With the Royal Rumble coming up in a few weeks, I thought it would be appropriate to share what I feel are the five most historically significant Royal Rumble matches. I will count down the Royal Rumble matches that have had the largest impact on professional wrestling. Throughout its twenty-six year history, this annual 30 (and on one single occasion 40) man, over-the-top rope battle royal has launched superstars, started new eras, played host to the biggest assembling of stars in one ring, and given fans plenty of surprises. Let's see what the five biggest Rumble matches were...
5. Royal Rumble 1995, Winner: Shawn Michaels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClWZn33p1iY Business may have been down when Shawn Michaels won the 1995 edition of the Royal Rumble, but the passage of time has given this version of the match quite a lot of historical significance. In the legendary career of Michaels, the 1995 Royal Rumble can be seen as a turning point, coming just after his time as one half of The Rockers and moderately successfully stints as Intercontinental Champion, and just before his time as "The Showstopper" and "Mr. Wrestlemania". The Heartbreak Kid's 1995 Royal Rumble performance perfectly symbolized his WWE tenure, as he overcame tremendous adversity to get to the top. Despite starting at number one, HBK became the first Rumble participant to go bell to bell, culminating with a nail biting finish where it appeared the British Bulldog had eliminated him. However, Michaels dangled from the top rope without ever allowing both feet to hit the floor, flipped back into the ring, and eliminated the Bulldog for the win. To say that this was victory was a launching pad for the career of The Heartbreak Kid would be a understatement. Michaels went on to win four world championships, main event five Wrestlemanias, and enter the Hall of Fame in 2011. Kickstarting the career of one of the greatest superstars of all time earns this Royal Rumble the number five spot on the list.