30 Greatest Royal Rumbles
Ranking men’s and women’s.
Let’s get ready to rumble! Created by Pat Patterson, the Royal Rumble has become the most famous battle royal in pro wrestling. WWE’s annual event kicks off the Road to WrestleMania, as traditionally, the winner of the Royal Rumble challenges for the WWE Championship at WWE’s biggest event of the year. Now, we count down the 30 greatest Royal Rumbles.
30. 2019 Men’s
After 20 years, Jeff Jarrett returns to the Royal Rumble! Ain’t he great? There were more NXT call ups than nostalgia acts in this edition, but they didn’t end up meaning much. In one of the most predictable outcomes due to glaring lack of star power, Seth Rollins overcame the monstrous Braun Strowman to win and then slay “The Beast” at WrestleMania AND SummerSlam.
29. 2017
This should have been memorable considering Goldberg, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar were all involved. It started off strong with Strowman cleaning house, Tye Dillinger entering at No. 10 and James Ellsworth being tricked by Dean Ambrose. But then it piled up with non-entities until the final few and even then none of the heavy hitters did anything of note.
28. 2019 Women’s
For the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble, WWE pulled out all the stops by sprinkling nostalgia acts throughout. The next year, NXT talent such as Xia Li, Rhea Ripley and Casey Katanzaro were brought up to the big dance. Naomi stole Kofi Kingston’s thunder by hopping from the barricade to the steps, only for Mandy Rose to yank her off for the elimination. At least the finish was exciting, as Becky Lynch replaced an injured Lana to battle Charlotte and toss out “The Queen” to the roar of the crowd.
27. 1993
No. 27 became the lucky spot thanks to Yokozuna plowing through the competition (Big John Studd had previously won at No. 27). Before Yoko’s silly elimination of Randy Savage – a pin…really, Macho? – there was intrigue in Bob Backlund lasting from the second entry all the way to the final three. You also had Mr. Perfect eliminating Ric Flair before he’d eliminate Naitch from WWE the next night on Raw and Giant Gonzales debuting to dismantle The Undertaker.
26. 2021 Women’s
COVID-19 prevented a crowd for the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble, but the ladies still delivered for fans watching at home and via THUNDERDOME. With a mix of NXT call ups like Shotzi Blackheart and Dakota Kai, as well as blasts from the past like Victoria and Torrie Wilson, this ended up being a fun affair. Business picked up in the final three, as Bianca Belair outlasted Charlotte and Ripley to begin her rise to stardom.
25. 1995
With only 60 seconds between entrants, this was the shortest Royal Rumble, clocking in at under 40 minutes. That was for the best because the roster was filled with WrestleCrap: Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Kwang, Mantaur, Aldo Montoya, etc. Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog kicked it off and lasted til the end, when HBK became the first man to go the distance.
24. 2006
Similar to HBK and Bulldog, Triple H and Rey Mysterio lasted nearly the entire time in the 2006 Royal Rumble. The main difference is that Mysterio ended up doing nothing for most of the match. In addition to surprises like Goldust and Tatanka, Shane McMahon made a comeback to eliminate Michaels, adding a new chapter in HBK’s feud with his father.
23. 1988
The original was fun because there were zero expectations. With only 20 guys, the pace was quick which suited the traditional punch-kick formula. Props to Harley Race for mixing it up with different offense. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan won after overcoming the two-on-one onslaught of Dino Bravo and One Man Gang.
22. 2009
There was a lot of star power, but barely any excitement. The flow of this one suffered because the ring was full for most of the match. Highlights included RVD and Duggan as surprises, Santino breaking the record for quickest elimination and Legacy outnumbering Triple H to give Orton the win.
21. 1998
The deathmatch gods were smiling as Cactus Jack and Terry Funk pummeled each other to begin. As a matter of fact, we got three doses of Mick Foley in this one as Mankind and Dude Love also entered. Make no mistake, Stone Cold was the star of the show, blowing away everyone else in the fracas and going on to begin his ascension to the top of the wrestling world.
20. 1997
One year earlier, Stone Cold was the star again albeit as a heel. Although Bret Hart tossed out the “Texas Rattlesnake,” Austin slithered back in while the referees were distracted and dumped Hart out to be the official winner. There were so many gems in this one, with Ahmed Johnson eliminating himself to chase Farooq, Owen Hart eliminating his partner Bulldog, Jerry Lawler hilariously being knocked out after just entering and of course, Mil “No Yob” Mascaras.
19. Men’s 2018
Philly got a makeup for the disastrous 2015 Royal Rumble by hosting the men’s and first women’s on the same night (which ended with Ronda Rousey showing up, too). This year, we had fun surprises like Adam Cole, NXT Champion Andrade and The Hurricane. We also had an interesting ending, as the old guard (John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio faced off with the new generation of Finn Balor, Roman Reigns and unlikely, yet eventual winner Shinsuke Nakamura.
18. 2012
Instead of focusing on heavy hitters, this Royal Rumble was filled with surprises and comedy acts to keep the crowd entertained. The commentary team all participated, as did original winner “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, the monstrous Kharma and blasts from the past like Road Dogg and Mick Foley. We finally witnessed Santino’s Cobra vs. Mr. Socko, as well as Ricardo Rodriguez cosplaying Alberto Del Rio.
17. 2013
Predictable outcome aside, this Royal Rumble had enough highlights to numb the pain of another Cena victory. Chris Jericho made his surprising return to kick it off with rival Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston saved himself by using JBL’s chair like a pogo stick to get back to the ring, and everyone hopped aboard the Hoooooo Train!
16. 2003
A clever beginning as rivals Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho enter at No. 1 and No. 2, except Christian is disguised as Jericho to serve as a decoy, allowing the former Undisputed Champion to low blow HBK from behind, bust him open with a chair and quickly eliminate him. The action heats up as Rey Mysterio and Edge enter the fray, but cools down until Brock Lesnar and Undertaker enter at the end to clean house.
15. 1989
After the experiment the year prior, this Royal Rumble set the template and tropes we’ve come to love. The theme of “every man for himself” was hammered home, as the Tag Team Champions Ax and Smash started it off. Naturally, Andre the Giant eliminated a bunch of foes and only left the match after Jake Roberts slid his snake in the ring. Of course, the Hulkster dumped plenty of deadwood, too, including accidentally eliminating his buddy Randy Savage. Once Hogan is gone, the match crawls to the finish with Big John Studd returning for an unlikely victory.
14. 1996
There’s a lot going on in this one. First of all, Vader debuts in WWE, immediately wreaking havoc. There’s also plenty of randos: Dory Funk, Omari from AJPW, Doug Gilbert, the Head Hunters, etc. And then there’s the thrilling finish, as Shawn Michaels superkicks Diesel out to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles.
13. 2018 Women’s
You always remember your first. WWE pulled out all the stops for the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble, recruiting stars of yesteryear like Trish Stratus, Lita and Molly Holly to battle the top names today, such as Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. The nostalgia was spaced out throughout, so there was never a dull moment. Thankfully, Asuka continued her undefeated streak by eliminating the Bellas to make history.
12. 2007
As long as you have a hot ending, that’s all the fans will remember. I can’t tell you anything about this Royal Rumble other than the last 10 minutes were awesome. Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, a decade after their Hell in a Cell, waging war in their home state of Texas. This was merely a sign of things to come two years later when they’d have the greatest match of all time.
11. 1994
A tie? In the Royal Rumble?! Yes, Bret Hart and Lex Luger tumbled to the floor at the same time in a controversial, yet innovative finish. Before that, DieselMania ran wild as a star was born.
10. 2016
For the first time since 1992, the WWE Championship was on the line as Roman Reigns was ordered to defend against 29 other men by decree of The Authority. One of those challengers shocked the world – AJ Styles made his WWE debut to a thunderous ovation. Of course, the “Phenomenal One” didn’t make it to the end. That distinction goes to No. 30, Triple H, who ended the night with the belt around his waist.
9. 1990
Talk about star power: Ted DiBiase (who drew No. 1 after buying No. 30 the year prior), Jake Roberts, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper all collide early on. And after Roberts gets eliminated, Dusty Rhodes enters! And then Andre! The crowd is hype for the whole match but come unglued when Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan have their epic standoff.
8. 2002
Sidelined for eight months, Triple H made his triumphant return in the 2002 Royal Rumble. Unlike in 2013, this was a predictable, yet satisfying conclusion. There were twists and turns along the way, too, as Goldust, Val Venis, Godfather and Mr. Perfect all came back to WWE. Plus, The Hurricane attempted the double chokeslam on the Two-Man Power Trip in a hilarious visual.
7. 2020 Men’s
After 30 years, WWE finally switched up the format by having Brock Lesnar dominate the first half of entrants, occupying the ring by himself most of the time. When Drew McIntyre finally booted “The Beast” out, BOOM, a star was born. McIntyre followed up by winning the match and then slaying Lesnar at WrestleMania for the title. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though, because the most important part of the 2020 Royal Rumble was Edge shockingly coming out of retirement.
6. 2005
About a decade after Hart and Luger tied, WWE went back to the well with John Cena and Batista falling out of the ring at the same time. Only Mr. McMahon could decide the victor, and he ended up tearing both quads in the process. Aside from the wacky ending, this Royal Rumble is chockful of highlights, such as the veterans mauling Daniel Puder, Raw and SmackDown wrestlers uniting to eliminate Muhammad Hassan, Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels trading blows for the first time and Paul London’s insane bump.
5. 2001
Who would headline WrestleMania X-7: Stone Cold or The Rock? Both, we’d soon find out, but the 2001 Royal Rumble belonged to the “Texas Rattlesnake” as he continued his comeback run. Kane was the star of the show, though, lasting almost the entire match and setting a record for eliminations along the way. Forget about Drew Carey’s lame appearance and embrace Honky Tonk Man crooning before eating a guitar.
4. 2004
Being there live puts this one in the upper echelon, despite the bad taste left in many mouths considering the winner. This was another one with unbelievable star power, including Goldberg making his Royal Rumble debut. Undertaker’s gong ringing for the first time in five years was cool, but the highlight was Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy coming back to unleash hell on Randy Orton.
3. 2010
Refusing to accept Undertaker’s rejection for a WrestleMania rematch, Shawn Michaels knew winning the Royal Rumble was the only way to get his match with the World Heavyweight Champion. Willing to do whatever it takes, HBK even superkicked his best buddy Triple H out of the ring. You could feel the heartbreak as Batista knocked Michaels off the apron, and the legend tried to grab the ropes before falling to the floor. In the midst of Michaels’ desperate saga, Edge made his triumphant return, stunning the crowd and former partner Jericho before taking home the W.
2. 2008
No return was more shocking than John Cena as No. 30. Tearing his pectoral muscle completely off the bone in October, his timetable for recovery was six months to a year. Not for Super Cena, though! That’s all everybody remembers, but Michaels and Undertaker also kicked off the match in a nod to their thrilling ending the year prior. Plus, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka turned back the clock in Madison Square Garden.
1. 1992
“No one ever, in the history of the Royal Rumble, has drawn No. 1-5 and been there at the end.”
Gorilla Monsoon rubbed salt in Bobby Heenan’s wound, as Ric Flair (his meal ticket) walked down the aisle at No. 3. For the next hour, the “Nature Boy” proved why he’s the G.O.A.T., enduring punishment from old rivals (Texas Tornado, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper), as well as future opponents (Shawn Michaels, Undertaker), before dumping Sid Justice over the top rope (with Hogan’s help) to win the WWE Championship for the first time.
Between the star power, unique storyline of the WWE Championship being on the line and “The Brain’s” finest hour on commentary, the 1992 Royal Rumble remains the gold standard 30 years later.
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