15 Best Matches To Ever Take Place At Royal Rumble
12. The Rock Vs. CM Punk (Royal Rumble '13)
Noticing a theme, here? This decade has produced some really good matches at the Royal Rumble. It is safe to say that there has never been a more critical time in WWE fan history and, in fairness, we have not exactly had the chance to allow many of these matches to breathe enough so that we can fully establish where they should rank amongst their peers from past decades. One match that well characterizes the above mindset is Rock vs. Punk from two years ago. The finish was lambasted. The Rock was lampooned for being out of wrestling shape. Punk lost the title and people were up-in-arms. You know what, though? That match was great. It will never be mistaken as an all-time classic, but it was the caliber of match that often earns the 4-star label. Are you rolling your eyes? Hang on a second. Pause for a moment your thoughts on what it did wrong, in your opinion. What about the things that it did right? Here is what it did right: CM Punk may have lost the title, but he was displayed as a cunning student of the game that had nearly every Rock-ism scouted, thus making him look like the superior talent even in defeat. It was part of what made him a believable threat to the masses that he might be able to dethrone Taker's Streak at Mania. Punk worked very well with Rock, who might have been out of ring shape (which was totally understandable), but who still managed to connect on each move that he tried without issue (with the exception of the announce table breaking out of their control). Some of the spots executed were awesome and there was a palpable buzz throughout the match that reflected the fact that we were all lucky to have seen what we were watching. The finish protected CM Punk after a match that managed to get the people squarely rooting for Rock (not an easy thing to do against Punk). Rock vs. Punk is a rainy day match if there ever was one.
"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.
