Greatest Royal Rumble PPV Matches (Part 1)

January, of course, marks the start of Wrestlemania season which kicks off with one of my favourite WWE PPV’s of all time, the Royal Rumble. The build to this year’s event has promised a few surprises and interesting booking decisions sure to result in an entertaining evening. Now, there can be no denying that the Rumble matches are the biggest of the night but also one of the most anticipated of each year, however, throughout its history we have seen several championship and other bouts take place at the Royal Rumble PPV which have set the bar for the rest of the year and in today’s blog post those contests are exactly what we are going to be looking at as I list some of my favourite Royal Rumble PPV matches!

 

John Cena vs Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar (2015)

Not only is this match one of my favourite Royal Rumble PPV matches but one of my favourite triple threat bouts of all time! Here we have two powerhouses in the form of John Cena and Brock Lesnar and a cross-fit ninja in Seth Rollins and together the three superstars created a match that went down as one of the best of 2015. It’s been noted before by so many fans how difficult it is to get a triple threat right, but this was done incredibly well with each man coming so close to capturing the win but also having their standout moments. No one felt like an extra and the match flowed so well! Lesnar, of course, dominated the action early taking out both Rollins and Cena with Supplex’s left, right and centre. We saw the champion of the match remain standing after a serious of devastating moves and finishers were thrown his way including Cena sending him through the barricade, however, it was a Rollins huge elbow from the top rope to the announce table that left Lesnar down and out for a while shifting the focus and making this a one on one for a while. Here continued to see a series of close calls that left us on the edge of our seats and the crowd were completely invested! Lesnar of course, eventually defied the odds and not got back into the ring but picked up the win heading into Wrestlemania as WWE Champion.

 

Cactus Jack vs Triple H (2000)

Not only is Cactus Jack vs Triple H one of my favourite Royal Rumble PPV matches but one of my all-time favourite street fight bouts! I grew up a major fan of both these superstars and their Rumble collision in 2000 is a highlight of the careers of both men. The nature of the contest most certainly favoured that of the sadistic nature of Cactus Jack however, Triple H stood out for being one heck of a badass champion here getting creative with tools such as barbed wire and handcuffs while also taking some brutal spots that highlighted him once again as one tough son of a bitch!  This blood both of a match was a hardcore fight that entertained everyone then watching live and continues to do so now for anyone who re-watches. The contest took place on a night that held in my opinion one of the best Rumble PPV’s of all time and managed to stand out massively and continue to be an all-time great for so many!

 

Sasha Banks vs Ronda Rousey (2019)

This match really was all about proving a point. From the moment the bell rang there was an attitude from both women and the competitive spirit was very much clear as well as the fact that Sasha Banks (the challenger) looked to be the toughest wrestling challenge Ronda Rousey had faced. The match highlighted Banks wrestling experience and the upper hand she had over the champion and her focus on the arm of Rousey made from smart storytelling as the now grand slam champion used a series of submission holds to punish Rousey and get her close to tapping out on one of the biggest stages of her WWE career. Now, we also cannot take away what we saw from Ronda here who was able to not only hold her own against one of the best pure wrestlers in the women’s division but still manage to walk away the victor and women’s champion. Rousey proved a lot in this match and while made rookie mistakes it added to the story being told between the two women and this went down as one of my favourite title defences from the Rowdy one.

 

Bray Wyatt vs Daniel Bryan (2014)

At times it can be easy to forget just how damn good of a wrestler Bray Wyatt is especially considering how much his character work dominates however, over the years Wyatt has truly been a part of some incredible contests including a bout against Daniel Bryan at the 2014 Royal Rumble PPV. Now, in my opinion this was a real turn around match for Wyatt. It was here we saw just how good he really is matching one of the best in-ring performers and wrestlers of this generation and walking away with one of the biggest victories of his career. The bigger Wyatt was able to match the speed and wrestling talent of Bryan and together the pair put on an entertaining skilled wrestling match that again went down as one of the best of the year setting the tone and the standard for the next twelve months.

 

Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz (2000)

At the 2000 Royal Rumble PPV we saw history made when the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz competed in the first ever WWE tag team ladder match and the contest has gone down as one of my favourites of its kind to ever take place! Now, what I loved most about this match was the rules which have since been changed. In order to get the win both members of a team had to go through a table which is not the case now within this stipulation matches. The rules meant this went on longer than most table matches we see today, and it was noted as a true highlight of the PPV. From start to finish the action was nonstop and there was always something to enjoy from brutal sports to table landings that left us all speechless. There were unique moments throughout and the fact most talent went through a table added to the intensity and the interest fans had in this entire contest. The Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz were key factors in cementing the legacy of WWE tag team division, raising the bar and setting the standards and this Royal Rumble PPV collision is a prime example of the incredible work these two teams did for the division.

 

And that sums up part one of this post! I originally was only going to list five matches but there were so many more I wanted to talk about that next week I will be uploading a part two and possibly a part three on the road to one of my favourite PPV’s of the year, the Royal Rumble. In the meantime you can let me know what your favourite Royal Rumble PPV matches are by leaving a comment below or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.