The 2015 WWE Royal Rumble is only a few hours away now and we are continuing the hype train here on Balls.ie by bringing you our countdown of the best non-rumble matches ever seen at the historic event.
While we've said before that we absolutely love the 2000 Royal Rumble above all else, we have acknowledged that some other Royal Rumble events have offered up some absolute crackers down the years and we can now bring you our top 5 matches that stole the limelight away from the battle royale that everybody tuned in for.
5. Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho - Ladder Match - 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-sQ0CxGhqY
With the Intercontinental title on the line, this Chris v Chris encounter turned out to be an absolute classic. Benoit and Jericho absolutely hated each other for the best part of a year, and you could tell while watching two wrestlers attempting high-risk manoeuvres non-stop for pretty much the entire duration of the contest. The walls of Jericho ON TOP OF A LADDER. Iconic.
4. John Cena vs Umaga - Last Man Standing Match - 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0zpW3zgPs
Umaga had been billed as an unbeatable, unstoppable Samoan bulldozer who was wrecking everything in his path on route to a WWE title. Looking back now it may seem laughable, but that's how it was set up in 2007, until John Cena stole a win at New Years Revolution. A Royal Rumble rematch was demanded, and boy did it deliver. Cena had been injured in the build up, and all the odds were against the champ, but when Umaga's mate Armando Estrada detached a rope from the turnbuckles, only for Cena to use it to choke out the massive Samoan, we had a fitting end to an exhausting up-and-down battle.
3. The Rock vs Mankind - 'I Quit' Match - 1999
It's a shame that the full match doesn't appear to be available on YouTube, because this one was absolutely gruesome. I am positive that this match alone is responsible for a full new generation of fans tuning in once they had seen what was going down in the "Attitude" era of the WWF. The battle raged all over the area, and The Rock did what must have been lasting damage to Mankind's skull before holding the microphone to his face and forcing him to utter the dreaded words "I quit". It would later be spun that what was heard was not actually live, and that Mankind never said it, but he may as well have because this feud had peaked with an absolutely brilliant match.
2. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit - Championship match - 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CI3yvFuqVs
This match was just an exhibition in top-level professional wrestling. Kurt Angle was once again a gigantic pain in the arse, and after ducking several title matches in the months preceding the rumble, he would take on Chris Benoit with his belt on the line. Each wrestler showcased their entire catalogue of moves, and the momentum swung back and forth so many times that it almost made you feel nauseous, right until the end, when it looked like Benoit finally had Angle, only for the Olympian to counter once more and secure the win.
1. Cactus Jack vs Triple H - Street Fight - 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-QTkPmdkZw
Simply incredible. This match had absolutely everything that was great about the WWF at the turn of the millennium. Cactus Jack, Mick Foley's most badass persona, against Triple H, no holds barred, blood everywhere. Shipping crates, chairs, 2x4's wrapped in barbed wire, THUMB TACKS! Oh dear lord the thumb tacks. When Triple H delivered The Pedigree onto said thumb takes and took the win, everyone watching was a little gutted to see it end, which is what made Cactus Jack hauling his ass back into the ring for another beating so magical. The image Triple H being wheeled off in a stretcher only for Foley to shove him back into the ring and kick his ass before drinking in the frenzied reaction for the fans is something that will live with wrestling fans of the time forever.
See also: 30 Moments That Prove WWF Royal Rumble 2000 Was The Best PPV Event Ever
