15 Best Matches To Ever Take Place At Royal Rumble
14. Rey Mysterio Vs. Undertaker (Royal Rumble '10)
The word inauspicious comes to mind when thinking back a half decade to Mysterio vs. Taker. Everyone knew who was going to win long before the night. So, like a lot of the Deadman's matches at Mania, his World title defense against Mysterio suffered from the foregone conclusion of the result. It was not overly long either, so it is not exactly an epic performance by any means. The reason why inauspicious comes to mind is because it is unfortunate that nobody talks about this match. Forget what it is not and focus on what it is and what you will see when you rewatch it is the greatest example, perhaps ever, of how to execute a match between a cruiserweight of Rey's size and a heavyweight of Taker's. One of the biggest little criticisms of Mysterio's matches when he became a headliner was that they were not believable. Sure, he was fun to watch, but the psychology often lacked depth, making some of his bouts hokey. Taker became an incredibly underrated psychologist in the latter stages of his career, so maybe it should come as no surprise that he and Mysterio combined to put together a match void of the pitfalls from previous cruiser vs. heavy performances. Mysterio's spots were used as logically as ever before. They each moved around the ring with a fluidity that allowed the match to come across as a unique take on David vs. Goliath call it miniature David vs. Goliath, if you will. It was a beautiful piece of work. You should check it out again.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
