10 Greatest Performances In WWE Royal Rumble History
3. Chris Benoit (2004)
Here’s one epic Royal Rumble performance you won’t hear about in the lead-up to this year’s event, and understandably so. Regardless of what would transpire towards the end of his life, 2004 was the zenith of Chris Benoit’s career. Long considered one of the industry’s most underutilized wrestlers, Benoit lacked the height and microphone skills to fit Vince McMahon’s “superstar” archetype, but his popularity became too strong to be denied
Benoit’s skill and intensity had made him one of WWE’s biggest babyfaces, and he went the distance in the 2004 Royal Rumble. This might have been Benoit’s gutsiest performance to date, and after overcoming a series of brutal beatdowns from the likes of Kurt Angle, John Cena, and Chris Jericho, Benoit refused to go away. He spent over one hour in the ring, eliminating six wrestlers along the way, before finally outfoxing the Big Show to become only the second man in history to win the Rumble after entering first.
Had Benoit’s life not ended the way it did, his performances throughout 2004’s early stages would be a regular part of WWE’s annual pre-WrestleMania highlight packages. From here, Benoit continued his incredible momentum, and secured one of the most emotional title victories in WWE history by topping Shawn Michaels and Triple H at WrestleMania.