WWE Royal Rumble 2012: The 20 Best Non-Battle-Royal Matches at Royal Rumble PPVs

Royal Rumble is understandably best known for its namesake gimmick match, but over the years there have been a number of great other matches on the card. 

Ladder matches, tag team matches, opening bouts and battles for world championships have striven to be far more than filler.  There are matches here to satisfy all types of palettes, from bloody battles to energetic clashes.   

Included are some of the obvious choices, but also some lesser known treasures from the WWE vaults. 

20. 2005 Shawn Michaels vs. Edge

Because of the names on the marquee, you'd expect an even better match than they produced.  Too many rest holds and Michaels and Edge not living up to their full potential prevented this from being the classic that it could have been. 

Still much of the action, especially near the end, thrilled and the story was captivating. 

Youth battled experience as Edge attempted to upstage his idol.  Edge played the demented, sadistic heel superbly, taunting, grinning and cheating his way to victory. 

19. 1990 Ronnie Garvin vs. Greg Valentine Submission Match

A rugged slugfest between old-school veterans was the best match of the 1990 Royal Rumble card.  Valentine and Garvin had a long history and did their best to steal the show. 

What prevents this odd match from being considered more of a classic is that despite the submission stipulation, both Valentine and Garvin continued to go for pinfalls.

Perhaps it was planned and part of the story or maybe two guys who'd wrestled thousands of matches just couldn't shift their brains away from the traditional match strategy. 

Knee braces are also prominently involved which depending on the fan may help or hurt the match's tension. 

18. 1988 Jumping Bomb Angels vs. Glamour Girls (2/3 Falls) Women's Tag Titles

This underappreciated gem is a throwback to when women's wrestling was more about skill than sex appeal.

Leilani Kai and Judy Martin took on an eye-catching highflying team in a melding of aggression and athleticism.

Quick falls and a quick pace, biting, and hair-pulling highlighted the action. 

A sweet double missile dropkick ended an exciting match. 

17. 1995 Bob Holly and 123 Kid vs. Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka Tag Team Titles

One of the better David and Goliath matches in WWE history doesn't look all that impressive on paper.

Look past the embarrassing gimmicks and you'll see a tag team match that tells a compelling story.  The favored Bigelow and Tatanka dominated much of the matchup as expected, so much so that when the 123 Kid or Holly got any offense in at all, the crowd lit up.

Bam Bam must have salivated at the thought of tossing Sean Waltman's meager frame around, making the Beast from the East look that much more intimidating. 

An extremely well-worked match from a bunch of guys you wouldn't expect the world from is definitely one of the Royal Rumble's less known works of art. 

16. 2009 Edge vs. Jeff Hardy No DQ WWE Championship

The two stars of the unforgettable WrestleMania TLC matches collided for a stirring confrontation once again. 

The buildup to this, which included a kayfabe pyrotechnics accident and Hardy being found unconscious in a stairwell, is sometimes criticized as being tasteless was engaging nonetheless. 

The match delivered on all of the emotion of that story.

Hardy's thrilling daredevil style fused perfectly with Edge's skills.  The momentum went back and forth, Hardy and Edge trading counters, their bodies flopping around dramatically.   

Matt Hardy shocking betrayal of his brother elevated the work that Edge and Jeff had done in the ring. 

15. 1995 Diesel vs. Bret Hart WWE Championship

While not as good as their No DQ bout at Survivor Series, Bret Hart and Diesel still put on an excellent show.

Diesel's brawling style contrasted well with Bret's technical precision, just as the giant vs. a smaller man component added to the match. 

This was during a time when the Hitman was becoming more aggressive and beginning to use more heel-like tactics.  An incredibly innovative spot was Bret tying Diesel's feet to the ring rope with his unraveled wristband.

Referee Earl Hebner lenient was strangely lenient all night, letting chair shots and interference slide.   

The anti-climatic, chaotic run-in ending dampened the quality of this one for sure. 

14. 2008 Rey Mysterio Vs.Edge World Heavyweight Championship

The crowd and competitors created a buzzing energy that powered a quick paced and well-worked championship match. 

It isn't often that Edge has a significant enough size advantage to play the Goliath role, but he did here and seemed to relish it, bringing his A game. 

I would have liked to see it go longer, but Rey and Edge made the most of the time they were given.    

Seeing Vickie take a 619 to the back of the head was nearly as satisfying as the beautiful spear Edge put on Rey in mid-air to cap off the match.

13. 2010 Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio World Heavyweight Championship

A lot of course is made of their size difference, but Rey Mysterio works best with big men and the Undertaker in particular.  They were fabulously in sync throughout. 

Rey spent much of the match squirming out of Taker's power moves, but getting crushed enough to make the action seem realistic. 

With how easily he could toss Rey in and out of the ring, it made the Dead Man look that much more powerful. 

The Undertaker ended the match victorious, but with his nose busted, blood spread out on his face like sloppy clown paint.

12. 2005 JBL vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle Triple Threat WWE Championship

Kurt Angle and Big Show have time and time again produced Triple Threat excellence.  Their short title bout with JBL at 2005's Royal Rumble is a vigorous example of that. 

The match, running at a heart quickening pace, featured an impressively dominant Big Show and some big impact moments.  A teetering Show collapsed onto a table and he and JBL later tore apart the barricade around the ring. 

The mass interference at the end didn't feel cheap, instead adding a chaotic touch to the match. 

11. 1991 the Rockers vs. the Orient Express

A deliciously smooth chemistry, high energy from both teams and some of the most impressive synchronized moves we've ever seen helped to make the opening match of the 1991 Royal Rumble an unforgettable one. 

By no means was this just two trading spots either, it was a well-constructed match that showed off all four men's talents. 

It was clear to many people early on that Shawn Michaels would be great, but how beautifully he moved in the ring here screamed big time star. 

10. 2000 the Hardys vs. the Dudleyz Tables Match

Neither the Dudleyz nor the Hardys will ever be considered classical wrestlers, but give them some furniture and they will engross a crowd like few other guys can.

The stipulation that two members of a team had to go through a table consecutively made sure that we'd see more than one wrestler crash through a table. 

Having four men who are extremely adept at working with tables didn't hurt either.  The match rumbled along at a frenetic pace. 

Every other moment it felt like the match would surely end, keeping us on the edge of our seats. 

9. 2007 Cena vs Umaga Last Man Standing WWE Championship

With Umaga built up as an unbeatable monster and Cena injured, a win by Cena seemed improbable despite how beloved he is by the bookers. 

Until Money in the Bank 2011, I've always maintained that Umaga brought out Cena's very best.  On this night, Cena brawled superbly and played the resilient hero to a tee. 

The Last Man Standing stipulation felt woven into their feud and not just tossed in mindlessly.

Cena haters will not enjoy how much he channels the Hulkster towards the end.  Regardless, this will go down as an entertaining slugfest. 

Few times have I enjoyed seeing Cena celebrate a victory, but with the steel steps strewn about, blood dripping from his brow and the unhooked top rope lying limply around, it's hard to deny how stirring of a moment that one was. 

8. 1998 Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels Casket Match WWF Championship

While more famous for being the match that put Michaels out of action for several years, Undertaker and Michaels, as usual, put on a great show. 

The chemistry that produced magic in consecutive WrestleManias and the first ever Hell in a Cell was on display in one of their underrated confrontations.   

Kudos to Michaels for continuing the match and going full out despite cracking his spine on the coffin's edge. 

This battle featured all you'd expect from HBK and the Dead Man; power and speed, chokeslams and moonsaults.  But they also stepped it up on gave some jaw dropping moments like Michaels piledriving Undertaker on the steel steps, HBK's elbow drop into the casket and another betrayal from Kane.

7. 1999 the Rock vs. Mankind (I Quit) WWF Championship

One of the most famous Royal Rumble matches was a mixed bag. 

While it certainly had excellent build up and the benefit of their odd couple chemistry, it was sometimes too brutal for its own good.  

The "I quit" stipulation created plenty of drama.  It had to make the fans wonder how in the world Mankind could possibly lose this kind of match.

The two men beat each other with microphones, steel steps, the ring bell and a ladder.  The violent fight between them had maybe a handful of actual wrestling moves.

Rock entertainingly put on a pair of headphones mid-match to talk trash and sing to try and lighten the mood. 

There were times though when the action wasn't fun anymore, but just cringe-inducing.  As much as I love a good chair shot, how hard was it to watch Foley take that many brutal ones to the head?  

6. 2004 Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels Last Man Standing World Heavyweight Champion

Michaels and Triple H have had better matches together for sure.  This one is slow in spots, but the hatred between them was entrancing.   

Two titans slugged it out, until they were both bloodied, battered and neither one could stand. 

Michaels played up the courageousness angle well.  He and Flair are the absolute best at selling being barely able to stand.    

Jim Ross added to the tension and emotional power of the match with especially emotive commentary.

The crowd booed the draw finish, but it was a fitting, poetic end.

5. 1993 Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty Intercontinental Championship

With as far back as Michaels and Jannetty go, it's no surprise how in tune they are with each other.  Being tag partners and close friends from their AWA days helped create unbelievable chemistry between them.

If you can see past Jannetty's hideous outfit, this match is worth watching again and again. 

Jannetty sold the injured shoulder well, helping to amp up the drama.  The innovative offense and natural grace in the ring made for a good match alone.

Near the end though, there is a fiery intensity between them that snags the audience's attention and doesn't let go.

4. 2002 Chris Jericho vs. the Rock WWE Undisputed Championship

Rock and Jericho as always had electric chemistry that night.  Few men brought out such high-level wrestling out of the Great One like Jericho.

Jericho milked the opening beautifully, trash-talking the Rock from an uncomfortably close distance and stealing his "bring it" gesture.  Quite a few times, Jericho hilariously announced "I'm the champ" to whoever who'd listen. 

Though this had a slower pace than some of their other matches, the intensity of the last third of it more than made up for that.

From outside interference, to Spanish announce table drama to ref bumps, this match had just about every classic tenet of a wrestling match, all done extremely well. 

3. 2000 Triple H vs. Cactus Jack Street Fight

With these two men's names on the marquee, you'd expect nothing less than the shockingly brutal slugfest they produced. 

Is it insanity or toughness that Mick Foley took such a beating just a year after the I Quit match with the Rock? 

Foley as usual, took nasty bump after nasty bump.  Triple H broke a chair over his back.  He even had thumbtacks protruding from his face when it was all over. 

Triple H took his fair share of pounding as well, most notably a piledriver on a table that didn't give at all. 

Trips and Foley fought hard in a makeshift alley with barbed wire bats and garbage cans, the blood flowing, the crowd entranced. 

2. 2001 Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit Ladder Match Intercontinental Title

Of all their classic meetings, this one gets the heart pumping like no other.  Jericho and Benoit use the ladder gimmick to enhance their already incredible chemistry. 

Seeing all those brutal head shots, as thrilling as they are to watch, it's hard not to think of how those blows contributed to Benoit's dementia down the road, slowly smashing his brains into mush.

But in the end, we cannot erase what they did in the ring together which was give everything they had and put on one hell of a show.  J

im Ross was even more fired up than usual.  He knew he was witnessing a classic.

Cameras clicked away as Jericho put Benoit in that modified octopus hold on top of the ladder, an iconic image that will last forever.

1. 2003 Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit WWE Championship

Are there two guys who blended technical wrestling with in-ring storytelling better than Angle and Benoit?

By the time Royal Rumble 2003 came around, it seemed like they'd developed a telepathic bond, displayed in full during this stellar championship match.

Angle put on a suplex clinic.  Benoit's chops echoed through the arena.  Both men delivered staggering forearms in a stiff battle. 

The momentum shifting back and forth, the drama of the match rising and falling like a symphony, fans there and at home had their hearts pounding in their throats throughout.