The WWE Universe tunes into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view mainly because of the 30-man Battle Royal Match. It is probably the most awaited match of the year and despite this hype, sometimes other matches in the pay-per-view card ends up overshadowing the chaotic brawl.This year WWE is pushing both the Championship match and the Rumble match with equal backing. The title match could easily outclass the battle royal as things stand now and if it does, it won’t be the first time.Over the years, the battle for the gold has stolen the show from the Rumble match, and here is a look at those matches which showed us how breathtaking the undercard of the Royal Rumble could be.
#6 Honorable Mention: Shawn Michaels vs Triple H (Royal Rumble 2004)
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The reason for this epic bout not making it into the list is because the Rumble match of 2004 was simply awesome. Hunter and Michaels did deliver a classic at the pay-per-view and the match ended in a draw as both man was not able to answer the ten count.
On the same night, Chris Benoit went on to win the Royal Rumble from the first position setting up a triple threat match between the three at WrestleMania XX.
#5 John Cena vs. Umaga (2007)
It was the classic scenario of Superhero vs the Monster booking from the WWE. John Cena was during his lengthy championship run while Umaga was introduced into the scene as a worthy opponent for the Cenation leader. The match was expected to be a failure, but it turned out to be the best in Cena’s marathon run.
The match was brutal at points and was packed with a lot of memorable spots at the same time. it was probably one of the best performances from Umaga in his last run in the WWE while Cena complemented as well.
The climax sequence saw Cena use the ring ropes to choke out Umaga and retain the championship when Umaga could not get back to his feet in time.
#4 Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit (2001)
Most of the matches in the list were fought for the WWE Championship, but these two were almost killing each other for the Intercontinental Championship back in 2001. The match was the conclusion of the year-long feud between Jericho and Benoit.
Benoit came into the match as the Intercontinental Champion and had a lot on the line apart from the gold. The match had a plethora of crowd pleasing moments with the most memorable one being Jericho locking in the Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder.
At the end of the day, Jericho managed to win the championship but it was all about proving their worth for the two superstars as they were kept away from the main event scene till then.
#3 Cactus Jack vs Triple H (2000)
The WWE Universe will always be talking about Mick Foleys Hell in a Cell match with the Undertaker. However, it is not the only match where Foley showed his brilliance. The Royal Rumble pay-per-view has been a lucky charm for Foley at times and one of the instances came at the 2000 edition.
He faced off with Triple H in the Cactus Jack gimmick and to add more brutality to the whole thing, the company made it a Street Fight. Foley punished every inch of his body to make the crown pop and capped off with a pedigree on the thumbtacks.
Foley went face first into the tacks and Hunter wasted no time in snatching the victory against the hardcore legend whose face was full of puncture holes.
#2 Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle (2003)
A match between Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle looks like the best prospect on paper and it was even better in real life. Both men being considered as the best technicians in the world took the expectations levels sky high and the match lived up to all those.
Benoit entered into the WWE Championship scene in the middle of another storyline so this match was not all about the narrative; instead it was about the wrestling. A perfect mixture of chain, mat and acrobatic wrestling was put forward by these two superstars and it turned out to be an instant classic.
Angle retained his Championship but the night belonged to Benoit. He proved to everyone that he deserved a main event spot and he got it just a year after, when he went on to win the Championship at WrestleMania XX.
#1 The Rock vs Mankind (1999)
There will be a lot of violent championship matches out there in the Royal Rumble history but all of them would struggle to surpass the show that these two put on in 1999. Mankind was the Underdog champion while Rock played a corporate heel looking to end Mankind’s run.
If that angle was not enough, WWE added the ‘I Quit’ stipulation into the match. Now, for those who are weak in history, Mankind was that superstar who did not give up even after he was thrown off a Cell.
It was a perfect scenario to pull off a great match and a great match it was. They utilized the arena to the maximum and seeing that Mankind was not going to give up, McMahon played a cheap trick and used the pre-recorded message of Mankind saying ‘I Quit’ to end the match.
