WWE Royal Rumble: Power Ranking the Top Ten Most Memorable Events

The WWE Royal Rumble has become an institution in WWE through its decorated history.  A genre unto itself, the Royal Rumble is the WWE pay-per-view that comes closest to rivaling WrestleMania in popularity. 

Beginning in 1993, a stipulation was implemented to have the Royal Rumble champion compete for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. This critical stipulation, combined with the high success rate of Royal Rumble winners at WrestleMania and a history of memorable Rumble moments, has made the Royal Rumble match itself one of the most anticipated event of the year. 

The Royal Rumble match is, in essence, an accelerated microcosm of all the critical elements necessary for a professional wrestling promotion to succeed.  The event has seen surprises, the creation of new stars, the vindication of established talent, unpredictable finishes and if that's not enough the Royal Rumble match by definition is just one great big brawl in and of itself. 

In total, there have been 20 Royal Rumble matches in WWE history.  Of those 20, ten particular Royal Rumble matches stand out as more memorable than others.     

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10. 1994: Bret Hart and Lex Luger Become First Co-Champions In Rumble History

The 1994 Royal in the Civic Center was memorable mainly because of its historical significance.  To that point in the Royal Rumble's brief history, and to this day, there had never been dual winners of the Royal Rumble match. 

Two of WWF's biggest stars waged war in a short, yet electric, final two showdown only to go over the top rope and have their feet hit the floor simultaneously.

With WWF officials finding it impossible to decide whose feet touched first, the unprecedented decision was made to award both Luger and Hart with No. 1 contenderships and the right to compete for the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania X. 

9. 1999: Vince McMahon Weasles His Way to a Royal Rumble Victory

Despite entering second, no Royal Rumble winner in history has done less en route to winning a Royal Rumble than Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

McMahon's cat and mouse act with Steve Austin during the 1999 Royal Rumble in Anaheim, California saw McMahon flee through the crowd early in the match.  Later on in the contest, McMahon participated on commentary while Austin lay unconscious backstage, compliments of a beatdown from the Corporation.  The WWE Chairman basically did everything but actually wrestle in the match. 

McMahon's shocking elimination of Steve Austin to win the '99 Royal Rumble capped off one of the more  memorable Royal Rumble matches, which was fitting considering that night's co-main event featured the famous WWF Championship encounter between The Rock and Mick Foley where Foley was struck over the head with a chair 11 times. 

I can still hear Michale Cole screaming "NOOOOO!!!!" as Austin's feet hit the floor.  

8. 2002: Triple H's Comeback Tour Sees Him Win the Royal Rumble Match

In perhaps the most hyped return in WWE history, Triple H was set to return to WWE in the first RAW of 2002.  Triple H had suffered a freakish quad injury the previous year that kept him out of action for approximately eight months.  Once healed, Triple H had returned to WWE just in time for the 2002 Royal Rumble match to be held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA (home of the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony). 

The WWE: Desire Vignettes of Triple H's long road to recovery, accompanied by Creed's hit single My Sacrifice, had become somewhat of a mini-tradition during RAW broadcasts leading to the night of Triple H's much anticipated return on RAW.  During his first live promo in almost a full year, Triple H announced his intentions to enter and win the Royal Rumble match.  

Entered into one of the more stacked Royal Rumble fields in history, which included Kurt Angle, the Undertaker and Steve Austin, Triple H went into the 2002 event as a mild favorite.   

Triple H rode the momentum of his much hyped return to eventually win the Royal Rumble match and go on to WrestleMania X8 to defeat Chris Jericho for the undisputed WWE Championship.

7. 2006: Rey Mysterio Jr.'s Emotional Win In Honor of Eddie Guerrero

Few people were more affected by the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero than Guerrero's longtime friend Rey Mysterio Jr. 

Following Guerrero's death, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble at No. 2 with a heavy heart and delivered arguably the greatest Royal Rumble performance of all time. 

Mysterio Jr. paid homage to Guerrero by entering American Airlines Arena in a tricked out muscle car and went on to last longer than any participant in Royal Rumble history.  Rey Mysterio Jr. eliminated two former world champions (and one future world champion in RVD) en route to winning the 2006 Royal Rumble.  

6. 2004: Chris Benoit Makes History, Wins As First Entrant

For almost a decade, Shawn Michaels stood alone as the only wrestler to complete the outstanding feat of entering the Royal Rumble as the first entrant and win. 

The greatest honor one can achieve in the Royal Rumble was bestowed upon Chris Benoit when Benoit was booked to win the 2004 Royal Rumble at the Wachovia Center after entering the event first. 

To cap off the monumental victory, Benoit eliminated the Big Show to win the Royal Rumble just as every Royal Rumble winner seems to do. 

5. 2005: Botched Finish Leads to McMahon Tearing Quads, Batista Wins

The unplanned events of the 2005 Royal Rumble at Fresno's Save Mart Center created one of the most chaotic scenes in the history of the Royal Rumble.

Unlike the finish of the No. 10 most memorable moment, where Bret Hart and Lex Luger were eliminated simultaneously to become co-winners of the Royal Rumble match, Cena and Batista's double elimination finish at the 2005 Royal Rumble was unscripted. 

The quandary was enough to provoke Vince McMahon to angrily storm down the entrance ramp to attempt to come up with a resolution to the unexpected eliminations, and as McMahon slid into the ring he tore both of his quads. 

The Royal Rumble match had to be restarted for the first time in its storied history and Batista quickly eliminated John Cena as was originally planned. 

4. 1992: Ric Flair Wins WWF Championship "With a Tear in His Eye"

The first ever marathon performance in Royal Rumble history was delivered by the legendary Ric Flair at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York.  In the first and only Royal Rumble to be contested for the WWF Championship, Ric Flair entered the '92 Royal Rumble at No. 3 and outlasted the likes of Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, the Undertaker and Sid Vicious in perhaps the most star studded Royal Rumble in WWE history. 

Flair's ensuing post-match promo with Mean Gene Okerlund cemented the historic win when Flair submitted the memorable quote:

"With a tear in my eye, this is the greatest moment in my life!"

3. 1995: Shawn Michaels Wins Controversial Royal Rumble After Entering No. One

Shawn Michaels became the first superstar to win a Royal Rumble after being the first entrant in a star making performance at the 1995 Royal Rumble at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.

The match featured a controversial finish when it was believed that Shawn Michaels had been the final superstar eliminated by the British Bulldog.  Michaels returned to the ring to eliminate Bulldog and it was later revealed upon further review that only one of Michaels' feet had touched the floor.

In essence, it was WWE, not the NFL, that was the first major sports and/or entertainment company to fully embrace the objectively technological system that is instant replay.  

2. 2008: John Cena's Shocking Royal Rumble Appearance in Madison Square Garden

Staged in the Mecca of sports and entertainment otherwise known as Madison Square Garden, the 2008 Royal Rumble had to deliver and could not disappoint.

Rivaling '92's Royal Rumble match in star power, the 2008 Royal Rumble included multiple entrants who could be potential winners. 

Triple H was the odds on favorite to win the 2008 Royal Rumble, and upon entering at No. 29 and cleaning house, that's exactly what appeared to be materializing. 

But the final entrant of the 2008 Royal Rumble match was a name who nobody thought would even be at the Royal Rumble, let alone win it. 

John Cena returned to WWE, after suffering a pectoral injury that was supposed to keep him out of action until later in the year, to win the Royal Rumble match in arguably the most legitimately shocking scene in pro wrestling in the last five years.

1. 2001: Austin Wins, Kane Romps, a Drew Carey and Honkey Tonk Man Sighting

WWE's 2001 Royal Rumble in New Orleans, Louisiana had everything.  From surprise appearances, to plot twists, to a gutsy comeback, to star power and even Drew Carey, 2001's Royal Rumble match was entertaining from bell to bell. 

The match started its long peak when Kane entered at no. 6, interrupting an ill-advised Royal Rumble entry by TV star, and my old friend, Drew Carey. 

Dominating the Royal Rumble for close to an hour, and eliminating a record 11 superstars, Kane's epic performance in 2001 was the greatest showing by a Royal Rumble entrant ever, let alone the greatest Rumble performance by a superstar who did not go on to win the event.

Kane's Royal Rumble domination, highlighted by an entertaining elimination of the Honkey Tonk Man, was rivaled by a gutsy performance by Stone Cold Steve Austin. 

Austin was attacked and bloodied by Triple H on his way to the ring and left for dead.  Despite the beating, Austin scratched and clawed his way back into the event.  Austin managed to dethrone the temporary King of 2001's Royal Rumble match when he eliminated Kane to become the only three-time Royal Rumble winner in history. 

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