Favorite WWE Royal Rumble Memories of the Last 20 Years

The Royal Rumble is one of the marquee events on the WWE calendar and has been home to some unforgettable moments since its inception way in 1987. As the first premium live event of the year and the precursor for WrestleMania, it is a show when rivalries are created, stories advanced and Superstars return to stake their claim for a spot on the most prestigious event in all of wrestling.

Over the last 20 years, WWE has crafted some memorable moments, be it through fantastic storytelling or awe-inspiring returns and debuts. The Rumble has become a must-see show because of it.

As the company prepares to take over San Antonio for the 2023 edition of the annual broadcast, relive these 20 favorite moments from the show.

Did yours make the list? If not, tap into the B/R app and let your voice be heard. Tell us which is your favorite or what should have made the countdown.

The above video contains NSFW language.

In the closing moments of the 2005 Royal Rumble, the two men charged with carrying the company into the future battled for the right to challenge for the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21.

John Cena and Batista slugged it out until a planned spot went awry, and both men tumbled over the top rope and to the arena floor. Chaos reigned and Vince McMahon himself power-walked to the squared circle as only he can, fury painting his face. As he slid under the bottom rope and attempted to stand up, his legs gave out from underneath him and he crumbled in agony.

The Chairman of the Board and owner of wrestling's most powerful promotion had torn both of his quads and would now be forced to address his employees while seated on his billion-dollar ass.

There was something very Lord Farquaad about the entire ordeal. Here was this man of great influence not hovering over top of Cena and Batista but, instead, barking orders from beneath them.

While no one's misfortune is necessarily humorous, the visual certainly was, as is the story in the above video where Edge recalls officials clearing the hallways so McMahon could walk under his own power to a waiting limo to be transported to the hospital.

One cannot make this stuff upon.

The moment became as memorable, if not more so than Batista's victory did. It is a disappointing trend of The Animal, who would experience that feeling once more nearly a decade late. See, Royal Rumble 2014.

Everyone remembers the Pipebomb Promo that catapulted CM Punk to the top of the industry and made him pro wrestling's hottest commodity in 2011, but prior to that, the Chicago native earned rave reviews for his work as the Straight Edge Savior and leader of The Straight Edge Society.

His hair long, his beard bushy and his mic skills as good as they would ever be, he preached the values of the Straight Edge lifestyle. He placed himself on a pedestal far above what he considered the weak, addicted, inebriated and infuriated fans with his holier-than-thou rhetoric.

One of the first great examples of it came in the middle of the 2010 Royal Rumble when he took a break in between attacking incoming Superstars to speak to the audience, which rained down on him with loud boos.

He eliminated Evan Bourne, Dolph Ziggler, JTG and Zack Ryder before encountering The Great Khali. He survived, thanks to surprise entrant Beth Phoenix (more on her in a bit), and dumped The Glamazon to the arena floor following the Go To Sleep.

Triple H ultimately eliminated him but not before Punk made a lasting impression on fans and further established a character that would help carry the company through an underwhelming year overall.

The 2019 Royal Rumble was one of stollen Rumble spots as Superstars capitalized on injury to take another's spot in the titular match, looking to ensure a trip to WrestleMania. One such competitor was Nia Jax, who attacked R-Truth and became the fourth woman to enter the men's Royal Rumble match.

She eliminated Mustafa Ali because of course she did. Dude cannot get any love, regardless of the creative regime.

She next turned her attention to Rey Mysterio, who countered an attempted elimination and delivered a 619. An RKO from Randy Orton proved her downfall and soon, Jax was deposited to the arena floor, eliminated, but not until she turned in a memorable moment.

It was so unlike anything we had witnessed for a long time since WWE had backed off any intergender wrestling with the advent of its PG Era. Jax being allowed to go into that ring and even remotely establish strength and confidence while mixing it up with the men, no matter how short-lived it might have been, was a refreshing change of pace and remains one of the better moments of the last handful of years.

Vince McMahon made it known from the beginning that he had no desire to see Roman Reigns leave the 2016 Royal Rumble as WWE champion. How? First, they booked him to defend the title in the annual extravaganza. Then, they entered him at No. 1, ensuring he would have to survive every other competitor in the match to retain his title.

The cherry on top? Triple H would enter the match himself, arriving at No. 30 and avenging a beating at the hands of Reigns that left him sidelined. He would eliminate The Big Dog after a valiant, 59:48 effort and go on to best Dean Ambrose to win the title.

Why would a short, less-than-10-minute appearance by The Game appear on this list?

The victory would result in The Cerebral Assassin's final run as WWE champion. While he would compete in a few more big-time matches on the WrestleMania stage and elsewhere, it was his last dance with a title he had become synonymous with over the course of his Hall of Fame career.

Today, he leads WWE as its face behind the scenes, but for someone who had been so integral in the on-camera success of the company during his time as an active competitor, his last dance with the gold is a moment that definitely deserves recognition among the rest on this list.

The WWE Championship match between John Cena and AJ Styles at the 2017 Royal Rumble is a thing of beauty. It was a five-star classic in the moment and holds up some five years later. A battle of wills between two men who had gotten to know each other well in the months that preceded it, the match will undoubtedly rank among either's greatest forever.

That is not why the moment made the list, though.

Instead, it has to do with Cena taking his place among the all-time greats in professional wrestling.

The face of the industry well over a decade, he led WWE during some of its most maligned years as well as some of its most successful and profitable campaigns. He proved an absolute pro in front of the fans, and away from them, he established himself as one of the most giving and charitable in company history, thanks to his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

One of the most decorated stars in company history, he accomplished one of his greatest feats by defeating Styles that night in San Antonio: tying Ric Flair's legendary record of 16 world-title reigns.

Sure, Flair has amassed more than that, but the accepted and advertised record is 16 and Cena matched it with his victory over The Phenomenal One.

Achieving that goal while still working at a high level is a testament to his greatness, and the moment only further cemented his status as one of the best to ever lace a pair of boots.

Or Reeboks.

Rey Mysterio dedicated his performance in the 2006 Rumble match to the memory of his late friend, mentor and rival Eddie Guerrero.

It is a good thing he won.

Mysterio solidified his already Hall of Fame career by entering the match at No. 2, shattering the longevity record set by Chris Benoit two years earlier and earning a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 22.

It was hardly the best Rumble match, in which it became clear early on that Mysterio and Triple H were pacing themselves to go the distance, but the emotion of the former's victory and the circumstances around it elevated the meaningfulness.

Fans suddenly had a story they could invest in at a time when the expected top two programs entering the biggest show of the year lacked the ever-important emotion. Now, nearly 17 years later, that moment remains one of Mysterio's greatest and most defining.

Ronda Rousey may currently be in the midst of a so-so run, but in 2018, the possibility of a run with WWE brought about excitement and optimism. She was one of the most influential female athletes in all of sports, with mass appeal beyond the Octagon.

The future UFC Hall of Famer was looking to make the jump to the world of professional wrestling. Despite reports emerging that the transition was happening, her debut at the conclusion of that year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view remains one of the watershed moments.

Did it overshadow Asuka winning the inaugural women's Rumble? Sure.

In hindsight, could the return have been held off until the following night's Raw and probably made just as large an impact, without hurting The Empress of Tomorrow? Probably, but the buzz coming out of the first major show of the year was palpable, and fans immediately questioned what Rousey would be up to at WrestleMania 38.

Ultimately, she teamed with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in the start of one of the most prolific first years since, well, the Olympic gold medalist.

Hampered by a lackluster second chapter of her WWE career, it is a moment that may have ranked even higher was it not for a 2022 Rumble win that started her comeback on a high note but quickly descend into mediocrity at best.

There was no Superstar hotter or more over entering the 2019 Royal Rumble than Becky Lynch. The Man rode an enormous wave of momentum into Houston for that year's event and, despite not being a formal entry into that year's Rumble match, was the clear favorite to leave the show with a shot at Ronda Rousey and the Raw Women's Championship.

Then, she lost the SmackDown Women's Championship match to Asuka.

With fans guessing as to how she would wind up in the Rumble match, Lynch answered in dramatic fashion, taking an injured Lana's spot and proceeding to whup ass. The Man rolled right through the field, eliminating Charlotte Flair to cash her ticket to WrestleMania.

Because of her name and stature in the industry, many expected The Queen to score the win and wanted no part of that. Lynch saved them from that outcome, only intensifying the love and admiration the audience had for her.

The win confirmed what most fans knew: Lynch was heading to WrestleMania and would presumably compete in one of the night's premier contests.

She did and, as they say, the rest is history.

Throughout his entire first year as universal champion, Roman Reigns appeared unflappable. He could not be messed with, regardless of the Superstar or situation that confronted him. That is until Seth Rollins stepped up as the latest challenger to his throne at the 2022 Royal Rumble.

The Visionary wasted little time playing mind games with The Tribal Chief in the weeks leading into the event, repeatedly reminding him of a long history between them and the fact that Reigns had (and still has) a less-than-stellar win-loss record against his former teammate in The Shield.

None of that measured up to what awaited The Head of the Table in St. Louis as "Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta...SHIELD" played over the PA system and Rollins made his way through the crowd, clad in the black tactical gear both he and Reigns wore in what felt like a lifetime earlier.

From there, he frustrated confused and infuriated Reigns, keeping him off guard and playing mind games with him. Eventually, Reigns snapped, causing a disqualification and retaining a title he would have otherwise lost.

The company has yet to revisit the match or even follow up on the fact that Rollins pushed Reigns in a way no other Superstar has come close to before or since. It is a missed opportunity on its part because what it accomplished that night was masterful storytelling that remains one of the best programs in recent memory, regardless of how short it ultimately was.

Brock Lesnar made like Miley Cyrus and came in like a wrecking ball in the 2020 Royal Rumble, eliminating a record 13 Superstars from the match and dominating the entire first half of the marquee match.

Then came the arrival of Drew McIntyre, who rode a wave of momentum into the bout and was hellbent on ensuring his name did not go down in the history books as another of the men eliminated by The Beast.

Working in tandem with Ricochet, who delivered a well-timed low blow to the then-WWE champion, McIntyre unloaded with a Claymore Kick and sent Lesnar over the top and to the arena floor.

The crowd erupted for The Scottish Warrior and set in motion plans for McIntyre vs. Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 36.

The booking and storytelling of it all—beginning with Lesnar obliterating the competition and establishing himself as this insurmountable villain, only for McIntyre to come to the ring and overcome him—was fantastic and a reminder of the potential for those sorts of creative possibilities within the framework of the Rumble match.

Hopefully, WWE remembers that when it puts together the 2023 offering after an underwhelming effort last year.

Chyna made history in 1999 as the first woman to compete in a Royal Rumble match, then doubled down on it the following year. For the next decade, though, no female competitor set foot inside the squared circle as an official participant in the annual contest.

That changed in 2010 when Beth Phoenix rushed the ring at No. 6 and wasted little time mixing it up with the men. She suckered the ladies man The Great Khali into a kiss, then proceeded to pull him over the top rope and to the floor.

From there, she wiped out CM Punk with a big clothesline and looked to eliminate him, but a Go To Sleep ended her night as the Straight Edge Savior deposited her to the floor.

The Glamazon's run was a short but memorable one, further establishing her as a trailblazer and setting her up for the Hall of Fame induction that would come much further down the line.

It was also incredibly unexpected, further laying the groundwork for the plethora of surprises that had become and still are staples of the Rumble match itself.

Speaking of surprises...

AJ Styles' Royal Rumble debut in 2016 was one of those moments wrestling fans remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when it happened.

Long considered one of, if not the best wrestler in the industry, Styles had accomplished considerable success everywhere except WWE. When rumors swirled of a potential agreement to join the company, many took an "I'll believe it when I see it" approach.

They saw it at the No. 3 position in that year's 30-man, over-the-top-rope spectacular as he stunned the wrestling world with his appearance. Roman Reigns, the No. 1 entrant in the match, watched as the clock ticked down and the word "PHENOMENAL" appeared on the video screen.

The fans in Orlando exploded and Styles stepped through the curtain, changing the trajectory of his career forever.

It was a major moment for a guy who had previously been so connected with Impact Wrestling as its face and MVP for the better part of 15 years. Here, he was openly choosing to make the jump, forgoing more runs there and in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and instead opting to prove himself on the grandest stage in the sport.

It worked out as he strengthened his resume and has enjoyed a second half of his career that will land him in the WWE Hall of Fame and added to his reputation as one of the best to ever lace a pair of boots.

There are surprises and then there are utter shocks, the latter being what fans experienced watching the 2002 Royal Rumble match.

The Undertaker entered as a preeminent favorite following a recent heel turn and added exposure on WWE programming. The Big Evil Red Devil was expected to kick considerable amount of ass en route to becoming one of the final competitors vying for a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania X-8.

That all came crashing down when a rookie, fresh off a reality-show win that netted him a contract with the company, dropkicked The American Badass over the top rope and to the arena floor.

Maven ensured his place in WWE history forever, pulling off an upset so shocking that regardless of the fact that he never really lived up to the expectations after his win on Tough Enough, that one moment secured his immortality.

Even the look on his face after the dropkick heard 'round the world quickly turned from overjoy to "oh damn, what did I do?" as it became clear that the ballsy attempt at making a name for himself likely backfired.

It did and earned him an ass-whupping through the crowd, up the stairs and into the arena lobby, but damn if that one unforgettable moment was not worth it.

In 2011, Edge appeared to have wrestled his final match when he was forced to retire because of a neck injury that threatened irreparable damage if he continued his career. It was an unfortunate end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career that saw him shatter the glass ceiling and become one of the most decorated Superstars of his generation.

After a nine year-absence, though, he began toying with the idea of a return. He saw doctors, had his neck evaluated and eventually was cleared for a return. Even as reports began to leak that he might be jumping back into the squared circle, no one could have been adequately prepared for what occurred in the 2020 Royal Rumble.

As the clock ticked to zero, "you think you know me" played over the PA system and the fans in Houston exploded as Edge made his way to the squared circle at No. 21. The look of awe on his face, as if he was experiencing something he never imagined he would again, made the moment.

That he was able to get in the ring and wrestle for nearly 24 minutes, taking bumps few thought they would ever see him execute again, was merely icing on top of the cake.

He did not win that night, coming in at the second runner-up spot after being eliminated by Roman Reigns, but it did not matter. The fans had witnessed something so incredibly special that winning and losing was just a formality.

Edge won simply by proving doubters wrong and returning to something he loved that had been ripped away from him far too soon a decade earlier.

It was an unforgettable moment that would have been an easy No. 1 had it not been for another magical return.

The difference between Edge's emotional comeback and the jaw-dropping return of John Cena in the 2008 Royal Rumble was the expectation of the former.

Reports had leaked leading into the 2020 show and even earlier that day that Edge might be gearing up for a comeback. All fans knew about Cena prior to the 2008 show is that he had torn his pectoral in October and would miss the better part of a year of in-ring action.

The possibility of Cena setting foot in the ring in a mere three months later was not even a blip on the proverbial radar. It was impossible. The human body does not heal that way.

Luckily, no one told Cena that.

The resident Superman of WWE stepped through the curtain at No. 30 in that year's show, blowing the roof off the historic Madison Square Garden and electrifying the audience in a way only he could.

A man who just months earlier was the recipient of boos from fans tired of his overcoming the odds was now greeted with one of the loudest ovations in modern WWE history for doing just that.

He would go on to eliminate Triple H to win the Rumble and cash his ticket to WrestleMania, but that was secondary to the utter surprise of his appearance at all. It was a magnificent moment pulled off perfectly by WWE in an age where things leak and genuine surprises are becoming rarer and rarer.