Tis the season to be rumbly. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-(raspberry). Man
I really want the Royal Rumbles to be good this year, seeing as last years’ were, in one case,
bland, and in the other case, offensively bland, and if there’s one thing the Rumble should not
be it’s that. Honestly, if I have to rewatch one of the two, I’d rather hate-watch 2015’s
again than the 2022 Men’s, bloody lord. But say what you want about the 2022 Men’s Rumble,
I think they got one thing slightly right, they had a fun final two. It’s an often overlooked
weapon in the rumble arsenal, everyone focuses on the nostalgia pops, the iron men, the returns,
people forget that one of the best things about a good rumble is a nailbiting final two,
when only two competitors are left and they have essentially a match
within a match. Sometimes it’s a fake-out like Orton/Edge in 2021 or Del Rio/Marella in 2011,
and sometimes it’s an epic marathon between two competitors, either of whom could snatch the
win. I’m Adam hailing from partsFUNknown 10 Best Final Twos Royal Rumble History
PLUG LAST YEAR’S RUMBLE CONTENT
10. Bret Hart & Lex Luger - 1994
Difficult to describe the match within the match as actually good. No sooner had Bret Hart and Lex
Luger been left to their own devices, indecisive from crisis to crisis, than the match was over.
Seriously, from Bret and Lex being the final two to the end of the rumble was less than a minute,
which is very silly, both men were the biggest stars in the match by far and they could have
savoured it a little longer, BUT, and this is a rikishi sized butt, no way that these
two aren’t going on the list because, they were the first, and to this point only,
CO-WINNERS of the Royal Rumble. Yup, after a few seconds of punching, both men went to the ropes,
had a lovely little cuddle, and fell over the ropes together like Holmes and Moriarty, if Holmes
and Moriarty had a little cuddle. Both men’s feet touched at the same time, with a long post-match
angle of trying to work out which of the lads had won it. For the sheer amount of rumble drama
surrounding two dudes, it belongs on the list, even if the wrestling part was way too quick.
9. Chris Benoit & Big Show - 2004
Only three men have won the royal rumble from the number 1 position, and 2 of them are Shawn
Michaels and Edge. The third is Chris Benoit, whose win is often overlooked and we know why.
But for the sake of this list, it’s worth pointing out that the final two of Benoit and Big Show was
very good. Chris Benoit was always very good at selling, although after wrestling for nearly an
hour not sure how much he actually needed to sell. Either way, it made the David vs Goliath aspect of
the ending to 2004’s rumble match all the better. Benoit straight up technicianed Big Show out of
the royal rumble, eliminating the giant with a front facelock and dragging him over the top
rope. And you know what, people talk about the talent of benoit in this unfortunately-for-wwe
iconic closing spot, but credit to the Big Show for the athleticism involved in being that huge
and also hanging upside down for a few seconds to make the spot seem even more impressive.
8. Triple H & Dean Ambrose - 2016
Sometimes, the best moments in professional wrestling happen when two people are wrestling
and every logical, rational part of your brain tells you that the person
you want to win has precisely zero chance of winning, but for the slightest moment,
the SLIGHTEST MOMENT, they make you believe. The 2016 royal rumble has some incredibly
dumb booking. Reigns was forced to defend his WWE Championship in the rumble itself,
and the major angle in the match was Vince’s Boys taking reigns out of the match via
the bottom rope and injuring him, which is ass-backwards-forwards-then-backwards-again.
Of course Roman comes back out, and we think hes going to win,
but then Triple H eliminates him to a huge pop, leaving just the game and dean ambrose. Dean,
never going to win, already intercontinental champion, Ambrose, and of course he doesn’t,
but for a few short minutes, there’s a possibility in the air that WWE will pivot to much more over
Ambrose at the last minute before mania and that’s enough to make the final two a tiny bit magical.
7. Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair - 2019
Most of the time, at least for the last 10 years, who we want to win the royal rumble doesn’t
win the royal rumble. And, you know, that’s fine, joy is overrated and leads to wrinkles,
and in an ironic twist, WWE’s constant conveyor belt of disappointment actually makes the happy
moments much happier. A very happy moment happened at the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble. Becky Lynch was
incredibly over, more over than WWE expected, and it looked like Daniel Bryan in 2014 all
over again. Competing in the first match of the night, losing, not being in the royal rumble,
but this time the old testament wwe god smiled on us, inserting lynch into the match via shenanigans
permeating the rest of the match with the fizzing energy of ‘they’re doing it, they’re actually
doing it’, especially when it came down to Lynch and Charlotte, the person earmarked
for the wrestlemania main event, the fairytale rumble ending wanted for d-bry finally came true.
6. John Cena & Batista - 2005
Lol. They felled over. The two breakout stars of 2005,
either of them could have won it, and wouldn’t you know it, they both did!
One of the most infamous final twos of all time saw Batesties and Peena botch a batista bomb,
which sent both guys sailing over the top rope in an unintended remake of Bret Hart and Lex Lugar,
but this time actually done PERFECTLY. Like they touch the ground at exactly the same time,
it’s unreal. Cue Vince being so excited about the content that he breaks his own legs and sits in
the ring, barking orders until they restart it and Batista can finally win like he was supposed
to. Does it make sense? Nope, because literally in 1994 they ruled that both men win if this happens,
but fuck it. It’s an hilarious and eternal reminder of that old adage: the best laid
plans of vince and men, oft go awry, and also look he tore his quads like a massive doyle.
5. Shawn Michaels & The British Bulldog - 1995
Ah 1995, a DEEPLY shit Royal Rumble, with one of the most influential and referenced finishes
in the rumble’s 35 year history. If you haven’t seen it, please take my word for it that the final
spot doesn’t make watching the whole thing worth it. Thank being said the final two is annoyingly
brilliant. Shawn Michaels entered number 1, the British Bulldog entered number 2. 35 minutes later
(it’s a really short rumble, one of the reasons why it’s bad) they’re the last men standing,
and engage in a couple of really choice final spots, mostly centred around HBK being a springy
little bollocks. Davy Boy clobbers micheals over the top rope, one foot touches and even though the
bell doesn’t ring, bulldog’s music plays, michaels re-enters, knocks him out and just like that,
a top 3 rumble moment of all time, endlessly referenced again and again because it’s at the
heart of the rumble’s golden rule, both feet touch the floor. What a shit rumble though.
4. Chris Jericho & Sheamus - 2012
I know we all love Sheamus nowadays, and with damn good reason, banger after banger after banger
etc, but I still think the wrong person won the 2012 Royal Rumble. The fact that Chris Jericho
can’t boast a Royal Rumble win on his record, despite the fact he should have won it in BOTH
2012 and 2017, is a not insignificant amount of bullshit. Even so, the match within a match
at the end of 2012 is REALLY good. The two men wrestled for legit over 5 minutes before jericho
is ousted by a brogue kick, and that was BIG risk considering the match had already lasted an hour,
but it was so great, with Jericho writing several love letters to shawn michaels, constantly saving
himself from elimination by centimeters, taking the great white to his limit before making
history’s palest man very angry. Top notch tension and drama, and up there with the best of em.
3. John Cena & Triple H - 2008
Sometimes it’s all about the crowd. I mean, this kinda feels like a bit of a cheat
because the people tend to remember the ending to the 2008 rumble as an iconic final three,
with Batista, Cena and Triple H each pressing the d-pad and doing their taunts. Big Dave is ousted,
with the match coming down to Triple H, the favourite going in, and John Cena,
the brand new favourite who ONLY JUST CAME BACK HOLY SHIT. Cena’s months-early
return from injury at number 30 sets off a hype bomb inside of Madison Square Garden,
the crowd FIZZING with electricity from the moment the doctor is in. As such,
they are still molton during the final stages of the match, right up until the great closing spot
of Cena adjusting triple h’s attitude right out of the ring. Hot fire emoji, as the children tweet.
2. Shinsuke Nakamura & Roman Reigns - 2018
Poor Roman Reigns. Until the 2020s, when he became suddenly very interested in who sits
where at a dinner party, everyone hated him so very much, to the point that when
he actually won his royal rumble in 2015, people campaigned for the WWE Network to crash and burn,
which looking back on it was a perfectly sane and normal day at twitter.com. However, since then,
at least when the Rumble comes around, WWE have used Roman’s Rumble infamy to pop the
crowd even more for the eventual winner. For real, in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020,
the crowd’s overwhelming anyone-but-you attitude to the big dog, was used to make Triple H’s,
Randy Orton’s, Drew McIntyre’s victories feel even bigger, but the best example of that is
Shinsuke Nakamura’s win in 2018. Again, two top belts, Nakas pegged for one, Reigns for the other,
and goddamn it if the tension isn’t delicious. The whole final six is booked to perfection,
old guard vs new, but it’s when it comes down to loved vs hated in Nakamura vs Reigns that the
match truly becomes one of the greatest ever. My word, that ovation when Shinsuke won….
1. Shawn Michaels & Undertaker - 2007
Hey it’s the final two that you knew would be number 1 when you first clicked this video. You
called it! You did it champ! Here’s your prize! This prize is for you! You were a clever sausage!
Who’s a clever little cumberland sausage? You are! So yes, this is the precursor to one of
the most treasured WrestleMania rivalries of all time, two of the best WWE wrestlers ever,
and the example that immediately comes to mind when people say royal rumble final two,
why? Because it’s a PPV match hidden inside the royal rumble and it fucking rules. From the off,
a beautiful spot where the evil team of Rated RKO are despatched by HBK in back-to-back
eliminations, to the sit-up/kip-up spot, to the nearly 10 minutes that follows,
it’s royal rumbling at its best. Close calls, huge counters, superkicks, it’s a fucking delight,
so much so that in 2008 they open the rumble with a repeat of both guys, this time entering 1 and
2. HBK and Undertaker, the patron saints of doing a job so nice WWE do it twice.