5 Best runner-up performances in Royal Rumble match history

#1 Shawn Michaels (2007)

Easily the best closing stretch in Royal Rumble history.

Chris Jericho's fight with Sheamus in the 2012 Royal Rumble was a fun little classic, but it was nothing compared to the original one that took place five years earlier in 2007. After outlasting a late onslaught by Edge and Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker brought the San Antonio crowd on their feet for the closing moments of the match.

The fact that the two legends were facing each other for the first time in almost a decade was enough to add more excitement to this high octane clash. A preview of what these two would end up creating at Mania in 2009 and 2010, this 8-minute long encounter featured more ups and downs than the rest of the Rumble match combined.

No one could have predicted which way this encounter was going, with Michaels vying for the third Rumble win in his Hometown and The Deadman looking for his maiden win in his Home State as well. The Showstopper was all set to book his ticket to WrestleMania, but a miscalculation resulted in his elimination and a win for The Deadman.

Despite his loss, Michaels went on to fight for the WWE Title in the main event of Mania 23, and that is enough proof of how exciting he was, even as the runner up, in the 2007 Royal Rumble match.