The Royal Rumble creates some of the best moments in WWE history, from shocking winners to surprise returns and appearances. But which moments were really the best of the best and last forever? We look to answer that question with our rundown of the 10 greatest Royal Rumble moments of all time.
1999: Mr. McMahon Wins the Rumble
It was the height of the Attitude Era. It was the height of the Austin versus McMahon feud. And McMahon used a distraction from the Rock to eliminate Steve Austin over the top rope and won the match. What made this an even more over-the-top heel move was the fact that McMahon did commentary for most of the match before running in at the last second, and gave us one of the most unexpected finishes in the history of the Royal Rumble.
2023: Logan Paul Clashes with Ricochet
This was a moment fans will always remember, where they were when they saw the mid-air collision. When Ricochet went viral with Logan Paul, both hitting springboard moves from opposite sides of the ring, crashing into each other with a sickening thud that sent fans nuts. It went viral on social media and was one of the biggest moments in both of these guys’ careers.
2020: Drew McIntyre Takes Out Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar had entered the match at number one and went for 20 minutes, clearing out 13 superstars, looking absolutely indestructible. Everyone thought, “Oh, here we go again. It’s another Brock Lesnar moment,” until he leveled up with Drew McIntyre, who took him out with a Claymore kick. This solidified and really turned the Scotsman into a top star in the company.
2002: Maven Eliminates The Undertaker
It was the lucky shot heard around the world, if you could even say that. Maven was 22 years old at the time, fresh off WWE Tough Enough, and he drop-kicked the Undertaker, sending the dead man over the top rope for the elimination.
And of course, Big Evil had to get back by delivering a brutal beatdown after he eliminated Maven himself. What made this special was the fact that no one saw it coming due to Maven’s status.
1997: Stone Cold Breaks the Rules to Eliminate Bret Hart
Austin took a massive step towards super stardom in 97 and really kicked off the feud that would lead to their epic WrestleMania 13 match. After being eliminated by Bret Hart, Austin decided he would go in while the referee was distracted and eliminate Hart, which made for an epic moment. As a result, it set up one of the best rivalries in history.
1995: Shawn Michaels Wins From Position No. 1
Shawn Michaels won the match after entering at number one. Now, only six wrestlers have won from a starting point, and it was a Heartbreak Kid who did it first. He went through all the competitors to get it done. This was the year, starting with this match win, that made him a main eventer.
1992: Ric Flair Wins The Rumble
Who could forget when Ric Flair won the Royal Rumble and ultimately the WWE Title? It was the 92 Royal Rumble that established him as a guy that WWE fans should actually accept instead of looking at him as an outsider. Flair went over after entering the match at number three and lasting over an hour.
Edge Returns at 2020 Royal Rumble
After nine years of being in retirement, Edge returned to find the odds in this match, one of the best crowd reactions in the history of the wrestling business, which you will see in this match, and it led to Edge sticking around in WWE for several years. It allowed Edge to not only have a second run but also the chance to end his career on his own terms.
AJ Styles Debuts at 2016 Royal Rumble
For years, fans have thought, what if AJ Styles came to WWE? Well, that moment came in the 2016 edition of the legendary match. He came out at number three, facing off against Roman Reigns and others, and kicked off one of the most decorated runs in modern wrestling history.
John Cena Returns and Wins 2008 Royal Rumble
No one saw this coming. John Cena entered the match at number 30 in Madison Square Garden and just blew the roof off this place. He had been sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle just months prior, with the recovery timeline that would have put him out and others into the summer. However, Cena came out and shocked the world. He would eliminate Triple H to punch his ticket to WrestleMania.
