10 things you must know about Royal Rumble

It’s again that time of the year when 30 WWE Superstars go against the odds and every individual tries to eliminate 29 other Superstars in his bid to headline WrestleMania. We all are aware of the Rumble records, but there are some Rumble facts which we know but don’t discuss enough. Here are 10 of those:

10. How old is the Royal Rumble pay-per-view?

The first ever Royal Rumble took place on 24^th January, 1988 as a television special on the USA Network. It was won by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. From 1989 it became a pay-per-view. So, Royal Rumble is 26 years old, but the Rumble pay-per-view is only 25 years old. Next month will be the 26^th anniversary of the PPV.

9. There will be surprise entries

Quite recently, Royal Rumble has been a package of surprises, with Legends and former WWE stars entering the Rumble to fight against the present-day stars. Road Dogg’s appearance in 2012, Diesel’s in 2011 and Rob Van Dam’s in 2009 are few examples of the level of surprise one can expect from the Rumble.

8. Winner is guaranteed a championship match at WrestleMania, not a win

It is often considered that the winner of the Royal Rumble will also win the Championship at WrestleMania; well this is not entirely true. In last 6 years, only Sheamus (’12) and John Cena (’13) are the two Rumble winners who have been able to win the Championship at WrestleMania, defeating Daniel Bryan and The Rock respectively.

7. Entering as #1 isn’t that unlucky

Although, entering at number 1 in the Rumble gives you the biggest disadvantage, the entry isn’t that unlucky as it has produced two winners, Shawn Michael (’95) and Chris Benoit (’04). Even last year’s #1 entrant, Dolph Ziggler came close to winning. He also spent most time in the ring; nearly 50 minutes.

6. Staying the longest inside the ring isn’t enough

Royal Rumble surely is a game about staying inside the ring for as long as you can, but staying the longest hasn’t always produced winners. Only 6 Superstars who have stayed inside the longest have won the Rumble. These 6 are: Ric Flair (’92), Shawn Michaels (’95), Stone Cold (’97), Vince McMahon (’99), Chris Benoit (’04) and Rey Mysterio (’06). Bob Backlund has been the most unfortunate Superstar as he stayed inside the ring for over an hour but still lost the ’93 Royal Rumble.

5. It is not restricted to males

In the history of Royal Rumble, 3 different women have entered the Rumble, a Battle Royal which is usually matched between men. The interesting fact about the Divas’ appearances is that none of them have failed to eliminate a Superstar, unlike many other males who have never made any elimination; David Otunga and Damien Sandow for instance. These Divas include Chyna (’99 and ’00), Beth Phoenix (’10) and Kharma (’12) who eliminated Chris Jericho & Mark Henry, The Great Khali and Hunico respectively.

4. Entry #30 isn’t guaranteed a win either

It might be the best number to enter at, but unfortunately entering the Rumble last doesn’t guarantee a win. This number has produced only two winners: Undertaker (’07) and John Cena (’08). It has produced 6 runners-up as well: Ted DiBiase (’89), Mr. Perfect (’90), Randy Savage (’93), Undertaker (’03), Randy Orton (’06), and Ryback (’13).

3. One can be twice lucky

Winning the Rumble even once is an achievement in itself, but some wrestlers have been lucky enough to win it more than that. These are: Hulk Hogan (’90 and ’91), Shawn Michaels (’95 and ’96), Stone Cold (’97, ’98 and ’01)) and John Cena (’08 and ’13). Out of the current active Superstars, only Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus stand a chance to record another Rumble win.

2. Entering at #27 has been really lucky

In Royal Rumble’s history, entry #27 has produced most number of winners. They are: Big John Studd (’89), Yokozuna (’93), Bret Hart (’94), and Stone Cold (’01). Unfortunately, the number has seen a decline of luck in recent years, with 6 of last 7 #27 entrants failing to eliminate even one other Superstar. The number has definitely lost its shine.

1. If Royal Rumble can’t entertain you, nothing else will!

Seeing 30 men trying to throw each other out of the ring makes this match the most entertaining in the WWE. The stakes are so high that they will do anything to survive, whether it is forming alliances with enemies or turning on their own friends. The bottom line is you can’t and you shouldn’t miss this match.