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We shall soon have the 2018 Royal Rumble upon us, and the first ever women Royal Rumble match. The Royal Rumble always sits high on everyone's favorite WWE event and match and therefore, here are the consistently rated best 5 Royal Rumble matches from WWE, since the inaugural match in 1988 (won by Hacksaw Jim Duggan!)
#5 The one with John Cena - 2008
The 2007 match saw the final two, Shawn and 'Taker battling it out before Undertaker finally got the better of HBK and eliminated him, going on to WrestleMania. Therefore it was fitting that the first two competitors in the ring for this Madison Square Garden edition of the Rumble were HBK and Undertaker who both battled each other and various other superstars for 30 minutes before being eliminated. This match also had Hornswoggle enter and hide for the majority of his time.
The lasting memory of this match was HHH appearing at #29 and looking like the obvious winner, until John Cena's music hit at #30 and the Dr. of Thuganomics appeared. Cena had been out of action with a torn pectoral muscle and wasn't scheduled back for months, so the surprise from the crowd and from HHH built a great atmosphere for the final 10 minutes, until finally Cena was triumphant by eliminating HHH for the win.
#4 The one with 3 faces of Foley -1998
This Royal Rumble match was perhaps the pre-cursor match to the Attitude Era, with the appearance of Iron Mike Tyson in the viewing box seen as the start of the now infamous era in professional wrestling. The Nation of Domination were heavily involved in the match, with Farooq and Rock being in the final four competitors before Rock turned on his Nation leader and threw him over the top rope.
Austin's entrance was delayed due to him seemingly being attacked backstage, but after hitting the ring and eliminating Marc Mero and 8 Ball, he went on to throw Rock over the top and win his second straight Rumble and go on to face Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania.
The story of the match, however, was Mick Foley entering at #1 as Cactus Jack, complete with trash cans. Upon being eliminated, he re-entered the match at #16 as Mankind before being eliminated by Goldust. A final face of Foley was seen at #28 when Dude Love hit the ring and teamed up with his former tag partner Austin. The one and only time we would see the same competitor in hit the ring for multiple appearances and great memories.
#3 The one with Shawn and Undertaker - 2007
2007 saw the renewing of a rivalry from 1998 when Shawn Michaels had to temporarily retire from wrestling due to a back injury suffered in a match with Undertaker. Undertaker entered the fray at #30 and was immediately set upon by Rated RKO (Edge and Randy Orton). Both men left 'Taker more than a little worse for wear, and it took some help from HBK to finally eliminate them both.
This left the two Texans in the ring, laying silently and still to build the tension in the crowd until Undertaker sat bolt upright like the Deadman, and HBK kipped up to continue the match. Endless slugging and fighting took place until Taker was able to 'Chokeslam' Michaels and dodge a second 'Sweet Chin Music' to throw him over the ropes. This rivalry would culminate in two of the greatest WrestleMania matches ever, with 2007's edition of the Rumble stoking that fire.
#2 The one that was the attitude era - 2001
WrestleMania X-Seven has long been called the best WrestleMania and largely was down to the red-hot booking and stories that the superstars were delivering. The roster of wrestlers at that point too is nostalgic for wrestling fans the world over due to talents such as The Rock, Stone Cold, Kane and the Undertaker.
This Rumble was a who's who of the Attitude Era, with surprise appearances from Haku, Drew Carey, and the Honky Tonk Man. Kane at this point was a fully fledged monster and eliminated 11 wrestlers, before finally being eliminated by Stone Cold. A final two pairing of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, who would go on to main event the greatest WrestleMania for the second time was fitting of the time period and of the star power of this Rumble. It also meant Stone Cold had won the Royal Rumble for a record third time!
#1 The one with Ric Flair - 1992
For nostalgic golden era WWF/WWE, the 1992 Royal Rumble always ranks highly on every fan's list. A who's who of WWF legends were in this match, from The British bulldog, Roddy Piper, and Shawn Michaels, to Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, and Jake Roberts.
Couple this array of a wrestler with the draw that the winner of the Rumble would also win the vacant WWF Heavyweight World Championship and the event was a must-see on PPV. Ric Flair entered this match at #3 and didn't shy away from the action throughout the 60-minute match. Constantly targeted by superstars who saw him as a threat, Ric performed tremendously throughout. Bobby Heenan is at his 'Weasley' best and talks up the first heel Rumble winner for the whole time.
The finish comes when Hulk Hogan is eliminated by Sid Justice (Psycho Sid) and not liking that outcome, Hulk pulls Sid over the top rope and allows Flair to win his first WWF Heavyweight Championship after years of being in the NWA and WCW. Nostalgia at it's best!
