Ranking the last 10 men's Royal Rumble matches

Since its inception in 1988, The Royal Rumble has cemented its legacy as one of the biggest events in professional wrestling. Moreover, the much-awaited Road to WrestleMania officially begins with the Rumble.

The victor of the eponymous contest is assured a world title match at WrestleMania. This raises the intensity and anticipation of the Rumble match even further.

Thirty superstars enter the match, and only one gets the opportunity to headline The Showcase of the Immortals. This is the fundamental motto of the Premium Live Event and is enough to promise a spectacle of a match.

There have been a few instances where the result or sometimes even the Rumble itself was not well received by the fans.

As the 2022 event has finished its proceedings, let us look back rank the 10 last men's Royal Rumble matches from the worst to the best.

#10. Royal Rumble 2015

As big of a superstar John Cena became during his stint with Vince McMahon's promotion, his departure from the company was inevitable.

Roman Reigns was believed to be the next face of the company, and his spectacular performances at the Rumble are evidence of his capabilities.

Not only did Reigns win the 2015 event, but the event also marked The Rock returning to help his cousin. Although this sounds like a great heroic story, a chorus of boos was heard around the world that night.

Firstly, fan-favorite Daniel Bryan was eliminated early into the match. This prompted the fans to mock every other entrant during the match.

Secondly, the WWE Universe never bought the idea of Reigns as the top babyface of the company. They always liked him as the heel he was during his stint with The Shield and demanded The Big Dog to revert to his original gimmick.

Though the match in itself was quite decent, the finish to it was not up to the fans' expectations. The scenario would have been a lot different if it were today's Tribal Chief who triumphed in the contest.

#9. The Greatest Royal Rumble, 2018

Saudi Arabia's edition of the battle royal vastly differs from the conventional Rumbles that are held in January.

Vince McMahon's promotion tried to start its partnership with Saudi Arabia on a very high note. It aptly titled the event the Greatest Royal Rumble because, unlike other events where 30 superstars compete, the Saudi event featured a total of 50 superstars locking horns for the victory.

The match was alright, with quite a few moments to cherish. The infamous Titus Worldslide has been embedded in the history of the promotion. Furthermore, Daniel Bryan set the record for a superstar to survive for the longest time in the Royal Rumble.

Braun Strowman eliminated 13 superstars, which set a record and is now shared with Brock Lesnar.

#8. Royal Rumble 2022

The main reason everyone loves the Rumble is the element of surprise it wields. The difference between the battle royal and any other multi-man match is this unpredictability.

However, this prime aspect of the event was taken away from it during the most recent edition.

As soon as the Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley match ended, it was anticipated that The Beast Incarnate may enter and stand tall in the main event of the night.

The match itself was quite underwhelming as 25 participants were already announced. Hometown favorite Randy Orton failed to reach anywhere near expectations as he was expected to stand tall a few hours before the match.

However, the match had its fair share of ups as well. The return of Shane McMahon, the entrance of Randy Orton, Riddle's reaction to Brock Lesnar, and Chad Gable assembling the team to eliminate Omos are some such moments.

#8. Royal Rumble 2014

Another instance of costing Daniel Bryan backfiring on WWE came in 2014. The year was one of the best for the promotion. However, the same cannot be said for that year's Royal Rumble.

The superstar who made a difference here is Bryan himself. His failure to win the event would have been bearable, but the fact that Bryan didn't even enter the Rumble was not expected.

The contest marked one of the rarest instances of pro-wrestling where the fans loathed Rey Mysterio just because he was the #30 entrant and not Daniel Bryan.

Nonetheless, the event featured Roman Reigns' sheer dominance, who tossed 12 superstars over the top rope and broke the record for the most eliminations (now held by Lesnar at 13).

His pursuit of victory was crushed by the returning Batista, who emerged as the winner of the match.

#6. Royal Rumble 2016

At the 2016 Royal Rumble, Mr. McMahon ordered Roman Reigns to defend his title in the battle royal itself. It was again a decent event which also marked Brock Lesnar's second-ever appearance in the Rumble.

Unlike the previous year, the result was well received by the fans. Triple H returned to WWE in a surprising fashion.

He ultimately won the whole match after overcoming the alliance of Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Though the crowd cheered on his victory, the reason behind that was Reigns' elimination.

The event would have been better if it had been Dean Ambrose who stood tall. Triple H didn't require a Royal Rumble victory as another feather in his cap.

#5. Royal Rumble 2019

The Royal Rumble 2019 was a great display of 29 men and one woman. That woman was Nia Jax who attacked R-Truth to make her way to the ring at the #30 spot.

The fans went berserk after Randy Orton RKO'ed Jax, and it would remain one of the best moments in the history of the match. Furthermore, Seth Rollins winning the event was a well-received decision that initiated his journey to become The BeastSlayer.

The surprise entrance for Jeff Jarett, Johnny Gargano, and Aleister Black will remain a moment to cherish. Moreover, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, the two final contenders, were out of the ring for a considerable amount of time. It was a great replication of Steve Austin and Vince McMahon doing the same 20 years ago.

#4. Royal Rumble 2021

2021 Rumble featured Edge and Randy Orton adding up another chapter in their chemistry. After entering at number one and two, respectively, these superstars survived the hour to become the final two contenders.

The Rated-R Superstar finally stood tall and became the 8th Superstar to win the Rumble multiple times.

There was nothing in particular that one could complain about this edition of the event. COVID-19 forced every sport to shut down. In the absence of a crowd, this was an excellent match that these superstars pulled off.

Christian's return and alliance with Edge was the highlight of the contest. More than anything, the fans well-received The Rated-R Superstar as the Royal Rumble winner.

#3. Royal Rumble 2017

Perhaps one of the most star-studded Royal Rumbles in recent history, the 2017 event featured Randy Orton standing tall in the ring, much to fans' delight.

The likes of The Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, and Orton himself entered the event. From Jericho's stealth to Lesnar's domination and the wild showdown between Taker and Goldberg, the match remained on a high note.

Towards the finish, when it became apparent that Reigns could somehow replicate his Rumble victory, Orton did what he does best. An RKO out of nowhere left Reigns in surprise and was eliminated.

#2. Royal Rumble 2018

The 2018 event was a revolutionary one as the women participated in their exclusive Royal Rumble match for the first time. Thus, the men's event was contested on the undercard.

The likes of Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Adam Cole, and Randy Orton entered the event, and it was Shinsuke Nakamura who earned his ticket to WrestleMania.

The event also featured Rey Mysterio returning to Vince McMahon's promotion and a one-off appearance for Hurricane Helms.

There is nothing, in particular, to complain about this event. The uproar that fans made at Nakamura's entrance was extremely satisfying.

Furthermore, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, and Shinsuke Nakamura teamed up to fight Randy Orton, John Cena, and Rey Mysterio, displaying a past vs. future brawl. This was one of the highlights of the event.

One should definitely rewatch this event as it is a great investment of time to watch some wrestling classics.

#1. Royal Rumble 2020

Brock Lesnar announced himself into the 30-man match despite being the world's reigning, defending, conquering, and undisputed WWE Champion.

What came next was undeniably the most dominant performance in the event's history. He eliminated 13 superstars in a row with his sheer power. But his pride was crushed by Drew McIntyre, who claymored The Beast Incarnate out of the ring.

While it was apparent that McIntyre may win the event, several moments in the Rumble will always be cherished.

Edge's appearance at the event is perhaps one of the best returns in the history of WWE.

Which of these Royal Rumbles do you prefer the most? Share your opinions with us in the comments.