10 Greatest Performances In WWE Royal Rumble History
2. Ric Flair (1992)
Ask a group of WWE historians their opinions on what the greatest Royal Rumble match of all-time is and there’s a good chance most will say 1992. From the absurdly star-studded line-up to Bobby Heenan’s brilliance on commentary, this match had it all, and much of its greatness comes from Ric Flair’s performance.
This was the first time that the WWE Championship was up for grabs in the Rumble match itself, and Flair was relatively new to WWE. His long-awaited move from WCW had fans’ mouths watering at the prospect of finally seeing a hotly-anticipated dream match between Flair and Hulk Hogan, and by the end of the 1992 Royal Rumble, the Nature Boy felt like the biggest star in the company.
Flair was in the match for over an hour. Entering at number three, Flair crossed paths with almost every other competitor in the match, and he took a serious beating. Surrounded by some of the most decorated performers in the sport’s history, Flair gutted it out, and found inner strength the likes of which WWE fans had never seen before. He eliminated five men on the road to victory, with Sid Justice falling last, and his WWE ascension was complete.
The new WWE Champion’s post-match promo (“with a tear in my eye!”) has since become legend. WWE never never able to deliver on the Flair vs. Hogan match, and the Nature Boy defended his belt against Randy Savage at WrestleMania instead. Still, for all Flair has accomplished throughout his glittering career, this performance ranks near the top.