The Best Moment From The Last 10 Men’s Royal Rumble Matches

The Royal Rumble match almost always has at least one stand-out moment. Whether it’s the final elimination, a surprise return, or something negative happening, there will always be something the audience remembers from one of the great stipulation matches.

Be it John Cena’s return in 2008, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels’s mini-match in 2007, or Shawn Michaels' feet narrowly avoiding the floor, the Royal Rumble match gives birth to some of the great moments in WWE history. Over the past 10 Rumble matches for the men, the list of moments that will be remembered forever has grown larger.

DISCLAIMER: The Greatest Royal Rumble Match is not included

10 2012: Chris Jericho & Sheamus Have A Mini-Match

Going into the 2012 Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho had made his return to the WWE after over a year away and was the heavy favorite to win the Rumble match itself. WWE had different plans.

Although Jericho did end up with a world title match at WrestleMania a couple months later, a bout with CM Punk over the WWE Championship, Y2J encountered a roadblock as he did not win the Rumble match. That honor went to Sheamus.

The match came down to those two, and they put together a fantastic mini-match that ultimately saw The Celtic Warrior come out on top. A great way to make a young star.

9 2013: Y2J Returns

This list won’t be all about Chris Jericho, but there’s no denying that in two weak Rumble matches, he was the standout.

The beginning to the 2013 Royal Rumble was booked perfectly, having Dolph Ziggler enter the match first, exuding confidence. He and the WWE Universe was in for a surprise as Y2J yet again made a triumphant return after being away for several months.

What put this all together was the fact that Ziggler was Jericho’s last opponent before going on hiatus leading to this electric comeback.

8 2014: Roman Reigns’ Star-Making Performance

The 2014 Royal Rumble is oft-complained about, with many putting it in the bottom five Rumble matches. This is fair, but let no one forget just how great The Shield’s Roman Reigns looked in this match.

Before the Hounds of Justice split and Roman was forced down every WWE fans' gullet, The Shield was beloved by fans the world over. Roman Reigns made history this night, eliminating 12 superstars, the most in one Royal Rumble until 2020, breaking Kane’s record of 11 from 2001.

The Big Dog elimination of his teammates Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose was especially fun, and with inevitable winner Batista having Reigns as his final obstacle, fans would’ve been fully on board with a Reigns win here.

7 2015: Philadelphia Becomes Dudleyville

The next year, the fans were not fully on board with a Reigns win, as he was booed out of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia that night. Truly one of the worst, most predictable matches ever, there is little here to get excited about.

The lone bright spot in a gloomy Rumble was the return of Bubba Ray Dudley at #3. Returning in the home of ECW, the promotion that made the Dudley Boyz famous, this moment was executed to perfection.

Bonus points for Dudley working together with R-Truth to hit the Dudley Boyz signature offense on The Miz.

6 2016: A Phenomenal Debut

After years of disappointment dating back to 2011, the 2016 Royal Rumble was a return to greatness for each year’s most anticipated stipulation match. Many moments from this Rumble were great, but one simply stands head and shoulders above the rest.

AJ Styles had never set foot in a WWE ring, instead making his name in companies like TNA and NJPW, and that all changed when he made his debut at #3 in Orlando.

Getting a great crowd reaction and having a great showing in the match itself, Styles instantly established himself as a main event player on his first day in the WWE. This was an all-time great moment and an example of what makes the Royal Rumble great.

5 2017: Goldberg’s Continued Domination Of Brock Lesnar

In late 2016, Goldberg made his return to the WWE after 12 years away. There waiting for him was Brock Lesnar, two men hoping to right their wrongs from their feud in 2004.

At Survivor Series they met in a match that didn’t even last three minutes, Goldberg squashed The Beast. In the months that followed, the two gladiators declared for the Rumble match and their confrontation was inevitable.

In a truly shocking moment, Goldberg continued to own Lesnar, coming into the match and eliminating his rival quickly. This made for a great moment in a largely forgettable Rumble match.

4 2018: Battle Of Generations

The 2018 Royal Rumble is one of the greatest of all-time, and with so many great moments to choose from, it seems odd that it was so easy to choose which was best.

Although Rey Mysterio’s return to the company after four years was incredible, it only felt right to put the final six of this Rumble at the top spot. With two generations coming face to face, this moment truly made this Rumble feel special.

Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and John Cena on one side, and on the other was Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, and eventual Shinsuke Nakamura. From this point on, the match was elevated into GOAT status.

3 2019: Double-J Comes To The Double-R

After a stellar Rumble match the year prior, WWE’s follow-up effort in 2019 was kind of just there. The match wasn’t bad, and featured a couple decent moments.

However, the most fun moment of the match was at the start, when Elias was serenading the crowd in Phoenix, Arizona. He was soon interrupted by the returning Jeff Jarrett, who knows a thing or two about music himself (in kayfabe).

Jarrett and Elias’s back-and-forth was a witty one and allowed for Jarrett to get the love from the crowd, but Elias came out on top as the younger star.

2 2020: A Rated-R Return

The 2020 Royal Rumble was a return to form, one that is right up there with 2018, 1992, and 2001. With a clear narrative centered around Brock Lesnar, the match was expertly booked and filled with great moments.

Drew McIntyre’s eventual elimination of The Beast Incarnate and subsequent win would have been the moment for most other Rumbles, but this featured one of the most special returns in wrestling history.

With no prior inkling of a comeback, Edge had been retired for almost nine years at the point of his return and seeing him come out of the tunnel will forever be one of the great Royal Rumble moments. The look on Edge’s face said it all.

1 2021: Christian’s Pit Stop Before AEW

The 2021 Royal Rumble was a mixed bag, but there’s no doubt it was dampened by the Thunderdome. Obviously, the situation is out of WWE’s control, but the live crowd is what makes Rumble matches great.

However, there were multiple returns and fun moments from this Rumble to choose from, including a return from Carlito. The best surprise has to be Christian’s return to in-ring action for the first time since 2014.

His reunion with Edge was a tearjerker and Captain Charisma looked great. Although he left WWE for AEW shortly after, Christian’s return was truly a special moment in WWE history.