5 Best No. 30 Entries in the Royal Rumble

Finally, the day has arrived, and it's time for the Road to Wrestlemania to truly begin, and the first stop on the way is the 2019 Royal Rumble. With this year's event boasting a 30-man and 30-woman Royal Rumble match for the second successive year, and a wide-open field, it will be interesting to see who can come away victorious in both matches.

While both the men and the women's Royal Rumble will include the usual array of surprise entries from legends, to returns, to appearances from NXT superstars, most of the participants of both matches have been announced.

In the men's Royal Rumble, Drew McIntyre, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Seth Rollins, Jeff Hardy, Dean Ambrose, Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, Elias, Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal, Apollo Crews, Andrade, Mustafa Ali, Rey Mysterio, Titus O'Neil, Randy Orton, and guaranteed 30th entry R-Truth have announced their participation.

In the women's match, Ember Moon, Natalya, Bayley, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Alicia Fox, Zelina Vega, Naomi, Mickie Hames, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Charlotte Flair, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Lana, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, Lacey Evans, and guaranteed 30th entry Carmella have been advertised for the Royal Rumble.

John Cena has also been announced for the match, but there are rumors regarding his involvement after potentially suffering an ankle injury during a house show in the lead up to the event.

The most coverted spot of them all is the #30 spot in any Royal Rumble match. The key to surviving an over-the-top rope elimination match is to stay as fresh as possible and hope that more than half the competitors are already out of the game. This is exactly what the last entry post offers.

The spot is so popular that superstars often compete in grueling matches beforehand with the Number 30 entrance spot on the line. It gives you a huge strategic advantage and hence, today we look at five superstars who made the most of entering at #30.

Honourable Mention: Chyna (1999) - Eliminated 23rd - 1 Elimination

While Chyna's statistics from the 1999 Royal Rumble were nothing particularly special, her appearance was groundbreaking. Chyna became the first woman to ever appear in the Royal Rumble, having qualified for the match after winning the DX vs Corporation Battle Royal last eliminating Vince McMahon to enter the match 30th.

Chyna would appear in two successive Royal Rumbles and would forge a path that only two women, Beth Phoenix and Kharma, would be able to follow. In a time when women's wrestling was being taken less and less seriously, Chyna was the first woman booked as a legitimate threat, and also booked against male wrestlers.

You can see the other entries in this series below:

Part 1 is here; Part 6 is here; Part 11 is here; Part 16 is here; Part 21 is here; Part 26 is here

Part 2 is here; Part 7 is here; Part 12 is here; Part 17 is here; Part 22 is here; Part 27 is here

Part 3 is here; Part 8 is here; Part 13 is here; Part 18 is here; Part 23 is here; Part 28 is here

Part 4 is here; Part 9 is here; Part 14 is here; Part 19 is here; Part 24 is here; Part 29 is here

Part 5 is here; Part 10 is here; Part 15 is here; Part 20 is here; Part 25 is here

#5 Trish Stratus (2018) - Eliminated 26th - 3 Eliminations

WWE Legend Trish Stratus returned to the ring in the 2018 Royal Rumble as entry 30

During the early 00s, the WWE women's division was held up by Trish Stratus and Lita. The former fitness model was first signed to the WWE in 2000 and allied with Test and Albert in a stable known as T and A, before transitioning herself into an in-ring competitor.

From 2001 to 2006 Stratus was the queen of WWE, winning 7 Women's Championship reigns during the time, putting her two reigns clear of Mickie James's 5 reigns, and second overall in terms of combined reign length after the Fabulous Moolah.

Stratus was one of the many legends that appeared in the female Royal Rumble, coming in at the 30th entry. Stratus had gone into semi-retirement 12 years prior to the Royal Rumble in 2006. however, she last appeared in a WWE ring 7 years before at Wrestlemania.

After entering the Royal Rumble, she would share a spot with former ally and later rival Mickie James before she eliminated James, she would then eliminate Nia Jax and Natalya, making it to the final 5. Trish would eventually be eliminated by the Iron Woman of the Rumble, Sasha Banks.

Stratus would retreat once again into her semi-retirement after the Royal Rumble but would be brought back out for a tag team match at WWE's historic all-female pay-per-view Evolution, teaming with Lita against Alicia Fox and Mickie James.

#4 Ryback (2013) - Eliminated 29th - 5 Eliminations

Ryback facing off against John Cena at the 2013 Royal Rumble

Back in 2013, Ryback was going to be the next big thing, and the Royal Rumble was just another event on his way to prove that. After initially debuting on the Main Roster as Skip Sheffield and being a part of the NXT faction led by Wade Barrett, he was re-christened Ryback in 2012 after coming back from a series of injuries.

Ryback would go on a winning streak after his re-debut, eventually challenging CM Punk for the WWE Championship. Ryback would lose in a series of matches, but never cleanly, either via a fast count or outside interference.

After several failed title challenges, Ryback would enter the 2013 Royal Rumble as the 30th entry. Ryback would eliminate several superstars including Damien Sandow, Sin Cara, The Miz, Randy Orton, and the winner of the previous year's Royal Rumble, Sheamus.

This would leave Ryback in the final two of the Royal Rumble with multi-time world champion and 2008 Royal Rumble winner, John Cena. Cena would get the better of the "Big Guy" and eliminate Ryback from the Royal Rumble to win his second Royal Rumble.

Ryback would later face Mark Henry in a singles match of that year's Wrestlemania, which he would lose.

#3 The Undertaker (2007) - Winner - 3 Eliminations

Despite being a big star with the promotion since debuting in 1990, it would take the Undertaker 17 years before he would win the Royal Rumble for the first time. The Undertaker is one of WWE's strongest forces, boasting a career that has spanned over three decades, and one of the few that has maintained a gimmick through to the current era of gimmick-less wrestlers.

Aside from his many re-inventions, the Undertaker is perhaps best known for his long-running streak of wins at Wrestlemania.

The Undertaker came out as the 30th entry of the 2007 Royal Rumble and would eliminate The Great Khali, Montel Vontavious Porter, and finally Shawn Michaels to win the Royal Rumble. The Undertaker would be in the Royal Rumble for a total of 13 minutes and 15 seconds on his way to victory, the longest time for a Royal Rumble winner from the number 30 spot.

The Undertaker would use his Wrestlemania title shot on Batista and would win the World Heavyweight Championship. It would be the Undertaker's first run with the belt, and he would lose the belt after a month when Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Deadman.

2007 would remain the Undertaker's only Royal Rumble win, despite appearing in 11 Royal Rumbles and having eliminated 40 participants over that time.

#2 Triple H (2016) - Winner - 4 Eliminations

In the lead up to the 2016 Royal Rumble, Triple H and The Authority made sure to stack the deck as much as possible against the reigning WWE Champion Roman Reigns heading into the Royal Rumble.

Not only was Reigns required to defend the Championship in the Royal Rumble, something that had never been done before, but he was also entered first in the Royal Rumble. Reigns would make it to the end of the Royal Rumble, but the Authority had one final challenge for Reigns.

Triple H would enter to the 2016 Royal Rumble as entry number 30, 14 years after his first Royal Rumble victory in 2002. Triple H would wrestle just over 9 minutes in the Royal Rumble, eliminating Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and finally Dean Ambrose to win the WWE title.

The victory would mark the beginning of Triple H's 9th reign with the WWE title and in addition to his 5 reigns with the World Heavyweight title making Triple H a 14-time world champion.

Triple H would face the former WWE champion Roman Reigns in the main event of Wrestlemania for the title after Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar to be the number one contender. Roman Reigns would defeat the Game to reclaim his title.

#1 John Cena (2008) - Winner - 4 Eliminations

Prior to the 2008 Royal Rumble, John Cena suffered one of the worst injuries of his career in a match with Mr. Kennedy while performing a hip toss. Cena had torn his entire pectoral muscle from the bone, and despite the injury soldiered through to complete the match and a post-match beat down by Randy Orton. Cena was given a 7 month recovery time for the injury after successful surgery.

4 months after suffering the injury, John Cena came into the 2008 Royal Rumble as a surprise 30th entry. The reaction from the crowd to Cena's appearance was intense. The reaction was matched by the expression of surprise on the face of Triple H.

Cena came into the ring and would eliminate Carlito, Chavo Guerrero and Mark Henry in succession, and would end up in the final three against Batista and Triple H. After Batista was eliminated by Triple H, Cena was able to eliminate Triple H, winning the Royal Rumble on his return.

Cena would use his Wrestlemania title match to challenge WWE Champion Randy Orton at No Way Out. Cena would win the match, but via disqualification, meaning that he would not win the title.

He would face Orton again at Wrestlemania, but this time with Triple H added to make the match a Triple Threat. Randy Orton would again retain the title, this time after pinning Cena in the ring.