Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: The Matches That Define The Royal Rumble
By Dr. CMV1
Jan 1, 2011 - 12:55:36 PM

The Big 4 are special events, if not in their current presentation than at least in their history. The Mr. PPV series, awarding the very best of each month in WWE PPV history, will continue next week with Mr. Royal Rumble. Yet, as has been done for Wrestlemania, Summerslam, and the Survivor Series, greater emphasis has been placed on the Royal Rumble. Below are the matches that defined the top three tiers of superstars in the history of the Rumble. Please discuss, as I’m intrigued to know your favorite matches and memories from what I consider to (easily) be the WWE’s second biggest PPV.

Bad

72) Triple H vs. Scott Steiner (’03) (CMV1 rating - *1/4) (CMV1 note – Thanks to Steiner, this has to be one of the worst World title matches I’ve ever seen on PPV…at least in the last 10 years or so)

71) Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry (’06) (CMV1 rating - *1/4) (CMV1 note – Thanks to Mark Henry, this has to be another one of the worst World title matches I’ve ever seen on PPV…at least in the last 10 years or so)

70) Kurt Angle vs. Tazz (’00) (CMV1 rating - *1/2) (CMV1 note – It was quite a debut for Tazz at Kurt Angle’s expense. Angle was being positioned as a go-to performer, so it was looking like Tazz was going to be a stud. That didn’t happen)

69) Casket Match: Undertaker vs. Heidenreich (’05) (CMV1 rating - *1/2) (CMV1 note – Taker tried really hard and Kane and Snitsky kept it interesting with their interference, but Heidenreich was so bad that it just didn’t matter. The zit on the otherwise pretty face of the 2005 Rumble PPV)

68) Table Match: Ric Flair and Batista vs. The Dudley Boyz (’04) (CMV1 rating - *1/2) (CMV1 note – Far too short to amount to anything more than space filler before getting to the more important matches. Batista could’ve used the seasoning)

67) Undertaker vs. IRS (’95) (CMV1 rating - *1/2) (CMV1 note – The Deadman was just boring as can be back in the day. His matches dragged when he wasn’t in there against a guy that they’d allow to keep up with him)

66) Goldust vs. Vader (’98) (CMV1 rating - *3/4) (CMV1 note – Kind of a slow and plodding match, but had a few nice sequences worked in here and there that kept it interesting. Goldust was nothing if not a character)

Average

65) Ted Dibiase and Virgil vs. Dustin (aka Goldust) and Dusty Rhodes (’91) (CMV1 rating - **) (CMV1 note – An average tag match that introduced the WWE audience to the artist soon to be known as Goldust, but that also gave an opportunity to watch Dibiase at his best)

64) Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (’10) (CMV1 rating - **) (CMV1 note – A very average WWE title match from last year’s edition, in part because Orton was still a heel and the crowd didn’t really know how to react to heel vs. heel)

63) The Hart Foundation and Jim Duggan vs. The Fabulous Rougeaus and Dino Bravo (’89) (CMV1 rating - **) (CMV1 note – This was a two out of three falls match. The Harts and Rougeaus worked well together, as usual, but the work of Duggan and Bravo dragged it down for me)

62) Chris Jericho vs. JBL (’08) (CMV1 rating - **) (CMV1 note – I had higher hopes for this match than these two were apparently capable of producing. Maybe it was ring rust or maybe it was the feud, but they just didn’t click)

61) The Quebecers vs. Bret and Owen Hart (’94) (CMV1 rating - **1/4) (CMV1 note – The story told between Bret and Owen was well done, but sans for an entertaining first few minutes, the match was full of clunky moments and awkward looking sequences that left you wondering if they really knew what they were doing)

60) Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Goldust (’97) (CMV1 rating - **1/2) (CMV1 note – Good intensity was shown by both, but the combination of a dead crowd and a confusing lack of adherence to the rules by the referee kept this from being anything better than slightly above average)

59) Shawn Michaels vs. Sycho Sid (’97) (CMV1 rating - **1/2) (CMV1 note – HBK had the flu for this rematch from Survivor Series of the previous year. The SS match was much better than the Rumble rematch as a result. It’s not often you type anything less than 3-stars next to a singles match from HBK)

58) John Cena vs. Edge (’06) (CMV1 rating - **1/2) (CMV1 note – By far the worst match in their series thanks to the way that it was booked. Edge dominated the early part of the match, then Cena came roaring back to win his title. Ho-hum)

57) Ric Flair vs. MVP (’08) (CMV1 rating - **1/2) (CMV1 note – This was a solid match during the “Flair retires if he loses” storyline. The crowd was hot and MVP played his role well. Flair probably won’t ever work at MSG again)

Good

56) The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock (’98) (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – A good, high energy mid-card match for the IC title that saw a lot of back and forth, athletic energy for 10-minutes. A controversial finish was interesting, with Rock cleverly placing a pair of brass knuckles that he used into the tights of Shamrock. Ken won the title, but the decision was reversed when Rock pointed out the hidden knucks)

55) Undertaker vs. Vader (’97) (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – In that day and age, it was a rare thing to see Taker sell another man’s offense like he did for Vader in this match. The novelty of something like that created a lot more interest back then than it would today. They worked pretty well together and Vader getting the win was a surprise. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of it)

54) Rumble ’88 (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – At just over 30-minutes in length and featuring just 20 superstars, this was the testing ground for what the Rumble was to become. It was an entertaining match, but my thoughts on the match can be summed up by Ventura’s comments after Hacksaw won the match: “Of all the guys to win this match, IT’S HIM?!”)

53) John Cena vs. JBL (’09) (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – Certainly, by no means, can this be called anything but an above average match. The HBK-JBL storyline really took precedent and put Cena in a role similar to Orton’s in the recent Cena-Nexus drama)

52) Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz (’01) (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – Tag team matches used to mean something, as evidenced by this solid contest with a satisfying title switch that the victors made to seem ten times as important as any such tag title change in the last six or more years)

51) Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio (’10) (CMV1 rating - **3/4) (CMV1 note – This was a good match between these two that told a good story of the big man vs. the little man. Had it gone longer, it would’ve had the potential to garner a much higher rating. I really liked this match, despite what the rating may suggest)

50) Rumble ’95 (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – It’s difficult to call a Rumble match anything less than exciting and worth the price of the entire PPV, for me. But if there was ever a year when it very nearly failed to be, it was 1995. HBK and the British Bulldog had respectably entertaining performances, but the rest of the match was largely filled with a bunch of nobodies like Mantaur)

49) Ken Shamrock vs. Billy Gunn (’99) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – Man, what a different kind of time the Attitude era was, indeed. Seeing a fan give Shamrock the middle finger and yell obscenities at him brought me back to my teenage years. This was a basic match, but executed well with good crowd heat)

48) Casket Match: Yokozuna vs. Undertaker (’94) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – Good match that cut a lot of corners, but managed to be sufficiently entertaining and create a way for a “dead man” to lose without hurting his credibility. Such a silly era, as evidenced by the post match shenanigans with Taker “levitating.” There was an interesting dynamic between these two because they usually wrestled such similarly dominating styles)

47) Street Fight: Vince McMahon vs. Ric Flair (’02) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – You have to hand it to Vinnie Mac. The guy can make a match entertaining. Or, at least, he could. Flair, even when lacking in confidence, was able to put on a show with a non-wrestler. A testament to Flair’s skill)

46) Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon (’93) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – I’ve always thought Scott Hall to be an underrated performer, but this was not a match designed to show his true strengths. It was a good match – it might be impossible for these two to have anything less – but the slow pace when Razor controlled offensively handcuffed it from being anything more)

45) Edge vs. William Regal (’02) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – If anyone has any gripes about Edge being a babyface, they simply need to watch him wrestle as one. I think he wrestles better as the good guy, despite his character being better as the bad guy. He even writes as much in his 2004 book. Good match)

44) Rumble ’93 (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – One of my least favorite of the Rumbles, much because of the illogically booked ending that saw Randy Savage go for a pin cover on Yokozuna, who cleverly bench pressed him right off, up and over the top rope to win the match. Why would you go for a pin? Macho was not stupid, but they booked him to look like an idiot)

43) Kurt Angle vs. Big Show vs. JBL (’05) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – The quintessential rapid fire triple threat match with nothing but high spots to keep the crowd excited, hide the slower twos weaknesses, and have a title-worthy co-main-event. Hard to believe it was Show’s first title match in over two years when it happened)

42) Rumble ’00 (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – If the Rumble would’ve been anywhere close to four-stars, this might’ve been THE best Rumble PPV. Unfortunately, it suffered from a real lack of Attitude era star power and complete predictability. Everyone knew that Rock was going to win and there wasn’t another guy in the match that made you give that a second thought. Controversial ending makes this worth watching, though)

Really Good

41) Rumble ’97 (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – Stone Cold was clearly the star of this Rumble, but the near eliminations that make for the best of these types of matches were just too few and far between for this to be considered amongst the best. There were several previews of feuds that would help define the Attitude era, as Rock-Austin, Kane/Diesel 2-Taker, Foley-Rock, HHH-Austin, and several other combinations took center stage. The roster was thin back then, and they had to bring in a lot of AAA guys from Mexico to get to 30 men)

40) Rumble ’98 (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – This was a Rumble that lacked in excitement for the most part. It was built around Austin vs. everyone, with numerous factions trying to gang up on Austin prior to the match to prevent his entry. Rock, a young JBL, and Goldust gave stand out performances with lengthy stays in this match. Mick Foley provided one of the more entertaining performances of the match, coming out as Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack. Yet, in the end, this was all about Austin. He won and the crowd went nuts, but the rest of the match leading up to the victory was lacking)

39) The Rockers vs. Orient Express (’91) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – Tag team wrestling back then was such a great addition to the product. It allowed guys like the Rockers to show off what they would eventually be capable of later in the more profitable singles division)

38) Goldust vs. Razor Ramon (’96) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – Goldust was such a bizarre character when he first debuted; so completely unique and boundary-pushing that you had to see what he was going to do. It was weird for a young teenager like me at the time to see that kind of stuff. I didn’t know how to react. He was at his finest in this match)

37) Rumble ’96 (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – A very young Triple H and, believe it or not, Bob Holly carried the majority of this match until HBK came in and showed his stuff for nearly a half hour. Vader and Diesel also deserve mention, the former because of his presence in the middle of the match and the latter because he added the necessary “other” top star at the end to keep us from being 100% sure that HBK was going to win it for a second straight year)

36) Edge vs. Shawn Michaels (’05) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – A really strong 18-minute contest that was right in the early part of Edge trying to figure out how to better work in the ring as a heel. He definitely showed flashes of the main-event star he would become and I’ve always wanted to see what these two could have done circa ’06-’08 when Edge was at his best)

35) The Hardys vs. MNM (’07) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – These teams had a series of matches between late ’06 and early ’07 that reminded fans of what tag wrestling could bring to the table if given the chance. It showed off four well-rounded workers all capable of good or better singles careers with the right pushes)

34) Rumble ’10 (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – One of the shortest Rumbles in history featured a lot of rapid fire eliminations. The usual lengthy performance from a mid-card guy was wiped out in favor of several 10-minute stays here and there that, frankly, carried the majority of the match. Well, that and the storytelling of HBK as he tried desperately to win and go on to face Taker at Mania. Edge’s return was something I had hoped to see at the Rumble and was quite pleased with at the time)

33) Table Match: Hardy Boys vs. Dudley Boys (’00) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – This was a unique match type for the WWE at the time. It was the first of such a gimmick I’d ever seen and it perfectly fit the extreme nature of the Hardys and the hardcore nature of the pioneering Dudley Boyz. Jeff’s Swanton off the MSG locker room entrance/exit is one of those memorable moments that gets played over and over on WWE tribute videos)

32) Bret Hart vs. Undertaker (’96) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – For you newer fans out there, Taker was not the worker back in the 90’s that he has become today. He was slow, plodding, and most of his matches were kept at his pace. Bret did his best to get something memorable out of him, but the lack of a clean finish and Taker’s pace meant that these two were still about a year and a half from having a great match)

31) Randy Orton vs. Triple H (’05) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – The climax of one of the most ill-fated feuds in recent wrestling history, this was the first of many above average, but not great matches between Orton and Trips. They did their damndest to protect Orton with a fake concussion, but it did not help the match quality. Their two very similar styles just never meshed well)

30) Bret Hart vs. Diesel (’95) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – These two had three matches on PPV while in the WWE together. All three were surprisingly good and got better and better with each effort. This was round 2 and it helped solidify Nash as a main-event player after he’d won the title in late ’94. He could be carried by two people: Bret and HBK. I don’t really see that one had better matches with Nash than the other)

29) Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy (’08) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – Hands down one of the best hyped matches in the history of the WWE. They did a marvelous job building up Jeff Hardy in the weeks prior. While the match itself didn’t really deliver – mostly because Jeff didn’t win the title, but also slightly because they just didn’t have enough time to knock one out of the park – it was still worth noting Hardy’s pre-match success)

28) Rumble ’99 (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – The Austin-McMahon saga that took place throughout various parts of the match were great, but the rest was only mildly entertaining. Big names came and went quickly and there multiple times when we had one guy in the ring waiting for an opponent. It made for a few awkward minutes that were unnecessary. The ending where the Rock helps Mr. McMahon defeat Austin was a great plot twist that only added fuel to the fire for that phenomenal feud)

27) Casket Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (’98) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – You won’t likely see a better casket match. HBK and Taker, blessed with amazing chemistry, used the lack of rules to their advantage to create a match that had plenty of the twists and turns you’d expect from a match between the two. This was the match where HBK suffered the minor injury that led to the major injury that cost him four years of his storied career. Of course, the finish saw the classic moment of Kane costing Taker the title, dumping him in the casket, and then lighting the casket on fire)

26) Rumble ’94 (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – Fairly pedestrian in many ways, but credit must be given where it is due for the finish that saw Luger and Hart both eliminated at the same time, leading to mass confusion and the excitement that accompanied it. This was an interesting blend of initial boom period stars and new generation stars, with Diesel having a coming out party of sorts that earned him the crowd’s respect and began the slow push toward his title win later that year. HBK also shone bright, bumping all over the place and creating for exciting near eliminations)

25) Kurt Angle vs. Triple H (’01) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – Not the finest work you’ll see from these two, in part because of the side story occurring between Stephanie McMahon and Trish Stratus. The girl drama definitely took away from the match. All in all, though, the match was a really strong effort, just not necessarily what you might expect from two of the WWE’s all-time best)

24) Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty (’93) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – The quick hitting, fast paced match you’d expect from these two former partners, but with the personal intensity that can only come from the rivalry that they’d started in the past. Their match from Raw that year was a strong candidate for ’93 MOTY and, while this wasn’t at that level, it was quite good and something you ought to see if you’re an HBK/Rockers fan)

23) Rumble ’89 (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – The first 3/4 of the match were very entertaining, with standout performances from Mr. Perfect, Andre the Giant, Ax, and Hulk Hogan. Perfect, in particular, was the star of the first half of the match, bumping all over the place and creating drama during the dozen times he was nearly eliminated. After Hogan was ousted, the match slowed down considerably. In the end, Big John Studd got the win in the midst of a failed babyface push. Also of note was that it took the crowd a few entrants to start the countdown chant leading to the next wrestler. A crowd hasn’t failed to do it since)

The Best of the Rest (Great)

22) Rumble ’91 (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – This is one of those Rumbles that just reminds me why I love the Rumble gimmick. Bret Hart started off as the #1 entrant, but it was Greg Valentine that excellently executed throughout the match. He lasted close to 45-minutes. Hogan won for the second year in a row, but from a historical perspective its fascinating to listen to the crowd reaction from one year to the next…you can hear that there was a drop off between ’90 and ’91)

21) Rumble ’09 (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – Just thinking out loud, here, but I wonder if Pat Patterson stopped helping with the booking of the Rumble matches as of ’09. He had been well known for his ability to book these, but in ’09 things just seemed a little different. It was not that this was a bad Rumble by any means, but it was an interesting approach to have the ring fill up with so many guys without eliminations. Eliminations are kind of what keep the match exciting because there’s only so much one can do with so many other wrestlers in the ring)

20) Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude (’88) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – This is a forgotten gem of a match up until the finish, but the end was typical of that era so one cannot complain too much. With a better finish, this is a four-star match, though. They worked about as well together as you’d expect of a current and future Hall of Famer. I’ll say this…Rick Rude is one of the most underrated stars of all-time)

19) Rumble ’01 (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – A paint by the numbers Rumble with the exception of about four guys. Rock, Austin, Taker, and Kane were the standouts, while everyone else just made their appearance and took off. Kane and Rock carried the match and this was where Kane set his 11 elimination record. Taker simply added the star power and Austin, the eventual winner, did a nice job telling the story of a beaten, bloody man – at the hands of HHH – overcoming the odds to get the win. Great tease for Rock vs. Austin when it came down to the final three)

18) Rumble ’03 (CMV1 note – The early part of this Rumble was some of the most entertaining stuff you’ll ever see from this gimmick. Thanks in large part to Jericho, Mysterio, and Edge, the first 10-15 minutes were just excellent to watch. Jericho carried the majority of the match with his ill-fated quest to win from #2. There were several good changes of pace, as well. The final four was kind of what hurt the match, as it just was not that exciting. Still a thoroughly enjoyable Rumble overall, though; a match that you should certainly not skip over if chronicling all of the Rumble matches)

17) Last Man Standing Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (’04) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – It’s safe to say that they beat the holy hell out of each other in this match, but they also left the fans slightly annoyed with the lack of a definitive winner. I think this was just before the WWE really hit their stride in consistently booking LMS matches at the main-event level. Two years after this one, LMS bouts were routinely excellent. You know you’re good when your worst match of a series is rated at just shy of four-stars)

16) I Quit Match: The Rock vs. Mankind (’99) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – I didn’t like the ending to the match, where piped in sounds of Foley saying “I Quit” falsely gave the impression that Mankind gave up. However, the majority of the match was very entertaining and engaging. Foley is often credited with getting Triple H over as a top heel; I think he should arguably be given credit for doing the same with the Rock. Foley’s in-ring work taught the Rock how to get it done in the Attitude era style main-event)

15) Edge vs. Jeff Hardy (’09) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – This was somewhat of a dream match for those of us that saw them compete during the TLC days, as it was an evolution of the business. I thought they worked a great match with some dramatic near falls leading up to the semi-surprise of Matt Hardy turning on his brother and costing him the title. Jeff was so over that it played out well on screen and the crowd reacted really well to it – disbelief!)

14) I Quit Match: Ronnie Garvin vs. Greg Valentine (’90) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – The Hammer is the type of guy that has been missing from WWE in recent years until Daniel Bryan arrived. He was a heck of a worker when he was on, capable of having a great match like this. Newer fans should go back and watch this match. It’s not hardcore like Rock-Mankind, but it doesn’t need to take those kinds of short cuts. Garvin, a former NWA Champion, held up his end of the bargain)

13) Rumble ’90 (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – So many call the ’92 Rumble the most star-studded of all-time, but have you ever seen Rumble ’90? I would argue that Rumble ’90 featured more current and future Hall of Famers than any other Rumble. From Dibiase – who nearly stole the show with his performance as the #1 entrant – to Rhodes to Snuka to Piper to Hogan to Warrior to Bret to HBK to Perfect to Jake the Snake…the list goes on. The Warrior-Hogan showdown was a classic Rumble moment that perfectly set the stage for their Mania encounter a couple months later. It made me want to watch Wrestlemania 6 even after all these years. Is that not what the Rumble is supposed to do?)

12) Rumble ’06 (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – One of the more underrated Rumble matches, in part because it was not the main-event and the moment of Mysterio overcoming the odds was not the last thing featured on that year’s card. I thought that weakened the impact, but that the match was still top notch. Triple H, Randy Orton, and Mysterio had great outings, with Rey and Trips really carrying the match from start to finish as the #1 and #2 entries, respectively. RVD also had a solid performance making his return from injury)

11) Rumble ’02 (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – The ’92 Rumble was famous for its star power from the 80’s and eventual 90’s wrestlers. The ’02 Rumble was the most star studded of the Attitude/Monday Night War era. The longest Rumble in history, the ’02 version is a personal favorite of mine due to the diverse mix of talent. Austin probably performed the best of the thirty, but no one wrestler definitively stood out. Perfect coming back for a solid, final four appearance was a nice surprise, as was Taker being shockingly eliminated by Tough Enough 1 winner, Maven)

The Best of the Best (Excellent)

10) Rumble ’05 (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – There were several notable moments in this Rumble, including Raw vs. SD teams forming to face each other and kayfabe being broken to take out the whiny Muhammad Hassan. However, the thing that made this Rumble as good as it was ended up being the final few minutes with Batista and Cena. The confusion that followed the two of them each touching the floor at that the same time was wildly entertaining, as was the hoopla that ensued from it – Vince blowing out both quads in the process. There are very few moments left in wrestling that have me out of my seat with excitement…the ending to Rumble ’05 was definitely one of them)

9) Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (’01) (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – This was a good change of pace from the typical ladder match of the modern day, which relies more so on flash than substance. Benoit and Jericho had been feuding for months, so this was two guys using a ladder to help their story more than two guys fighting with the ladder as the story. Y2J seems to have a pretty good handle on that, historically. They beat the hell out of each other, but the spots were not intricate so much as they were just hard hitting and fairly realistic)

8) Chris Jericho vs. The Rock (’02) (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – One of the most underrated matches of the last decade, in my opinion. Rock hit his stride as a performer in the final year of his WWE tenure and Jericho was at his best playing off the kind of babyface that drew emotion – of any kind – from the crowd. As a cheap winning heel, Y2J needed a guy as over as Rock to make sure people bought into his tight pulling, feet on the ropes near falls. This was the best match that these two had together, as everything they did meshed really well)

7) Last Man Standing Match: John Cena vs. Umaga (’07) (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 – I actually underrated this bout at the time that it occurred because my expectations were pretty low and I could not fathom just how good this was. Cena became “the man” with his work like this in 2007. Umaga really played his role well, also, and it’s a shame that he didn’t have a longer career. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, here: Cena’s go-to gimmick match is LMS. He just gets its and when the gloves are allowed to come off as they were in this match, he’s capable of producing something special)

6) Rumble ’07 (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – Personally, this is my favorite Rumble. It did not start off as one of the best, but when it came down to two of the best of all-time going head-to-head, it was taken to another level. Most Rumbles get down to the final four and then the final sequence happens fairly quickly and then it’s just over. This one broke away from that mold and featured a mini-main-event within the main-event, giving Taker and HBK almost 8 additional minutes to let their story play out. Considering that they hadn’t crossed paths in almost ten years, it was quite a sight to see. I believe it laid the foundation for the two classic Wrestlemania matches they had the last two years)

5) Rumble ’08 (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – I love it when the WWE goes to MSG because they always go above and beyond. This was a great Rumble right from the start with HBK and Taker renewing their final moments from the previous year’s Rumble. There were a few nice surprises along the way, as well, but none like the moment when the 30th entrant was revealed to be John Cena. I came unglued from my seat and nearly lost it at the sight of the golden boy. Dozens of questions raced through my mind -“is he coming back too soon” among them. When he won it and showed all that passion for being able to make it back, it was just an awesome moment)

4) Street Fight: Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (’00) (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note – You know you’re dealing with a classic match when it makes it onto a lot of people’s lists of all-time greatest matches. I wouldn’t go that far, personally, as I do not think it necessarily stands the test of time. What it made it special initially was that it was the solidification of HHH as a main-event player, but for the younger fans watching it eleven years later for their first viewing, I can see how it would draw rave reviews but without the “classic” tag. Fond memories are conjured up from this match, though…no doubt about that)

3) Rumble ’04 (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note – An absolutely epic performance by Chris Benoit, who in winning from the #1 entry position got his momentum steam rolling toward an eventual main-event World title victory at Mania. There were numerous other great moments during this match, including Taker’s gong going off to escalate the excitement for his eventual return as the Deadman, Mick Foley making a quick appearance to eliminate he and Orton to further their intense rivalry, and Brock Lesnar giving Goldberg the F5 to make him vulnerable to eventual elimination by Kurt Angle – who himself had an excellent night and was only outshined by Benoit. One of the best battle royals of all-time, nearly executing a modern era edging out of ’92 as the best ever)

2) Rumble ’92 (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note – Has there ever been a bigger conglomeration of stars in one match? It’s a virtual who’s who of professional wrestling history. Thanks to a masterful performance from Ric Flair, it also happens to be one of the greatest battle royals of all-time – if not THE best. Couple that with some of the greatest commentary you’ll ever hear from Bobby Heenan and you’ve got yourself a must see for fans of all ages. Other notable performances were turned out by Roddy Piper, Shawn Michaels, and about a dozen others. So many memorable moments throughout, including Randy Savage sprinting to the ring to combat Jake Roberts, Flair’s reaction to Piper’s entrance, and Hogan being eliminated. A true classic and one for the ages)

1) Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (’03) (CMV1 rating - *****) (CMV1 note – The greatest match in Rumble history is not actually a Rumble match thanks to this gem from two of the best of all-time in the WWE main-event style. Few matches have ever made me leave my seat multiple times, sucking me in with drama slowly built from beginning to end. I would, therefore, put this up against just about any match I’ve ever watched live. They had so many great matches over the years, but much like Steamboat and Flair took awhile to have their masterpiece at Chi-Town Rumble, it took a lengthy, multi-year series before Benoit and Angle finally had their work of fine art at the Royal Rumble)

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The Road to Wrestlemania First Round Begins Thursday

If you are still interested in filling out a bracket for the RTWM tournament, then just leave it in the following format in the facebook area below or email it to me (click on my name at the top). Here’s a link to the Selection Special (and details): http://www.lordsofpain.net/columns/doctorsorders/Doctor_s_Orders_The_Road_to_Wrestlemania_Begins_Now.html . And here’s a link to the Road to Mania bracket: http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=376250&tclass=

East R1 –
East R2 –
East SE16 –
East E8 –

South R1 –
South R2 –
South SE16 –
South E8 –

West R1 –
West R2 –
West SE16 –
West E8 –

Midwest R1 –
Midwest R2 –
Midwest SE16 –
Midwest E8 –

Final Four –
WM Championship –
Wrestlemania Champion –