From the first Royal Rumble in 1988, when ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan took the wrestling crown, this WWE spectacle has since become one of the top four most popular pay-for-view events globally.
Each year, 30 wrestling superstars take to the ring in a staggered clash of the titans to be the last man standing and become that year’s Royal Rumble champion.
From Hacksaw’s surprise title to the longest match, Betway Casino have looked at some of the most interesting stats surrounding Royal Rumble wins.
The most Royal Rumble wins
With 30 wrestlers in the ring, the Royal Rumble is a whole heap of mayhem, meaning it can be any man’s game. But there are some Royal Rumble legends who have scooped the title more than once.
Top of the multiple win pack is WWE icon Stone Cold Steve Austin, who raised the Royal Rumble belt three times, the last in 2001. Hot on his Royal Rumble title holder heels are Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, who have been crowned winner twice.
The top ‘almost wins’
When there’s a winner, there has to be a loser, and the stat all Royal Rumble wrestlers don’t want to figure in is the most runner ups. And there are three wrestlers who are double holders of the Royal Rumble’s ‘almost won’. Big Show, Triple H and John Cena all share the most times runner up title.
Cena eventually scooped the winner’s title in 2008, while Triple H bagged his win in 2016. Meanwhile, Big Show courted controversy when he claimed he had won the 2000 title against the actual title holder, The Rock.
The most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble
With the Royal Rumble objective to toss as many opponents as you can out of the ring, there have been some impressive performances over the years. And, with 30 wrestlers competing each year, the top three ‘most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble’ are in double figures.
Veteran heavyweight wrestler Kane leads the pack, with 11 eliminations in the 2001 Royal Rumble. Close behind is Hulk Hogan, with 10 eliminations in 1989 and Steve Austin, with 10 opponent removals in 1997.
The oldest ever Royal Rumble competitor
Sixty-eight-year-old Jimmy Snuka is the oldest wrestler to take to the Royal Rumble ring. The year was 2008 and lasted just under three minutes before he was eliminated. The very first Royal Rumble winner, Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes fourth, as he was 58 when he returned to the event in 2012. Hacksaw lasted 57 seconds before being eliminated by Cody Rhodes, the son of his old adversary, Dusty Rhodes.
The longest ever Royal Rumble match
And finally, the stat that shows the Rumble is also a test of endurance. With 30 men battling it out for the title, this wrestling event always has the potential to go the distance. And the longest ever Royal Rumble was in 2002 and clocked up a mighty 69 minutes and 22 seconds.
The eventual 2002 Royal Rumble champion was Triple H. And, as our last statistic to finish on, Triple H also holds the title of the most time spent competing in the competition, with a cumulative total of three hours 41 minutes spent with the Royal Rumble ring.
