley would have reached the levels of success he reached in the WWE. He wasn’t the best-looking, most athletic, or most muscular guy on the roster, but Foley still developed into one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time.
Whether it was Mankind, Cactus Jack, or Dude Love, Foley found success in the WWE. And on occasion, he even found success with all three on the same night. His memorable showdown with Triple H on Raw in 1997 which saw all three faces of Foley in some capacity was awesome, but a few months later saw another unprecedented version of that.
Foley was part of the 1998 Royal Rumble match and started the match out as the first entrant with his Cactus Jack persona. Cactus would be eliminated by Chainsaw Charlie, but Foley’s night was far from over as later in the match, Mankind unexpectedly joined the fold and eliminated Chainsaw.
But just as Cactus’ fate earlier in the night, Mankind was eliminated as well. Foley’s third alter ego Dude Love would enter the equation as well following Mankind’s elimination. But Dude Love wouldn’t make it all the way either and would be eliminated. It was awesome to see all three faces of Foley in the same match, and the Royal Rumble match no less.
No matter which of Foley’s alter egos you preferred, you got a taste of all three during the 1998 Royal Rumble match.
14. The Undertaker’s Rebirth: January 22, 1994
It wouldn’t take The Undertaker long to develop into one of the WWE’s top superstars after his debut at Survivor Series 1990. His character was unlike anything ever seen before in the WWE and his momentum kept building.
However, the first version of The Undertaker would end up taking a drastic change in 1994. Taker was set to battle Yokozuna for the WWE Championship in a Casket Match at the Royal Rumble in 1994, but it would be an unsuccessful attempt to win the WWE’s top prize for Taker.
With the help of many heels, Yokozuna won the match and appeared to have ridded the WWE of The Deadman. But Taker had other ideas and he was shown inside the casket. He then went on to say you can’t kill the spirit of The Undertaker and this would be the rebirth of The Undertaker before ascending to the heavens. It was a truly shocking moment, especially back in 1994.
This marked the dawning of a new Undertaker and throughout the rest of 1994, The Undertaker’s character would take some unexpected twists and turns. And over the years that followed, The Undertaker would only continue to transform more from there. But without the Royal Rumble 1994, The Undertaker’s transformations might not have come.
The Phenom was reborn at the Royal Rumble in 1994 and the WWE would never be the same again in the years that followed.
13. Maven Shockingly Eliminates The Undertaker: January 20, 2002
The Undertaker’s presence would continue to be felt at the Royal Rumble for many years. But nobody saw what was coming in the 2002 Royal Rumble match between Big Evil and a newcomer that was trying to make his name in the WWE.
Maven was the co-winner of the inaugural season of WWE Tough Enough in 2001 and he would have a fair amount of success early on. Maven would become a three-time Hardcore Champion, but most would consider his most important work in the WWE was against The Undertaker. And nothing he did was bigger than the Royal Rumble match in 2002.
He would become entangled in a brief feud with The Undertaker thanks to his shocking elimination of Big Evil in the Royal Rumble match. A drop kick to the back of a distracted Taker launched him over the top rope, much to the shock of everyone in the WWE universe. But Maven would pay for making history.
Big Evil gave Maven a brutal beating after the match out of anger and would ultimately get the upper hand against the rookie. Despite Maven’s WWE career not turning out great in the long run, he made a huge splash early on by going toe-to-toe with The Undertaker in his yard.
He was tough enough and Maven, albeit in a short amount of time, made an impact in the WWE thanks in large part due to his shocking Royal Rumble performance.
12. Chyna Becomes The First Woman to Enter The Royal Rumble Match: January 24, 1999
Women’s wrestling has seen its fair share of progression and developing over the years and it’s still being felt to this day. The modern-day women’s revolution has brought women to another level in the WWE, but one woman, in particular, had a big hand in revolutionizing women in the WWE.
Chyna’s WWE debut was shocking in many ways given how she was totally different than any woman in pro wrestling before. The Ninth Wonder of the World could hold her own against any man or woman, and that would be tested greatly in 1999. And at the Royal Rumble of that year, Chyna made history.
She became the first woman to ever enter the Royal Rumble match and even eliminated Mark Henry in the process. The World’s Strongest Man getting eliminated by a woman was something that seemed highly unlikely in years past, but Chyna helped change the image of women in pro wrestling and would continue to change it.
The Ninth Wonder of the World made history at the Royal Rumble, but she also made more history later in 1999. Chyna would become the Intercontinental Champion in late-1999 to become the first woman to ever win the Intercontinental Championship. She, along with many other women, helped change how people viewed women in the WWE.
The women’s revolution is in high gear in 2018, but a major landmark day for women’s wrestling came via Chyna at the 1999 Royal Rumble.
11. Mr. McMahon Wins The Royal Rumble Match: January 24, 1999
Arguably no rivalry in sports entertainment history was as profitable and more important than the Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon rivalry. It helped define the Attitude Era of the WWE and turned the tide in the bitter Monday Night War between the WWE and WCW.
This rivalry had too many memorable moments to count, but one, in particular, came at the Royal Rumble in 1999. Austin and McMahon entered the Royal Rumble match at number one and number two respectively after then-commissioner Shawn Michaels overrode McMahon’s decision to enter the rumble at number 30.
McMahon went out under the bottom rope early in the match and used every trick in the book later in the match. After finally returning to the ring after the match came down to him and Austin, McMahon got further help from The Rock. The Corporate Champion taunted Austin with the WWE Championship belt just enough to distract The Texas Rattlesnake.
And while Austin was distracted, McMahon threw him over the top rope and won the Royal Rumble match. It was a shocking moment that saw McMahon keep his promise that Austin wouldn’t win the Royal Rumble match. Austin went on to main event WrestleMania anyways with The Rock, but this just furthered the rivalry between himself and The Chairman.
McMahon said Austin had no chance in hell to win the Royal Rumble in 1999, and by hell or high water, he was correct.
10. AJ Styles’ WWE Debut: January 24, 2016
The Royal Rumble match has made a habit of surprise returns over the years that excite fans everywhere. But most of the time, the surprise entrants are just one-off appearances for the Royal Rumble match and nothing more.
However, in 2016, a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match would go on to make a lasting impression on the WWE landscape that is still being felt to this day. AJ Styles had a decorated career in TNA and NJPW, but never got a chance to shine on the grandest stage of them all in the WWE.
That all changed at the Royal Rumble in 2016. Styles made his unexpected WWE debut in the Royal Rumble match to a big pop from the live crowd in attendance. Although Styles didn’t win the rumble that year, he has had a great career in the WWE in not even two full years that has featured several championship reigns and many standout matches.
The Phenomenal One has already carved out a likely WWE Hall of Fame career in a short amount of time after many thought he wouldn’t get the chance to make his impact in the WWE. And as WWE moves forward in 2018, Styles will remain a key component in the main event scene with likely a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 34 on deck.
But none of his WWE accomplishments would have taken place had he not made a phenomenal debut at the Royal Rumble in 2016.
9. Chris Benoit Wins The Royal Rumble Match: January 25, 2004
The 2004 Royal Rumble saw the berth of the main event push that had alluded Chris Benoit since he joined the WWE in 2000. Benoit had been successful for years no matter which company he was in, but he had never truly reached the big time.
That all changed at the Royal Rumble in 2004 when Benoit made history. Winning the Royal Rumble match as the first entrant wasn’t anything new, but it hadn’t been accomplished since 1995 with Shawn Michaels entering at number one and going the distance.
But that feat would be accomplished again in 2004 with The Rabid Wolverine, who entered the Royal Rumble match as the number one entrant, outlasting 29 other superstars. Benoit’s win was culminated by an epic showdown with The Big Show that resulted in Benoit out-maneuvering The World’s Largest Athlete to get the win after lasting over an hour.
Benoit went on to main event WrestleMania 20 alongside Michales and Triple H in an unbelievably great Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship where he finally got his big break and won the world title by making The Game tap out. That moment was all set up by Benoit’s Royal Rumble match win just two months prior.
The Rabid Wolverine’s Royal Rumble performance in 2004 still ranks among the best performances in Royal Rumble match history.
8. Rey Mysterio Honors Eddie Guerrero and Wins Royal Rumble Match: January 29, 2006
The unexpected death of Eddie Guerrero shook the WWE to its very core in late-2005. But out of everybody that was affected by his passing, not many were affected more than his good friend Rey Mysterio.
Mysterio and Guerrero traveled the world over in several different promotions and Latino Heat was definitely smiling down from above during the 2006 Royal Rumble match. As the ultimate underdog, Mysterio consistently could tell a story with the best of them. And the same could be said for his Royal Rumble performance in 2006.
Honoring the memory of Guerrero from the start, Mysterio entered the match at number two and lasted a Royal Rumble-record 1:02:15. The match came down to Mysterio and Randy Orton and when it appeared like Orton would get the win, Mysterio turned the tables and eliminated Orton to win his only Royal Rumble match in his illustrious career.
He successfully honored Latino Heat, but honored him even greater by going on and winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 by defeating Orton and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat Match. To see a superstar the small stature of Mysterio win the world title was a truly awesome moment.
But even more importantly than that, his Royal Rumble match win and World Heavyweight Championship reign was all for the memory of one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time.
7. The Rock and Mankind’s I Quit Match For WWE Championship: January 24, 1999
The Rock’s ascent towards the top of the WWE really began taking shape in 1998 and 1999. But without one particular feud, The People’s Champion might never have taken off and had the amount of success he would end up having in the WWE.
After turning heel at Survivor Series 1998 and winning the WWE Championship with his newfound alliance with The Corporation, The Rock would begin a string of battles with Mankind in early-1999 that saw a few title changes along the way. But one match in early-1999 really helped give The Rock a new dimension to his rapidly-growing character.
Mankind had won the WWE Championship from The Rock in dramatic fashion on the January 4, 1999 edition of Raw, but would defend his title at the Royal Rumble in an I Quit Match. And simply put, the match was brutal and gruesome. The Rock showed a more vicious side of himself that hadn’t been seen before and the things Mick Foley allowed The Great One to do to him on that night is unbelievable.
Nearly a dozen chair shots and other punishment led to Mankind uttering the phrase “I Quit,” giving The Rock the win and his second WWE Championship reign. The two would have another couple important matches in the coming weeks, but this one really stands out even to this day.
If Mankind was just facing The Rock to get him ready for a showdown with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 15, he did an excellent job of it and the same can be said for the two’s 1999 Royal Rumble encounter.
6. Edge Returns and Wins Royal Rumble Match: January 31, 2010
Very few superstars in WWE history have as decorated of a career as Edge had. From being a tag team specialist to a bonafide main eventer, The Rated-R Superstar had a great WWE career up until his retirement in 2011.
But one major accolade that eluded Edge was a win in the Royal Rumble match. Following an injury that had him sidelined throughout much of the second half of 2009, it was unknown when Edge would return. However, the 2010 Royal Rumble gave him the perfect return.
The Rated-R Superstar’s former tag team partner Chris Jericho was in the ring standing tall when Edge’s music hit and the crowd erupted. Y2J had turned his back on Edge following his injury when the two were tag team champions in the summer of 2009. Edge went on to eliminate Jericho and eventually won the whole thing.
It was an awesome moment to see Edge return and in the Royal Rumble match no less. Edge went on to face Jericho at WrestleMania 26 for the World Heavyweight Championship and had another year of high-level performances before being forced into retirement following WrestleMania 27 in 2011. Despite an early end to his career, Edge had a memorable final swan song.
The Rated-R Superstar helped define an era of the WWE and helped define the Royal Rumble match with his dramatic return and win in 2010.
5. Triple H and Cactus Jack’s Street Fight For WWE Championship: January 23, 2000
The Royal Rumble pay-per-view has offered up some outstanding matches outside of the Royal Rumble match itself that go widely unnoticed. And while this match isn’t unnoticed, it isn’t necessarily what someone thinks of when it comes to the Royal Rumble.
Many would agree that Triple H vs. Cactus Jack in a Street Fight at the 2000 Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship is the best non-rumble match in the history of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The Game and Mick Foley were entangled in a bitter feud in early-2000, and the return of Foley’s alter ego Cactus Jack made the feud even more bitter.
The match was set for the Royal Rumble and despite the Royal Rumble match taking the headlines leading into the pay-per-view, this match undoubtedly stole the show. It was a brutal, bloody, hard-hitting, and violent match that saw a little bit of everything. And just like Foley did the year before at the Royal Rumble with The Rock, he did the same this time around with Triple H.
The Game would go on to retain his championship in an epic match that still holds up to this day. Triple H’s ascent to the top of the WWE only took off even farther throughout the rest of the year and he even had another insane match with Cactus Jack at No Way Out inside Hell in a Cell.
Triple H vs. Cactus Jack at Royal Rumble 2000 proved that despite the rumble match itself drawing most of the interest for the pay-per-view, other matches can steal the show as well.
4. The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels’ Epic Battle to Win Royal Rumble Match: January 28, 2007
Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker could be argued as the two greatest WWE superstars in history by many. There were bigger stars, but no superstars meant as much to the WWE over such a long course of time than HBK and The Deadman.
Taker and Michaels have had numerous legendary battles over the years, but one battle came in a different way in 2007. The stakes were high at the Royal Rumble 2007 with 30 superstars vying for a main event opportunity at WrestleMania, and the match would come down to the WWE’s two elder statesmen, so to speak.
The legends went back and forth to the point where you weren’t sure who would emerge victorious because at the time, both made perfect sense to win the Royal Rumble. But at the end of the epic encounter, The Undertaker ended up throwing HBK over the top rope and won his first-ever Royal Rumble match.
The Phenom became the first superstar in history to win the Royal Rumble match from the coveted number 30 position and went on to defeat Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 23. Michaels went on to main event WrestleMania 23 in a defeat to John Cena with the WWE Championship at stake.
HBK and The Deadman put on an outstanding performance as the final two superstars of the 2007 Royal Rumble and it’s only fitting given how their careers seemingly always came back to each other.
3. Shawn Michaels Wins Royal Rumble Match in Acrobatic Fashion: January 22, 1995
The rules of the Royal Rumble match are precise, yet quite simple to follow. But in 1995, the rules of the rumble came to light in the most dramatic way to date involving the finish of the match.
History was made during the 1995 Royal Rumble match thanks to Shawn Michaels. HBK entered the rumble match at number one, followed by The British Bulldog. The two would fight off 28 other superstars to end up the final two combatants in the match.
As two of the biggest stars in the WWE at the time, it was unknown as to which individual would walk away with the opportunity of a lifetime. And as the two fought each other, it looked like the Bulldog had finally won the match as Michaels was thrown out over the top rope. However, it wouldn’t be that simple.
Only one of HBK’s feet touched the ground and to be officially eliminated, both of the individual’s feet had to be touching the floor after being thrown over the top rope. Michaels then came back in the ring and pushed the Bulldog off the turnbuckle where both of his feet hit the ground. Amid confusion, Michaels was announced as the winner of the 1995 Royal Rumble match.
HBK went on to face Diesel for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 11 and became the first superstar in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble match from the number one position in what turned out to be an iconic moment in WWE history.
2. John Cena Shockingly Returns and Wins Royal Rumble Match: January 27, 2008
The Royal Rumble match is built on unexpectedness and shocking moments, which it has given many of over the years. Arguably the most shocking moment of them all came in 2008 with the return of the company’s top star.
John Cena had been injured a few months prior with an injury that was expected to keep him out of action for several more months as 2008 began. But Cena and the WWE had other ideas to the point where his return would shock everyone and in a high-profiled match. What match? None other than the 2008 Royal Rumble match.
As the first 29 superstars in the match had already entered the equation, number 30 would be the return of Cena, much to the shock of everyone in Madison Square Garden and around the world. Cena battled in the match for less than nine minutes, but that’s all it took as the match came down to him and Triple H before Cena eliminated The Game to win the Royal Rumble.
Cena went on to be part of a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 24 alongside Randy Orton and Triple H for the WWE Championship. But this moment stands out above that WrestleMania match and is still one of the most memorable moments in Royal Rumble history.
You can’t put a price on shock value, and Cena’s return at the 2008 Royal Rumble defined shocking and is arguably the greatest moment in Royal Rumble history.
1. Ric Flair Wins WWE Championship in Royal Rumble Match: January 19, 1992
The consensus best Royal Rumble match of all-time came in 1992 with a star-studded cast of superstars. But one of those superstars, making his Royal Rumble debut, helped make the match even more memorable.
As the flagship of the NWA and WCW, many wondered if Ric Flair would ever join the WWE. And in late-1991, The Nature Boy finally debuted in the WWE for the first time. It wouldn’t take Flair long to ascend towards the top of the card and his big break in the WWE came at the 1992 Royal Rumble.
For the first time in WWE history, the 1992 Royal Rumble match would be for the WWE Championship as the title was vacated prior to the event. Flair entered the match at number three and lasted slightly over an hour by making it to the finish line alongside Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Sid Justice.
Sid eliminated Savage and Hogan before Hogan grabbed Sid’s arm, opening the door for Flair to eliminate Sid and win the match, along with the WWE Championship. It was an awesome moment to see The Nature Boy capture the top prize in the WWE and in such an important match. Flair went on to defend his title against Savage at WrestleMania 8 in another great match.
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The 1992 Royal Rumble match is fairly considered the best Royal Rumble match of all-time, so it’s only fitting The Nature Boy’s triumph is considered the greatest moment in Royal Rumble history.