10 Greatest Final Two Competitors In The WWE Royal Rumble
3. Shinsuke Nakamura & Roman Reigns (2018)
In 2018, WWE did the unthinkable: they gave the fans a result they actually wanted. The past several Rumbles had ended in disappointments, with the old guard or unpopular new stars winning over audience favourites. And when 2018’s final two comprised recently acquired NJPW star Shinsuke Nakamura and Vince’s unshakable pet project Roman Reigns, it seemed pretty apparent the same was going to happen again.
Only this time, it didn’t. Nakamura, booked like an absolute warrior throughout, faced off against Reigns and actually bested him. The two put on a fantastic show for the final stretch, a crisp, snug affair that maintained the Japanese star’s underdog status while never making him look any less the badass.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Reigns here, who is used as a patsy, a heat magnet – a veiled threat: “we could have this guy win at any moment!”. WWE made the right call this time, though, and Nakamura’s celebration upon kicking Reigns to the floor feels like a relief we’ve all earned.
His subsequent title shot – and, really, main roster run – have been found wanting, but we’ll always have the 2018 Rumble.