Ranking What Was REALLY The Best Wrestling PPV Every Year 1990-2020

26. 1995 - WWF Royal Rumble

Shawn Michaels Jon Moxley
WWE

Hardly a banner year for the North American wrestling scene, 1995 was arguably the dirt-f*cking-worst ever. 2020 is better, by miles, and there's like 107 fans watching AEW and WWE comes to you live from Chatroulette.

From so few options - it's basically this, and Survivor Series - let's go with the the 1995 Royal Rumble.

It's actually, earnestly damn good; Jeff Jarrett Vs. Razor Ramon is long for an opener, but it was a worthy if uneven effort at its best when Jarrett narrowly avoided danger rather than attempt to convey it. The Undertaker Vs. IRS match, a f*cking pun, was as sh*t as it sounds. Diesel Vs. Bret Hart in contrast was outstanding in how it built. Watching Diesel catch Hart on that second dive was such a great moment of drama. Hart had spent so long putting the boots into that leg, and just when you thought Diesel had nothing left, he relied on his smarts. A great twist.

Bob Holly and the 123 Kid Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka was great - Kid and Bigelow created immense and improbable drama - and the Rumble itself was quite stunningly resourceful and innovative in its layout.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!