WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Most Underrated Matches in Event's History
World Wrestling Entertainment's Royal Rumble pay-per-view is traditionally one of the biggest of the year. It is the official start of the road to WrestleMania, and as such, fans have come to expect epic matches and moments from the year's first extravaganza.
Over the years, fans have been treated to iconic bouts, including the 2000 Street Fight for the WWE title between Cactus Jack and Triple H, the 1992 Rumble match itself, the Ladder match between Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit in 2001 and the "I Quit" match between Mankind and The Rock in 1999.
Moments such as Steve Austin's three Royal Rumble victories, Sgt. Slaughter's improbable WWE Championship victory in 1991 and conclusion of the 2007 Rumble contest featuring Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker are etched in the minds of fans for generations to come.
Anytime an event lasts as long as the Royal Rumble has, there are sure to be outstanding matches overshadowed by more historically significant bouts or moments that proved more vital to the telling of stories ahead of WrestleMania.
Thus, the annual spectacular's history is littered with matches that have earned the reputation of hidden gems or underrated classics over the years.
As WWE gears up for another edition of the Royal Rumble, here now is a look back at some of the most overlooked, forgotten classics the event has been responsible for, their rankings based solely on what this writer perceives their quality to be in relation to the others.
7. Submission Match: Ronnie Garvin vs. Greg Valentine (1990)
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A loss to Greg Valentine in a Retirement match should have meant the end of Ronnie Garvin's career in World Wrestling Entertainment. Instead, he found work as a referee then as a ring announcer. In both instances, he was around the squared circle to torment and pester Valentine, costing him matches and routinely getting the last laugh.
When Garvin was reinstated by WWE President Jack Tunney, a challenge for a submission match was made.
Valentine regularly used the Figure Four as a finisher, something enhanced in story by his shin pad, "the Heart Breaker." To counteract the effect of Valentine's pad, Garvin introduced one of his own ahead of the match.
The contest was the culmination of a months-long storyline between two ring veterans. It was a hard-hitting affair, as was expected given the styles of the performers, and one that allowed the Superstars to wrestle a completely different match than anything WWE fans had come to expect from the promotion at the time.
The shin protectors came into play late in the match as Garvin blasted Valentine with his then locked in the Hammer Jammer (Sharpshooter) to secure the victory in a really physical, old-school wrestling match.
6. 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly vs. Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka (1995)
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The WWE Tag Team Championship tournament had the unenviable task of following a near-classic between Bret Hart and Diesel that occurred just moments earlier.
The team of Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka, representing the devious Million Dollar Corporation, was the clear favorite to emerge with the title, but to do so, it would have to knock off the underdog team of the 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly.
It would prove easier said than done as, no matter how much the heels dominated the action, the resilient babyfaces stuck around.
In the end, the dynamic offense of Kid and Holly proved the difference as the former came off the top rope with a big moonsault on Bigelow that not only won them the match, but secured them their first and only tag title reign.
After the bout, a frustrated Bigelow confronted Lawrence Taylor, setting up the WrestleMania XI main event in a moment that is historically relevant but at the same time overshadows the great tag bout that preceded it.
5. WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Dudley Boyz vs. Edge and Christian (2001)
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The 2001 Royal Rumble event is one of the best in WWE history, thanks to a Ladder match for the intercontinental title between Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, a WWE Championship match between Triple H and Kurt Angle that was the scene for further drama between Stephanie McMahon and Trish Stratus and a Rumble match featuring Kane's most dominant performance and Steve Austin's history-making third victory in the annual Battle Royal.
The show was also the setting for an electrifying tag title match that kicked off the evening's festivities as The Dudley Boyz challenged Edge and Christian for the top prize in the division.
With Bubba Ray and D'Von each selling injuries from a previous attack at the hands of the villainous champions, the challengers' chances of dethroning their most hated rivals appeared incredibly slim.
But the challengers overcame the roadblocks put in front of them and downed the Superstars, totally reeking of awesomeness to earn yet another reign with the gold.
The match was another reminder that, while the two teams rose to prominence in Tables, Ladders & Chairs matches, they could certainly deliver when in a more basic match setting.
4. The Rockers vs. the Orient Express (1991)
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The Rockers had done battle with Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka prior to their contest in January 1991 at the Royal Rumble.
Badd Company, Diamond and Tanaka had partnered in various territories, battling Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty before either team debuted for Vince McMahon's company. In those matches, they demonstrated tremendous in-ring chemistry that had diehard fans salivating at the possibility of watching them on the big stage that WWE presented.
Under the moniker of the Orient Express, Tanaka and a masked Diamond (known as Kato) defeated the Rockers in a rather disappointing match at WrestleMania VI. With fans underwhelmed by what they had seen, the two teams had the rare second opportunity to make an impression at the following year's Rumble event.
In the opening contest of the night, the teams cut a frenetic pace, wowing the fans in Miami with a phenomenal match whose quality was lost in the WWE Championship switch that occurred later in the evening—not to mention another legacy-building victory for Hulk Hogan in the night's main event.
Arguably the best tag team in WWE at the time, the Rockers were hitting on all cylinders and appeared to be the most fitting choice to capture the company's tag titles.
Unfortunately, that would not happen, even on the back of an outstanding performance at the year's first major pay-per-view, in a win over an underrated team in the Orient Express.
3. WWE Championship Match: Bret Hart vs. Diesel (1995)
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By January of 1995, Bret Hart and Diesel were the two undisputed top babyfaces in World Wrestling Entertainment. "Big Daddy Cool" was the WWE champion, coming off an improbable end to '94, while Hart was looking to regain the title that was inexplicably taken off him the previous November.
With the annual Royal Rumble match headlining the show, Vince McMahon bolstered one the year's biggest cards with one of the biggest matches his company had to offer, pitting the wildly popular Hart against the blossoming champion Diesel.
Hart was more aggressive than ever, even drawing the ire of commentator McMahon, who questioned whether the Hitman's drive and determination to regain the WWE Championship had changed him. Hart targeted the long legs of his 7'0" opponent, attempting to both keep him grounded and set him up for his Sharpshooter finisher.
Unfortunately, helping to carry Diesel to his finest match to date did little for Hart, especially by the time his brother Owen, Bob Backlund, Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels interfered, leading to a draw finish.
Sure, the finish was majorly disappointing to those who had emotionally invested themselves in the bout, but everything before it, from the action to the storyline, was nearly perfect and brought out the best of both competitors.
In November, the same two workers would have an even greater match at the Survivor Series, completely overshadowing what was an outstanding match to kick off the year.
2. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio vs. the Undertaker (2010)
6 of 7One may not look at a match between Undertaker and Rey Mysterio and immediately think "hard hitting," but that is exactly what fans were treated to when the two most popular stars on the SmackDown brand—and the two Superstars most closely associated with the Friday night program—battled it out for the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2010 Royal Rumble.
Mysterio bloodied the Deadman early in the bout, breaking his nose with a stiff kick to the face. That one moment set the tone for the entire match.
Clearly borrowing from the Sting vs. Vader classics of early 1990s WCW, which featured the underdog Sting squaring off against a much larger, more physically superior opponent, Mysterio fought from underneath and nearly upset the champion on numerous occasions.
At the end of the night, however, Undertaker dipped back into his bag of tricks, broke out the Last Ride powerbomb and pinned Mysterio to retain his title.
The match was the last truly great match Mysterio would have in WWE before injuries led to an inconsistent slew of appearances in the years that followed.
1. Undisputed Championship Match: The Rock vs. Chris Jericho (2002)
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How any match between The Rock and Chris Jericho can possibly be underrated is a mystery, but that is the fate that has befallen two of the greatest Superstars in professional wrestling history and their classic at the 2002 edition of the Royal Rumble.
Months earlier, they met for the first time on pay-per-view in what was a tremendous WCW Championship match at No Mercy. By December, their rivalry escalated, with Jericho turning heel for the first time since 1999. At Vengeance, Jericho defeated the Great One then went on to capture the WWE Undisputed Championship, the first Superstar to do so.
It was only natural that the rivalry would be renewed as WWE embarked on the road to WrestleMania.
Rock and Jericho added to their portfolio of excellent matches with each other by captivating the Atlanta fans with a contest full of dramatic near-falls. Interference from Lance Storm and Christian, not to mention crooked officiating from Nick Patrick, secured the win for Jericho and sent the rivals on different paths heading into WrestleMania X8.
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