Ranking EVERY WWE Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View From Worst To Best
21. 1997
The Good: An underrated Royal Rumble lights an even angrier fire between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart exactly when the company needs it. Though few saw just how impactful their rivalry would be for the future of the entire industry, hindsight reflects the history happening every time they come to blows.
The Bad: Shawn Michaels and Sid couldn't make magic for the second time on pay-per-view, despite the hometown crowd solidly rooting for 'HBK' in the way the Madison Square Garden fans didn't two months prior. Michaels hadn't yet lost his smile, but it was clear he needed to find a new in-ring mojo.
The Ugly: Vince McMahon opened the doors to AAA to co-promote this pay-per-view and use talent wherever possible, but almost without exception the wrestlers underwhelm. Mil Mascaras eliminated himself from the Royal Rumble because nobody else was allowed to, whilst a six-man tag pitting Canek, Héctor Garza and Perro Aguayo against Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal and Jerry Estrada is an in-ring atrocity by 1997's standards, let alone modern expectations.