5 best Royal Rumble matches of all time 

WWE's first mega event of the year, the highly anticipated Royal Rumble is three weeks away. One of the most exciting match concepts present in WWE currently, Royal Rumble is widely known for its novelty.

Royal Rumble matches are known to deliver almost every year, and the WWE Universe is always waiting for the next surprise during the match. The start of Wrestlemania season officially begins at the Rumble, and its the time when most of the Wrestlemania rivalries will be set into motion.

That being said, we look at five of the greatest Rumble matches to have taken place in WWE.

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#5 Winner - John Cena, 2008

Creme of the Crop

This Royal Rumble featured the beginning of one of the most epic rivalries of all time in the form of Shawn Michaels-The Undertaker. Both of these superstars went on to steal the show at the next two WMs and this is where it all started. Starting off as No.1 and No.2, both the legendary superstars gave a terrific performance which is still a vivid memory for many.

This Rumble featured some great storytelling with a lot of rivalries getting proper time. John Cena's inhuman return was the major highlight of the show, with not a single soul in the Madison Square Garden, including a legitimately shocked-looking Triple H.

John Cena's first-ever Rumble victory came after a final four consisting of Kane, Batista and Triple H. Talk about a better ending!

#4 Winner - Edge, 2010

Edge's return was a moment to remember for ages.

The most recent Rumble on this list and probably the last featuring a winner no-one complained about. It's been eight long years since we had a winner who was not disliked by the fans. The Rated R Superstar, Edge, made one of the most memorable returns in WWE history to win the Rumble, taking out his arch-nemesis Chris Jericho.

Edge's triumphant return to the squared circle was not the only talking point from the show. Shawn Michaels' valiant attempt to win the Rumble and face the Undertaker one more time was a beautiful and a sad sight at the same time.

CM Punk's Straight Edge Society persona started to get some traction during this time, and his main-event run begun shortly after. A final five consisting of John Cena, Batista, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and the eventual winner Edge, was as stacked as it could get.

#3 Winner - The Undertaker, 2007

The two legends crossed paths for the first time at 2007 Rumble.

A quality Rumble match, leading to the Deadman winning his first and the only Rumble match in his career. This match had enough star-power to make it a quality encounter, with former winner Ric Flair making his last appearance at the historic show.

Similar to the previously mentioned 2008 edition, this match featured a number of star performers coupled with some quality young talents. The Rated RKO team of Randy Orton and Edge were the final four contestants with HBK and Undertaker.

HBK and Undertaker had a quality confrontation towards the end of the match, with Undertaker coming up on top and becoming the first-ever 30th entrant to win the Rumble match.

#2 Winner - Steve Austin, 2001

A bloodied Stone Cold eliminated who many thought to be the deserving winner.

One of the best Rumble performances was featured in 2001, when the Big Red Machine, Kane, entered the Rumble at No.6 and gave a devastating performance. His record of 11 eliminations would last until a certain Big Dog eclipsed it in 2014.

WWE was at its peak during this time, with superstars like Rock, Stone Cold, Kane, Undertaker, etc. helping the company destroy WCW in ratings. This all culminated in the 2001 edition, with the Rattlesnake, Steve Austin, winning it for the record-setting third time.

An entertaining Rumble from top to bottom featuring legendary superstars, this Rumble match became a major talking point in history.

#1 Winner - Ric Flair, 1992

Do yourself a favour and watch this promo if you haven't! WOOO

Royal Rumble officially attained the best PPV of the year status after the monumental edition that was 1992 Royal Rumble. None of the 90s Rumbles makes the list of best Rumbles ever purely because of WWE lacking star-power to make it interesting.

However, this Rumble featured a plethora of superstars, all who would go on to become household names and future Hall of Famers. This was the first ever Rumble to have the World Championship on the line, with Ric Flair producing a monumental performance to win the WWF Championship.

The Nature Boy, with a tear in his eye, won the Rumble, when Hulk Hogan took out Sid Justice, leaving Flair as the sole survivor.