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When someone talks about WWE Royal Rumble, they are, more often than not, talking about the Rumble matches and not about the pay-per-view as a whole. Something like this is bound to happen when a show is promoted after a particular match-type. The stakes of a Royal Rumble match are so high that it's hard to remain excited about other bouts on the card.
However, there have been quite a few better contests than the main event. The performers in these matches were never under pressure simply because people had not come to watch them in the first place. When the dust settled, these matches trumped everyone's expectations and turned out to be much-better overall offerings than the attraction matches.
Considering that WWE Royal Rumble 2021 is just over a month away from now, the time seems apt to recount some of these matches and try to understand what made them so special.
So without any delays, let's dive in into the topic. Do share your opinions in the comment section, even though you may disagree with this writer's picks.
#5 Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (WWE Royal Rumble 2001)
The battle of Chris', Benoit, and Jericho had a splendid match at WWE Royal Rumble 2001 that managed to be better than the Rumble match itself. Not saying the Rumble was weak, after all, it had Stone Cold Steve Austin coming on top and a career-defining performance by Kane.
This brutal ladder match between the two workhorses for the Intercontinental Championship is quite underrated. The main reason being 2001 having some tremendous ladder matches, with the triple threat tag match at WWE WrestleMania 17 at the top.
It's a unique match as the two men didn't include the aerial spots one usually sees in a ladder match but instead had a war that felt like a real struggle. They attempted to do their best to tire each other down and then climb up to retrieve the title hanging up.
The Walls of Jericho spot on top of the ladder was a sign of how these two technically proficient men brought their style of wrestling to a ladder match, rather than giving up their style in favor of a typical ladder spot-fest.
The ending of the match saw Jericho retrieving the title to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.
#4 Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (WWE Royal Rumble 2015)
Heading into WWE Royal Rumble 2015, it had become abundantly clear that Roman Reigns was the chosen one. WWE had selected this moment to thrust him into the main event of WrestleMania 31, and that's how things transpired. However, not even the inclusion of The Rock could get Reigns over that night. It was a forgettable night for the man who currently is the best character in all of pro wrestling.
On the other hand, the Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship earlier in the night had already stolen the show. One of the all-time great triple threat matches, every Superstar in the ring had a story going for them.
While Brock Lesnar unleashed his brutal attack on the two relatively smaller men, Rollins personified the new-age wrestling style, and Cena, being the master of the WWE wrestling style, was the glue who held the match together.
However, the most vital aspect of the match was Rollins' coming-of-age performance. His work in this bout made the management choose him to undo the failure of the Rumble match, by booking him to cash-in his MITB briefcase at WrestleMania 31 and walk out as the new Champion.
#3 Becky Lynch vs. Asuka (WWE Royal Rumble 2019)
The two Rumble matches at WWE Royal Rumble 2019 were all about the moments. While Seth Rollins booked his ticket to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35, Becky Lynch won the women's Rumble to a deafening audience reaction. As particular moments, these were memorable, but as matches, not so much.
Before Lynch entered the Rumble match as a replacement for an injured Lana, she wrestled a brilliant bout against Asuka for the SmackDown Women's Championship to open the show. The contest, driven by submissions and reversals, left the audiences enthralled.
The fact that these two women had a better technical wrestling match than AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, who wrestled later in the night for the WWE Championship, is a testament to their talents and skill.
Though The Man was at the height of her popularity back then, WWE made a brave booking decision to let Asuka go over clean with Lynch tapping out in the middle of the ring. While this ending would be a shocker on some other pay-per-view, considering this was the Rumble, the decision made sense. Asuka got her much-deserved win, so did Becky Lynch.
#2 AJ Styles vs. John Cena (WWE Royal Rumble 2017)
The Rumble match at WWE Royal Rumble 2017 had no shortage of star power. From Goldberg to Brock Lesnar to Undertaker making their presence felt, it ensured the fans never had any room for a breather. There was so much going on at the same time that nobody cared about the quality of the action. Goldberg eliminating Lesnar just mere seconds after making his entry into the match and then having a staredown with The Deadman was legendary.
However, no surprises could be more fulfilling than the adrenaline rush produced by the tremendous in-ring action we witnessed during the AJ Styles and John Cena clash earlier in the night. The two veterans outdid themselves and had one of the greatest matches of either men's career.
In a way, it also gave birth to WWE's modern big match template, with the action escalating until the two Superstars in the ring go on a finisher hitting spree. While this format has gotten a bit tiring of late, the two masters here executed it to sheer perfection.
The ending with John Cena coming up on top and winning his 16th World title in the process was a pretty great moment unto itself.
#1 Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (WWE Royal Rumble 2003)
WWE Royal Rumble 2003 was the night when Brock Lesnar became the future of the company. Yes, he had defeated The Rock at SummerSlam 2002, but winning the Rumble ensured he would go on to main event WrestleMania 19 and walk out as the winner at The Grandest Stage Of Them All. From a historical context, it's one of the most vital Rumble matches of all time.
However, Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit for the WWE Championship on the same show was the best match of the night. Wait, it wasn't just the best match of the night, but the best of the year, and probably of the whole decade. Two of the finest in-ring performers going out at each other for almost 20 minutes was bound to produce greatness.
There were no outside shenanigans or interferences to hamper the action in the ring. Just two wrestling gods trying to prove why they are better than each other. The ending saw Angle coming on top and retaining his title, but it was Benoit who, with his performance, laid the seeds for his triumph at WrestleMania 20 in the following year.
Kurt Angle had said in an interview that this was the finest match of his career and that Chris Benoit is the best in-ring performer of all time. No one can deny both these facts after watching this masterpiece from WWE Royal Rumble 2003.
