The 4 Best Final Fours in Royal Rumble history

The WWE Royal Rumble match has many elements that make it gripping for the fans to watch.

From the countdown-clock building anticipation to the surprise returns, these staples have made the Rumble one of the most successful stipulations in WWE history.

The closing stretch is often the most remembered for those watching. While many will mention the iconic final two showdowns, the last four are often highlighted just as much.

WWE even made one of their In Your House pay-per-views built around the last four participants in the 1997 Rumble Match.

These four-way scraps usually involve the favorites in that year's iteration of the stipulation.

In this article, let's take a look at the four best final fours in Royal Rumble history.

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4) 2010 Royal Rumble Match - Edge, John Cena, Batista & Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels was the clear MVP of the 2010 Rumble. The Heartbreak Kid was hungry to earn his rematch against World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker and knew this was his only chance. It came down to HBK, John Cena, Batista and the returning Edge, who made a shocking comeback at the #29 spot.

Batista made his presence felt by taking advantage of a distracted Michaels to eliminate him from the match. HBK's desperate grasp on the ropes to stay in the bout is a signature moment that is often highlighted.

Cena kickstarted his WrestleMania rivalry against Batista by eliminating the Animal next.

It didn't take long thereafter for Edge to eliminate Cena and win the Rumble. It completed one of the most memorable surprise returns in the titular stipulation's history.

With the final four, there was a combined 37 world championships between them. This might be the most decorated of all the finishes Rumble fans have ever seen.

3) 2008 Royal Rumble Match - John Cena, Triple H, Batista & Kane

Another iconic Royal Rumble surprise return came in 2008 when John Cena returned to the shock of the Madison Square Garden crowd. Cena was expected to be out of action with a bicep injury for nine months, but he arrived in this match just three months later.

The 16-time world champion was joined by Triple H, Batista and Kane. It was four future WWE Hall of Famers and former world champions. Kane was quickly eliminated.

This led to a showdown between the remaining three men, which invested the fans even more into the match.

Cena completed his triumphant return by eliminating Triple H to win the Rumble.

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2) 2007 Royal Rumble Match - The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Edge & Randy Orton

Sometimes, the Rumble just ends with the ideal final four participants. This was the case in 2007 when the favorites to win the match were all left. They were The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Edge and Randy Orton.

Edge and Orton were WWE World Tag Team Champions and worked together to take out their opposition.

After using steel chairs to clobber both Taker and HBK, Rated RKO seemed set to settle the winner between the two of them.

However, Michaels made one of his signature comebacks, hitting Sweet Chin Music to eliminate both Edge and Orton. What followed was the very best final two showdown the Rumble has ever seen.

HBK and Taker set the stage for their WrestleMania classics in 2009 and 2010 here. For seven minutes, the two legends had fans on the edge of their seats with a riveting back and forth battle.

The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble by reversing Sweet Chin Music and tossing Shawn Michaels over the top rope.

1) 2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match - Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns, John Cena & Finn Balor

The 2018 Men's Royal Rumble match had humor, surprise returns, character progression and a compelling closing stretch.

Not only would this edition be in consideration for the best finish ever, but it could also make an argument for the greatest final six participants in Rumble history as well.

The old school of John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio stood opposed to the new school of Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor.

After Orton and Mysterio were eliminated, the final four participants came down to Reigns, Cena, Nakamura and Balor.

The establishment's favorites in Cena and Reigns then squared off against the cult favorites in Nakamura and Balor. The Demon entered at #1 and fought through the entire way in a gutsy performance but was the next to go.

Shinsuke Nakamura became the Philadelphia crowd's unanimous choice to win. The King of Strong Style eliminated John Cena to a huge pop.

The battle between Nakamura and Roman Reigns was very good and teased the potential for an even better singles match between the two superstars.

It was a seesaw battle, but Nakamura hit the Kinshasa and finally eliminated Reigns to win the 2018 Royal Rumble.

Throughout this final segment, the crowd was on edge, which elevates this quite a bit. Among the four competitors, they have 24 world championships, five Intercontinental Title reigns and four NXT Championship reigns.

The way that WWE knew how fans would react to these particular superstars made it a perfect decision.