The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most-watched and hyped up annual events in the sports entertainment industry, and for good reason.
Since 1988, we've seen (at least) 30 men square off in the middle of the ring, trying to outlast the other for a life-changing opportunity at WrestleMania. And beginning in 2018, 30 women have taken part in a quest to also earn a title shot on "The Grandest Stage of Them All."
Wrestling fans have been blessed with so many remarkable and unforgettable Royal Rumble showdowns, but which ones stand out most? Here are the 10 best in history.
10 Royal Rumble 2005
John Cena and Batista were the final two participants in the 2005 Royal Rumble, but the ending didn't come without controversy. Both superstars eliminated each other at the same time (a legitimate botch), which prompted Vince McMahon to run out and instruct officials to restart.
And so, Batista finally eliminated Cena to win his first Royal Rumble. More importantly, this catapulted both superstars to the top of the main event card: Batista defeated Triple H at WrestleMania 21 to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while John Cena took down JBL to win his first WWE Championship.
The entire rumble was incredible and full of drama from start to finish, but the aftermath is the key reason why this one makes the top 10 on our list.
9 9. Royal Rumble 2006
Rey Mysterio was the second entry in the 2006 Royal Rumble, and since he had yet to ever reach main event status in WWE, it never really felt as though he as going to walk away as the winner on this very night.
But against all odds, the Master of the 619 recorded six eliminations - lasting over an hour in the ring before finally eliminating Randy Orton to win the Royal Rumble. The ultimate underdog and feel-good story was completed when he won a triple threat match against Orton and Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 22 to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
8 8. Royal Rumble 1990
The first two Royal Rumble winners - Jim Duggan in 1988 and Big John Studd in 1989 - didn't end up receiving major pushes after their big victories. So yes, you could safely argue that their monumental accomplishments went to waste.
But finally, WWE decided to make the Royal Rumble more worthwhile in 1990 - when Hulk Hogan outlasted 29 other men to crown himself the winner. Hogan would go on to lose his WWE Championship to The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI.
7 7. Women's Royal Rumble 2018
One month before the 2018 Royal Rumble event, Stephanie McMahon appeared and made a giant announcement: The very first all-women's Royal Rumble would take place, with the winner receiving a championship match at WrestleMania 34.
There was plenty of hype around this match, and it more than lived up to expectations. Numerous WWE legends made their returns, including Trish Stratus, Michelle McCool, Lita, and Beth Phoenix.
Asuka eliminated Nikki Bella to win the match, and former UFC star Ronda Rousey appeared soon after to let the world know that she had just signed with the WWE. It was a picture-perfect ending to a historic night.
6 6. Royal Rumble 1995
Shawn Michaels was the first entry at the 1995 Royal Rumble match, so the odds were heavily stacked against him from the get-go. But "The Showstopper" completely dominated the competition, eliminating eight superstars en route to his first Royal Rumble victory.
Though he lost his ensuing WWE Championship match to Diesel at WrestleMania XI, this Royal Rumble victory was an early starting point in Michaels' massive singles push. He went on to win the Royal Rumble the following year as well.
5 5. Royal Rumble 2010
There weren't any real up-and-coming talents heading into the 2010 Royal Rumble, and main eventers like John Cena, Batista, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels had already won the event. So who could possibly come away with the victory in this showdown?
Fans anxiously awaited to see the 29th entry, and it turned out to be none other than Edge, who made an epic return after missing nearly seven months due to an Achilles tendon tear.
The "Rated-R superstar" quickly went to work, eliminating both Cena and Chris Jericho to win the Royal Rumble. It also cemented a wonderful and long overdue babyface turn for Edge, who went on to feud with Y2J after his big victory.
4 4. Royal Rumble 2008
Cena suffered a gruesome pectoral muscle tear in Oct. 2007, and he was forced to relinquish his WWE Championship. It was initially reported that Cena could miss up to a year of action, leaving WWE without their top face for a long period.
Or so we thought.
Cena made a completely unexpected appearance (in the No. 30 entry) at the 2008 Royal Rumble, returning less than four months after the brutal injury. He eliminated four men, including Triple H, to win the first Royal Rumble of his illustrious career. What a remarkable comeback story and moment it was for Cenation.
3 3. Royal Rumble 2007
Even though The Undertaker had spent nearly two decades in the main event spotlight, he somehow never won the Royal Rumble - and it got to the point where you wondered if he would ever emerge victorious.
Well, Undertaker finally redeemed himself after so many missed opportunities. He eliminated The Great Khali, Carlito and lastly Shawn Michaels to finally win his first (and only) Royal Rumble match.
Undertaker decided to stay on SmackDown by vying for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship, which he captured at WrestleMania 23. And so began one of the top babyface vs. babyface feuds of the 21st century.
2 2. Royal Rumble 1992
Ric Flair was the third entry for the 1992 Royal Rumble, thus providing a hint that it wouldn't be his day. How on earth would the Nature Boy manage to outlast 29 other men for over an hour?
Well, a resilient Flair scored five eliminations in the Royal Rumble - taking out four big-named stars in Randy Savage, Big Boss Man, Sid Justice, and The British Bulldog. Finally, the NWA legend prevailed - and it marked perhaps the finest moment of Flair's career in WWE.
With the victory, Flair had become the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship, before dropping it to Savage at WrestleMania VIII.
1 1. Royal Rumble 2001
The 2001 Royal Rumble had everything we could have asked for.
It was loaded with top main event stars and future Hall of Famers, including Matt and Jeff Hardy, The Godfather, Kane, Big Show, The Rock, Rikishi, Billy Gunn, Undertaker and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.
Kane had his finest performance during the epic 30-man rumble, scoring 11 eliminations over 53-minute span. But it was WWE's top superstar, the "Texas Rattlesnake," who finally eliminated Kane to win the third Royal Rumble of his career. This set the stage for the unforgettable Austin vs. Rock WWE Championship showdown at WrestleMania X-Seven, won by the former.
Indeed, the 2001 Royal Rumble had it all: Lots of star power, a handful of dominant performances and an epic aftermath. It's tough to envision WWE ever putting on a Royal Rumble event as memorable as this one ever again.