50 Fun Facts About Royal Rumble

Which wrestler eliminated himself from the 1989 Royal Rumble after Jake Roberts threw in a snake?

André the Giant climbed out over the top rope by himself to get away from Damien, the snake Roberts carried to the ring in a bag. Nobody threw him out, but a self-elimination still counts.

Who became the first woman to compete in a Royal Rumble match, entering at number 30 in 1999?

Chyna threw Mark Henry over the top rope moments after arriving, then was clotheslined out herself. No other woman entered the match for the next 11 years.

Which wrestler entered the 1998 Royal Rumble three separate times, each as a different character?

Mick Foley came out as Cactus Jack, then Mankind, then Dude Love. That is why the 30-man match really had only 28 wrestlers in it.

Which comedian, the first celebrity in a Royal Rumble match, climbed out by himself in 2001?

Drew Carey offered Kane a handshake and a cash bribe, got grabbed by the throat, and climbed out the moment Kane was distracted. He is now in the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

What has to touch the floor, after going over the top rope, to eliminate a Royal Rumble wrestler?

Both feet have to land, so a wrestler hanging on with one leg, or walking on his hands, is still in the match. Leaving under or between the ropes doesn't count either.

In which country was the first Royal Rumble held in 1988, at an arena in the city of Hamilton?

Canada hosted the debut at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. It aired free on cable television, a year before the Rumble became a pay-per-view.

Since 1993, the Royal Rumble winner has traditionally earned a world title match at which event?

WrestleMania became the prize in 1993. A year earlier the Rumble itself had decided the vacant WWF Championship, the first time the match carried any prize at all.

Which wrestler won the vacant WWF Championship by lasting about an hour in the 1992 Royal Rumble?

Ric Flair entered third and survived just over 60 minutes, the first hour-long run in Rumble history. He later wrote that he only learned he would win on the day of the show.

Who won the 2008 Royal Rumble as the surprise final entrant, back early from a torn pectoral muscle?

John Cena came out last at Madison Square Garden, months before his scheduled return. He then used his title shot at the very next pay-per-view instead of waiting for the spring.

Which wrestler tripped on his way to the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble and slid under the ring?

Titus O'Neil fell while sprinting to the ring and vanished beneath the apron. The clip became an internet meme, and he still made it into the match, lasting under five minutes.

Which wrestler was thrown out of the 2009 Royal Rumble about one second after getting in?

Santino Marella was sent straight back out by Kane, breaking a two-second record that had stood for 20 years. Two years later he came within one elimination of winning the whole thing.

Which wrestler won the 1997 Royal Rumble by sneaking back in after referees missed his elimination?

Steve Austin had been thrown out, but the officials were busy with a brawl on the far side, so he slid back in and eliminated three more men. He later became the first three-time winner.

Who became the first wrestler to win a Royal Rumble from the number one spot, in 1995?

Shawn Michaels started the match and outlasted all 29 others, with a new man arriving every 60 seconds rather than the usual 90 or more. He won again the following year.

Who became the first two-time Royal Rumble winner with back-to-back victories in 1990 and 1991?

Hulk Hogan won the second of them in Miami during the Gulf War. The broadcast announced that he would tour military bases to support the troops.

Which wrestler won the 2000 Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden by last eliminating the Big Show?

The Rock actually touched the floor first as the two men tumbled out, but the live broadcast never showed viewers that angle. He was declared the winner anyway.

Who became the first wrestler to win a Royal Rumble from the final entry spot, number 30, in 2007?

The Undertaker did it at the 20th Rumble. Number 30 was seen as the easiest draw, yet nobody had ever won from it before.

Who won the 2006 Royal Rumble from the number two spot and dedicated the win to Eddie Guerrero?

Rey Mysterio spent more than 62 minutes in the ring, a record for the standard 30-man match that stood for 17 years.

Who won the first women's Royal Rumble match in 2018 by last eliminating Nikki Bella?

Asuka won in the first women's match ever to close one of WWE's original 'Big Four' shows. She had entered at number 25.

Which wrestler is known for acrobatic Royal Rumble escapes, including a handstand walk in 2012?

Kofi Kingston walked on his hands to the ring steps that night. Later saves included hopping back in on a commentator's chair and a leap from the crowd barricade.

Which Hall of Famer won the 2021 Royal Rumble a decade after a neck injury forced him to retire?

Edge started at number one and went the distance, becoming the first wrestler to win a Rumble after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Which fan-free WWE bubble, with supporters shown on LED boards, staged the 2021 Royal Rumble?

The ThunderDome put nearly 1,000 LED boards of virtual fans inside Tropicana Field in Florida. WWE decided that dismantling it to let a real crowd in for one night was not worth the effort.

Which reigning WWE Champion entered the 2020 Royal Rumble at number one and threw out 13 men?

Brock Lesnar matched the single-match elimination record before a low blow and a kick finally sent him out. The man who dumped him went on to win the Rumble and challenge him for the title.

Which reggaeton star made a surprise entry in the 2022 Royal Rumble and eliminated Dolph Ziggler?

Bad Bunny came in at number 27 and hit a Destroyer on Riddle before he was thrown out himself. Jackass star Johnny Knoxville was in the same match.

Which YouTuber was a surprise replacement in the 2025 Royal Rumble, where Bron Breakker speared him?

IShowSpeed took the place of Akira Tozawa, who had been attacked by an eliminated wrestler and ruled unable to compete. His stay was brief: one spear, and he was out.

Which wrestler in 2024 became the first in 26 years to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles?

Cody Rhodes won as the last entrant in 2023 and from number 15 a year later. Only three men had done the double before him.

Who became the first woman to win a Royal Rumble from the number one spot, in 2023?

Rhea Ripley was in the ring for 61 minutes, then the longest stay in a women's Rumble. The last woman she threw out had started the match alongside her.

Who entered the 2023 Royal Rumble first and lasted over 71 minutes, only to finish as runner-up?

Gunther set a new mark for the longest stay in a 30-man Rumble. He was only the second number one entrant to be the last man thrown out.

Who made a surprise return to win the 2022 women's Royal Rumble after almost three years away?

Ronda Rousey came out at number 28 in her first WWE appearance for almost three years. She last threw out the reigning SmackDown women's champion, then challenged her for the title.

Which champion had to defend the WWE world title in the 2016 Royal Rumble, entering at number one?

Roman Reigns was the first reigning champion ever made to defend the title in the Rumble itself. The returning 30th entrant eliminated him and left with the belt.

Who won the 2002 Royal Rumble soon after returning from an eight-month quadriceps injury?

Triple H came in at number 22 and threw out Kurt Angle last. Fourteen years later he won again, that time as the final entrant.

Who won the 2011 Royal Rumble, which was expanded to a field of 40 men?

Alberto Del Rio entered 38th and began celebrating too soon. A rival who had rolled out under the ropes came back in, and had to be thrown out as well.

Who lost a title match, then won the 2019 women's Royal Rumble as a substitute on the same night?

Becky Lynch took the number 28 spot from Lana, who had been hurt on the pre-show and could not compete.

Which longtime TNA star arrived in WWE as the third entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble?

AJ Styles eliminated the next two men to enter before Kevin Owens threw him out. He won his first Raw match the following night, against Chris Jericho.

Fans booed the 2014 Royal Rumble finish while chanting for which wrestler, who was not in the match?

Daniel Bryan had lost the opening match that night and was never entered. A year later he was in the field, and the crowd turned again when he was thrown out early.

Which wrestler won the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 after throwing out 13 opponents?

Braun Strowman received a trophy and a championship belt created just for that match. His 13 eliminations beat the previous single-match best by one.

Which woman attacked R-Truth during his entrance and took his place in the 2019 men's Royal Rumble?

Nia Jax became the first person to compete in both the men's and women's Rumble on the same night, and she scored eliminations in each.

Which wrestler threw out seven men in a row early in the 1994 Royal Rumble, winning over the crowd?

Diesel was a villain at the time, yet his run earned applause. A year later he walked into the next Rumble event as WWF Champion.

Who eliminated The Great Khali from the 2010 Royal Rumble by pulling him out during a kiss?

Beth Phoenix was only the second woman ever to enter the men's match. Her night ended moments later when CM Punk threw her out.

Which Baywatch star came to the 1995 Royal Rumble to escort its winner to his title match?

Pamela Anderson celebrated in the ring with the winner that night. When the title match came, though, she walked out with the champion instead.

Who in 1993 became the first Royal Rumble winner rewarded with a guaranteed world title match?

Yokozuna won by shoving Randy Savage off him so hard that Savage flew over the top rope. He took the WWF Championship in the title match that followed, but held it for only a few minutes.

Who shared the 1994 Royal Rumble win with Lex Luger after the two men went over the ropes together?

Bret Hart had been beaten up by his own brother earlier that night, so it was not even certain he would enter. Officials could not tell who had landed first and named them co-winners.

Which wrestler won the first televised Royal Rumble match in 1988, entering 13th in a 20-man field?

Jim Duggan was being double-teamed at the end, but he ducked so that one attacker knocked the other out of the ring. He then threw out the survivor to win.

Which Hall of Famer, recognized as WWE's first Intercontinental Champion, devised the Royal Rumble?

Pat Patterson worked backstage as a road agent after retiring from the ring. By his own account, the company's chairman hated the idea at first.

Who bought the number 30 spot in the 1989 Royal Rumble from the manager Slick, yet finished second?

Ted DiBiase, the 'Million Dollar Man', paid for the last and supposedly safest draw and was still thrown out by the winner. A year later he started at number one and lasted nearly 45 minutes.

Which cable channel aired the first Royal Rumble in 1988, a year before it moved to pay-per-view?

USA Network showed it free on the very night that a rival promotion was selling its Bunkhouse Stampede pay-per-view.

Which wrestler won the untelevised 12-man trial run of the Royal Rumble at a St. Louis show in 1987?

One Man Gang threw out the Junkyard Dog last. The win was meant to set up a title match, but the ring announcer had given away the result beforehand.

Which 60-man battle royal was WCW's answer to the Royal Rumble in the 1990s?

World War 3 started all 60 men at once across three rings instead of sending them in at intervals. It was staged as a pay-per-view every November from 1995 to 1998.

Which Texas city packed more than 60,000 fans into a domed stadium for the 1997 Royal Rumble?

San Antonio's Alamodome held 60,477 that night, a Rumble attendance record that stood for 28 years. The show was built around a hometown hero challenging for the WWF title.

Which television producer oversaw the first Royal Rumble and suggested its countdown clock?

Dick Ebersol called the match the 'greatest thing for television', and his backing put it at the centre of the show. The special was then named after it.

Who won the 2024 women's Royal Rumble, the match in which Jade Cargill made her WWE in-ring debut?

Bayley entered third and lasted 63 minutes, a record for the women's match at the time. She threw out Liv Morgan last.