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There are many factors involved in making a Royal Rumble match good. There should be a running story, possibly multiple, throughout the match that makes it compelling to watch. The entrants and possible surprises also make for some memorable Rumble moments.
The winner of the entire match can also determine the fate of a Royal Rumble, just see the 2014 edition. However, one of the most important elements of the match is the start.
WWE needs to book the two right competitors to kick off each Royal Rumble match. It may be essential to the story at times, but all good Rumbles have at least decent opening pairings.
The number 1 and number 2 entrants often dictate the pace of the match and are likely candidates to go coast-to-coast as the iron men of the Rumble. There needs to be a proper link or chemistry between the opening two entrants, so there is a solid foundation for this match to build on.
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Here are five of the greatest opening pairings in Royal Rumble but first, a couple of honourable mentions.
- Ric Flair and Bob Backlund (1993)
- CM Punk and Daniel Bryan (2011)
- Rusev and Finn Balor (2018)
#5 Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog (1995)
Shawn Michaels and the British Bulldog started the 1995 Royal Rumble match and ended it as well. It was a remarkable achievement, despite this one being the shortest 30-man bout in history.
1995 was a pretty terrible year for WWE both product and business-wise, with the Rumble being one of the least star-studded it has ever been. Diesel and Bret Hart fought for the world title, meaning that there could have only been one winner, but he did it in the most extraordinary way.
British Bulldog looked to have eliminated the Heartbreak Kid and it seemed like it when his music started playing. However, only one of Michaels’ feet had touched the floor, so he returned to the ring and threw the former Intercontinental champion out of the ring to win the Royal Rumble match.
It was a revolutionary game changer and still stands strong as one of the greatest moments in Royal Rumble history. This and the mere fact that both Michaels and Bulldog went coast-to-coast makes them one of the best opening pairings in Rumble history.
#4 Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie (1998)
Mick Foley and Terry Funk have always been linked together. They were two of the most hardcore wrestlers to wrestle in WWE, especially after their brutal Deathmatch a couple of years ago.
So when Funk joined the company under the name Chainsaw Charlie, it would only be symbolic that he started off the 1998 Royal Rumble match alongside Cactus Jack. This brought the match off to a brutal and creative start, making for one of the better opening pairings in Rumble history.
The fact that they were teaming together at the time made it all the better. This match was also the one where all three faces of Mick Foley entered. Charlie eliminated Jack from the match, only for Mankind to come out at number 16 and eliminate him.
After Mankind was thrown out, in stepped Dude Love at number 27. Love would make the final four before his final chance went up in smoke when he ran into Farooq.
#3 Triple H and Rey Mysterio (2006)
Triple H and Rey Mysterio are two legends of the business and had received much-earned success by 2006, so the start to the annual 30-man tradition that year was pretty great. The Game had been languishing for a while after Batista left his helpless and unable to win back his title.
Mysterio was still grieving the loss of his best friend Eddie Guerrero and would dedicate a possible Rumble victory to him. Much like 1995, both opening entrants would make it to the very end of the match.
In this case, Triple H and Rey Mysterio were part of the final three which also included the final entrant, Randy Orton. Mysterio eliminated both men in stunning fashion to win the match and set a new record for time spent in a Royal Rumble match.
Hunter himself broke the record alongside Mysterio, but his slightly earlier elimination from the match makes the Ultimate Underdog the ultimate iron man in Rumble history. These two stuck the match together and made it an overall respectable outing.
#2 Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit (2005)
In 2004, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit were on top of the world. Latino Heat won the WWE Championship just prior to WrestleMania 20, while the Rabid Wolverine won the Royal Rumble match and became the World Heavyweight Champion at 'Mania. The two celebrated in the ring to close the show, in what was an extremely emotional moment. In 2005, both warriors were back on the trail to the Show Of Shows.
Benoit won the 30-man match in 2004 from the number 1 spot, lasting for over an hour. He had to do it all again as he entered at number 2 in 2005, with Guerrero being the first entrant. They were layered with history, especially from that night at Madison Square Garden.
A repeat was highly unlikely at this point, but both Guerrero and Benoit enjoyed decent spells in the match, with the latter lasting until the final six. This elite combination of wrestlers, coupled with the emotional moment from ten months ago make this the second greatest opening pairing in Royal Rumble history.
#1 The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels (2008)
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were the final two in the 2007 Royal Rumble match, wrestling for a good chunk of time before the Deadman reigned supreme. It was the best ever ending to a Rumble match.
The following year started in that same exact way. The Undertaker was entrant number 1 and Shawn Michaels came out immediately afterwards. We were getting a repeat of the epic clash at the end of the previous Royal Rumble. These two had a lot of history together, but little did they know what would be in store for them collectively.
In the following couple of years, Michaels and 'Taker would wrestle classic show-stealers at WrestleMania. But for now, they were on opposite sides in January. 2008 is remembered as one of the greatest Royal Rumble matches in history, thanks in no small part to John Cena's shocking return and victory.
However, a big part of the 2008 Rumble's success is because of the epic beginning it had with both 'Taker and HBK. There will never be an opening pairing to a Royal Rumble quite like this one. The legendary status, the history and chemistry between the pair make the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels the best opening pairing in Royal Rumble history.
