Kurt Angle and 4 other WWE legends who have surprisingly never won the Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble match, created by the late Hall of Famer Pat Patterson, still remains one of the most exciting and intriguing concepts in professional wrestling till date. There is a unique element of surprise built into the thirty-person melee, and winning the affair grants the winner a multitude of opportunities and privileges.

By outlasting 29 other individuals, the victor books a ticket to a one-on-one match with the World Champion, which may change to multi-man contests in the main event of WrestleMania, but it is not a guarantee in this age. Since its inception in 1988, dozens of Hall of Famers have won the Men's Thirty-Man Rumble.

The Undertaker, Bret Hart, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H are some of the lucky few who have won the thirty-man melee. Several legends, however, have surprisingly never won the Rumble.

Let's look at 5 WWE such legends who have surprisingly never won a Royal Rumble.

Note: This listicle only includes male Superstars and is far from exhaustive.

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#5 WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg

Goldberg had an impressive showing in the 2017 Rumble match

In September, WWE celebrated 25 years of Goldberg. The focus was primarily on his undefeated streak in WCW and his remarkable comeback story in 2016. The Icon has accomplished everything there is to achieve in professional wrestling, but a Royal Rumble victory has eluded him.

In all honesty, there weren't many opportunities to book a Rumble victory. Goldberg has only participated in two Royal Rumble matches. He was the final entrant in the 2004 edition and returned thirteen years later to compete in the exciting thirty-man melee again.

If the WCW legend had jumped ship to WWE much before 2003, he might have won the Rumble. Furthermore, his initial run lasted only a year. When he returned for his farewell tour in 2016, the Hall of Famer was past his prime; thus, a Rumble win seemed unnecessary.

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#4 Big Show never won a Royal Rumble match

Big Show is one of the greatest Rumble competitors of all time.

Having appeared in twelve Rumble matches and tossing over 32 competitors, Big Show is one of the all-time great performers in the thirty-person melee. The world's largest athlete is usually a central focus in Rumble matches, entering the fray at the tail-end and quickly eliminating everyone in his path.

Despite several dominating outings at the event, the former WWE Champion never won the Rumble. He came super close in 2000, where he was the last person to be eliminated by the eventual winner- The Rock. It didn't make much of a difference, as Show still found himself in the main event of WrestleMania 2000.

Unfortunately, the World's Largest Athlete left WWE in early 2021 for AEW. The show is currently signed to Tony Khan's promotion, and a surprise comeback for the Stamford-based company seems unlikely. At 50, his chances of winning the thirty-person melee are borderline impossible.

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#3 Chris Jericho

Like The Big Show, Chris Jericho also holds many records in the Royal Rumble. Y2J has spent almost five hours in the Rumble match, longer than any Superstar in WWE history. Jericho has been the proverbial "Iron man" in many such matches, notably in 2013, 2016, and 2017.

Despite coming close numerous times, the six-time world champion never won the Rumble. Jericho made a monumental return after a year-long hiatus in 2012, and WWE fans expected him to win the thirty-man bout that year. However, he was the runner-up as Sheamus won the match-up to book his ticket to WrestleMania 28.

The first-ever Undisputed World Champion was one of the first Superstars to join the AEW brand. Jericho last wrestled in the Greatest Royal Rumble match in April 2018, his last WWE appearance to date. At 52 and signed as one of its rival promotion's biggest stars, Y2J will probably never win the Rumble.

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#2 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle has competed in five Rumble matches.

One of the greatest amateur, collegiate, and professional wrestlers of all time, Kurt Angle, left an indelible footprint in the realm of wrestling. Although his list of accomplishments would make any aspiring WWE Superstar's mouth water, Angle has never won a Rumble match.

Speaking on his podcast, The Kurt Angle Show, The Olympic Gold Medalist almost seemed to regret not winning the Royal Rumble. His emotions are understandable for a Superstar who has dedicated his entire life to the wrestling business.

“You know what, one thing that got away from me. I would’ve loved to win the Royal Rumble, and go to WrestleMania and main event as most likely the babyface, because that’s who usually wins the Royal Rumble. That would’ve been a lot of fun for me.”

The Hall of Famer is now retired, and it would take a massive paycheck for Angle to come out of retirement. For a Rumble victory, the door has closed on a potential win.

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#1 Kane is the greatest WWE Superstar to have never won a Royal Rumble match

If a wrestling fan were to name the greatest Royal Rumble performer, Kane's name is bound to come up. The Big Red Machine holds the record for most cumulative eliminations at 46 and Rumble appearances at 20. He also had the record for most eliminations in a singles match in thirteen years before Roman Reigns broke it in 2014.

There were plenty of opportunities to book a Rumble victory. WWE had twenty chances, yet he was only the runner-up once in 2001. The Hall of Famer has made it to the final four several times in his illustrious in-ring career. For a man that is synonymous with the match-up, Kane should've won the Royal Rumble a long time ago.

As the Mayor of Knox County, Glenn Jacobs' wrestling career is over, and he may have officially retired. The Big Red Machine last entered the Rumble match in 2021, where he eliminated two men to add to his impressive record. While many of his records will probably stand for a long time, he goes down as the greatest Superstar to have never won a rumble match.