WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Ten Best Moments From Men’s Rumble Match

A look at the best moments from WWE Royal Rumble 2018’s Men’s Rumble match.

WWE Royal Rumble 2018 is officially in the books and gave us happy thoughts overall. The show didn’t end in controversy or unhappy fans chanting their hearts out for the first time in four years. Better yet, the men’s Royal Rumble match was perhaps the best one in the past ten years or even more. Creative fully backed the claims of a new era and stood true to their promise.

Shinsuke Nakamura overcame the best in the WWE and tossed Roman Reigns over the ropes cleanly to grab his first Royal Rumble win. Moreover, this was the King of Strong Styles’s first major victory in the WWE, after barring to capture the WWE title or the Money in the Bank contract. The fans in attendance and at home were taken on an emotional ride throughout the match.

There were many subplots and angles laid out all over spectacularly. In this post I attempt to point out the ten best moments from this match. While the PPV was much more than the men’s rumble match this year, owing to the historic Women’s rumble and Ronda Rousey’s debut, this article will focus on the men’s rumble match. Returns, debuts, betrayals and fun all had their part in the match. The result was a perfectly balanced rumble, that gave the fans very little to bicker about.

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10. Heath Slater’s struggle to get in the ring

There is something subtly special about Heath Slater. You just can’t help but love the guy. It doesn’t matter how many times he loses in a year. It doesn’t matter how many legends he jobs out to, the One Man Rock Band is always over with the crowd. His struggle for getting a contract last year, the eventually lead to him winning the tag titles was one of the best moments after the brand split.

Slater continues to portray his character perfectly and plays the lovable loser week after week. The past week, he was in the center of the ring, jobbing out to the Dudley Boys after being kicked out of a poker game by Ron Simmons. Yet, here he was in the Royal Rumble, one among the thirty entrants. There began one of the most fun subplots of this year’s Rumble match.

The match itself was fantastic and even without Slater’s side story it would have gone just fine. But it’s the small things that make it great, rather than just good. Slater was clotheslined into the floor by a raging Baron Corbin as he made his way to the ring. From there, entrant after entrant ran over Slater as they made their way to the ring. Every time Slater got up, the next entrant would show up to put him down again. The sight was hilarious to say the least.

Finally, when Sheamus picked him up on the way to the ring and slid him into the ring you couldn’t help but let out a big smile. Even better was the reaction when Slater eliminated Sheamus right away.

Like I said before, it’s the small elements and moments along the way that make  rumble match truly memorable.

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9. Baron Corbin’s rampage at ringside

Heath Slater’s misfortune at the ramp began at the hands of Baron Corbin. The Lone Wolf took him down with a vicious clothesline that sent Slater to the ground. This came after an angry Lone Wolf was eliminated by Finn Balor. Corbin threw a fit at ringside and began to take out fellow competitors. Within minutes, the Lone Wolf would attack and takeout Balor and Rusev.

Corbin getting eliminated so fast, and stumbling is a running joke in the WWE. His push has had many starts and stops. Despite being a promising heel, and playing his character to perfection, Corbin has failed to make as much of an impact as he really should have been able to. This year does not seem kind to Corbin either.

However, his booking wasn’t all that bad. Corbin’s rampage at ringside was entertaining while it lasted and it helped to portray him as a dangerous predator. He took out both Balor and Rusev. The commentary team played this up pretty well too. All in all, Corbin’s sour looser character was portrayed brilliantly. May be next year, he can make a bigger impact in the rumble, much like his debut during Andre the Giant memorial battle royale.

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8. Andrade “Cien” Almas makes a big impression

The number seven entrant this year was surprising to say the least. As the sixth entrant Elias began to serenade the audience with a song, the countdown timer cut him off short. Once it reached zero, the reigning NXT Champion, Andrade “Cien” Almas made his way to the ring, accompanied by Selena Vega. For the first time in history, an NXT Champion became part of the chaos named as the Royal Rumble match.

His presence in the match was not relegated to a big pop at the time of his entrance either. For about twenty-nine minutes, Almas hung in the ring with some of the best performers on the main roster. When Elias threw him to the ropes in the beginning, it seemed for a moment that Almas’ time in the rumble was over before it started. But he showed his resiliency and athleticism (more than once) to hold on.

Cien was one among the two NXT competitors to make an appearance in the Rumble. Moreover, this was his main roster debut as well. To be able to make your main roster debut, while being the NXT Champion, at the Royal Rumble of all places. The only thing that could top it would be a WrestleMania debut. Fans will be talking about Almas for quiet while now.

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7. Woken Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt eliminate each other

Bray Wyatt entered the rumble at number eight. This past week, at Raw‘s 25th anniversary, Wyatt and Hardy fought each other. The match was underwhelming and relatively short, with Wyatt picking up a decisive win. Hardy would then go on to address the situation in Twitter, hinting about potentially bringing the rest of the Hardy family to the WWE and even the Hardy compound.

If that wasn’t any indication that their feud, or the ‘great war’ as Hardy puts it, would continue, the Royal Rumble match made that clear. However, there was some interesting dynamic at play. For a moment, they would work together, teaming up against the rest of the field. It was a nice tease to say the least. Wyatt and Hardy are both mystical characters and can play off each other rather well.

It would be fascinating to see these two men join hands, if creative ever takes that route. However, the way their interaction ended, perfectly captured the emotion of their feud. These two men are engrossed in a war from centuries ago. Titles and rumble wins are more the mere mortals. Their immortal war has greater prizes to offer and as such, they couldn’t care less about eliminating each other.

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6. Adam Cole makes his main roster debut

Adam Cole’s stint in NXT has always seemed unnecessary to me personally. The former leader of the Bullet Club does not need to spend much time in the developmental territory to get over with the main roster fans. Cole, as we have seen multiple times in the past, is one of the best in the ring. He is oozing with charisma and there is something about him that screams out super star persona all around.

As such, I was surprised and elated to see the leader of the Undisputed Era make his main roster debut at number twenty-three. After all, he took a severe beating on a nasty bump at TakeOver just 24 hours before the Rumble. Maybe because of this, his stint in the match wasn’t as lengthy as the NXT Champion’s was. Regardless, the fans in attendance chanted loudly to let the WWE know they loved Adam Cole.

When the words ‘Shock the System’ appeared on the big screen you knew what was coming. Cole will most likely stay at NXT until he claims the title and the Undisputed Era hold all the gold. However, when he eventually makes his return to the main roster, it will be as a hot act, and a genuine star.

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5. No returning legends or announcers in the Rumble match

Every year, the Royal Rumble match would feature a handful of legends returning to action for one night only. Usually, the likes of JBL, Jerry The King Lawler, Booker T and even Michael Cole on one occasion were all part of this ordeal. In the 2014 Rumble, even El Torito was a participant. Such booking often results in backlash and criticism from the fans as every spot in the 30 man rumble match is precious indeed.

When such a spot if kept aside for a returning veteran, who could still generate a nice pop albeit; another talented young star is asked to wait in the stands. However, that did not happen this year. The WWE is so filled with talent, up to the brim that there simply wasn’t any place for a legend or commentator to make an appearance.Even the brief appearance by The Hurricane could be a precursor to a role on 205 Live. Simply put, the rumble match this year was simply no country for old men.

Many notable names were absent from this year’s rumble match. Some of them were due to injuries. However, some were missing simply because there was no place to fill them all in. Compared to last year, when Lesnar, Goldberg and the Undertaker all took the spot light and a handful of eliminations, this year’s rumble match stood true to its purpose – elevate a new young star.

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4. Finn Balor playing the Iron Man this year

Despite entering at number two in the Royal Rumble match this year, Finn Balor was there till the very end. He was one among the final four, before being eliminated by John Cena of all people. It seemed imperative that Balor’s WrestleMania plans did not involve the Universal title or a date with the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.

As such, I was more than satisfied to see him play the iron-man, lasting for so long. Balor’s performance was gutsy and valiant and to the WWE Universe, it was proof that he did not need face paint or his alter ego to do something relevant, apart from defeating Bray Wyatt. Balor could potentially move on to a program with the Miz in time for WrestleMania. I would love to see him as the IC Champion.

Of course, I would love it even more if he was the Universal champion. But seeing as how that spot is reserved for Roman Reigns (most certainly) at WrestleMania, the IC title doesn’t sound that bad. Some fans might be upset that Balor didn’t win the rumble or even make it to the final two and battle Nakamura. But in retrospect, his performance will define his aura and legacy for many more years to come.

Nakamura’s win wouldn’t have come across as hard-fought and satisfying had he eliminated Balor to win the whole thing. Winning it by eliminating Reigns? The crowd will go nuts, even if your name is Randy Orton.

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3. The New Era vs. Ruthless Aggression Era

As the final six participants in the rumble stood across from each other for a short stare-down, there was a clear contrast. John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio represented the best of the Ruthless Aggression Era. They were the standard bearers and the top performers of the said era. Icons from a by-gone era in the WWE.

Standing across them, brimming with confidence and skill were the warriors and workhorses that defined the New Era. Roman Reigns, Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura were the products of the New Era that the WWE has been preaching about. Though much of the booking decisions in the WWE at times makes us feel like the new era is merely a promised land, still in the works, these three men have defined it time and again.

It was a very cool moment to see the three of today’s elites go at it against the veteran trio. It was perhaps a subtle passing of the torch moment. Or it could simply have been the fan in me going overboard with his analysis. Regardless I would take this over Undertaker, Goldberg and Lesnar staring at each other on any day of the week now.

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2. Shinsuke Nakamura wins the Rumble cleanly

The Royal Rumble match was designed elevate a young star to relevancy. It was created to craft mega stars out of young WWE stars. Winning the Rumble was a means to etch once name in history and a certain way to headline WrestleMania. However, it has been many years since we saw such a scenario play out.

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More often than not, an already established star, or a veteran of the game wins it. Sometimes, it is the WWE creative getting desperate to avoid a predictable outcome. Sometimes, it is simply due to them being adamant. John Cena, Randy Orton, Dave Bautista, Alberto Del Rio, Triple H and Roman Reigns have won the Royal Rumble in the past years. There is also the likes of Sheamus whose win didn’t matter much in the long run.

However, this year, a man stood in the center of the ring after winning the match. The crowd chanted his name at the top of their voice. He was neither a veteran nor a multi-time world champion who headlined multiple WrestleManias. He was simply an internationally respected, crafty wrestler, who has finally claimed what was rightfully his. Nakamura deserved this win. Moreover, he did this so convincingly.

There wasn’t any technicality or controversy surrounding Roman Reigns’s elimination. Nakamura threw him over the top rope in a decisive manner. This is what the fans came to see. It was nice to see the WWE give the fans exactly what they wanted for once.

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1. WWE’s chosen ones vs. the “Internet Darlings”

As the field compressed itself to the final four in this year’s rumble match, much like the final six, there was a clear message. The remaining four superstars were John Cena, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor and the eventual winner, Shinsuke Nakamura. As the four men stood across from each other in the ring, you could see a clear pattern. The writing on the wall couldn’t have been anymore visible. It was the WWE’s chosen ones, Reigns and Cena against the Internet’s darlings, Balor and Nakamura.

From that moment on, if either Cena or Reigns had gone on to win the match, the crowd would have gone into a state of frenzy. I was so sure after making this look so clear, the WWE would troll the internet fans once more and as a result create further heat for Reigns or Cena. As such, you can imagine how petrified I was when Cena eliminated Balor.

This stare-down between these four men was the best moment from the entire match. WWE clearly acknowledged the internet fans here. This is what they have been clamoring for. This is what they wanted. The best that the people chose against the best that the company chose. Moreover, the ending was booked to perfection. Had it been Balor and Nakamura fighting it out as the final two, the latter’s win wouldn’t have felt as special as it did last night.

Next: WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Grades and Analysis

What were your favorite moments from the rumble match? Did they all make it into this list? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Moreover, are you happy with the potential main event of Shinsuke Nakamura Vs AJ Styles, at WrestleMania 34?