The 2010 Royal Rumble was pretty wide open. There were no obvious Wrestlemania plans and no obvious winner. Edge's surprise return after recovering from a torn achilles drew a huge pop. Him winning the match was not only deserved, but set the stage for Edge to remain at the top until his abrupt retirement a year later.
A decade before he became the worst Rumble winner in history, the fans were firmly behind the Animal breaking free of Triple H's grasp and going on to become a main event star.
Entering at No. 2, Rey Mysterio went the distance in 2006. It was a huge vote of confidence in Rey as more than just a cruiserweight, and the fans were firmly behind him.
The story behind Chris Benoit's win 2004 was a masterpiece. Paul Heyman sought to sabotage Benoit, forcing him to enter at No. 1. In a loaded field, Benoit stood no chance. Yet, he persisted, ultimately overcoming the odds in a great underdog story.
Shawn Michaels' rise began in 1995. He cemented his status as a superstar with a second consecutive victory. Shawn Michaels entered at No. 18, put on a show, and secured his spot in the Wrestelmania main event.
The first of his three Royal Rumble victories, and not his last appearance on this list, this was the unofficial start of Stone Cold Steve Austin's ascent to top guy. Austin's feud with Bret Hart is one of the greatest ever. Hart tossed Austin over the top rope, but the refs didn't see it. Austin slid back in the ring and ultimately won the match.
It's crazy to think Undertaker never won a Royal Rumble before this. A final four that featured Edge, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and HBK put on a a legitimate match at the end before Taker eliminated Michaels. This set the stage for Undertaker and Michaels' epic Wrestlemania matches to come.
This was a loaded field for a young Shawn Michaels to overcome. After he drew No. 1, there was no chance he was going to win it...until he did. Michaels' star power was established in this Rumble.
Little did we knew we were nearing the end of the Austin era. In 2001, Austin overcome a strong field, ultimately leading to a showdown with The Rock at the greatest Wrestelmania of all time.
Entering at No. 3, Ric Flair lasted over an hour, overcoming Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice at the end. Flair had never won the WWF Championship before. He followed the match with one of the greatest promos of all time.
