#10: Royal Rumble 2007
Winner: The Undertaker
This match just barely edges out Royal Rumble 2006 because of the San Antonio crowd, and ultimately how they reacted to the epic collision of local heroes Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. Prior to this match, no man had ever come in at #30 to win the Rumble, and the return of the Phenom made for one of the most memorable moments in WWE history.
What I love about the 2007 Rumble match is how long it continues on after the last man hits the ring. Undertaker came in and made quick work of the Great Khali, who had eliminated seven people in just over three minutes. He then had to survive a double-team attack from both tag team champions, Randy Orton and one of the Deadman’s greatest rivals, Edge. After ‘Taker had sustained multiple chair shots to the head, Shawn Michaels made a huge comeback to eliminate both members of Rated RKO, and the two legends then had a full seven-minute match to determine who would advance to the main event of WrestleMania. That was step one on the Undertaker’s quest to defeat Batista, maintaining The Streak and winning his first World Heavyweight Championship.
Another awesome aspect of this particular Rumble match is how long a lot of the up-and-coming stars lasted. WWE was still trying to get their re-envisioned ECW brand rolling at this point, so they gave CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin more than 20 minutes to show off. Edge lasted over 40 minutes, Randy Orton 27, Finlay an astonishing 32 minutes – a lot of guys went the distance in this Rumble, and it made for some really good mini-feuds and solid action from beginning to end. While the event as a whole may not stack up as well to others on this list, this was one of the more “complete” entries in the Royal Rumble library, boasting fun returns, a few hardcore spots, big-man eliminations, fast-paced action, and an amazing finish between legendary Superstars.
