10 Best Endings In WWE Royal Rumble History

8. Chris Benoit And Big Show (2004)

Named the No. 1 entrant in the 2004 Royal Rumble match weeks in advance, Chris Benoit's Royal Rumble win could have been seen coming a mile away. But that did not at all take away from how well-deserved a victory it was for Benoit at that time.

Some superstars who start out early in the match and go the distance don't have strong showings, but Benoit was constantly involved in the action. He and Randy Orton opened the contest, a nice touch considering their battles over the World Heavyweight Championship months later. He also eliminated his fair share of guys, but it was unknown whether he would be able to overcome Big Show in the closing moments of the bout.

At this stage in his career, Big Show was still a threat and could have very easily tossed Benoit over the top rope to seal the win. He had been on a tear for months as the United States Champion and was about to add another title to his collection - unless Benoit could do something about it.

After slowing The World's Largest Athlete down with a Crippler Crossface, he reversed a bodyslam from Big Show, applying a choke hold and gradually flipping him over the rope to the outside to emerge victorious. Of course, WWE refuses to acknowledge the existence of this Rumble due to Benoit's heavy presence, but there's no denying that those final few minutes were magical, edge-of-the-seat stuff.