11 Best Individual Performances In A Royal Rumble Match

The Royal Rumble match is one of the most exciting matches in wrestling. The fact that 30 participants, including several surprise entrants, each wrestle on their own to earn a title shot at WrestleMania is very interesting and fun to watch.

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Over the years, we have seen many memorable performances in a Royal Rumble match. Wrestlers who enter first and win the match, others who last over an hour in the match, and others who score an absurd number of eliminations. Either way, these wrestlers stole the show in a Royal Rumble match and went down in history with their epic performances.

11 Edge Won The 2021 Royal Rumble As Number One

Edge Was 47 Years Old When He Won His Second Royal Rumble Match

After so many injuries and adversity, it was simply unbelievable to see Edge wrestling in 2021. But what he did at the 2021 Royal Rumble was ridiculous. The Rated-R Superstar entered the match first and outlasted everyone to win his second Royal Rumble match.

He did it at age 47 (only Vince McMahon won a Royal Rumble being older), which gives more credit to his terrific 58-minute performance. Edge proved that, despite everything he went through, he still got it.

10 Both Bianca Belair & Shayna Baszler Eliminated 8 Women In The 2020 Royal Rumble

Belair & Baszler Debuted & Stole The Show

In the 2020 women's Royal Rumble Match, Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler stole the show, and we couldn't choose between the two, so it's only fair to mention them both. Each had a fantastic performance, as both were NXT representatives and were making their debut in a Royal Rumble match, but the nerves didn't affect them at all.

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Belair was the second entrant and lasted 33 minutes in the ring, eliminating eight women and eventually being eliminated by Charlotte Flair. It was an impressive performance by The EST. Baszler, meanwhile, was the 30th entrant and eliminated eight women as well, but seven in a row. Baszler looked very dominant and ended up being the runner-up, as she was also eliminated by The Queen.

9 Kane Scored 11 Eliminations In The 2001 Royal Rumble Match

Kane Never Won A Royal Rumble Match

Kane is one of the best wrestlers to never win a Royal Rumble match, but he did score tons of eliminations. As a matter of fact, Kane has the most eliminations in Royal Rumble match history, with 46. He set a record in the 2001 Royal Rumble, when he eliminated 11 men.

The Big Red Machine was the sixth entrant. He lasted 53 minutes and 46 seconds in the ring and came close to winning the match, but he was eliminated in the end by Stone Cold Steve Austin, after some devastating chair shots.

8 Roman Reigns Eliminated 12 Men In The 2014 Royal Rumble Match

Roman Reigns Was The Runner-Up In His First Royal Rumble Match

Roman Reigns entered the fray as the 15th entrant, and he would put on one of the fiercest versions of his babyface career. The Big Dog tossed 12 men over the top rope, breaking Kane’s record for most eliminations in a single rumble, which was established in 2001. Reigns spent almost 34 minutes in the ring and was about to win the whole thing, but he was eliminated by Batista, who won his second Royal Rumble match.

7 Shawn Michaels Won The 1995 Royal Rumble After Entering First

Shawn Michaels Scored Eight Eliminations

At the 1995 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels became the first wrestler in history to win the Royal Rumble match as the first entrant. It was an epic and memorable performance, as The Heartbreak Kid weathered the odds and managed to outlast the other 29 men. Michaels eliminated eight opponents, last eliminating the second entrant, the British Bulldog, who also had an outstanding performance. It is also worth mentioning that Shawn Michaels was almost eliminated, as one of his feet hit the floor.

6 Rey Mysterio Won The 2006 Royal Rumble Match

Rey Mysterio Set The Record For The Longest Time Spent In A Royal Rumble Match

At the 2006 edition of the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio had a memorable performance. He started the match at number two, lasted 62 minutes and 12 seconds in the ring, eliminated six opponents, and won the Royal Rumble match. His victory was epic because the fans did not expect to see him win, as this kind of match is not won by underdog wrestlers like Rey. It was a pleasant surprise and a performance that lives on in the memory of the fans.

5 Gunther Lasted 71 Minutes & 42 Seconds In The 2023 Royal Rumble Match

Gunther Broke The Record For The Longest Time Spent In A Single Rumble

At the 2023 Royal Rumble, Gunther was the first entrant and survived until the end. He came close to winning the match, but ended up being runner-up because he was eliminated by Cody Rhodes.

Despite not winning, Gunther had a historic performance, crushing Rey Mysterio's record (62:12) for most time spent in a single Royal Rumble match. That night, Gunther proved to be The Ring General.

4 Rhea Ripley Went All The Way To Win The 2023 Royal Rumble Match

Rhea Ripley Scored Seven Eliminations

Rhea Ripley had a memorable performance in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble Match. She was the first to enter the match and went all the way to being the last woman standing.

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She scored seven eliminations and had one of the most impressive performances in WWE women's wrestling history. It's worth mentioning that Liv Morgan also had a great performance, entering second and finishing runner-up.

3 Steve Austin Won The 1997 Royal Rumble Match

Stone Cold Scored 10 Eliminations

Stone Cold Steve Austin won three Royal Rumble matches, the most in WWE history. Perhaps his most epic performance, and also the most controversial, was at the 1997 Royal Rumble. Austin entered the match in the fifth spot, eliminated 10 opponents and won the match after 45 minutes in the ring. However, Austin cheated, as he was eliminated by Bret Hart, but the referees were distracted, so he re-entered the match and won.

2 Brock Lesnar Scored 13 Eliminations In The 2020 Royal Rumble Match

Brock Lesnar Is A Two-Time Royal Rumble Winner

When we talk about the best individual performances in a Royal Rumble match, it is impossible not to think about Brock Lesnar’s performance in the 2020 Royal Rumble match. The Beast Incarnate was the WWE Champion at the time, but he still entered the match as the number one, and he eliminated 13 straight wrestlers. It was one of the most impressive feats of Lesnar’s career, and that’s saying something. Lesnar could not win the match, though, as he was eliminated by Drew McIntyre.

1 Ric Flair Won His First WWE Championship At Royal Rumble 1992

Many Fans Consider It The Best Royal Rumble Match In History

Without a doubt, the most impressive (and most famous) individual performance in Royal Rumble Match happened in 1992. Ric Flair, who had joined WWE just a few months earlier after dominating NWA/WCW for over a decade, entered at number three and proved he was indeed the real world champion.

The Nature Boy faced some of his most notable opponents that night, culminating with Flair last eliminating Sid Justice to capture the vacant WWE Championship. Flair's first WWE Title win became even more special after the match, with Naitch cutting one of the best promos in wrestling history alongside Bobby Heenan, Mr. Perfect and Mean Gene Okerlund.