It’s easy to get caught in the hype before a 30 man Royal Rumble event; with the potential for anyone on the roster to enter the ring, it’s an event which holds almost infinite possibilities.
However, we all know that sometimes, things just don’t click, and the much anticipated Royal Rumble can be overshadowed by a previous match on the same night. Perhaps 2 superstars put together something special, or maybe the main event collapses into a predictable or botched affair.
Either way, here is a reminder of 3 matches that completely eclipsed their main event counterparts at the Royal Rumble PPV.
2015 – Brock Lesnar (c) vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins
- Royal Rumble Winner: Roman Reigns
In the midst of WWE’s push for Roman Reigns to be the number 1 face of the company, of course he was going to win the next Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for Roman, not everyone in the WWE Universe enjoyed his push; the crowd at the 2015 Royal Rumble hardly ‘popped’ when Reigns was declared the winner.
Compare the sound of Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble to the sound of Rollins putting Lesnar through a table… no contest.
But that’s not all, the overall story lines and feuds are much more appealing from Rollins’ perspective.
Although the rumble match was entertaining, the bitter aftertaste of Roman’s win soured the event, leaving the destruction and mayhem of Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins as the ultimate star that night.
2013 – The Rock vs CM Punk (c)
- Royal Rumble Winner: John Cena
Whether a Rumble is predictable or not, if the winner doesn’t excite the crowd, it’s not going to be remembered as a great match. Sadly, having already experienced this match as the main event of Wrestlemania a year before, John Cena vs The Rock was not what the WWE Universe wanted at the end of The Royal Rumble in 2013.
Especially since The Rock VS CM Punk had been teased in July a year earlier!
Challenge Presented, Challenge Accepted:
Two Promo Kings Go To War:
The Rock’s Sharpshooter:
As well as the quality of wrestling on show from these two superstars, this match featured a tactical sabotage from The Shield, an appearance from Vince McMahon, AND a restart. Essentially, this was a rollercoaster with an outrageous number of twists and turns that no rumble could compete with.
2003 – Kurt Angle (c) vs Chris Benoit
- Royal Rumble Winner: Brock Lesnar
This is just a great match, and while the Royal Rumble saw a young Brock Lesnar making his way in WWE, nothing compares to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in 2003.
Understandably, a dark cloud hovers over anything that concerns Chris Benoit. Looking past the tragic events and focusing purely on professional wrestling, there is no doubt about this match featuring.
The two masters of submissions had great chemistry and put together a fast paced battle full of counters, and counters to those counters, with both superstars looking to use their signature holds that they became famous for.
It’s almost worth advising against watching the highlight reel beneath as it doesn’t do justice to this spectacle.
2000-2003 were golden years for Royal Rumble PPVs. There were so many superstars working in, or building to their prime during this era. And while I’d love to single out Cactus Jack vs Triple H, or almost every match involving The Rock or Chris Jericho during this time, it’s Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in 2003 that get the nod.
Other Honorable Mentions:
John Cena vs AJ Styles (2017)
A contender for match of the year in 2017, this entry was extremely close to making the main list. But even though I was personally disappointed with a Randy Orton victory, the competitors involved were all valuable in some way, even James Ellsworth. Correction: especially James Ellsworth.
Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho (2001)
If Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit features, it’d hard to leave out this ladder match from 2001. This chaos filled spectacle, which is hard to watch when thinking about Benoit and potential head injuries, just falls short due to highly rated rumble match.
Triple H vs Cactus Jack (2000)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’d love to have this match featured in the list. But you can’t escape the controversy behind The Big Show’s attempted elimination of The Rock. Anyway, skip to 2:10 of this promo and enjoy the shock and horror on Triple H’s face as Mankind becomes Cactus Jack.
The Rock vs Chris Jericho (2002)
This match went in and out of the main feature so many times I became dizzy. It has twists, turns, and Jericho providing the perfect masterclass in how to be a heel. The only reason it’s not in the list is because the 2002 Royal Rumble match is also extremely good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lEfSSd6NgQ
