10 Underrated Royal Rumble Match Moments Fans Forgot About

The Royal Rumble is one of the biggest premium live events of the year, and fans look forward to the traditional elimination matches that help book the main event slots for WrestleMania each year. There have been some monumental moments in Rumble matches over the years, whether that was through amazing surprises or frantic finishes.

However, over the years there have also been plenty of enjoyable moments that haven't ended up getting the hype and attention that they deserve. Because there are so many great situations that have happened at the Rumble it is only natural that some will become underrated, and that has been the case.

10 Maven Eliminates The Undertaker (2002)

Surprise eliminations are always fun to see and can tell a great story whenever a big name gets thrown out by someone unexpected, and that was certainly the case in the 2002 match. Tough Enough star Maven ended up dropkicking The Undertaker out of the match, which is something nobody saw coming.

This led to the two of them brawling all around the ringside area and into the arena which was something that very rarely happens in a Rumble. It's not a moment WWE promotes a lot though which is a shame, as at the time this was a huge deal.

9 CM Punk Holds A Sermon (2010)

CM Punk Preaches Royal Rumble 2010 Cropped

CM Punk was always able to entertain wrestling audiences, no matter what opportunity he was given. However, one of his best moments took place in the 2010 Royal Rumble, which has often gone overlooked because WWE doesn't talk about him anymore.

However, he dominated the early stages of this match, and every time he eliminated someone it would be followed by him cutting a lengthy promo which were like a sermon as he attempted to convert the masses during his Straight Edge Society days.

8 Shawn Michaels Loses His Cool (2010)

Shawn Michaels Royal Rumble 2010 Cropped

Another great moment from the 2010 Royal Rumble that deserves more credit was the inner-match storyline taking place with Shawn Michaels. He was desperate to win to face The Undertaker who was World Champion at that time, but he ended up being eliminated by Batista, despite clinging on to the top rope with his hands.

This led to the Heartbreak Kid completely losing his cool, superkicking everybody in sight as lots of officials were taken down. It showcased the desperation that he had at the moment, and it told an amazing story that deserves more credit.

7 Otis Saves Mandy Rose (2020)

Because of the direction both characters have since gone, the storyline between Mandy Rose and Otis is something forgotten about, but that shouldn't be the case. At the time it was incredibly popular and funny, and WWE created a great spot in the women's Royal Rumble match for them.

Rose was seemingly eliminated from the match, being knocked off the apron only for Otis to be underneath to catch her. She landed right on him and it extended their storyline with this being a unique and hilarious moment that often doesn't get the credit it deserves.

6 Ivory Delivers A Message (2022)

There have been a lot of surprise appearances in the women's Royal Rumble over the years, and because of that some of them have naturally gone under the radar. One of those took place in 2022 when Ivory made her return in her Right To Censor gimmick, which was something fun.

She came out and cut a hilarious promo all the way down to the ring, and that continued when she got inside. In fact, Ivory kept on talking even as she was eliminated which brought a great comedic spot to the match.

5 Sabu Gets Chokeslammed Through A Table (2007)

As soon as Sabu was placed into the Royal Rumble some extreme moments were expected to tap into his extreme background, and that is exactly what happened in 2007. Kane showcased his aggression and dominance in the match, which he has done regularly throughout the years at the Rumble.

He ended up being the man to eliminate Sabu, and in a typical nod to ECW, he ended up chokeslamming him from the ring apron through a table on the outside. It was something different and helped to create a big spot within the match itself.

4 A Dance Break (2000)

Seeing partners reunite or work together inside a Royal Rumble match can often be a lot of fun, and that was the case with Too Cool during the 2000 Royal Rumble. Scotty 2 Hotty, Grand Master Sexay, and Rikishi all ended up in the ring together, but they opted not to wrestle.

Instead, they busted out their classic dance with the lights going low they hit their moves which left audiences amazed. It then led to Rikishi eliminating both of his friends which added to it, with this being a fun spot mid-match.

3 Paul London Is Sent Flying (2005)

Paul London eliminated from the 2005 Royal Rumble

Powerhouse wrestlers always bring something different to a Royal Rumble match as they can take out their opponents with different types of moves, which was exactly what Snitsky did in 2005. He eliminated Paul London from the match which was one of the craziest bumps to have happened in this one.

Snitsky nailed London with a huge clothesline while he was running on the ring apron, and it led to him taking a huge flip bump to then land on his face. It was a crazy spot and one that does deserve a lot more credit.

2 Santino Marella Almost Wins It (2011)

Santino Marella was a comedy character throughout his WWE career, but there were several times when people took him extremely seriously as a threat in the main event scene to win some big matches. One of those took place in the 2011 Royal Rumble match.

This was the 40-man match that was won by Alberto Del Rio, but WWE added some fun drama at the end. Marella had been hiding outside the ring and he tried to sneak behind Del Rio to win, which got a huge reaction despite the fact he wasn't a top name as a title threat.

1 The Three Faces Of Foley (1998)

Adding in surprise entrants to the Royal Rumble match is something that fans have come to expect nowadays in wrestling, but back in 1998, that wasn't so much the norm. However, Mick Foley was on hand to provide surprises for fans in that match by entering three times.

It is often quite an underrated moment that doesn't get the level of attention that it deserves. It was great creative as he came out at different points as all three faces of Foley, putting in great work that night.