The Royal Rumble is a match that is anticipated every January by all manner of wrestling fans, and for decades has consistently been one of the most exciting ways to kick off a year of wrestling.
However, as much as some Rumble matches have more than met expectations for excited fans, there have been some in the history of WWE that have ranged from disappointing to straight-up terrible. Many factors contribute to a bad Rumble match, so let's take a look at the 10 worst Royal Rumble matches in history and see what makes them so infamous.
10 Royal Rumble 2015
While some past Rumble matches have simply failed to entertain or engage the audience, this one certainly did not fail to engage its audience, albeit in a negative way. Thanks to crowd favorite Daniel Bryan's elimination fairly early on, followed by the creeping realization that the spotlight was meant for relative rookie Roman Reigns, and the literal dumping of fan favorites by Kane and Big Show, the mood in the match gradually devolves and ends up as an uncomfortable slog. It says something when not even the presence of The Rock could save this one from its bad reputation.
9 Royal Rumble 2005
Although remembered for its haphazard ending and Mr. McMahon's unfortunate double quad injury, the actual 2005 Rumble match simply isn't notable for much outside of a few spots here and there. The fact that it is remembered for what went wrong more than for what went right speaks volumes, and despite the presence of big stars at the time like Shawn Michaels and Eddie Guerrero, it simply isn't that interesting for the time investment it takes. Catch the ending on Youtube if you haven't seen it, and save yourself around 55 minutes.
8 Royal Rumble 1998
Although 1998 would see big financial and creative returns for the WWE, the Royal Rumble of that year didn't exactly set the world on fire itself. This one does feature some true stars-in-the-making like Steve Austin and Mick Foley, but those few shining stars come at a price.
One must also deal with the presence of less-than-exciting prospects throughout like The Honky Tonk Man and uninspiring teams like D.O.A, Headbangers, and the Godwinns taking up precious space. This one is largely a snooze until Stone Cold shows up to inject some life into the proceedings and gain his second Rumble win.
7 Royal Rumble 1997
With the proceedings of the year taking place in Texas, WWE decided to use its contacts with lucha libre promotion AAA to bring in some of its recognizable talents for the time. Unfortunately, even the crowd in San Antonio didn't have much love for luchadors like Mil Mascaras and Latin Lover, nor for underwhelming entrants like the fake versions of Diesel and Razor Ramon, among others. It's a shame that the first of Stone Cold Steve Austin's wins at the annual event had to come in a match as ultimately forgettable as this one
6 Royal Rumble 1993
Despite being a year removed from one of the greatest Rumble matches in history, 1993 fumbled the follow-up by including some of the most baffling choices for competitors ever assembled.
From footnotes like The Berzerker and Damian Demento to Japanese legend Genichiro Tenryu of all people, this match feels out-of-place and off the wall in ways that don't translate into an entertaining match. Plus, Randy Savage's ultimate elimination from the match is a terrible and inexplicable end to a near hour-long affair.
5 Royal Rumble 1994
One year removed from a bizarre entry into Rumble history, the WWE doubled down by including some of its most outlandish gimmicks at the time. Kwang, Doink The Clown, and Thurman "Sparky" Plugg entered, and despite their abundance of color, don't manage to save this Rumble from being another long and boring endeavor. The draw finish between Lex Luger and Bret Hart also doesn't end this particular entry on a high note (although it does lead into a terrific Wrestlemania), and it remains an unremarkable edition of this oft-anticipated event.
4 Royal Rumble 1989
The problem with the earliest Royal Rumble matches is that it simply hadn't come into its own yet. The days of exciting match staples like surprise entrants and daring near-eliminations were still years away, so it more resembled conventional battle royals of the time in terms of speed and interest. Nostalgia from fans at the time may help the reputation of this entry in the eyes of some, but the more time goes on, the harder it is to return to this Rumble won by Big John Studd.
3 Royal Rumble 1988
In much the same way, the first edition of the Royal Rumble can be forgiven for not resembling how the match looks today, but it also doesn't help in terms of its watchability. This first Rumble match is from a time before the big stars like Hulk Hogan would routinely show up to spice things up, leaving the match largely made up of mid-card wrestlers of the day and few of them managed to pick up the pace.
It holds an honored position as the beginning of a great tradition, but a high-octane thrill ride it certainly is not and is one of the more skippable entries when looking through its ever-continuing history.
2 Royal Rumble 1999
It may be remembered for its outrageous antics and shocking ending, but the 1999 Rumble match is perhaps the genesis of many of the Royal Rumble's absolute worst tropes. A cadre of less-than-memorable superstars (remember Tiger Ali Singh?) fall prey to last-minute substitutions (Mabel taking out Mosh), outside interference (Kane eliminates himself to deal with mental asylum staff), and an extended absence from top star Steve Austin. This Rumble is nothing short of a mess, and indicative of some of the WWE's more poorly-aged storytelling techniques of the time, capped off with a winner who didn't even claim a title shot from the whole affair.
1 Royal Rumble 1996
Combining the sensibilities of the matches from 1993 and 1994 before it, the 1996 match is perhaps the dullest of all the Royal Rumble matches. With more ridiculous gimmicks on display (The Ringmaster, Isaac Yankem) and few if any compelling stories between competitors, this one is a real chore to get through. It's one thing for a Rumble to be ridiculous or mind-boggling, it's quite another thing for it to be outright boring. When the #30 entrant is Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, you just know that this is the Rumble match that no one ever needs to go back to.