Since its inauguration in January 1988, the Royal Rumble has become a mainstay on WWE's calendar. There are huge WrestleMania implications as the winner of the coveted Royal Rumble match punches their ticket to a World Championship match at WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble match has provided tons of entertainment over the years with the suspense of who will be coming down the aisle once the clock strikes zero.

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Royal Rumble matches have been filled with tons of major stars, new talent, and surprising returns to keep things interesting. Ultimately, there are some instances when the Rumble winner has been easy to call and others it's been too close to call. Contributors on Cagematch.net have picked out the best Rumbles in their opinion.

UPDATE: 2023/12/16 14:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

Although the ratings on cagematch.net aren't always going to line up with everyone's opinion, they provide some of the best insights into the definitive best matches in wrestling. Everyone has their own select, specific Royal Rumble match which is their favorite, but cagematch.net allows fans to find the most common consensus on the best and worst versions of these bouts. It is interesting to go back and look at these matches and to see statistics such as who won, the final four, the individual with the most eliminations, and the wrestler who spent the longest in the match as the "Iron Man" of the Rumble.

22 The 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble Match Had A Strange Atmosphere

Cagematch.net Rating: 6.64

It was bizarre to see a Royal Rumble match in front of no fans, but given this glaring issue, WWE did a decent job here with the men’s match. Edge went from number one to win the match in a valiant performance, and his storyline with Randy Orton was a good thread throughout.

Returns from Christian, Carlito, and Kane provided some fun moments, and even though it did take some extra effort to remain invested due to the circumstances of the match, it had enough talent to make it enjoyable.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Edge

Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman

Edge & Randy Orton (58:30)

Big E, Damian Priest, Seth Rolins (4)

21 The Only 40-Man Royal Rumble Match In 2011 Nearly Had An Upset

Cagematch.net Rating: 6.71

WWE changed things up in 2011 with the first-ever 40-man Royal Rumble. Unfortunately, WWE filled this up with lower card jobbers which left a lot of the match feeling flat.

There were several strong moments such as returns from Kevin Nash & Booker T, The Nexus’ dominance, and Santino Marella’s near-upset. It was a Rumble full of ups and downs, but it still had entertaining spots. The absolute worst of the match came as Hornswoggle and John Cena teamed up to clown on the New Nexus, making the already questionable stable a complete joke.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Alberto Del Rio

Santino Marella, Randy Orton, Wade Barrett

CM Punk (35:21)

John Cena & CM Punk (7)

20 Rey Mysterio Put In A Stellar Performance In The 2006 Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 6.78

Rey Mysterio and Triple H started the 2006 Royal Rumble match and lasted to the final three, and these two individuals helped to hold the match together. It was also nice to see Rey Mysterio pay respects to the late Eddie Guerrero with this win.

The star power wasn’t too high in this one which did take it down a level or two. There wasn’t too much of a structure to this, which sometimes happens with Rumble matches. Thankfully Mysterio's story was strong enough to make an enjoyable watch.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Rey Mysterio

Randy Orton, Triple H, RVD

Rey Mysterio (1:02:12)

Rey Mysterio & Triple H (6)

19 The 1990 Royal Rumble Match Was Full Of Legends

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.08

The 1990 Royal Rumble had a lot of star power involved, with Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Jake Roberts, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Ultimate Warrior, Mr Perfect, and Rick Rude all competing.

This field is one of the most star studded of all time, and those ingredients led to this being a hot match with the crowd going wild for everything. This was full of storylines, crazy elimination bumps, and even callbacks to the previous year, with DiBiase being unable to buy the number 30 spot again. Hogan would win this match, although there were many who could have arguably been the one to have won.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Hulk Hogan

Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Hercules

Ted DiBiase (44:47)

Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior (6)

18 The First Women's Rumble In 2018 Was A Lot Of Fun

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.13

The very first Women’s Royal Rumble match was a wonderful showcase of women’s wrestling. Superstars from various eras came out to join the party, with the likes of Lita, Trish Stratus, Torrie Wilson, Molly Holly, Michelle McCool, and many more entering in a surprise.

WWE did a good job in making this match feel like a massive occasion, with guest commentators, ring announcers and the two World Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss sitting ringside. The debut of Ronda Rousey happened after the match too, although people were quick to critique that this zapped away attention from the winner Asuka's history making win.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Asuka

Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks (54:46)

Michelle McCool (5)

17 Steve Austin Stole The 1997 Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net 7.13

Once again WWE delivered a high-quality Royal Rumble match in 1997. Steve Austin entered the match fifth, and he was in the groove as he managed to eliminate 10 wrestlers en route to winning his first of three Royal Rumble matches.

Bret Hart was engaged in a fiery rivalry with Austin, and he would have felt hard done by as he eliminated Austin, but the referees did not see. The Undertaker pulled double duty as he lost to Vader earlier on in the night, and he reached the final four, but he was one of Austin's victims.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Steve Austin

Bret Hart, Diesel, The Undertaker

Steve Austin (45:07)

Steve Austin (10)

16 Bianca Belair Became A Star In The 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.21

In 2021, the wrestlers competing in the Royal Rumble matches had a very tough job on their hands as the pandemic meant that shows had zero fans in attendance. This was especially odd during the Rumble matches, but the women put on one hell of a performance to ensure that their match in 2021 was a hit.

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Bianca Belair was the star of the show here, and her performance propelled this match in a huge way. Surprise entries, fun moments including Billie Kay leaving audiences in stitches with her "resume" gimmick, and a great final portion all mixed together to make this fantastic. Belair’s rise to main roster stardom started right here.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Bianca Belair

Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Natalya

Bianca Belair (56:52)

Rhea Ripley (7)

15 The 2002 Royal Rumble Match Had Several Great Moments

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.30

The 2002 Royal Rumble match was littered with certified main eventers and iconic legends. Steve Austin competed in the final Royal Rumble match of his career, and he was aiming for his fourth Rumble triumph in six years. The Undertaker had never won a Royal Rumble at that point in his career, and he was the reigning Hardcore Champion. However, his hopes were dashed for another year as Maven surprisingly eliminated him.

Triple H was the odds-on favorite as he recovered from a serious quadriceps injury. He joined the fray as the 22nd entrant, and he formed a cohesive unit with Austin. Nevertheless, Mr. Perfect returned as the 25th participant, and he rolled back the years by reaching the final three. The Game's victory was no shock, and he knocked Angle over the top rope to book his spot in the main event of WrestleMania 18.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Triple H

Kurt Angle, Mr. Perfect, Steve Austin

Steve Austin (26:36)

Steve Austin & Undertaker (7)

14 A Rare SmackDown Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.37

In a rare instance, WWE hosted a mini Rumble match on an episode of SmackDown with 15 entrants. It was a fun match with a special feeling given that it happened on TV, and even with commercial breaks, WWE worked around that well.

Eddie Guerrero won the match, building momentum to one of the most iconic WWE Title wins of all time. The final two of Guerrero and Kurt Angle alone made this a great match and they would go on to have an incredible singles match WrestleMania 20 that same year.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Eddie Guerrero

Kurt Angle, Rikishi, Billy Gunn

Kurt Angle (37:06)

Eddie Guerrero (6)

13 Roman Reigns Had The World Against Him At The 2016 Royal Rumble

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.42

Roman Reigns had an uphill battle if he was going to walk out of the Amway Center as the WWE Champion. The Big Dog entered the 2016 Royal Rumble match from the unenviable number one position with his WWE Championship on the line. This was a brilliant WWE Championship match, and Reigns did an excellent job.

Dean Ambrose was the reigning Intercontinental Champion, and he pulled double duty. The Wyatt Family halted Brock Lesnar's brief dominance. However, Triple H entered the 2016 Royal Rumble match from the favorable 30th position. He ended Reigns' WWE Title which fans salivated at. The Cerebral Assassin and Ambrose went back and forth with fans pulling for Ambrose. Ultimately, Triple H won his second Royal Rumble match, and he became a 14-time WWE World Champion.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Triple H

Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Sheamus

Roman Reigns (59:48)

Roman Reigns & Braun Strowman (5)

12 Cody Rhodes Outlasted A Record-Breaking Gunther At Royal Rumble 2023

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.42

Gunther’s performance in this match helped to make it stand out, as he broke the record for the longest time spent in a 30-man Royal Rumble match in history. He stole the show for sure. Elsewhere, Cody Rhodes’ return was a great moment as he won the match, and Logan Paul’s mid-air clash with Ricochet was phenomenal.

The middle portion of the match was predictable and not perfect, with only short cameos from names like Brock Lesnar and Edge proving to be underwhelming. After a tragically bad 2022 men's Royal Rumble match, this was a good way for WWE to bounce back.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Cody Rhodes

Gunther, Logan Paul, Seth Rollins

Gunther (1:11:42)

Cody Rhodes & Gunther (5)

11 A Short But Sweet Match At The 2010 Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.60

The 2010 Royal Rumble match was brilliant, and there was a lot of star power. Dolph Ziggler and Evan Bourne were the first two participants. They barely lasted three minutes with CM Punk taking a foothold on proceedings, quickly eliminating the next few competitors while delivering promos in between entrances. Nevertheless, business picked up when Triple H entered as the eighth entrant.

Triple H was one-half of the reigning Unified WWE Tag Team Champions alongside Shawn Michaels. HBK didn't care about that, and he eliminated Triple H from proceedings. He was desperate on facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. Batista was the final entrant, and he eliminated Michaels from the match. However, Edge returned from an Achilles injury. The Rated-R Superstar looked great, and he eliminated Chris Jericho and John Cena earning his first Rumble win in the process.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Edge

John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels

John Cena (27:11)

Shawn Michaels (6)

10 A Great Ruthless Aggression Era Match At Royal Rumble 2003

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.62

For the first time in WWE history, the Royal Rumble match featured 15 wrestlers from Raw and 15 from SmackDown in the 2003 Royal Rumble match. It was also the first Royal Rumble match under the Royal Rumble banner. Nevertheless, Chris Jericho screwed Shawn Michaels, who was the number one entrant by sneaking up behind, and he removed him from the Royal Rumble.

Jericho had a remarkable performance as he lasted 39 minutes with six eliminations under his belt. The likes of Batista and John Cena made their Royal Rumble match debuts. Nonetheless, the final four featured Kane, The Undertaker, Batista, and Brock Lesnar. It was whittled down between Lesnar and Undertaker, and youth beat experience with Lesnar winning the Rumble at the first attempt.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Brock Lesnar

Undertaker, Kane, Batista

Chris Jericho (39:00)

Chris Jericho (6)

9 The 2009 Royal Rumble Was Stolen By Randy Orton

Cagematch.net Rating: 7.74

The 2009 Royal Rumble match belonged to Randy Orton and his Legacy lapdogs Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The Viper entered the match eighth, and whenever he seemed to be in trouble, Rhodes and DiBiase bailed him out.

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Rob Van Dam returned to WWE for a one-night appearance after being away almost two years. The Undertaker also had a solid outing as he lasted a little over 30 minutes. However, the main storyline was between Triple H and Orton, and it was Orton who got the better of Triple H to win the Rumble for the first time in his career.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Randy Orton

Triple H, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase

Triple H (50:00)

Triple H & Big Show (6)

8 An Infamous Finish To The 2005 Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.26

The 2005 Royal Rumble match turned out to be one of the most important Royal Rumbles in WWE history. The star power was exceptional with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Batista, John Cena, and Booker T amongst the pack.

Latino Heat competed in his final Rumble as the number one entrant alongside his close friend Chris Benoit. The ending between the two next two faces of the company, Batista, and Cena was full of drama. They both went over the top rope which was not in the script, and Mr. McMahon ordered the match to be restarted. McMahon's quads were torn, and the Animal saw off Cena to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 21.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Batista

John Cena, Edge, Rey Mysterio

Chris Benoit (47:26)

Batista (6)

7 A Fan-Favorite Victor In The 2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.30

The men's 2018 Royal Rumble match wasn't the only Rumble match on the menu as the women had their first Rumble match that closed out the show. However, the males produced a spectacular Rumble match which was arguably the best that WWE produced that decade.

Roman Reigns was the overwhelming favorite to win the Rumble for the second time in his career, but that did not happen. Randy Orton and John Cena were also involved in the latter stages, but it was Shinsuke Nakamura who surprisingly prevailed in his debut Rumble appearance by eliminating Reigns.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Shinsuke Nakamura

Roman Reigns, John Cena, Finn Balor

Finn Balor (57:38)

Roman Reigns & Finn Balor (4)

6 John Cena's Shocking Return Capped Off The 2008 Royal Rumble

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.34

Another spectacular Royal Rumble match is the 2008 Royal Rumble match. The winner and runner-up from the previous Rumble, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels got things underway. They dominated the first half of the Rumble but were no longer involved in the business end of the Rumble.

Former Royal Rumble winners Triple H and Batista were involved, and they were determined to add another Rumble to their collection. However, this Rumble is fondly remembered for John Cena returning ahead of schedule as the 30th entrant. It was a brilliant moment, and Cena executed the AA on Triple H to win the Rumble for the very first time in his career.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

John Cena

Triple H, Batista, Kane

Batista (37:46)

Triple H (6)

5 The 2020 Men's Royal Rumble Match Was Unique And Thrilling

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.59

WWE produced an absolute belter of a men's Royal Rumble match in 2020. In a bizarre bit of build up, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar entered the match as he was the number one entrant, and he dominated the first half of the Royal Rumble match.

The Beast Incarnate eliminated a staggering 13 competitors in the Royal Rumble match but Drew McIntyre received a huge pop when he halted Lesnar's dominance. The roof almost blew off Minute Maid Park with Edge returning to action for the first time in nine years. The Rated-R Superstar reached the final four before Roman Reigns eliminated him. Ultimately, the night belonged to McIntyre who won an outstanding Royal Rumble match at the Big Dog's expense.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns, Edge, Randy Orton

Drew McIntyre (34:11)

Brock Lesnar (13)

4 Steve Austin Won A Legendary Royal Rumble Match In 2001

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.71

One of the greatest Royal Rumble matches in WWE history took place in 2001. WWE produced three strong PPVs to start 2001, and the Rumble match was one of them. Kane was the MVP, and he had one of the best performances in his entire Hall of Fame career.

Kane entered the match sixth, and he was completely dominant by eliminating 11 wrestlers, a record that stood for 13 years. The Rock, The Undertaker, and Steve Austin were the other elite-level talents that challenged Kane. Ultimately, it was between Austin, and Kane, and a few brutal chair shots aided Austin to become the first and only man to win a trio of Royal Rumble matches.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Steve Austin

Kane, The Rock, Billy Gunn

Kane (53:46)

Kane (11)

3 Several Stars Battled It Out In The 2004 Royal Rumble Match

Cagematch.net Rating: 8.71

This match produced only the second time a winner won a Rumble from the unenviable number one position, but there was also a lot more going on in the match outside of this historic achievment.

Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton looked good here, and his rival Mick Foley stole Test's spot, and he eliminated Orton and himself from the match. Moreover, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar planted Goldberg with a jaw-dropping F5. Kurt Angle took advantage and eliminated Goldberg from the match. The action is jam-packed, but it's understandably hard for some fans to revisit.

Winner

Final Four

Longest Time Spent In Match

Most Eliminations

Chris Benoit

Big Show, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho

Chris Benoit (1:01:35)

Chris Benoit (6)