This time of year is always thought of as the “Road to Wrestlemania” and is supposed to be a moment in which a career is made, a legacy is increased, or a hall of fame spot is cemented. With such a grand prize at the helm, it’s no wonder the Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated matches of the year. Between the surprise returns, the elimination teases, the underlying stories, or the sheer number of superstars in the ring at one time, there’s no denying the excitement that the January event brings with it. This Sunday will host the latest installment of the event, which is sure to thrill, as Seth Rollins joins John Cena and Brock Lesnar in a battle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The build-up for this match thus far has been amazing, with each superstar taking turns to look as good as possible, with Lesnar being the most recent destroyer.
But the best part about the Royal Rumble is that it’s more than just a match; it’s a full-scale event, complete with it’s own card, stories, and unique twists. In fact, some of the best matches in WWE history took place at this battlefield, and a few times in history, those matches overshadowed the Rumble itself. When you’re not one of the thirty men in the match, you have to take matters into your own hands. You have to make sure that the fans don’t forget about you, and you have to make sure that you compete at a level that you may only reach once or twice a year. Just as Cena, Rollins, and Lesnar look to do this Sunday night, superstars in the past went out there to steal the show, and make sure the Rumble didn’t steal their spotlight. Let’s take a look at the top-five matches that stole the Royal Rumble.
#5. Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt, 2014.
What was otherwise a disappointing Royal Rumble was fortunate enough to see one of the best one on one match-ups in Royal Rumble history. I was lucky enough to be just five rows away from this incredible match when it happened, and even now as I look back on it, it was by far the best live match I have ever seen. Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt met after weeks and weeks of build-up, which included Bryan joining the Wyatt family for a brief period of time, as well as a series of other strange and unusual situations. Disappointingly, the overall feud itself mostly fizzled, as Wyatt was not truly portrayed as a cult leader, and Bryan was portrayed as a hero who moved too quickly through the events that unfolded. The truth was, Bryan being so over made it impossible to capitalize on him becoming a heel in the Wyatt family, so the plug was pulled prematurely, and the feud ended up changing neither man for the better or worse.
While the feud itself may have been sub-par and disappointing, Bryan and Wyatt proved that night that they had chemistry in the ring, and understood each other completely. It was a match filled with high-risk spots, high-impact moves, and false finishes, and eventually saw Wyatt taking the win. Some of the best moments included Wyatt nailing the “Sister Abigail” on the barricade, Bryan selling a Wyatt clothesline like a champion, and Bryan nailing a number of suicide dives.
#4. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, 2004.
A lot of people look back at RAW from 2002-2004 as Triple H’s “reign of terror.” He was the 2002 Royal Rumble winner, and somewhat exclusively traded World Championships back and forth with Shawn Michaels and others between then and 2005. 2003 also saw the rise of “Evolution”, a group dedicated to keeping Triple H on top of WWE, which took over most of the Monday Night Raw storytelling up until Wrestlemania 21. Despite Michaels and Triple H being one of the best feuds of all time, this period in history is widely looked at with a negative annotation, usually referred to as “boring” or “predictable.”
However, despite the criticism, there’s no denying that Triple H and Shawn Michaels put on some of the best matches throughout the early 2000’s, and on that list is their Last Man Standing match from the 2004 Royal Rumble. It was a match that followed months of assaults, abuse, torture, injuries, and bad blood, and led to one of the best Last Man Standing matches of all time. Michaels and Triple H put each other through hell and back, and then some, and overshadowed not just the Rumble match itself, but the entire event. (Not to mention, WWE would most likely want you to forget who won that year.)
For the full build-up promo video, click here: