The 10 Forgotten Great WWE Royal Rumble Performances

The Royal Rumble is traditionally one of WWE's most significant, popular, and unforgettable matches. Each year, 30 men and women compete for the right to go to WrestleMania and challenge for championship gold.

While the winners are easily recalled and some of their performances are among the most recognizable in the event's nearly four-decade history, there are a wealth of competitors who have turned in inspiring showings that are forgotten or overshadowed by the higher-profile ones.

Ahead of a 2025 event that will likely feature its fair share of them, these are the forgotten, hidden gem Rumble performances that have helped make the fan-favorite match as beloved as any in WWE history.

Honorable Mention

Credit: WWE.com

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (1990)

Before there was such a concept as an "ironman/ironwoman" in the Royal Rumble match, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase set the standard in the 1990 match.

The future Hall of Famer entered the match at the No. 1 position and lasted just under 45 minutes. During that time, he eliminated four competitors, second most behind Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, who tied with six.

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Rick "The Model" Martel (1991)

One of the unappreciated workhorses for WWE as a mid-card heel, Martel competed for 52:17 in the 1991 match, during which he tossed four competitors over the top rope.

Only the eventual winner, Hogan, tallied more eliminations with seven.

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Bob Backlund (1993)

Backlund's renaissance included a history-making appearance in 1993.

The former WWE champion entered the match at No. 2 and proceeded to obliterate the previous longevity record, competing for 61:10. Though he only eliminated two competitors during that time (Fatu and Martel), he stunned fans with his longevity at 43 years of age.

His record stood for over a decade until Chris Benoit eclipsed it with his historic performance in the 2004 match. In 2023, Gunther set the new bar with his 71:40 showing.

10. Ember Moon (2019)

If there was ever a performance that was intended to give a young star of the future a bit of momentum through longevity alone, it was Ember Moon's stint in the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble.

Still relatively new to the main roster after a lengthy and successful run in NXT, Moon entered the match at No. 6 and would last just north of 52 minutes before being eliminated by Alexa Bliss.

The ability to last that long in any match is commendable and in that instance, reflected the appreciation that WWE officials had for Moon as a workhorse to be able to stick around and highlight enough of herself for that duration.

Unfortunately, it is a performance that cannot possibly rank higher than it does because there was a lack of other substance to it. There were no eliminations, no real feud starters, and it did not lead anywhere for the competitor herself.

Still, there are only a handful of performers who could have pulled off what Moon did at that point in time in the women's division, a common theme for the future Athena, who has reigned as women's champion in Tony Khan's Ring of Honor for two years and counting.

9. Chris Jericho (2003)

Credit: WWE.com

Chris Jericho was a top heel and one of the most despised Superstars in WWE when he entered the 2003 Royal Rumble, attacking Shawn Michaels, bloodying him, and eliminating him from the match he had become synonymous with within just two minutes.

Already earning the ire of the WWE faithful, Jericho would tally six eliminations in 39 minutes of action, tossing the likes of Rey Mysterio, Christian, Tommy Dreamer, and Edge.

His night would end in disappointing fashion at the hands of Test, who capitalized on an attack from a bandaged Michaels and sent Jericho packing, but not before Y2J turned in one of his best performances in the Rumble.

It was a character-driven one, a showing that was devoted to further intensifying the fans' hatred for a heel who basked in their disdain. He thrived, his rivalry with Michaels escalated, and just over two months later, he had his WrestleMania moment when he squared off with HBK in the best bout on a card overflowing with Match of the Year candidates.

8. Cody Rhodes (2012)

Long before he was the WWE champion or even an "American Nightmare," Cody Rhodes was one of the company's workhorses, a talented young star who could work with anyone, at any position on the card, and be counted on to deliver a quality match.

In 2012, he was rewarded for his hard work with a strong Rumble showing that saw him enter the match at No. 4, last nearly 42 minutes, and tally the most eliminations with six.

The reigning intercontinental champion at the time, he last second longest on that night in St. Louis, behind only The Miz.

It was a standout performance that should have confirmed that he was a future Superstar, flag-bearer for WWE, and the eventual QB1.

Instead, he would leave the company within five years and embark on a journey that saw him bet on himself, build his own star, and eventually win the Rumble.

Twice. In a row. The first to accomplish that feat since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin 25 years earlier.

7. Roman Reigns (2016)

The target of Triple H and The Authority, Roman Reigns entered the 2016 Royal Rumble as the WWE champion and was forced to put his title on the line in the annual January spectacular. To retain it, he would be forced to overcome 29 opponents.

He nearly did just that.

Reigns entered at No. 1 on the orders of the oppressive heel authority figures and proceeded to combat his opponents for 59:48.

During that hour-long performance, he overcame the surprise debut of AJ Styles and former world champions like Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show, Brock Lesnar, Jack Swagger, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, and Sheamus while tying Braun Strowman with five eliminations.

He also fought through the pain and suffering caused by the evil League of Nations faction after Rusev delivered a splash that drove him through the Spanish announce table.

The unexpected entry of Triple H at No. 30 proved The Big Dog's undoing, however, as The Game made him the second-to-last elimination of the match en route to his 14th world title.

The match was booked around the idea of Reigns overcoming the odds, and despite the fans' desire to see anyone but him leave with the gold, he did that for the most part. He was stellar, carrying the match's narrative on his shoulders and never letting it overwhelm him.

Despite the audience's Reigns exhaustion, he held up his end and proved himself worthy of the monster push he enjoyed.

6. Shayna Baszler (2020)

Credit: WWE.com

By the start of 2020, it was apparent that Shayna Baszler was on her way to the main roster and in line for a significant push.

The Queen of Spades entered the Royal Rumble at No. 30 and, in under five minutes of competition, eliminated eight participants. Naomi, Toni Storm, Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, Xia Li, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, Carmella, and Tegan Nox were all dispatched by the dominant, former NXT women's champion as she established herself as a true threat to the top stars on the main roster.

She saw her path of destruction come to an unceremonious end when Charlotte Flair eliminated her to win the match, but it did not deter Baszler.

The former MMA competitor rebounded, obliterating her five opponents in the following month's Elimination Chamber match to cash her ticket to WrestleMania 36 and a date with Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship.

5. Sasha Banks (2018)

Sasha Banks was widely considered one of the most talented and trusted women's wrestlers on the planet by the time the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble rolled around in 2018. One of the Four Horsewomen of NXT, she had helped lead the women's revolution with matches against Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch that helped set the bar for the sport.

It was no surprise, then, that WWE officials selected Banks to enter the all-important No. 1 position. Clad in Wonder Woman gear, The Boss was a superhero, competing for over 54 minutes and making the final four.

She was the third-to-last competitor eliminated from the match, tossed over the top rope by both Brie and Nikki Bella, but not before a thrilling exchange with Lynch to start and a face-to-face with Trish Stratus that teased a dream match we have yet to witness.

Her three eliminations during the match were tied for third-most.

One of the best big-match performers of her generation, she met expectations from the opening bell and was a significant reason that her debut match was met with the critical praise that it was.

4. Liv Morgan (2023)

Morgan broke out in 2024, becoming a bona fide main event star on WWE Raw as a heel, champion, and member of Judgment Day but her finest Rumble performance came a year earlier.

She entered the 2023 match at the No. 2 position, fresh off a run as SmackDown women's champion in which she had a lengthy rivalry with Ronda Rousey and saw her star burn brighter than ever.

As irony would have it, she joined future headlining foe Rhea Ripley at the top of the match. She would compete alongside The Eradicator for 61:08. The breakout star of the previous year would eliminate just three (Bayley, Nikki Cross, and Nia Jax) but hung around to the final two, where she would battle Ripley for the right to head to WrestleMania and compete for championship gold.

History tells us she fell just short but it was another banner moment for Morgan, one that reflected the growing trust in her from management. That trust would once again be reflected just one year later when she was the runner-up in the annual January spectacular for the second consecutive time.

3. Triple H (2006)

Rey Mysterio may have won the 2006 Royal Rumble and set a new longevity record at 62:12 after entering the match at the No. 2 position, but equally as impressive is what Triple H accomplished in the same match.

The Game drew the unlucky No. 1 spot. It lasted the duration of the match, tying his opponent with six eliminations apiece before being eliminated by Mysterio after one hour and 16 minutes of battle.

It was by far the longest the Cerebral Assassin had ever lasted in the Rumble, despite some lengthy appearances in previous matches, and hinted at an eventual WrestleMania main event.

Though he finished as the second runner-up to Mysterio and Randy Orton, the future Chief Content Officer challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship two months later at the Showcase of the Immortals, marking the first time the two competitors would challenge their respective brand's world title would clash as the first two competitors in the Rumble match.

2. Bianca Belair (2020)

Bianca Belair was still part of the NXT brand when she made her Royal Rumble debut in the 2020 match. Clearly a star of the future, she arrived at No. 2 and competed for 33 minutes before being eliminated by eventual winner Charlotte Flair.

During her time in the match, though, she set an eliminations record by dumping eight opponents over the top rope, including Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Candice LeRae, Dana Brooke, Tamina Snuka, Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, and WWE Hall of Famer Mighty Molly.

The previously mentioned Baszler would tie her number of eliminations but for The EST, it was a statement performance. On that night in Houston, she announced to the wrestling world that she was a future face of the women's division and someone whose own triumph on that stage was inevitable.

One year later, Belair lasted 56 minutes and eliminated four en route to her first Rumble victory and a date with Sasha Banks in a historic WrestleMania 37 main event.

1. Finn Bálor (2018)

Bálor has spent so long as a heel with The Judgment Day, losing more than winning and seeing his greatest success as a tag team competitor, that it is easy to forget that the New Japan Pro-Wrestling and NXT export was once a guy tapped for significant main roster success.

The inaugural Universal champion suffered a devastating shoulder injury the same night he claimed the gold at SummerSlam 2016 and never entirely returned to that level of competition on Raw or SmackDown again.

For a moment, it looked like he may.

In the 2018 Rumble match, Bálor entered at No. 2 and proceeded to compete for 57:38 and tie Roman Reigns for the most eliminations in the match at four. He was also the third-to-last man tossed from the match, joining Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura, and John Cena in a final four featuring Superstars from very different backgrounds.

It was a banner night for Bálor and one that seemed to suggest he was on his way back to the main event as a featured player. It would take years for him to achieve consistent main event exposure as a member of Judgment Day, but on that night in Philadelphia, he looked like a guy poised to make another run at a top-tier title, shining alongside the industry's top stars.