The history of main event attraction matches at the Royal Rumble event extends beyond the PPV. Many outstanding matches for the WWE Championship stole the show and left an impact as strong as the Rumble matches. Every performer in WWE wants to hit a home run at the second biggest show of the year. WWE is even branching out with Rumble events in the bigger venues.
We will look back at some of the best matches for the WWE Championship on the Rumble show. WWE started making the Rumble match more valuable by having a title shot at WrestleMania on the line in the early '90s. It only made sense the champ would defend his title since he couldn’t compete for the prize. Find out which matches you should binge-watch before the 2020 Rumble. These are the ten best WWE Championship matches in Royal Rumble history.
10 The Rock vs CM Punk (Royal Rumble 2013)
The Rock's return to WWE in 2013 saw him winning the WWE Championship for the first time in over a decade. Rock challenged CM Punk during his record-setting title reign for the modern era. It was a huge dream match main eventing the Royal Rumble 2013 event.
Punk and Rock had a fun match with the audience split down the middle. The finish looked like Punk was retaining after outside interference from The Shield. Vince McMahon restarted the match with Rock pulling out the win and taking the title to WrestleMania 29.
9 Shawn Michaels vs Sycho Sid (Royal Rumble 1997)
The rivalry between Shawn Michaels and Sycho Sid for the WWE Championship created some underrated matches. Michaels clearly was the better worker leading Sid to some of the best matches of his entire wrestling career.
The rematch for Michaels came in his home state at the Royal Rumble 1997 event. Michaels delivered another classic and defeated Sid to regain the WWE Championship. Fans loved the finish as Michaels was at the top of his game at the time.
8 Kurt Angle vs Triple H (Royal Rumble 2001)
Kurt Angle won the WWE Championship within his first year in the company. The title reign started in 2001 with Angle as arguably the top heel. WWE went with the unique route of a heel vs heel match when Triple H challenged Angle for the WWE Championship.
The wild storyline saw Stephanie McMahon in Triple H’s corner and Trish Stratus in Angle’s corner, with both parties trying to win over Vince McMahon. Angle and Triple H had a great match with both men performing at a high level. The win for Angle continued his title reign for another month.
7 John Cena vs AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2017)
WWE saved a history-making moment for Royal Rumble 2017 when John Cena challenged AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Both men had a couple of classic matches together in 2016 that helped make Styles one of the top stars on the SmackDown brand.
Cena returned to the company and reignited their feud. They had another outstanding match full of action and drama. Cena made history with his 16th world title reign tying him with Ric Flair for the most title reigns recognized by WWE.
6 Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (Royal Rumble 1998)
Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker have delivered quite a few classic matches together throughout their lengthy careers. Their rivalry in the '90s culminated with a Casket match main eventing the Royal Rumble 1998 event for the WWE Championship.
Undertaker seemingly made peace with his brother Kane heading into the match. Kane revealed it was all a huge swerve as he attacked Undertaker to help Michaels get the win. The memorable aftermath of the great match saw Kane set the casket on fire to add more drama to their WrestleMania 14 match.
5 Bret Hart vs Diesel (Royal Rumble 1995)
The Royal Rumble 1995 event gave us a rare match between the two top faces in the company when Diesel defended the WWE Championship against Bret Hart. Fans were excited to see the two most beloved stars have a singles match for the biggest prize in the company.
Diesel and Hart always had surprisingly great chemistry when working together. This match was another huge hit with the only flaw coming in the finish. Many of the top heels interfered attacking both faces to end the match in a draw. A clean finish would have ranked it higher on the list.
4 Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (Royal Rumble 2003)
Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit had one of the top rivalries of the early 2000s for WWE. Both men had similar in-ring styles based on submissions and hard-hitting offense. Fans knew they were in for a treat any time these two were advertised for a match together.
Many viewers would claim the Royal Rumble 2003 produced the best singles match between the two despite the deep competition. At the event, Angle and Benoit had another mat classic for the WWE Championship. The finish saw Angle retain with his title reign gaining more momentum after this statement performance.
3 Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins vs John Cena (Royal Rumble 2015)
Seth Rollins proved he was ready for the main event picture after this incredible triple threat match. Brock Lesnar defended the WWE Championship against Rollins and John Cena at the Royal Rumble 2015 event in one of the best WWE matches of the decade.
All three men were on their A-game for this night. Rollins benefited the most by stepping up against the biggest two stars in the company. Fans booed Roman Reigns winning the Rumble match after cheering Rollins for his star-making performance. This night was the biggest factor in WWE having Rollins cash in MITB to win the title at WrestleMania 31.
2 Triple H vs Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble 2000)
Triple H evolved into a top tier superstar in 2000 to start the millennium. The feud with Mick Foley made him an even more successful face with the two having a couple of major matches. Royal Rumble 2000 was the event of their best match with Foley as the Cactus Jack character.
Madison Square Garden fans were in awe at the violence showcased here. Triple H retained the title in an instant classic. Foley continued to add more respect to his legacy as he inched closer towards his first retirement. This match changed the perceptions of both Triple H and Foley's careers for the better.
1 John Cena vs Umaga (Royal Rumble 2007)
An underrated element of the classic WWE Championship between John Cena and Umaga at the Royal Rumble 2007 match was that no one saw it coming. Fans still heckled Cena for not being a good wrestler and Umaga had yet to win the respect of the audience.
Both men tore it up in a Last Man Standing match that managed to completely undermine any expectations. Everyone loved this match because it offered the perfect mix of violence, action, and storytelling. Cena won the match to head into WrestleMania 23 as champ, but Umaga came out a winner as well for delivering such an impressive performance.