20 Greatest WWE Royal Rumble Undercard Matches

16. Ric Flair Vs. Vince McMahon (2002)

Matt Hardy Powerbombed through a table Royal Rumble 2000
WWE.com

Defeating Vince McMahon in an incredible street fight, Ric Flair found himself in a very real quest for redemption in the most unusual of circumstances.

Admitting that the troubled final years of WCW had taken a tremendous toll on his confidence, Flair has gone on record as confirming his WWE return finally reignited a spark within him he thought permanently extinguished.

Considered by many to be the greatest wrestler of all time, Flair was reduced to working with a shirt on in comedy bouts as WCW collapsed around him, but this spectacular brawl reminded fans of the type of drama only 'The Nature Boy' was able to provide.

Playing off the similar age of both men rather than Flair's almost unmatched in-ring legacy, the two waged a bloody war that saw Vince cruelly beat 'Slick Ric' with weapons in front of his own family (including the first on-camera appearances of future Women's Champion Charlotte and the late Reid Flair).

Eventually firing back after reversing Vince's figure-four leglock attempt, Flair took Vince to school, hitting low blows, shots to McMahon's head with a monitor and a lead pipe, and a match-winning figure-four of his own, delighting the crowd and assuring audiences that the true 'Nature Boy' was indeed back.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett