1. Royal Rumble 2004
Your Royal Rumble narrator can certainly appreciate the idea that 1992 is the best, but after watching all the top matches in question, it was made apparent that a new standard was set in 2004. It has been wiped off the face of the earth in WWE's mind, for the obvious reason of its winner. Yet, unlike the list of greatest non-Rumble matches released a few days ago - which saw Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit dropped to #2, in part, because of its "out of sight, out of mind" quality in WWE lore - the depth of the '04 Rumble match was too great to ignore. Benoit's journey to win the World Heavyweight Championship was a phenomenal story. He was the backbone that made the match the classic that it was. However, if you go back to entry #5 on this countdown and read over the essential elements described for Rumble match success, there is not a single element missing in 2004. So, that means that Benoit's tale may have been the highlight, but every conceivable quality that you could ask for in a Rumble was present before his climactic moment capped it off. Perhaps the thing about the '04 Rumble that stands out most is how connected it was to the WrestleMania that followed it. The Royal Rumble and WrestleMania are intricately connected. The success of one is often linked to the success of the other. Never was that more the case than it was in 2004. The '04 Rumble match was essentially a preview of the WrestleMania XX card. Take, for instance, the teased return of the Deadman, which sparked the rekindling of the feud between Undertaker and Kane for WrestleMania. Then, add Mick Foley stealing a spot in the match to take out Randy Orton, leading to another WrestleMania match. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar was furthered, too. Forget that their match ended up stinking out Madison Square Garden. Their Rumble moment was spine-tingling. John Cena vs. Big Show, which was the Mania XX opener, also earned a splash of added hype through the Rumble match. And, though it was not explicitly stated on-air, one could even infer that Kurt Angle's disappointment in failing to win, after dedicating his victory to the American Armed Forces, might have been the catalyst for his character to snap and become so hateful toward eventual WWE Champion, Eddie Guerrero. Oh, and Christian and Chris Jericho hinted at their deteriorating friendship, as well. It was the perfect Rumble match, more well-rounded than any of its peers and the characterization of the modern association between WWE's two most profitable events.
Chad Matthews
Contributor
"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.
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