WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 7 Greatest Individual Performances in Event's HIstory
The Royal Rumble match is the annual Battle Royal featuring 30 top WWE Superstars vying for the opportunity to compete for the top prize in the industry in the main event of WrestleMania.
As such, some of the sport's most recognizable names and faces have stood out from the pack, delivering the most memorable individual performances in the long history of the contest.
From future Hall of Famers delivering unfathomable showings early in the 1990s to the incredible endurance and unforgettable dominance of Superstars in the new millennium, the contest has made stars of some and cemented the legacies of others.
With the 2017 version of the match just a month away, could a current WWE Superstar add his name to this list?
Only time will tell. Until then, relive the greatest individual performances in event history with this journey through the Royal Rumble annals.
7. Bob Backlund (1993)
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There was no reason for anyone to think Bob Backlund, the former WWE champion last seen in the 1980s, would play an integral part in the 1993 Royal Rumble. After all, he had peaked a decade earlier and was past his prime.
Or was he?
Fans found out just how much Backlund had in his tank on that night in January, as the former WWE champion entered the match at No. 2, squaring off with Ric Flair in what would have been a dream match a decade earlier.
From there, he would survive Superstars such as Mr. Perfect, The Undertaker, Ted DiBiase and Jerry Lawler to last one hour, one minute, 10 seconds, a Rumble record to that point.
It was the most impressive individual performance in the history of the gigantic Battle Royal.
At least until Rey Mysterio came along 13 years later.
6. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (1997)
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"Stone Cold" Steve Austin was riding a tremendous wave of momentum as the 1997 Royal Rumble started. Fresh off a five-star classic against Bret Hart at Survivor Series and still embroiled in a rivalry with the legendary competitor, Austin was quickly establishing himself as one of the elite stars in WWE.
No Superstar in that year's Rumble would be more dominant than The Texas Rattlesnake.
Entering at No. 5, he would last 45 minutes. More impressively, he would eliminate 10 Superstars in that span, including Hart.
His victory catapulted him to the top of the promotion. Though anything but clean, the win signified the start of a monstrous push that would carry him into WrestleMania 13 and an iconic Submission match against Hart.
Some 19 years after its conclusion, Austin's performance on that night remains one of the most inexplicably underrated in the event's long and illustrious history.
5. Rey Mysterio (2006)
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In 2006, the Royal Rumble arrived at a time when WWE was reeling from the death of one of its premier stars, Eddie Guerrero.
With Latino Heat's name still on the tongues of fans and friends alike, Rey Mysterio suddenly became a favorite to carry on his friend's legacy by winning the annual match and cashing his ticket to WrestleMania 22.
Entering the match at No. 2, it looked unlikely. But as the match progressed and The Master of the 619 hung around, it appeared as though he may do the unthinkable.
When he headscissored Randy Orton to the arena floor, fans rejoiced. Mysterio, the smallest man in the match, had lasted the duration of the contest and earned the right to compete for the world title at the biggest event of the year.
4. Kane (2001)
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Kane had long been one of the marquee stars in WWE, but no one expected the level of dominance they would witness as he entered the 2001 Royal Rumble.
He intimidated comedian Drew Carey over the top rope and to the arena floor. He cut off The Honky Tonk Man's performance of his own theme song with a well-placed guitar shot. He eliminated The Rock as one of the 11 Superstars he dumped to the floor.
Most impressive, though, was his endurance.
The 328-pound Superstar lasted nearly 54 minutes before being sent over the top by Rumble winner Steve Austin.
For 13 years, Kane's record of 11 eliminations in a single Royal Rumble was the benchmark for domination. That is, until Roman Reigns exceeded it by one in 2014.
3. Roman Reigns (2014)
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Roman Reigns was not yet the polarizing main event star he would eventually become when he entered the 2014 Royal Rumble match. He was the juggernaut of The Shield—the unstoppable force that fueled the trio's physical dominance.
No one expected him to win the 30-man match that year, but there were expectations that he would be spotlighted. Few could have imagined what that would entail.
Not only did Reigns last 33 minutes, but he also eliminated 12 Superstars in that span, breaking the 13-year record set by Kane in 2001.
He nearly won the whole thing, too, but wound up the last man eliminated as Batista earned his second Rumble win.
It was the catalyst for a singles push that would begin months later and a win the following year.
2. Chris Benoit (2004)
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Chris Benoit entered the Royal Rumble at No. 1 in 2004.
He would endure a tremendous beating and Superstars such as Randy Orton, Goldberg, Kane, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and John Cena to emerge victorious and cash his ticket to WrestleMania XX.
His biggest threat, though, was the massive Big Show. The World's Largest Athlete suddenly remembered he was a dominant force and wiped out the rest of the field, eliminating Jericho, Angle, Rob Van Dam and Cena before setting his sights on The Canadian Crippler.
Benoit, exhausted and his body wracked with pain, grabbed hold of the monstrous competitor's head and slowly pulled him over the top rope with a front facelock. As Big Show crashed to the floor, Benoit completed his arduous journey to the promised land that is WWE's main event scene.
1. Ric Flair (1992)
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Ric Flair was a transcendent star—a household name whose legacy in the NWA and WCW catapulted him into the discussion of all-time greats. Creative and business differences with the power brokers in Ted Turner's company led to Flair's departure and arrival in WWE.
In 1992, he entered the Royal Rumble match at No. 3 with his eyes on the vacant WWE Championship. With commentator Bobby Heenan crying foul that he selected such an early entry number and then shrieking at every near-elimination, The Nature Boy's performance would rank as one of the best and most memorable in Rumble history.
Though he only eliminated five competitors, Flair survived for one hour, doing so while surrounded by some of the most celebrated Superstars in all of professional wrestling.
In fact, Fair outlasted 16 future Hall of Famers in what was the most star-studded match the event had ever and will ever see.
Winning the WWE Championship for the first time only put the icing on top of the proverbial cake.
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