The Royal Rumble is one of the most beloved yearly events on the WWE calendar. This, of course, is primarily due to the 30-man [or woman] Rumble match itself. But on occasion, there will be another match on the card that winds up as a certified banger.
Today, we celebrate those matches by counting down the 10 greatest non-rumble matches at WWE Royal Rumble events.
10. The Rockers vs. The Orient Express (1991)

We’re starting things off by going back to one of the early Rumble events for this sleeper pick. During this period, it felt like these two teams would square off every other week. There was a reason for that: they had tremendous chemistry. The fact that this match still holds up so well over 30 years later is a testament to the four men involved (including a future Hall of Famer).
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9. John Cena vs. Umaga (2007)

John Cena has faced a large assortment of opponents throughout his legendary career. Right toward the top of the list of his most formidable is Umaga. In the great tradition of Samoan wrestlers, Umaga was an impressive mix of size and athleticism. They had several notable encounters, but this Last Man Standing match jumps out as one of their finest.
Cena won, of course, but I doubt many would’ve objected if The ‘Samoan Bulldozer’ had pulled out the win here.
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8. Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon (1993)

Fresh off of capturing his first World Championship, ‘The Hitman’ would face his first big challenge in the form of ‘The Bad Guy’. The champ found himself wrestling from underneath here against Ramon who had deceptive size. It was a great clash between two of the best of their era. It also served as a terrific way to establish Hart as a deserving champ with incredible technical prowess.
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7. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (2001)

The two Chrises had a ton of history together and were very close friends. So when the time came for this Intercontinental Title Ladder Match, fans knew they’d be capable of creating some magic. And that they did.
Almost a forgotten gem in the lexicon of great ladder matches (for obvious Benoit-related reasons) Jericho walked away victorious. And this victory helped to kickstart what would end up as one of the biggest years of his career.
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6. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz (2000)

The tag team division in WWE was raising the bar due to the excitement they’d bring with every encounter. Two of the teams responsible for that were front and center here as the Hardys and the Dudleys worked the fans at MSG into a frenzy.
Given it was a Tables Match, they took the opportunity to brawl all over the arena. The mayhem culminated in Jeff Hardy creating one of many iconic moments with his Swanton Bomb from the crowd.
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5. The Rock vs. Mankind (1999)

The Rock and Mankind spent the beginning of 1999 trading the WWE Championship back and forth in one of the most memorable feuds of the era. This I Quit Match was at the epicenter of all of that. Another match that wound up all over the arena, this one is notorious for its controversial ending involving the PA System and for the many, many, MANY chair shots Rock laid into Mankind’s skull. This one is not for the squeamish.
4. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (2003)

Two of the most technically sound and intense wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots locked horns at the ’03 Rumble. Angle and Benoit could always be counted on to elevate any match they were a part of. Put them together, and fans were assured to see an absolute wrestling clinic put on display. No frills or stipulations were required for this one. Just pure wrestling skill from a pair who had it in spades.
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3. John Cena vs. AJ Styles (2017)

These two are a perfect example of contrasting styles you wouldn’t immediately think had massive chemistry. And yet every time they stepped in the ring they would tear it up. Styles came in as the champion on a hell of a roll here after a phenomenal debut year with the company. And Cena was every bit as game.
An almost 25-minute classic notable for the fact they never leave the ring once, it’s about as perfect a one-on-one match as we’ve ever seen.
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2. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (2015)

Triple-threat matches can be a dicey affair, but when done right they create some of the best matches around. This was one of those instances, which shouldn’t be a shock considering the talent involved. Lesnar and Cena were well-established stars by this point, but the glue that held this all together was Rollins who put on a dynamite showing against two of the biggest names in the company.
Just a couple of months later, he’d be leaving Wrestlemania as WWE Champion. His performance here likely earned him that right.
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1. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (2000)

One of the most unforgettable matches of the Attitude Era, the Street Fight between Triple H and Cactus Jack is a masterpiece of brutality. With the crowd firmly behind him, Cactus was the perfect foil for ‘The Game’ who had recently ascended to the top of the company as its champion and most hated villain.
They put each other through hell for over 26 minutes using everything from pallets to barbed wire to thumbtacks. The match did wonders for both men with Cactus giving his all and Triple H proving he had the toughness to hang at the top of the card. This one holds up in any era as one of the best matches of all time.
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