The Royal Rumble PPV has a long and storied history in the WWE. These Royal Rumble events, however, are the best of the bunch.
The Royal Rumble match has been a fan-favorite tradition in the WWE since its debut in January 1988. In fact, even those who aren’t interested in professional wrestling tend to get a kick out of Royal Rumbles, both on TV and in tie-in video games. Royal Rumble matches feature 30 competitors who try to throw their opponents out of the ring over the top rope, with the winner being the last wrestler standing. The winner’s prize is an opportunity to compete for a championship at WrestleMania.
The Royal Rumble pay-pay-view is one of the WWE’s biggest alongside SummerSlam and WrestleMania, and there have been some incredible events over the years.
Updated December 7, 2023 by Mark Sammut: 2023’s Royal Rumble was a fun watch and a notable step up from its predecessor, but there is certainly room for improvement. In preparation for WWE’s upcoming PPV, let’s take a look at the best Royal Rumble PPVs.
While the Rumble matches hold more weight than any other contests on these cards, the focus is on the quality of the full PPVs. Dave Meltzer’s star ratings have also been included as a reference. 10 Royal Rumble 2002
A predictable finish can hurt a Royal Rumble match, but sometimes there is simply only one correct winner. After suffering a serious injury that left him out of action for roughly nine months, Triple H made his in-ring comeback at 2002’s Royal Rumble PPV, and the crowd popped big for the wrestler.
The Royal Rumble is primarily remembered for this moment, which is unfair since it is generally a great match. Steve Austin gave a performance that compares favorably to any of his three wins, Mr. Perfect made a surprise return and looked sharp in the ring, and Maven eliminated The Undertaker, a decision that had no consequences.
Otherwise, this PPV is largely forgettable. The only other bout that is really worth seeking out is Chris Jericho versus The Rock for the Undisputed WWF Championship, which is the best match of Y2J’s disappointing title run.
Matches
Winner/s
Wrestling Observer Star Ratings
WWF Tag Team Championship – Spike Dudley & Tazz (c) VS The Dudley Boys
Spike Dudley & Tazz
1.5 Stars
WWF Intercontinental Championship – Edge (c) VS William Regal
William Regal
2.25 Stars
WWF Women’s Championship – Trish Stratus (c) VS Jazz
Trish Stratus
1.5 Stars
Street Fight – Vince McMahon VS Ric Flair
Ric Flair
2.75 Stars
Undisputed WWF Championship – Chris Jericho (c) VS The Rock
Chris Jericho
4.25 Stars
Royal Rumble
Triple H
3.5 Stars 9 Royal Rumble 2019
The 2019 Royal Rumble PPV is difficult to rank since most of the matches are good but fall short of greatness. The best bout on the card is the main show’s opener, Asuka versus Becky Lynch, which is probably still the pair’s most memorable encounter. Later in the night, Sasha Banks and Ronda Rousey came close to matching the opening bout, crafting a match that is still among the latter’s strongest in WWE. While Daniel Bryan against AJ Styles is technically immaculate, the match is heatless due to its placement on the card; meanwhile, Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor’s WWE Universal Championship match is short but sweet.
Neither of the Royal Rumbles are amazing, but they are both above average. The women’s match is primarily remembered for Lynch’s unexpected appearance, a decision that gave fans exactly what they wanted at the time. Seth Rollins’ Rumble win was also the right call.
Matches
Winner/s
Wrestling Observer Star Ratings
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship – Asuka (c) VS Becky Lynch
Asuka
3.75 Stars
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship – The Bar (c) VS The Miz & Shane McMahon
The Miz & Shane McMahon
3.25 Stars
WWE Raw Women’s Championship – Ronda Rousey (c) VS Sasha Banks
Ronda Rousey
3.75 Stars
Women’s Rumble
Becky Lynch
3.25 Stars
WWE Championship – Daniel Bryan (c) VS AJ Styles
Daniel Bryan
2.75 Stars
WWE Universal Championship – Brock Lesnar (c) VS Finn Balor
Brock Lesnar
3.75 Stars
Men’s Rumble
Seth Rollins
3.25 Stars 8 Royal Rumble 2005
2005’s Royal Rumble PPV has one of the most infamous mistakes in not just Royal Rumble history but in WWE history, period. John Cena and Batista were the last men standing and, in what appeared to be an incredible moment of timing, both men simultaneously fell out of the ring with their feet hitting the floor at the exact same time.
However, it turned out that Batista wasn’t supposed to fall out of the ring and the pair falling in sync was just a bizarre coincidence. Believe it or not, the worst was yet to come, as Vince McMahon charged down to the ring to improvise a finish but miraculously managed to tear both of his quads, forcing him to sit on the ground while barking orders like a child throwing a tantrum. The match was restarted, and Batista finally got his win.
Although the botch is what most people remember, the Royal Rumble match was otherwise a blast, highlighting WWE’s stacked line-up at the time.
