The Royal Rumble is traditionally one of the most popular and eagerly anticipated matches on the WWE schedule.

That does not mean, however, that all are roaring successes.

Over the nearly four decades that the company has promoted the 30-person spectacle, it has produced some extraordinary matches and others that severely missed the mark, thanks to a multitude of different reasons.

The same can be said about the contest's last decade, during which WWE introduced a women's Rumble match, doubling the potential for superb contests and less-than-great incarnations.

Ahead of the 2025 match this Saturday from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, these are the 10 best Rumble matches from recent history.

10. Women's Royal Rumble 2022

The 2022 Women's Royal Rumble was an interesting match. There was a clear issue with roster depth, resulting in an abundance of Hall of Fame, returning, unbranded, or NXT stars in the field.

Half of the field consisted of NXT or returning stars from prior eras, which hurt the drama of the match as it was apparent that none of those competitors had a chance of actually winning.

It wasn't easy to establish another potential victor in the field outside of Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley, and Charlotte Flair. Until that is, Ronda Rousey made her shocking return to the company with her entry at No. 28.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet unleashed hell and, ultimately, eliminated Flair to secure the win and earn a trip to WrestleMania 38.

Not on par with its predecessors, or those that would come after it, the surprise return and victory for Rousey was enough to ever so slightly earn it a spot on this countdown.

9. Men's Royal Rumble 2024

The 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match featured the continuation of Cody Rhodes' quest to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns. To do so and finish his story, though, he had to become the first Superstar since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to run it back and win two Rumbles in a row.

He did just that, overcoming the last man he eliminated the year before, Gunther, and outlasting CM Punk in the closing moments to cash his ticket to WrestleMania 40 and a date with The Tribal Chief.

The story was strong in the second half of the Rumble, elevating its quality, but the slow, plodding start to the match with little to no top-tier talent dragged the overall experience down a peg or two, resulting in its appearance in the bottom portion of this countdown.

8. Men's Royal Rumble 2019

The 2019 Men's Royal Rumble suffered from a decided lack of star power, and a few spots in which there were too many competitors in the ring at one time, but a few fun spots and a quality finish helped elevate it to a position on this list.

One of the most memorable moments came late in the contest when Nia Jax jumped R-Truth during his entrance and stole his spot. Dismayed by her loss in the women's match, The Irresistible Force entered the squared circle and started wrecking fools, including Mustafa Ali, who she eliminated.

Her run would come to an end, courtesy of a superkick from Dolph Ziggler, 619 from Rey Mysterio, and an RKO from Randy Orton that popped the crowd.

Moments later, in the closing seconds of the match, Seth Rollins overcame the massive Braun Strowman, utilizing a guillotine choke to drag him over the top rope, then delivering a stomp on the ring apron to secure his first Royal Rumble victory and cash his ticket to WrestleMania 35.

7. Women's Royal Rumble 2023

The 2023 Women's Royal Rumble was, like another further up this list, a tale of two competitors.

Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan entered the match at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, and survived the entire 61:08 runtime. The former tag team partners turned enemies outlasted former winners Becky Lynch and Asuka, NXT stars such as Roxanne Perez and Indi Hartwell, and the returning Nia Jax to emerge as the final two competitors in the match.

Despite a spirited performance by Morgan, it was the determined, driven, and ruthless Ripley who would earn the nod, dumping the former SmackDown women's champion and earning her spot in one of the marquee match-ups at WrestleMania 39.

This match, more focused on the current roster than on interjecting legends into the fray, was a sign of things to come. As hated rivals, Ripley and Morgan would ultimately dominate the women's division for the next two years.

6. Women's Royal Rumble 2021

The 2021 Royal Rumble showcased two of the best and brightest young stars who are poised to become the faces of women's wrestling for the next decade and beyond.

Bianca Belair entered the match at No. 3 and competed for 56:49 seconds. Rhea Ripley arrived at the No. 14 spot and lasted 39:06 before the NXT exports were the only two participants left.

From there, they battled for the right to head to WrestleMania and challenge for their respective brand's championship. Though she was dominant throughout, eliminating seven competitors and showcasing the physicality that would become a signature of her in-ring style, Ripley was unable to top Belair, who eliminated her and cashed her ticket to WrestleMania 37 and a date with Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Like others before it, the match meshed current, future, and Hall of Fame-worthy talent together but in the end, it was all about Ripley and Belair establishing themselves as the future of the industry, which they did to near perfection up to the final elimination of the contest.

5. Men's Royal Rumble 2018

The closing moments of the 2018 men's match elevated it exponentially. Two generations of stars stared each other down and squared off for the right to headline WrestleMania and challenge for the top championship in WWE.

On one side of the squared circle were John Cena, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio, three men who arrived at the dawn of the Ruthless Aggression Era and set the bar incredibly high for their peers to eclipse. They helped define that era, won countless championships, and established Hall of Fame careers.

On the other side of the ring were the stars of the modern era of WWE: Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Finn Bálor.

The showdown between generations brought Philadelphia fans to their feet, and only two men remained: Reigns, the predominant favorite to win the whole thing, and Nakamura, the man the die-hard fans had selected.

They battled until The Artist managed to get the best of his opponent and toss him from the match, cashing his ticket to The Showcase of the Immortals and a showdown with his former New Japan Pro-Wrestling foe, AJ Styles for the WWE title.

A strong match with some great drama and memorable moments, including Mysterio's return to the company, it was a crowd-pleasing match that only served to set the stage for the historic women's match that headlined the night's event.

4. Women's Royal Rumble 2018

History was made in the final match-up of the 2018 event as, for the first time ever, WWE presented the Women's Royal Rumble.

Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch set the bar high, opening the match and ensuring a high work rate throughout their lengthy stints in it. From there, fans watched as the best and brightest from that women's roster, as well as a mix of NXT future stars and legends of a bygone era made up a crowd-pleasing field of competitors.

Late in the match, with SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair and Raw women's champion Alexa Bliss watching from ringside, Asuka bested both Bella Twins and Sasha Banks to win the match and etch her name in the history books as the inaugural winner of the contest.

The 2018 match expertly managed to mesh the current stars with the past ones and sprinkle in some developmental talent along the way, to create one of the best and most memorable fields in women's Rumble history.

3. Men's Royal Rumble 2016

With the evil Authority breathing down his neck and looking for any way to end his run as undisputed WWE world champion, Roman Reigns faced the unenviable task of entering the 2016 match at the No. 1 position and outlasting 29 other competitors if he hoped to retain his title.

Along the way, he encountered the debuting AJ Styles, with whom he sparred for a bit, and former world champions like Chris Jericho and Kane before taking a nasty beating from The League of Nations, which ended with Rusev driving him through the announce table.

The Big Dog overcame the punishment and returned to the squared circle, only for Triple H to shock the world as the No. 30 entrant. The Game would ultimately end Reigns' night, to the dismay of the competitor and delight of a fan base that had grown tired of seeing the hand-picked predecessor to John Cena dominate the top of the card.

From there, The Cerebral Assassin would outlast Dean Ambrose to win the title.

A story-driven Rumble with the massive surprise arrival of Styles and a championship at stake for the first time since 1992, it halted the streak of putrid Royal Rumbles and instantly ranked as one of the best of this generation.

2. Men's Royal Rumble 2023

The 2023 men's match is one of the best Royal Rumbles in company history, thanks to consistent pacing and a lack of instances where too many competitors were piled up in the ring, bringing down the overall quality.

Gunther turned in one of the greatest Rumble performances of all time, setting the longevity mark by lasting 71:40, and his showdown with eventual winner Cody Rhodes as the final two competitors in the squared circle helped put an exclamation point on the contest.

Add in some representation of ongoing stories, such as Drew McIntyre and Sheamus' battle with The Ring General over the Intercontinental Championship, and you have a match that accomplished everything the very best Rumbles do.

That Rhodes celebrated a successful return from injury as the winner of the 2023 match, and someone the entire world was absolutely sure would dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, only enhanced the production.

1. Men's Royal Rumble 2020

The 2020 men's match is an all-timer.

First, there was the utter dominance of Brock Lesnar, who enraged the fans in attendance by tearing through 13 men in a display not seen since Diesel eliminated eight fools in the 1994 match.

Then came the arrival of Ricochet, who admirably took the fight to The Beast long enough for Drew McIntyre to enter next. It was The Scottish Warrior who ended the fans' suffering, delivering a Claymore that sent the arrogant Lesnar over the top rope and to the floor, ending his night and foreshadowing the main event of WrestleMania 36.

Edge shocked the world at the No. 21 position, returning from injury and competing in his first match since a severe neck injury forced him into retirement nine years earlier. The crowd's eruption, his emotion, and the aura he brought to the squared circle made for an unforgettable moment that has gone down as one of the greatest in Rumble history.

That McIntyre overcame the predictable Roman Reigns win by dumping the future Tribal Chief only served to put a bow on what was a perfectly booked match and a coming-out moment for the Scottish-born competitor.

An example for all Rumble matches to follow.