It's important to get a match as important as the Royal Rumble off to a good start. There have been too many times where the guys or girls who are unfortunate enough to draw #1 and #2 are lackluster. The crowd wants to get excited but these people show up and they lose interest.
RELATED: WWE: 10 Times A Royal Rumble Winner Almost Lost Their Title Shot
Thankfully, many years have seen some very impressive opening clashes in the Royal Rumble match. Sometimes you get two talented wrestlers, sometimes it'll be two legends, and other times its people involved in a rivalry, which ensures the Rumble will kick off with something intense. These years proved that better than the rest.
10 Alexa Bliss & Bianca Belair (2020)
Here's one of the most unexpected beginnings to a Rumble match. Alexa Bliss showing up at #1 wasn't too much of a shock but Bianca Belair at #2 certainly was. The NXT standout hadn't been called up at this point, yet she was being given a major opportunity to showcase her skills.
The two competed in a clash of styles that came off as being really fun. It proved that Belair could hang with the top stars on the brand and reminded everyone of Alexa's singles talent. Belair used this as a springboard for a stellar showing, lasting over 30 minutes and eliminating seven women.
9 Shawn Michaels & British Bulldog (1995)
The 1995 Royal Rumble match was unique for several reasons. For one, the intervals were shorter, meaning that the whole thing didn't even last 40 minutes. For another, Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog were the first two in and the final two men standing at the end.
Their performances do take a hit due to the length of the match. Still, these were two former Intercontinental Champions and rising stars in the company. Hanging around until the finish, which saw Michaels hang on after one foot touched the floor, boosted them here.
8 CM Punk & Daniel Bryan (2011)
This was basically an indy wrestling fan's dream. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan made their names while performing in places like Ring of Honor before taking WWE by storm. They opened the 2011 Rumble and were ready to display why they're so good.
Unfortunately, this was marred by the feud between the New Nexus and the Corre. The factions brawled beforehand and that was where the focus lied. Of course, once they went at it, Punk and Bryan delivered. Bryan lasted 20 minutes, while Punk survived for 35 and dominated with seven eliminations.
7 Chris Benoit & Randy Orton (2004)
It isn't talked about as much but Chris Benoit and Randy Orton nearly mimicked Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog in 2004. They started the festivities off and around the halfway point of the match, they were the only two men in the ring.
RELATED: Every Number One Entrant In The Royal Rumble In The 2000s, Ranked
Mick Foley arrived and got rid of Orton, while Benoit lasted over an hour to win the whole thing. The interactions between Benoit and Orton were great and they stood out as two favorites to win. Add in that Benoit was getting a huge push and Orton was on fire as the Intercontinental Champion and you can see why this was so good.
6 Triple H & Rey Mysterio (2006)
For the third time on this list, someone from the top two went the distance and won the match. This time around, it was #2 who came out on top and the entire situation was pretty emotional. Rey Mysterio dedicated the match to Eddie Guerrero, who had passed away a few months prior.
Mysterio went on to set a record by lasting over 62 minutes en route to winning. Meanwhile, Triple H entered at #1 and the all-time great also lasted an hour. That marked the first time the two top entrants pulled off that feat.
5 Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho (2003)
Here's a case where it wasn't just two future legends starting the Rumble but also two guys who were feuding. At the 2003 Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were on the road to an eventual battle at WrestleMania XIX.
HBK was looking to replicate his effort from 1995. However, Jericho got help from his buddy Christian to deliver a sneak attack on Michaels. He obliterated his rival and dumped him out within two minutes. Jericho would last 39 minutes before Michaels returned to the ring and eliminated him.
4 CM Punk & Seth Rollins (2014)
Whenever people think about the 2014 Rumble match, their minds go to one of three things. Daniel Bryan not being included, Roman Reigns' 12 eliminations, and Batista winning to a chorus of boos. That makes this opening go overlooked.
RELATED: 8 Wrestlers With The Most Eliminations In A Single Royal Rumble Match
CM Punk was placed at #1 as part of a storyline and faced one-third of the Hounds of Justice in Seth Rollins. It's an iconic pair of wrestlers given their career accolades and indy credentials. Plus, it gets a notable bonus for it being Punk's last night with WWE. Both men impressed by lasting nearly 50 minutes each.
3 Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit (2005)
A year after Chris Benoit won the Rumble from the #1 spot, he drew another unlucky number. He entered at #2 to immediately follow Eddie Guerrero. There was a lot to take in about this start to a Rumble. Obviously, you had two talented wrestlers included.
There was also the fact that these guys were incredibly close friends. They actually closed out WrestleMania XX the prior year celebrating in the ring together. Lastly, it also ended up being Eddie's final Rumble before his death. He was in the match for 28 minutes, while Benoit stuck around for 47 minutes.
2 Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch (2018)
The first Women's Royal Rumble had to start with a bang and it did. Sasha Banks stepping through the curtain immediately told people that this was going to be special. Becky Lynch being next took it to the next level.
These are two of the most accomplished ladies in WWE history. Lynch lasted 31 minutes, coming close to achieving something big again on her road to becoming "The Man." Meanwhile, Banks survived 54 minutes and shined as the woman to carry most of the outstanding match. Two incredible ladies doing incredible things.
1 The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels (2008)
It literally gets no bigger than this. In 1997, these two waged a legendary feud that included the inaugural Hell in a Cell match. In 2007, the two icons were the final men in the Rumble, with The Undertaker tossing out Shawn Michaels to win in Texas. After ending one Rumble, they started it the next year.
The Madison Square Garden crowd was perfect for this as they appreciate something as special as this. Both men were part of the match for 32 minutes and their clash was epic. It also helped set up their WrestleMania encounters for the next two years.
NEXT: 5 Times WWE Picked A Wrong Royal Rumble Winner (& 5 Times They Were Spot On)
