Royal Rumble has proved to be a huge draw and a launching pad for several storylines and superstars. But apart from that, it has also been proved to elevate superstars through their efforts in the annual battle royal.
The Royal Rumble has seen several breath taking performances by several men over the thirty years, the end result might not have been the sweetest, but these men won the hearts of the WWE Universe with their impressive performances.
So, without any further ado, let’s have a look at the five Greatest Royal Rumble performances.
Honourable mentions:
Shawn Michaels; Royal Rumble 1995
Chris Jericho; Royal Rumble 2017
Bob Backlund; Royal Rumble 1993
5) Chris Benoit; Royal Rumble 2004
Although Chris Benoit’s name has been tainted as a result of unfortunate circumstances, it can’t be denied that he was one of the best when it came to the ring. Royal Rumble 2004 can be said as one of Benoit’s finest performances where he proved that he belongs at the top.
Entering at No.1, Benoit achieved a rare feat by lasting all the way to ultimately be the last man standing after eliminating the mighty Big Show to earn his place at the main event of WrestleMania XX.
The impact of the victory was monumental after Benoit went to capture the World Heavyweight title at the grandest stage after overcoming the odds. The image of confetti pouring at the Madison Square Garden and Benoit holding the title brings different reactions from all wrestling fans.
4) Kane; Royal Rumble 2001
The Big Red Machine is a different persona altogether when it comes to Royal Rumble. Kane brought his A-Game as he entered at No.6 in the 2001 edition of the event, as no one had any clue what havoc he would create over the next 50 minutes.
Kane began by eliminating the next 4 wrestlers who came after him, he also didn’t spare the returning Honky Tonk Man as he went on to smash a guitar over his head.
Kane finally ended up with a then record of 11 eliminations and lasted till the very end before finally getting eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin after 3 monstrous chair shots to hand the Texas Rattlesnake his record third Rumble victory.
3) Roman Reigns; Royal Rumble 2014
The 2014 edition of the Royal Rumble is known for several reasons, most notably for the rowdy Pittsburgh crowd who voiced their displeasure over Daniel Bryan not being the part of the Rumble and highly negative reactions post the event. In addition to, this event marked CM Punk’s final appearance with the WWE.
Amidst all of this, Roman Reigns’ stellar performance should not fade away, as the Big Dog despite only spending around 30 minutes, managed to break Kane’s record of most eliminations by eliminating 12 wrestlers over the top rope.
His list of eliminations included big men such as Kevin Nash and the Great Khali, and did not spare his fellow Shield brothers Dean0 Ambrose and Seth Rollins in the process. The Rumble triggered a huge push for Reigns that lasts to this date.
2) Ric Flair; Royal Rumble 1992
The 1992 edition of the Royal Rumble is widely regarded as one of the best in the event’s history. The event presented a unique stipulation wherein the winner would be crowned the World Heavyweight championship which was vacant since the December of 1991.
Ric Flair entered #3 and went on to win the battle royal and win the vacant championship with the help of “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan. What made the victory more iconic is the post-match promo by “The Nature Boy” which is still considered as his finest mic work.
1) Rey Mysterio; Royal Rumble 2006
Rey Mysterio’s Royal Rumble victory is the ultimate underdog story in the WWE. Mysterio entered the battle royal at #2 in an entrance similar to his friend Eddie Guerrero who passed away in late 2005.
Mysterio surprisingly wound up having the most number of eliminations with 6 which is monumental for a lightweight. The highflyer lasted for a record 62 minutes and overcame both Evolution members Randy Orton and Triple H to win the Rumble which he dedicated to Eddie.
The victory was sweeter after Mysterio captured the Heavyweight title in a triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Randy Orton.
With the 2018 edition of the event not far away, let us hope that we get to see some more stellar individual performances to make this list longer. Stay tuned on this page for more Royal Rumble and WrestleMania bits.
