The Royal Rumble premium live event is one of the most anticipated of the year, existing as one of the “Big Four” shows on the WWE calendar alongside WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. One of the biggest draws is always the Royal Rumble matches, but you need more than just a fun battle royal to make a show a success, with undercards needing to deliver too.
We Love These WWE Royal Rumble Posters
WWE’s Royal Rumble event is one of the most iconic in history, and this has resulted in some memorable PLE/PPV posters from different eras.
Over the years, some Royal Rumble PLEs have stood out as being the best of the best, whether that be due to having some major standout matches, overall consistency, or iconic moments that fans will never forget.
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Royal Rumble 2009
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Match Results |
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Jack Swagger (c) def. Matt Hardy |
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Melina def. Beth Phoenix (c) |
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John Cena (c) def. JBL |
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Edge def. Jeff Hardy (c) |
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Randy Orton wins Royal Rumble |
Royal Rumble 2009 was, simply put, solid from start to finish. There were no show-stealers on the card, but all undercard title matches were decent, with John Cena clashing with JBL, Jeff Hardy & Edge colliding in a very fun WWE Title match, and a rare standout performance in the Divas division from Melina & Beth Phoenix.
On top of that was a good Royal Rumble match that featured several big stars such as winner Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Triple H, Rey Mysterio and others. It might not have been one of the best Rumble matches of all time, but it wasn’t bad by any means.
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Royal Rumble 2018
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Match Results |
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AJ Styles (c) def. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn |
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The Usos (c) def. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin |
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Shinsuke Nakamura wins men’s Royal Rumble |
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The Bar def. Jason Jordan & Seth Rollins (c) |
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Brock Lesnar (c) def. Braun Strowman & Kane |
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Asuka wins women’s Royal Rumble |
It is hard delivering one good Royal Rumble match, let alone two. However, in 2018 WWE managed to put forth two excellent Royal Rumbles as the men’s match ended up being one of the greatest of all time, and the first ever women’s match showcased itself as a homage to the history of WWE’s women’s division, with both Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka earning massive victories.
The rest of the card wasn’t all perfect, but there were certain standouts in the way of a solid WWE Title match with AJ Styles overcoming both Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, and a fun SmackDown Tag Team Title clash as The Usos beat Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable.
6
Royal Rumble 2021
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Match Results |
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Drew McIntyre (c) def. Goldberg |
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Sasha Banks (c) def. Carmella |
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Bianca Belair wins women’s Royal Rumble |
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Roman Reigns (c) def. Kevin Owens |
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Edge wins men’s Royal Rumble |
The 2021 Royal Rumble event took place in front of zero fans due to the pandemic, giving it a major hurdle to overcome. However, the content on the show itself was so good that it can’t be ignored, making itself one of the better Rumble shows of all time. The women’s match was epic, with Bianca Belair earning a star-making Rumble win, followed up by Edge going from number one to win the men’s match in a very underrated Rumble bout.
There were some fun bouts on the undercard too, as Roman Reigns & Kevin Owens battled in a fun Last Man Standing match (though with a botched ending), Sasha Banks and Carmella once again showcased their surprising chemistry, and Drew McIntyre got a big rub by beating Goldberg.
5
Royal Rumble 2008
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Match Results |
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Ric Flair def. MVP |
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JBL def. Chris Jericho |
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Edge (c) def. Rey Mysterio |
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Randy Orton (c) def. Jeff Hardy |
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John Cena wins Royal Rumble |
In the historic Madison Square Garden, the 2008 Royal Rumble event carried a special energy to it. The Rumble match itself featured major stars, old-timer cameos, and a stunning surprise winner in John Cena.
The rest of the show was very solid, with Jeff Hardy putting in an impressive performance against Randy Orton for the WWE Title, Edge defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Rey Mysterio, among other solid undercard bouts. There wasn’t anything bad on this show, and delivering the goods on several accounts.
4
Royal Rumble 2020
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Match Results |
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Roman Reigns def. King Corbin |
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Charlotte Flair wins women’s Royal Rumble |
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Bayley (c) def. Lacey Evans |
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The Fiend (c) def. Daniel Bryan |
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Becky Lynch (c) def. Asuka |
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Drew McIntyre wins men’s Royal Rumble |
It should be first noted that the women’s Royal Rumble match, won by Charlotte Flair, wasn’t all that enjoyable, however the rest of the show more than made up for it. The men’s match is one of the greatest ever, as Drew McIntyre became an instant star with his Rumble win.
The undercard was strong here, as Roman Reigns & Baron Corbin massively exceeded expectations in a fun Falls Count Anywhere bout, Asuka & Becky Lynch put on a clinic, and Daniel Bryan carried Bray Wyatt to his best ever match under “The Fiend” gimmick.
3
Royal Rumble 2000
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Match Results |
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Tazz def. Kurt Angle |
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Hardy Boyz def. Dudley Boyz |
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Chris Jericho (c) def. Chyna (c) & Hardcore Holly |
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New Age Outlaws (c) def. The Acolytes |
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Triple H (c) def. Cactus Jack |
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The Rock wins Royal Rumble |
The Royal Rumble 2000 match wasn’t all that impressive, with The Rock serving as the main star power, winning in a predictable contest, but it was solid enough. The reason this event stacks up so highly is due to a mega undercard that took place inside Madison Square Garden.
Tazz made an electric debut in the opener, defeating Kurt Angle, followed by an excellent Tag Team Tables match involving The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz. Then came the legendary Street Fight between Triple H & Cactus Jack, which elevated this show to even higher levels.
2
Royal Rumble 2007
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Match Results |
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The Hardys def. MNM |
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Bobby Lashley (c) def. Test |
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Batista (c) def. Mr. Kennedy |
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John Cena (c) def. Umaga |
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The Undertaker wins Royal Rumble |
The 2007 Royal Rumble match is undoubtedly among the best of all time, helped along by an iconic finishing sequence between Shawn Michaels and eventual winner The Undertaker, who tore the house down.
Elsewhere on the show, John Cena & Umaga went to war in a brutal Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship, and The Hardys defeated MNM in a very well-worked tag team bout. This show was good to great all the way through (aside from Bobby Lashley vs. Test, but we can ignore that).
1
Royal Rumble 2001
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Match Results |
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Dudley Boyz def. Edge & Christian (c) |
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Chris Jericho def. Chris Benoit (c) |
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Ivory (c) def. Chyna |
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Kurt Angle (c) def. Triple H |
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Steve Austin wins Royal Rumble |
Like many events in 2001, the Royal Rumble event in the midst of the Attitude Era was the greatest in WWE history. The Rumble match was insanely fun and full of major stars, all leading to Steve Austin’s record third Rumble win.
The show also featured a phenomenal ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, a good battle between Kurt Angle and Triple H for the WWE Title, and a fun opener as The Dudley Boyz faced Edge & Christian. The feeling around this show was special, the atmosphere was palpable, and the quality was off the charts.
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