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The Best and Worst Royal Rumble Matches


There's a Royal Rumble on Sunday. Good time to look back on the past. Paste has ranked the best and worst Rumble matches. What do you think?


​Swap out 1998's desperation booking of three Mick Foley aliases and a bunch of tag teams and swap in 2010's CM Punk storytelling and you've got a winning list.  I'd maybe go with 2007 over 2008 just because the last 10 minutes with Shawn v. Undertaker were nearly a ****1/2 classic on their own, but it's a fair opinion.  Nothing touches 1992 regardless, and 95/96 are clearly two of the worst.  ​

Comments

  1. I know the 95 gets a lot of hate because of the 1 minute intervals and all the jobbers, but I found the match entertaining and they told a good story at least with Shawn going the distance and I have fond memories watching it live as I marked out when Shawn won because I didn't really believe he would win.

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  2. I loved the end of the '97 Rumble.

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  3. I just rewatched 2004 and it's second to 1992 for me

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  4. Once you get past 2005, all the Rumbles blur together to me.

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  5. Me too. I watched it last week for the first time since it aired and what a great Rumble. Kinda wish it was someone other than Benoit that won so it wouldn't be the forgotten Rumble.

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  6. Same here. Same in regards to manias as well. After 21 they all blend together.

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  7. 1992 was a great less in tight booking. Flair clearing the ring only to have RODDY FUCKING PIPER come out was great, as was Jake the Snake just getting in the ring and letting them beat on each other.


    Also, I don't know if Heenan ever had a better day in wrestling. From getting Flair over right down to little things like Undertaker giving Hacksaw a low blow "he tried to lift him up, Monsoon!" he was just on point that whole match.

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  8. Just re-watched 2009 and it was a solid one. However, I'd have to echo Chris' post that all Rumbles past 2005 kinda blend together. Although '07 & '08 both had some great moments.

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  9. '92 was the best by a country mile.


    Agree w/ 2007. I don't remember most of the Rumbles after the attitude era, but that last sequence with HBK and Undertaker (before they had the WM classics) was unforgettable.


    The 2010 one was pretty damn good too. Scott gave that one the full 5 snowflakes.

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  10. Nothing happening in 09. Blah

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  11. Adam "Colorado" CurryJanuary 23, 2015 at 9:50 AM

    I'd call the last 4 worst than 95 or 96.

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  12. I need to watch 2010 again because other than the punk promo I can't remember anything about it.

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  13. "It's a kilt, not a skirt!" when Piper bailed Flair out from a bad spot.

    Seconds later, when Piper decks Flair - "You idiot! It's a skirt! It's not a kilt!"

    I think everyone universally agrees it was Heenan's finest moment as a commentator, by far.

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  14. Only watched it once and that was when it was shown live and I remember loving the match, but hated the ending as I wanted Shawn to win and his elimination deflated the rest of the match, but maybe if I watch it again I can appreciate it more as I won't be caught up in the drama of who's going to win.

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  15. Edge won it (sort of anticlimatic), but the body of the match was awesome. The main storyline was a desperate HBK was trying to win it so he could get a second shot at Undertaker.


    Also had CM Punk throwing people out and cutting hilarious promos for the first ten minutes.

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  16. 96 was pretty bad as it didn't tell any kind of a story and I'd say last year's Rumble was probably the worst Rumble match in the modern era, but generally speaking most of the Rumble matches in the modern era have been good/great as they follow a pretty good formula and they have a talented roster.

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  17. Not a fan at all of the one Mysterio won. Him laying in the corner for an hour don't impress me much.

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  18. Is 04 not being mentioned because of the winner?

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  19. Not a fan of that list. I'll give you 92 and 01, but 98/2000? 2008 was good, but gets overrated a bit due to the ending.


    2004 (IMO the best ever if you don't have a Benoit issue)

    1992
    2010
    2001
    2007

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  20. I'd go 90, 92, 97, 01 and 04 for best.

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  21. 1992, 2001, 2004 & 2010 are the Rumbles i've enjoyed the most.


    I've never seen the 2007 or 2008 events and now maybe I should check them out to see what I missed considering they are getting a decent amount of praise.

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  22. Oh, that's right. Doesn't Edge come out with a huge beard?

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  23. Just like bad matches, we all have "bad" Rumbles we mark for, and mine is 1997. I see it get shit on a lot (seriously thin lineup, plodding, FAKE DIESEL in the final 4?!?) but damn it I love that one just for Austin/Bret.

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  24. Those 4 are definitely a cut above and the only ones you can make a case for as being the best ever.

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  25. I wish Fake Diesel had been in the Final Four match a month later.

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  26. 2012 was pretty fun. It just had the wrong guy win.

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  27. I was pissed about that for YEARS until somebody on this blog pointed out that the purpose of the Final 4 match was to give only the guys Austin illegally eliminated a shot.

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  28. I always knew why Diesel wasn't involved, but I always found it annoying that none of the announcers bothered to point it out when it was a pretty glaring ommission since they showed clips of the ending ad nauseam.

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  29. Totally agree - those are my four favourites too!

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