Ranking EVERY WWE Royal Rumble Match From Worst To Best

5. 2011

Cody Rhodes
WWE

A risky experiment gone right, 2011's 40-man battle royal was expanded to fit in the warring Nexus and Corre members, but instead became a story in three parts brilliantly told.

CM Punk and his arm-banded soldiers dominated the early going, John Cena took control of the ring for an enjoyable middle act, and the back-end of the match loaded itself up with credible contenders all the way through to a sensational false finish featuring - of all people - Santino Marella.

Fans of a certain age were warmed by the presence of Diesel and Booker T too, not least because they were poached from right under TNA's nose.

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