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1992
Very popularly considered to be the best ever, and the first time the Royal Rumble actually MEANT something specific. With the vacated title on the line, the event was suddenly much more than the "money and prestige" event that Monsoon had pushed it in the past. A lot of the participants were in no way even outside contenders to win - Repo Man, Berzerker, I'm looking at you specifically - but there were enough viable competitors in Savage, Flair, Sid, Undertaker, et al, that there was enough uncertainty in the air to make you glue your eyes to that screen. I, and I beleive many others, had kind of assumed that this was Hogan's time to get the title back, and I was straight-up astounded when Flair, the consummate NWA/WCW champion, became the man in the land of Hulkamania. Though, I honestly did have it in the back of my head that "they're really hyping Flair's early entry, maybe there's something to that" but by the time the match ended I had concluded that they were just trying to beef up Hogan's victory. My personal favorite moment in the match is when Flair tosses the only other guy currently in the match and Heenan screams "FLAIR DID IT! FLAIR'S THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!" When barely half of the field had entered the match.
And for crying out loud if you don't think the commentary on this Rumble is the best in the history of the PPV then clearly you have an ass for a brain. Heenan and Monsoon's exchanges, especially Heenan's anguished cries throughout the show and his insufferable celebration at the end. Just Flair's entrance carries more commentary gold than several entire Rumbles.
Match: A+
Commentary: A+
Winner: A+
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