Power Ranking Every WWE Royal Rumble Match Since 2000

It's hard to argue against the Royal Rumble being one of, if not the greatest gimmick match WWE has ever created.

Following its debut in 1988, the annual Battle Royal became a celebrated and anticipated event every January. Starting in 1993, the stakes were raised when it was determined that the winner would earn a world championship match at WrestleMania.

After more than three decades, it would be easy for the bout to lose its luster, especially now that there are two (one for the men and one for the women). However, WWE and its Superstars have found ways to keep it exciting year after year.

In this millennium alone, there have been some tremendous Rumbles. Others, meanwhile, have fallen flat. While the fans haven't been satisfied with the outcomes in recent years, the surprises and overall unpredictability that come with Royal Rumbles have occasionally made up for the underwhelming victors.

The upcoming installment on Jan. 26 will have a lot to live up to if the past 22 Rumble matches have been any indication. From the bottom of the barrel to the best of the bunch, this list will look at every Royal Rumble that has taken place since 2000.

It will be exclusive to the Royal Rumble matches that have occurred at the event itself and not anywhere else, such as 2018's Greatest Royal Rumble.

With all of the formalities out of the way, let's get ready to rumble.

22. 2015

Anything that could wrong in a Royal Rumble match did in the 2015 installment.

Hopes were high heading into the annual Battle Royal considering there were multiple wrestlers who could realistically win it. Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Bray Wyatt were all in the running, but the only one who wound up mattering was The Big Dog.

Bryan, in particular, was whom fans had their heart set on coming out on top and punching his ticket to WrestleMania 31 to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It would have been the perfect story considering he wasn't even included in the Rumble the year prior, but WWE had no desire to deviate from its original plans for the Show of Shows.

The match started off well enough, with Bubba Ray Dudley making a surprise return and Wyatt dominating, but the bout took a turn for the worse once Bryan was unceremoniously dumped early on. From that moment forward, the rowdy crowd in Philadelphia rejected everything and everyone. And rightfully so.

Big Show and Kane, two of The Authority's top members, took turns throwing out the biggest fan favorites. One by one, Wyatt, Ambrose, Ziggler and Ryback were eliminated.

Once it came down to Reigns, Show and Kane, it was obvious who was winning. Not even The Rock's return could salvage the ending of this match, which almost saw Rusev upset Reigns until he too was sent spiraling over the top rope.

Never before had a Royal Rumble ruined a Superstar the way it did Reigns in 2015. It was years before he overcame the booking of that fateful evening, making it the worst Rumble of modern times—if not ever.

21. 2000

Emanating from the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, Royal Rumble 2000 had a hot crowd and an exciting undercard. The tag team Tables match that kicked off the event was a blast, and Triple H and Cactus Jack stole the show with their Street Fight for the WWE Championship.

The pay-per-view would have been an all-timer if the Rumble match itself delivered.

There were some fun moments early on, with Too Cool dancing in the middle of the ring and Kai En Tai invading multiple times, but the pace didn't pick up until the final stretch. The final four of The Rock, Big Show, Kane and X-Pac was well done, but because Rock's win was predictable, there wasn't much suspense over the outcome.

Worse yet, the finish was botched. While Rock was hanging off the top rope on the side of the ring, both of his feet accidentally grazed the floor, which should have resulted in his elimination and the win going to Big Show.

Instead, WWE chose the ignore it and instead went ahead with what was planned. Granted, Rock's victory made for a cool moment, but it wasn't all that impressive when you realize the match was largely filled with midcard competitors who had no chance to begin with.

20. 2014

It's remarkable that WWE managed to badly botch the ending of the Royal Rumble match two years in a row, starting with the 2014 installment.

In the months leading up to the event, many members of the WWE Universe made it known that Daniel Bryan was the only Superstar they wanted to see win the Rumble. After all, he essentially had the WWE Championship stolen from him on countless occasions and never gave The Authority their comeuppance.

Bryan prevailing in the annual Battle Royal and earning the title shot The Authority would have never given him otherwise was the most logical route to take. Once it was announced Batista was on his way back to the company after four years away, however, fans began to worry that WWE would award him the victory in the Rumble instead.

Sure enough, that was what happened. Even more puzzling was the decision to leave out Bryan, causing the crowd in Pittsburgh to boo relentlessly after Rey Mysterio entered at No. 30 when they realized it wasn't the Yes Man.

It wasn't as if everything that preceded the finish was terribly memorable anyway. CM Punk lasting almost the entire time (before being taken out by Corporate Kane) and the tension teased within The Shield were compelling stories, but there was an overall lack of energy and enthusiasm for a majority of the matchup.

If nothing else, Roman Reigns had a breakout performance by eliminating more than a third of the field and snapping Kane's record for most eliminations in one Rumble in the process. He nearly won the whole thing before Batista bounced him from the ring to claim the guaranteed title shot for himself.

19. 2009

If you thought the 2014 and 2015 Royal Rumbles were predictable, look no further than the 2009 Rumble. That was the year when Randy Orton winning with help from The Legacy could be seen coming from a mile away.

It didn't help that WWE basically telegraphed the ending by having Orton punt Mr. McMahon in the skull days before the event. From a storyline standpoint, The Viper should have been fired right then and there, but because he won the Rumble, the McMahons were legally obligated to keep him under contract through WrestleMania.

Perhaps the highlight of the match saw Santino Marella set the record for quickest elimination when he was thrown out by Kane in 1.9 seconds. The rest of the match didn't feature many stories aside from The Legacy teaming up on everyone else to give Orton the advantage.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan's grand return was a bit of a weak surprise, but Rob Van Dam's shocking comeback was well received by the Detroit crowd. Meanwhile, Big Show eliminated The Undertaker in anticlimactic fashion, and Rey Mysterio had a nice run for himself.

Although far from terrible, this isn't a Rumble you will be clamoring to rewatch years from now.

18. 2011

For the first time ever, WWE decided to expand the amount of entrants in the Royal Rumble match from 30 to 40 in 2011. Aside from attempting to increase pay-per-view buys, this was likely done because of SmackDown's and Raw's growing rosters at the time.

The New Nexus and The Corre alone made up nearly a fourth of the field, so it was a necessary move. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent why the Rumble is better off with 30 people involved: the more entrants there are, the more the match will drag.

CM Punk was far and away the star, entering at No. 1 and lasting 35 minutes. Along the way, he amassed seven eliminations with help from his New Nexus disciples until he ran into the roadblock that was John Cena.

Cena ridding the ring of Nexus so easily was underwhelming and hurt the second half of the Rumble. That said, John Morrison avoiding elimination by leaping on to the barricade was cool, and the returns of Booker T and Diesel went over huge.

Unlike other installments discussed up to this point, the winner of this one was a pleasant surprise. Alberto Del Rio stealing the victory came out of nowhere and set the stage for him to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

More than anything else, pacing prevented this Rumble from being better than it was. Thankfully, WWE has stuck with the 30-Superstar format since.

17. 2017

The 2017 installment was the definition of a middle-of-the-road Royal Rumble. There wasn't a ton to nitpick, but there also wasn't anything worth writing home about, either.

This was another Rumble that didn't have one obvious winner going in, but the person WWE went with, Randy Orton, wasn't an overly exciting option. It was better than Roman Reigns again, even if it was apparent his sole purpose was to ensure Orton wasn't booed when he won.

Everyone looks forward to the Rumble for the surprises, and unfortunately this one was devoid of them. Then-NXT upstart Tye Dillinger coming out at No. 10 was fun, but the rest of the matchup played out exactly how fans figured it would.

The middle portion dragged, but the opening and closing stretches were solid, with several Superstars having standout showings. Braun Strowman looked like a monster and eliminated seven competitors, while Brock Lesnar and Goldberg brought the crowd to its feet with their brief yet exhilarating interaction.

WWE saved all the notable names until the end with Lesnar, Goldberg and Undertaker all entered within the final 10 minutes, so the layout could have been better. All in all, it was a disappointing Rumble considering the level of star power involved.

16. 2019 (Men's)

The biggest knock against the 2019 men's Royal Rumble was that the show was already running long and the crowd was exhausted, not to mention that the 2018 match set the bar high for future installments. Under different circumstances, this Rumble likely would have ranked higher.

That said, there was no shortage of surprises. NXT standouts Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne and Aleister Black were all given time to shine, the Jeff Jarrett cameo and interaction with Elias worked well and a ton of talent, from Andrade to Samoa Joe, lasted a long time.

Seth Rollins, who went on to win the whole thing, had the strongest performance of them all by surviving 43 minutes. When it came down to him and Braun Strowman, the fans in attendance were torn over which man they wanted to win and provided an electric atmosphere for the finish.

Curt Hawkins, No Way Jose, Shelton Benjamin and Apollo Crews had no business being in the Rumble, but at least their appearances were short-lived. If nothing else, the right man went over, and that was what mattered most.

Nia Jax making history as the first person to enter both the men's and women's Rumbles on the same show was the icing on the cake.

15. 2006

The 2006 Royal Rumble match is best known for Rey Mysterio overcoming the odds from No. 2 in Eddie Guerrero's honor. As memorable of a moment as it was, the feat would have been more amazing had Chris Benoit not done it two years prior.

In fact, Mysterio's run in the Rumble that year wasn't nearly as impressive as it sounds. He scored several eliminations and set the record for most amount of time spent in a single Rumble, but it was Triple H, the No. 1 entrant, who carried most of the match and made everyone else look great.

Triple H rekindling his rivalries with Ric Flair and Chris Benoit early on was a blast, and he did the right thing in putting over Mysterio big time. He was by far the highlight, as nothing else stood out as spectacular until the end.

The Rumble being slotted in the middle of the pay-per-view (behind Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry, no less) spoke volumes about how the company viewed Mysterio's main event push. That would also explain why he didn't headline WrestleMania 22 and why his reign as world champion was handled poorly.

Nevertheless, this was a slightly underwhelming albeit decent Rumble with a fun few moments mixed in and the correct outcome.

14. 2012

Next to The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels from 2007, the 2012 Royal Rumble had one of the best closing stretches in the history of the annual Battle Royal.

Chris Jericho was riding a wave of momentum following his return to Raw and was primed to challenge CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII. Meanwhile, Sheamus had been racking up victories over on SmackDown and had an equal shot of winning the Rumble.

The match could have gone either way, and considering they had never faced off one-on-one before, Sheamus and Jericho felt fresh as the final two. Their hotly contested clash culminated with Sheamus barely edging out Jericho and securing his golden opportunity at WrestleMania.

Everything leading up to that point wasn't nearly as exciting but still solid. The stuff with the commentators entering the Rumble was a waste, but Kharma's return took everyone by surprise, and Kofi Kingston kicked off his streak of avoiding elimination in innovative fashion.

The early going was great, but the boring middle portion—and excessive amount of lower-card competitors involved—hurts this bout's ranking.

13. 2003

Fans knew this would be a wild Royal Rumble upon realizing Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were kicking it off to plant the seeds for a WrestleMania match between them. Although The Heartbreak Kid was bounced early, Jericho went on to last an impressive 39 minutes and carry the majority of the match.

The pacing of the first half was on another level and featured top-notch performances by several up-and-comers, including Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy and John Cena. Once they were unceremoniously eliminated, the match quality fell off a cliff.

This was the polar opposite of most Rumble matches in that the finishing sequence was the weakest part. Batista, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and Kane (the final four) had minimal chemistry, and nothing they did was remotely exciting.

Lesnar winning the Rumble coming off the incredible rookie year should have been a bigger deal than it was, especially when The Undertaker, a familiar foe of his, endorsed him afterward. That fantastic first half deserves plenty of praise, though.

12. 2018 (Women's)

For years, the idea of an all-women's Royal Rumble match seemed impractical. Not only were there not enough women on the main roster to fill the 30 spots, but WWE also never booked the Divas division in a way that it would have been taken seriously.

Slowly but surely, that started to change, with WWE dropping the Divas branding in 2016 and taking the necessary steps to treat the women with the reverence they deserved. By 2018, it finally made sense for a women's Rumble to be held, and it was officially announced to much fanfare.

WWE spent far too much time ahead of the event playing up how historic it was for there to be a women's Rumble instead of focusing on what it would mean for the competitors to win it. Despite that, the bout played out perfectly, with there being a nice balance of past and present stars.

Returning icons such as Trish Stratus and Lita looked tremendous, while other familiar faces such as Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly and Torrie Wilson received warm welcomes from the WWE Universe. The current roster wasn't overshadowed, though, as Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Natalya were showcased throughout.

For the inaugural women's Rumble, this was exactly what it needed to be. It can be argued that it was too heavily focused on nostalgia, but at least it didn't come at the expense of the winner, Asuka.

11. 2013

Days ahead of the 2013 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, John Cena promised he would redeem himself for the disappointing 2012 he had by winning his second Rumble match. This was the same show on which The Rock challenged CM Punk for the WWE Championship after a record-setting 434-day reign.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where WWE was headed with its WrestleMania main event that year.

Although Cena prevailing in the Rumble was basically a foregone conclusion, it didn't take away from fans' enjoyment whatsoever. That much was evident when Dolph Ziggler entered at No. 1 and was immediately joined by the returning Chris Jericho, the same man he booted from WWE mere months earlier.

What followed was a well-put-together Rumble filled with surprises and memorable moments. Goldust and Cody Rhodes rekindled their sibling rivalry, Kane and Daniel Bryan had some fun at each other's expense and Kofi Kingston avoided elimination in entertaining fashion yet again.

Cena running through the rest of the field was fairly basic, but the crowd ate it up all the same. Truth be told, this would have been the perfect time for WWE to pull the trigger on Ryback's push, but it wasn't meant to be.

While this was another Rumble that didn't go on last, that made sense, with Rock vs. Punk occupying the main event slot instead. Besides, Cena ending the evening as the Rumble winner after Rock had already regained the gold for the first time in over a decade wouldn't have been as special.

WWE made the right move with the match order and gave fans what they wanted, even if the endgame was obvious a year out.

10. 2019 (Women's)

There were a ton of questions heading into the 2019 women's Royal Rumble match as far as how WWE would effectively fill the time without relying on alumnae for the second straight year.

The Rumble ended up being better than its predecessor, as well as the men's matchup from later on in the night. There weren't many stories worth paying attention to, but it was difficult to turn away, as everything flowed nicely.

The NXT ladies had a heavy presence, with Kairi Sane, Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Kacy Catanzaro, Xia Li and Io Shirai all making appearances. Natalya lasted way longer than she should have (especially since she did very little of note), but Ember Moon's survival until the end was encouraging.

Fans waited patiently the entire time for Becky Lynch to emerge following her loss to Asuka earlier in the evening. Sure enough, she replaced the injured Lana, causing the crowd in Phoenix to come unglued.

The final four couldn't have been better booked, with Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Bayley going at it. Lynch had run-ins with both Flair and Jax in the months preceding the pay-per-view, so it was fitting that she was the one to eliminate them both to earn the victory.

More Rumbles like this going forward would be appreciated.

9. 2005

If you want to watch a Royal Rumble filled with future world champions, the 2005 installment has that in abundance, as well as plenty of exciting in-ring action to boot.

Everything about this Rumble is unadulterated fun, both in terms of its spectacular storytelling and how much it did to benefit the talent of tomorrow. You couldn't have found two better wrestlers to kick it off than Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero given their chemistry and history, while Edge gained a ton from lasting as long as he did.

No one felt like a wasted pick, as everyone had their time to shine. Muhammad Hassan's quick elimination courtesy of everyone in the match was a highlight, along with Hardcore Holly and Benoit taking turns beating up on Tough Enough rookie Daniel Puder.

Mysterio, Edge, John Cena and Batista were the biggest breakout stars of the bout, and interestingly enough, they made up the final four. That served as a sign that WWE was serious about pushing all of them as top talents, and within a year, all of them had won world titles.

The 2005 Rumble featured one of the most controversial endings in the event's history, with Batista and Cena accidentally hitting the floor at the same time. This led to WWE improvising, with the Raw and SmackDown referees arguing over who the victor was while Vince McMahon recovered from tearing both of his quads as he slid into the ring.

Once the match was restarted, The Animal wasted no time in throwing Cena over the top rope for the win. This paved the way for him to dethrone Triple H as World Heavyweight champion at WrestleMania and cement his status as a singles star.

8. 2001

No Royal Rumble can be considered more chaotic than the one held in 2001. Not only did it have a little something for everyone, it felt like an epilogue, with the Attitude Era coming to a close.

After Matt and Jeff Hardy accidentally eliminated each other in the opening minutes of the match, The Price Is Right host Drew Carey graced the ring before being scared off by Kane. This kicked off one of the most dominant performances in Rumble history.

From Raven to The Rock, no one was safe from The Big Red Monster's path of destruction. He had been in WWE for more than three years by this point, but he had never felt more intimidating and unstoppable in his career than he did during this Rumble.

It seemed like no one stood a chance against him, which became the biggest story of the matchup. This was also around the time that the Hardcore Championship was a sought-after item, and thus this Rumble had an element of extreme to it as well.

With 11 eliminations to his credit, Kane managed it to make it to the final two with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The Texas Rattlesnake's victory probably shouldn't have been as thrilling as it was since he had won it two times before, but fans couldn't help but lose their minds because of what it meant for WrestleMania: Austin vs. Rock II for the WWE Championship.

This Rumble was a one-of-a-kind.

7. 2004

The legacy of the 2004 Royal Rumble will be forever ignored by WWE for obvious and understandable reasons, but its greatness should not be understated. The promotion booked a beauty with this bout by crafting an unbelievably good story from start to finish.

When Chris Benoit was announced as the first entrant weeks ahead of the Rumble, the thought of him winning didn't cross many fans' minds. It just seemed like too unrealistic of an outcome until Benoit worked his way through the entire field.

In addition to Benoit, Randy Orton stood out as a star and was a focal point of the Rumble. Mick Foley, whom he punted down a flight of stairs in the summer of 2003, returned to cost Orton the win and begin the build to their long awaited clash at WrestleMania XX.

There were a handful of exciting interactions to make the match worthwhile, but this was largely all about Benoit and his climb to the top of the mountain. He had a far more impressive performance than Shawn Michaels did in 1995, when he won it from the No. 1 spot and solidified himself as a main event player with his win.

Unlike Rey Mysterio two years later, Benoit headlined both the Rumble and WrestleMania XX, proving that WWE was adamant about giving him his moment and making him the man on Raw.

6. 2002

Considering 2002 is widely remembered for being an excellent year for WWE from an in-ring standpoint, it should hardly come as a surprise that year's Royal Rumble match was stellar. With it being all-action from bell to bell, fans had no choice but to enjoy every second.

This was different than most Rumbles in that there weren't a few logical contenders with a bunch of random midcarders mixed in. Instead, almost everyone felt like they had a purpose and made the most of the time they had.

The Undertaker held down the fort early on and created a moment for the ages when he was shockingly eliminated by Maven. Surprises like that are what the Rumble is all about and sent the message that anything could happen in the remainder of the matchup.

The pace picked up once "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H entered the fray. Both men had an equal chance of coming out on top, even though Triple H was coming off a long injury layoff and made the most sense.

A slew of notable names entered in the final stretch, but every one of them except for Kurt Angle and Mr. Perfect was eliminated. Angle and Perfect were eventually tossed as well after giving it their all, leaving The Game to beat Austin to reign supreme.

The crowd was white-hot for every minute of the matchup and helped to make it even more amazing than it already was.

5. 2010

The best Royal Rumble matches are those that contain the most amount of stories and combine those with smart pacing and surprises. The 2010 installment checked all of those boxes and then some.

Right out of the gate, CM Punk provided some memorable moments by running down everyone who defied the Straight Edge Society. His hot streak was eventually cut short by Triple H, but it was fun while it lasted.

Triple H then waged war with all of the up-and-coming athletes on the roster, including The Legacy, John Morrison and Drew McIntyre, only to meet his match in his tag team partner Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid was on a mission to avenge his loss to The Undertaker from the year before and was willing to do anything to make that match happen at WrestleMania XXVI.

Michaels' emotional performance alone makes this matchup a total treat. Some entrants, such as Chris Masters and Shelton Benjamin, were clearly throwaway, but the good far outweighed the bad. Everyone played their roles remarkably well.

The final three were no different than they were five years earlier: Cena, Batista and the returning Edge, who was expected to be out a lot longer than he was. At that point, the only logical winner was Edge, and once he had his hand raised, the crowd rejoiced.

4. 2016

The only other time the WWE Championship has been defended in a Royal Rumble was in 1992, and given that is arguably the best Rumble match of all time, it was wise of WWE to try it again.

Roman Reigns had been a thorn in The Authority's side for months. The animosity between the two sides reached the point that they had no choice but to punish him by forcing him to defend his title in the Rumble against 29 other Superstars.

Worse yet, he had to enter from the No. 1 spot. Granted, League of Nations took him out of the equation early, but his absence allowed others to shine. Among those people was AJ Styles, whose debut sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It was a such a surreal moment for everyone who had followed his career across the globe and was now seeing him grace the WWE stage. He was equally as impressive as Kevin Owens, who was the ultimate heel and even rekindled his rivalry with Sami Zayn.

The match wasn't without its dull points, but even those (The Wyatt Family crushing the competition) served to further feuds and plant seeds for storylines. Triple H's return at No. 30 was fairly predictable yet logical, but The Game mixing it up with Dean Ambrose instead of Reigns at the end was a pleasant surprise.

This Rumble proved that having something more than just a title shot up for grabs makes the match infinitely more entertaining and important. It can't be done every year, but under the right circumstances, it works wonderfully.

3. 2007

The greatest closing stretch in Royal Rumble match history happened in 2007—and the rest of the match was pretty terrific too.

Surprisingly, Finlay was the "iron man" of the match and avoided elimination at every turn. Edge and Randy Orton did most of the work and ruled the roost until Shawn Michaels entered the fray down the stretch.

The pacing was consistent, and everyone held their own. There aren't many complaints that can be made about it at all, and as noted, the finishing sequence alone between The Undertaker and Michaels makes this an all-time great Rumble.

There was something so special about seeing two Texans battling it out for the opportunity to headline WrestleMania nine years removed from their last war together.

It's quite possible we would have never gotten that instant classic between Michaels and Taker at WrestleMania XXV if they didn't first face off at this event and show the world the magic they were capable of.

2. 2008

As with the 2000 Royal Rumble match, this installment was also held inside Madison Square Garden, yet this was infinitely better in terms of the surprises it had, as well as its layout and overall execution.

In appropriate fashion, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker kicked off the festivities to play off their epic encounter from the year prior. A bunch of midcarders came in before Batista made his presence felt and eliminated everyone in sight.

There was more fun to be had in the middle of the Rumble, including the MSG returns of Jimmy Snuka and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. It quickly became apparent that Superstars were being stockpiled in the ring so someone could come out and toss them all out.

Many assumed it would be Triple H or Batista, but instead, it was John Cena, who made the comeback of the century. Not everyone automatically loved Cena that night, but even his biggest detractors had to admit that his return was shocking and resulted in an unforgettable moment.

Cena was on a quest to reclaim the championship he never lost, and by throwing Triple H over the top rope, he was one step closer to doing that. This was a wild Rumble that hit all the right notes and left fans satisfied for what was to follow on the Road to WrestleMania.

1. 2018 (Men's)

The top two Royal Rumble matches of the millennium took place almost exactly 10 years apart. The 2008 installment was incredible, but the 2018 version just about has it beat.

Everything from the comedy bits with Elias and Heath Slater to Finn Balor's remarkable run and Andrade's surprise appearance worked and flowed amazingly well. Only a select few Superstars weren't necessary, whereas everyone else had a reason for wanting to win and were realistically in the running for doing so.

The best was to come late on, however, as Rey Mysterio shocked the world by entering at No. 27 and exceeding all expectations with the spectacular showing he had. That alone would have made this match, but the rest of it was perfectly handled, and the showdown between the final six was simply tremendous.

John Cena, Randy Orton and Mysterio put themselves against the trio of Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura and Balor as a way to illustrate how it was the changing of the guard in WWE. With everyone else gone, Nakamura and Reigns went back and forth and had an exceptional encounter before Nakamura secured the victory.

There were few things fans wanted more than to see Nakamura face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34, and as soon as the celebrated Battle Royal was over, The King of Strong Style made it official for the Show of Shows.

This was the perfect storm of everything that could have gone right with the Rumble and acted as a reminder that WWE is still capable of producing an exhilarating Rumble when it wants to.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.